We play with it. Out of it. Even sit honest its hard to imagine modern life without plastic almost 350000000 tons were produced worldwide in 2019 but plastic pollution is a serious environmental problem as the life cycle of an ordinary water bottle. Plastic bottles are made from petroleum the light particle can be found pretty much everywhere. Clean globally every single minute of the day a 1000000 are sold. Placed end to end the plastic bottle sold in 2016 would form a chain stretching all the way to the planet mercury. So youve bought a drink in a plastic bottle and finished it what happens next. In an ideal scenario there will be reuse some can be refilled up to 15 times if theyre washed properly most are not sturdy though. Many end up in a shredder where theyre ground up into flakes of plastic. These can be used to make products like fleece clothing very nice except for the fact that every time the fleece is washed it releases plastic particles into the water. As for the rest of the plastic bottles they get thrown away dropped right in the street or somewhere out in nature a large number of them land in dumps or are eventually carried out to sea. Between 5 and 13000000 tons of plastic garbage end up in the ocean every year a huge problem because plastics can take up to 450 years to decompose. If plastic trash doesnt get caught in propellers on ships or isnt washed up on a beach then the floating pieces grow smaller and smaller as they drift with the currents. Algae grows on their services and that smile draws fish and sea birds they think the particles off food and swallow them when too much of it collecting their stomachs real food no longer passes through and they starve. And if those fish end up in our nets they enter our food supply directly to the rest canned or fresh seafood. Is that really something we want to eat. It doesnt sound tasty from honey to sea salt to beer tiny bits of plastic youve been detected in many foods so far though surprisingly little is known about the impact of micro plastics on our Health Researchers are taking a closer look. How dangerous a micro plastics to human health. Professor Thomas Brownback is researching the effect of micro plastics on different fish can the particles permeate the intestinal wall of these fish and reach other organs their digestive system is very similar to ours. Obviously were just as interested in how fish are affected by micro plastic particles in the outside world in rivers lakes and other bodies of water. In the back of our minds theres always the hope of learning something about the potential affair. Its on humans. But on back adds a fluorescent substance to the micro plastic then he feeds it to small cross stations that fish feed on micro Plastics Research is still in its infancy and the vast array of variables is a headache the variables such as the multitude of different types of plastic with plastic. Like this has Different Properties to a micro plate like this. Which is very firm but also totally clear totally transparent. So we can expect their plastic particles to cause different effects. Would have been that means generalisations about micro plastics are commonplace when the issue 1st arose are not really legitimate. Theres a range of factors to take into account when analyzing particles the size alone varies enormously any plastic particle up to 5 millimeters in diameter is defined as a micro plastic in this case there are around 10 micro meters the surfaces of particles also very elaborate particles have smooth surfaces whereas those exposed to the elements outside are rougher but collecting particles in nature would be too time consuming and expensive. Its possible but only in really small amounts which was barely big enough for experimental purposes it might be enough for an in vitro experiment with a cell culture where you only need small amounts but for an extended exposure of fish larvae you need a lot more material. Over a to begin University Professor peter trips corn is similarly wary of sweeping generalisations about micro plastics she is trying to find out how polystyrene particles affect trout row and the larvae of non biting midges she works with 1000000 particles police are of water as a standard whats new is reducing the concentration to levels found in nature to own. 10 particles police thats why Previous Research results shouldnt be extrapolated into general conclusions says professor. The problem is that when we get an effect with a 1000000 particles a liter we shouldnt start screaming that its bad for the environment or for trout its not environmentally relevant. Because water air and soil are already full of natural particles does comparative experiments using clay problems may be caused more by the number of particles than the substance itself a possibility that was previously neglected this is vents if you get caught in a sandstorm youre also affected by tiny particles. And then they get into your lungs it doesnt have to be my plastic it could be sand. I think that will be a key issue and one where results can be relative especially with regard to high concentrations. Fluorescent agent makes the micro plastics visible in the cross stations which are now fed to the fish despite many trials with a number of variables no micro plastic particles passed through the intestinal walls of the fish the experiment fails to provide evidence that micro plastics are absorbed by fish or humans. Popular really bright spots on the micro particles straight out the back end and ive left the fish inside 5 hours. So was it all a false alarm well partly so far tests of only covered relatively large particles. Still cant say its safe in particular because its also possible that nano particles forgotten and they would probably be absorbed by tissues and we dont know what would happen after that. So one widespread suspicion is that micro plastics helped to spread pollutants this experiment shows fish larvae in water that also contains a nerve toxin and micro plastics will the micro plastics transport the toxin into the larvae the larvae begin to twitch a typical reaction to a nerve talks in. The entire body contracts because of the toxin absorbed by the micro particles. The toxins also get into the fish without the micro particles except it takes a bit longer. So outside in nature its rather unlikely that micro plastics are significant additional factor in pollution and lies that. I said i see no grounds for general alarm. Professor cleats going also says people shouldnt panic she found no evidence of micro plastic damage in either her trout eggs or the non biting me. There are however initial indications of a Health Related impact with her german brown trout the freshly hatched fish whose eggs were exposed to micro plastic are quicker to stretch out into a swimming position although only in particle concentrations 100000 times higher than they occur in nature. Theres still no evidence that micro plastics in the environment have