What happened in STEM fields around the world between April to June 2022?
In this blog, we will summarise four major STEM developments in different fields, from chemistry, robotics, quantum engineering, to astronomy.
Development of Visible Light Triggers Molecular Machines to Treat Infections
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a threat to human’s health. Scientists have been researching an alternative strategy to defeat bad bacteria when antibiotic is not an effective option.
In early research, these molecular machines get energy from UV (ultra-violet) light. However, long exposure to UV light during treatment can be harmful to the patient’s health. So, scientists at Rice University have developed two variants of molecular machines that can be activated by visible light to destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
You can read more about their research here!
Smallest Remote-Controlled Walking Robot Crab
How small can you build your own robot? A team of scientists has built the smallest ever remote-controlled robot, at about half a milimetre wide!
These robots can help with surgical procedures, to repairing machines where our usual tools cannot fit. These robots are made up of an alloy that, when heated, return to the default size. The researchers described these robots can “bend, twist, crawl, walk, or turn”, revealing the potential for them to perform tasks in a highly-constrained environment.
Read more about their research here!
First Ever Quantum Circuit Built in Australia
Australian scientists have created the world’s first-ever quantum computer circuit. This circuit contains all essential components you can find in a computer chip, but at a quantum scale.
Scientists have been researching how to control nature at the quantum level. If they can understand quantum materials, they can design things that have never been made before. Applications of quantum computing would be in artificial photosynthesis, creation of fertilisers, simulate molecules, and more!
Read more about their research here!
First Picture of Black Hole in Milky Way
In May, scientists presented the first pictures of Sagittarius A*, the monster black hole at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy.
Until this discovery, scientists did not have direct pictures as proof that Sagittarius A* is a black hole. Black holes are some of the most fascinating objects in space. They are extremely dense and gravity in that region is so strong that nothing can escape from it. To see this picture, astronomers combined data from radio telescopes around the world as though they were one large telescope. This technique is called Very Long Baseline Interferometry.
See the pictures of the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* and the development here!