Buzz
In the world of science fiction, almost anything is within the realm of possibility. Yet, just as life often imitates art, it sometimes goes far beyond the imagination, challenging our ability to suspend disbelief. These incredible tales from the scientific world come straight from reality, the deepest source of inspiration for fiction writers.
10. The iPhone Trickster
When Christoph Bartneck, a professor from New Zealand, received an email inviting him to submit a paper on nuclear physics for a U.S. conference, he was initially baffled. He had little knowledge of the subject and had never been asked to present on such a topic. Nevertheless, he decided to approach the task in an unconventional way: using iOS autocomplete. He started each sentence with 'atomic' or 'nuclear' and let his phone fill in the rest.
The paper, titled “Atomic Energy Will Have Been Made Available to a Single Source,” was approved in under three hours, and the professor was invited to present it orally at the conference—despite the content being complete nonsense. Bartneck had to conclude that “this is not a particularly good conference.” As the final line of his paper bleakly states, “Power is not a great place for a good time.”
9. The Vanishing Pulsar
A pulsar is a compact, dense star that has collapsed under its own gravity and emits detectable electromagnetic radio pulses. For about five years, researchers in the Netherlands studied J1906, a young pulsar part of a binary star system, searching for insights into its companion star's composition—until J1906 mysteriously disappeared.
In fact, the pulsar is hiding . within a distortion in space-time caused by its orbit around its companion star. The mass of the companion star helps generate a sort of “sinkhole” in the fabric of space and time, causing J1906 to wobble on its axis while sending out electromagnetic pulses into this warp. This makes it impossible to study the star's characteristics for the time being. Researchers estimate that it will reappear in about 160 years.
8. Time Travel Paradox
In the realm of quantum physics, a “closed timelike curve” is a concept proposed by Einstein’s theory of relativity, which has been long speculated to open the possibility for time travel. This curve is essentially a loop within the fabric of space-time. The chance of anything traveling along such a loop increases the likelihood of paradoxes, such as the traveler interacting with past versions of themselves, rendering time travel through this method unfeasible according to current models.
Researchers in Singapore have recently conducted incredibly rigorous mathematical work on using open timelike curves, which prevent such interactions, to enhance a quantum computer’s processing power by literally sending data packets back in time. Although the data would be encrypted and wouldn’t technically interact with the past, it would become quantum entangled with the “present” data system. It is from these entangled correlations that additional processing power can be derived.
Complicated? Absolutely, but the math holds up.
7. Three Parents, One Child
Mexican doctors, collaborating with US research scientists, have recently introduced a groundbreaking method to combat genetic disorders passed from mother to child. Known as mitochondrial donation, this technique involves removing the nucleus from a donor egg while preserving the mitochondria. The nucleus is then replaced with one from a potential mother's egg, whose mitochondrial DNA would otherwise transmit a genetic defect.
The first baby born using this technique was saved from inheriting Leigh disease, a condition that impedes the development of the nervous system. While the procedure has not yet been approved for use in the US, it is authorized in the UK, though it has not yet been attempted there as of this writing.
6. Three Suns, One Planet
Astronomers have cataloged thousands of planets, many of which possess characteristics unseen in our own solar system. However, HD 131399ab, located 320 light-years away in the Centaurus constellation, exhibits qualities that have yet to be found anywhere else in the universe. This colossal exoplanet, four times the mass of Jupiter, follows a truly unique orbit, shaped by the gravitational influence of its three suns.
For years, scientists believed that any planet caught in such an orbit would either be torn apart or ejected. Despite being relatively young—only about 16 million years old—the fact that it has survived this long is an extraordinary anomaly. Astronomers continue to study the stability of its orbit. The planet experiences two extended seasons: one where day and night alternate (with all three suns visible during the day) and another where at least one sun is perpetually rising or setting.
5. The Ten-Percenter
A 44-year-old man from France went to the doctor complaining of weakness in his left leg. A CAT scan was performed, which is standard practice. However, the image that resulted was anything but typical.
Diagnosed with fluid accumulation in the brain during childhood, this man was treated with a shunt until the age of 14 when it was removed. However, it seems that fluid continued to build up inside his skull for the following 30 years, gradually damaging his brain in the process.
Despite being a healthy and functioning adult, the man has only ten percent of his brain remaining. Scientists are perplexed as to how he manages to function normally, even without so many parts of his brain. One theory suggests that his brain is in a constant state of 'relearning,' which may imply that brain regions responsible for specific functions are more adaptable than previously believed.
4. The Walking Brewery
In 2015, outside of Buffalo, New York, a female driver was arrested for suspected drunk driving after showing signs such as slurred speech, the smell of alcohol, and erratic driving. Her blood alcohol content was found to be more than four times the legal limit. However, when the case went to court, the charge of aggravated DWI was dropped after it was revealed that the woman’s body naturally produces alcohol.
Auto Brewery Syndrome, also known as Gut Fermentation Syndrome, is not nearly as enjoyable as its name suggests. Those suffering from this condition must carefully monitor their diet, as foods like bread and other carbohydrates can trigger the unwanted effect. Some individuals may skip the 'drunk' stage entirely, jumping straight to the 'terribly hung over' phase. Remarkably, the woman in question had consumed a small amount of alcohol earlier in the day (far from enough to explain her extraordinarily high blood alcohol level) and had no idea she was affected by this condition until her lawyer’s research uncovered it.
3. Evidence Of Life After Death
The idea of near-death or out-of-body experiences has long been dismissed as pseudoscience. However, a groundbreaking study in the UK has offered the first real suggestion of consciousness existing in patients whose brains have ceased functioning. The study, which gathered hundreds of accounts from patients who accurately remembered their surroundings and events while in a state of brain death, presents intriguing evidence.
One of the most striking accounts came from a 57-year-old man who recalled leaving his body and observing the efforts to resuscitate him. He described the events with eerie accuracy, including hearing the sound of two beeps from a machine that beeps every three minutes. This matched exactly with the period during which his brain showed no activity.
Obviously, more research into the consequences of this phenomenon is needed. However, given that complete cessation of brain activity is considered a medical definition of death, this study represents the most compelling evidence to date that consciousness persists, in some capacity, even after death.
2. Telepathy Machines
In 2014, American researchers made a groundbreaking announcement: Using non-invasive brain stimulation, specially created robots, and the Internet, they successfully allowed one test subject to transmit a simple mental message (such as 'hello') to another, without any physical contact. To eliminate any doubts, one subject was located in India and the other in France.
The first participant, hooked up to an Internet-connected electroencephalogram, would think of a word, which the computer would convert into binary code. This code would then be emailed to a robot that would transmit the message to the recipient. The recipient would perceive the message as flashes of light corresponding to the specific word being communicated.
Although it's not yet true mind-reading, this represents a major breakthrough from ten years of research, unlocking many potential avenues for further exploration. The success was even replicated in 2015 by a team from the University of Washington.
1. The Replicator
Finland's VTT Technical Research Centre has developed a prototype that could revolutionize urban farming. Dubbed the “CellPod,” this device, resembling a lamp, is compact enough to sit on any kitchen shelf. It only requires a microscopic sample of plant cells, and within a week, it will have 3-D printed enough food for a complete meal.
Since the cells contain the plant’s entire genetic code, and only the most desirable parts are replicated, the food produced is even healthier than traditionally grown crops. While researchers acknowledge that the taste is still rather bland, the potential impact on food production in underserved or densely populated regions is immense. The device can even generate edible materials from the cells of otherwise non-edible substances like birch trees.