any harmful effect on humans. We didnt this is. Based on current knowledge i think we can relax a little but not get too comfortable we need to focus on issues that are environmentally relevant with. The sheer diversity of micro plastics means were currently in no position to make generalisations but researchers do say they know one thing that whatever the case the vast amounts of Plastic Waste circulating in the environment have to be reduced. Classes are more environmentally friendly alternative to Plastic Packaging but it also has drawbacks its heavier and its more fragile. From morocco has a question about the. Why does glass shatter. Lets 1st take a look at how this transparent material is made. The usual ingredients for commercial glass are sand soda ash lime and often recycled glass its all crushed together and melted but well over a 1000 degrees celcius. When the molten mass cools it undergoes a transformation into a tough but amorphous solid meaning it can be shaped into everything from bottles and drinking glasses to window panes. While other solids like metals may be pliable and flexible glass is hardened brittle. When its put under too much pressure it doesnt deform it breaks. And for that reason it rarely survives a fall. Or a big temperature difference between say ice cold water and a hot glass bottle while filling a cold glass with boiling water is likewise not a great idea. Unlike metals glass is a poor conductor of heat. So if you pour cold water into a hot glass the inside surface of the glass contracts. But the outside remains warmer creating a strain inside the material small fractures for months spread causing the glass to break. Glass can also be shattered by sound when of the right frequency the sound has to be very loud and sustained over this to work. When it is the glass begins to oscillate rather like this bridge and that can result in whats called a resonance disaster amplifying the oscillation and causing the glass to break. The glass will also break more easily if it has a flaw such as a tiny fracture or material weakness. And if that doesnt work. This option. If outlet is right why latin. Do you have a science question send it to us as a beauty oh text or voice mail if we answer it on the show well send you a little surprise as a thank you. Just to. Find us online and on twitter and facebook and we had a question for you too on facebook we asked. How much time do you spend on your smartphone and what do you do. With wrote i dont even know what it feels like without a smartphone mr google always answers all my questions. So its either one terrible terror on also spends plenty of time online about 6 hours a day she reads messages and posts on whats out in facebook look things up on google or watches videos on you tube. More you so far is also a fact hes on facebook a lot usually until midnight. But whats behind our craving for social media. Catalina and phillip a typical of the social media generation she has an Instagram Account devoted to lifestyle topics here and he posts now and then and shows how much time they spend a day on less smartphones 3 hours. I mean with me its between 4 and 6 hours. And trying to cut down a bit even if i just want to check something quickly i end up spending half an hour on instagram or wherever i. Want to is one of the handful of researches in germany systematically researching the impact of online media he believes we need to improve our grasp of social media and use it constructively rather than being inflated by it social Media Companies use sophisticated methods till you earn users and keep them. Here are 3 examples 1st the like button facebook invented the thumbs up idea 10 years ago now all social media platforms have that inversion. Such as the instagram haunt. Because quite honestly appreciate every single like my posts because i put a lot of work into them like so basically instagram is currency on instagram. Its essentially a social reward its relatively clear that this simple forms up leads to increased activity in the brains reward system. Something researches can see in scans a high number of likes activates the same parts of the brain as eating cake terms or taking drugs as it happens facebook and co have plenty of insight of their own into our brains as evidenced by a leaked internal document facebooks algorithms can analyze. Online activity to determine when we feel worthless insecure and anxious and that allows advertisers to pinpoint when we need a confidence boost and therefore target us more precisely. At some point or something we later regretted or something we might do if were feeling good and think hey ill treat myself looks momentum but. What that means is that emotional stimulation can often lead to irrational behavior and i might be more inclined to do some impulse buying. And social Media Companies a keen to spark an emotional response in new zealand and they can test how to do so for free for example number 2 by experimenting with fuses. And 2012 facebook conducted an experiment with 600000 users without their Knowledge Group 8 found primarily positive emotional content in the news feeds and group being primarily negative emotional content using group a went on to themselves post more positive content while group b. Wrote negative posts if there was no emotional content in their feed at all uses simply dont last. Feel on top of the companies have a vested interest in finessing their platforms so they conduct similar tests with thousands of users who have no idea that part of an experiment this isnt the ultimate goal is to keep users logged on for as long as possible not saw. The strategy that is evidently working in the case of catalina and philip on ive been staring at my screen for ages im always really hurt and i know ive been on the phone too long but i see the time and say its one of the morning time to call it a day with a view for it so. Thats example number 3 pull to refresh a function that keeps us well and. To us creams. In our day to day lives the activities we engage in normally have a beginning and an end for when we finish them we can cross them off our list and move on to the next thing. Just a start that doesnt happen with these tech platforms if theyre on you tube prigs sample once one video ends another one starts like this next so when were using these platforms we can theoretically just keep scrolling endlessly. And the more we do so the more data the Companies Collect on us which they can then parlay into advertising revenue if it does miss posts here to prevent that from happening and it can happen very easily i set myself a deadline that after 10 oclock at night i put my cellphone away and either read a book or got a bad name when im 5 and you know. If we go out for dinner then we both try not to get our phones out. Of them. So theres at least one hour of the day when we can have an actual conversation going to come and also take the opportunity to just switch off. But dont switch off just