Home — Tekh Decoded

Caltech’s Nanoparticle Vaccine Protects Against a Wide Range of COVID-19-Causing Variants and Related Viruses

“Animals vaccinated with the mosaic-8 nanoparticles elicited antibodies that recognized virtually every SARS-like betacoronavirus strain we evaluated,” says Caltech postdoctoral scholar Alexander Cohen (PhD ’21), co-first author of the new study. A new type of vaccine provides protection against a variety of SARS-like betacoronaviruses, including COVID-19 variants, in mice and monkeys, according to a new study by Caltech. Betacoronaviruses, including those that caused the SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 pandemics, are a specific type of coronaviruses that infect humans and animals. The new vaccine works to induce the production of a broad spectrum of cross-reactive antibodies by presenting the immune system…

Webb Space Telescope Showcases Its Incredible Power: Detects Water on Distant Planet

A transmission spectrum made from a single observation using Webb’s Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) reveals atmospheric characteristics of the hot gas giant exoplanet WASP-96 b. A transmission spectrum is made by comparing starlight filtered through a planet’s atmosphere as it moves across the star, to the unfiltered starlight detected when the planet is beside the star. Each of the 141 data points (white circles) on this graph represents the amount of a specific wavelength of light that is blocked by the planet and absorbed by its atmosphere. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, ST Webb’s Gigantic Mirror and Precision Instrumentation…

China’s Nuclear-Powered Mission to Neptune

Lead Image: Artist’s impression of how Triton, Neptune’s largest moon, might look from high above its surface. The distant Sun appears at the upper left and the blue crescent of Neptune right of center. Using the CRIRES instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope, a team of astronomers has been able to see that the summer is in full swing in Triton’s southern hemisphere. Credit: ESO/L. Calçada China is Considering a Nuclear-Powered Mission to Neptune Some bold and cutting-edge space missions are proposed for the coming decade, as made clear by the Planetary Decadal Survey for 2023 – 2032. Examples include…

10 Natural Remedies and Supplements Proven by Science to Help Treat Anxiety

Lead Image: Anxiety and panic attacks can be horrible. Fortunately, there are some herbal remedies and dietary supplements that may help according to scientific studies. More and more people in today’s world are struggling with stress and anxiety, especially in the wake of major public health scares like COVID-19. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern in the United States, with over 40 million adult Americans suffering from anxiety’s debilitating effect on their lives.[1] While there are many anti-anxiety prescription drugs on the market (oxazepam, lorazepam, paroxetine, midazolam, and chlordiazepoxide…

NASA’s New Webb Data Will Transform Our Understanding of the Early Universe

Lead Image: The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has produced the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant Universe to date. Known as Webb’s First Deep Field, this image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 is overflowing with detail. Thousands of galaxies flood this finely detailed image, due to high-resolution imaging from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope combined with a natural effect known as gravitational lensing. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI Exquisite New Data Will Transform Our Understanding of the Early Universe A flurry of bright white galaxies is stirring up this incredible scene – captured in stunning high…