yet another kind of Digital Technology is taking off augmented reality is making inroads in all sorts of places in entertainment in museums architecture and many different industries. They are technology overlays Digital Information onto the real world its already expanding arisings of medical education and surgery. Were deep in the basement of the Munich University hospital the team here is working on the future of surgery but they arent doctors this simulated surgery is being carried out by Computer Science students the technology theyre developing could revolutionize surgery. Theyre using augmented reality glasses at software recognizes the surgical instruments and provides instructions. Play video. Voice command. Scalloped information displayed in their headset such as step by step instructions on how to set up an use the various surgical instruments. Back to the brain and. Play video. Users can ask for more explanatory videos graphics and photos. The system means everyone knows precisely what they have to do where and when. Surgical assistance to not only to. Assist during other kinds of operations can now also help germ Specialist Operations to systems. And high tech operating theatres its not uncommon for the surgical instruments they arent all that familiar with using augmented reality glasses and means they dont have to spend hours reading instruction manuals. You know. We request that the instruction manuals for surgical instruments be available in the operating theatre instrument does then we check there and then how the instruments are put together. That is not an unrealistic scenario it happens very often so i can imagine that this new system would make the job significantly easier business of. The team of computer scientists at munichs Technical University are World Leaders in the field of augmented reality applications in medicine and surgical instructions are just the beginning one day doctors might be shown a are images overlaying their patients that would allow them to see inside the body the organs bethels nerves and tumors. The doctor can directly feel in a patient. Block for over there the there is a narrowing of artillery there is more it can realize it at its location inside the body so we look realising intelligently correctly in visualizing it correctly in our demented reality we are hoping that we would improve the health care. To make that possible the software we need to integrate. Data from regular x. Rays cat scans or m. R. I. Scans to generate a precise 3 d. Image super imposed inside the patients body the doctor would see a 3 d. Image of the bones inside the leg and use that information to for example attach an artificial knee with much greater precision. To the previews of investment that theyre making in this direction i think very soon. Being used on them every day basis. Such complex technical developments in the field of medicine have to be thoroughly tested before they can be used on patients so it will likely be a few more years before augmented reality is deployed in the replacement surgery but its already being used to train medical students. At Munich University hospital theyre already using Software Developed by the team led by nasir nava. Its called the magic mirror and is used in the teaching of anatomy it can generate 3 d. Images i can also generate to Cross Sections of the body instead of learning anatomy by dissecting a cadaver they can study using augmented reality. We cant do this with a human body we cant cut one into slices with this technology we can examine the topography of each organ and where exactly it is. And the advantage of integrating magic mirror into this course is that the students can investigate their own bodies and find out exactly where each blood vessel is. In this kind of work with augmented reality also helps prepare medical students in munich for the clinical practice of the future. To go to rio. To work with patients when we come up. Real Solutions Using code mounted display were going to do your duty photo printing room they would be ready to to use it because they are completely from the neighborhood that. The medical students also get to work with the other man to do reality surgical classes its display replaces the magic mirror each student can study the inner structures of the body even when theyre working in large groups you will continue to look at a couple there are often 10 or 12 of us gathered around a real corpse in anatomy class. But with small glasses we can all see each muscle full scale courses accounting. Augmented reality is set to transform medicine. Anatomical models that get up and walk away are just the beginning. Thats all for today on our next show we meet other xander for nonbook in 1799 he set off to explore central and south america the natural scientist and humanist he traveled not for conquest but to learn and he always had his plan ready to record what he found joining us next week as we retrace his journey from children goodbye. Ana for. Anything but a daughter. You still often hear that in many Asian Countries where female babies are systematically weeded out. Yet there was a short almost 200000000 women here. Paradoxical population policies that originated in rich industrial nations missing women in the National Time on 15 minutes long d. W. Her 1st day of school and. Her 1st clean lesson. And then stores a grand moment arrives join the arena tang on her journey back to freedom in our interest you dont diminish toronto and the rioting returns home. Under soft leaves in my columns. Where i come from roggio demands an import on the moon soft transmitting nuance and information and when i was young my country was drawing. The war throbbing people most people would gods of entourage to see. It was my job to tory and one off the lot of just say so as not everyone in the column. Cold police and toes against. Nothing has been from inside my own copy and in johns logs on. Even if its not by us i was its we have more. Choice in this kind because even their way toward transmission from the trolls. And in the question how much and i will. Detail. The world is getting more simple. Moores concise defeats im not trusting. The global 3000. 00 talks would seem british researchers to take a more optimistic view. Though while it is not always a good plan but its much much better than it was how. Is the world really getting better. Because. The global 3000. 00 special reports. Starts august 19th sunday to the. Police in hong kong have clashed with protesters for a 2nd straight day officers fired rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at antigovernment activists opposed to an extradition bill near the city center the protests are part of a weeks Long Campaign to many greater democracy and now tony in hong kong. Suspected boko haram extremists of killed at least 65 people in borno state in northeastern nigeria the attack took place as villagers were
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