Sameera Moussa: “My wish is that nuclear cancer treatment is as affordable and cheap as aspirin”
Sameera Moussa was born in March 3, 1917, in A el-Gharbiya (Egypt) and last until August 5, 1952, in California (United States).
Her father was a well-known political activist, and when her mother passed away from cancer, they relocated to Cairo where she used her inheritance to purchase a small hotel. At her father’s urging, Moussa attended the Kaser Lo-Shok Primary School and later enrolled in the Banat El-Ashraf school, which was founded by the renowned politician and activist Nabawya Moussa.
Sameera Moussa was a trailblazing physicist who graduated with honors in radiology from Cairo University in 1939. She conducted research on the effects of X-rays on different materials and became the first woman to be hired as a professor at the university. She also earned a doctorate in atomic radiation.
German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays, but their development was hindered by World War I. After the war, Sameera Moussa recognized the potential of nuclear energy and conducted extensive research to make it more accessible for medical use. She developed a cost-effective way to break atoms, making nuclear treatment for cancer affordable for all. Her goal was to make it as affordable as aspirin.
Sameera Moussa played a significant role in organizing the Atomic Energy for Peace Conference in London. She also advocated for an international conference titled “Atoms for Peace,” which was held in the US with President Dwight Eisenhower leading it. Many famous scientists were invited. Sameera worked in hospitals to help treat cancer patients and promote the benefits of nuclear science.
Sameera Moussa was awarded a scholarship by the Fulbright Atomic Program to learn about research equipment at the University of California in the US. She was also allowed to visit the country’s secret nuclear facilities due to her pioneering work in nuclear research. This caused a stir in academic and scientific circles since Moussa was the first foreign person to visit such a facility.
Despite receiving several offers to live in the United States, including American citizenship, Sameera Moussa declined them all, stating her commitment to her beloved homeland of Egypt.
Tragically, during a subsequent trip to the United States, Moussa died in a car accident when the vehicle she was traveling in fell from a height of about 12 meters. She was only 35 years old.
New Google Help Me Write and when, how can I use it?
Google is introducing a new generative AI feature called “Help Me Write” that will enhance autocompletion aids in apps like Gmail, and could potentially transform how people write emails and documents.
What is Google Help Me Write?
Google is introducing a new feature called Help Me Write for Gmail and Google Docs. The feature will allow users to compose emails and text with limited input using Google’s large language model. The feature expands on the Smart Prompts system that currently exists and offers different writing tones, including Formalise, Elaborate, and Shorten. A fourth option called “I’m Feeling Lucky” is also available.
How to use Google Help Me Write?
Google’s Help Me Write feature simplifies the process of composing emails and documents. To use it in Google Docs, you would open a new document and click on the Help Me Write button.
Then, you would provide a prompt for what you want to write, click Create, and choose to Refine or Recreate the generated content. Once you’re satisfied with the content, you can click Insert to add it to your document.
Using Help Me Write in Gmail on your phone will be even simpler than in Google Docs. Here are the steps:
Open a new email.
Tap on the Help Me Write button at the bottom of the screen.
Write a prompt for what you want to say.
Tap on Create.
Tap on Recreate for a new suggestion or Refine to adjust the tone of the current content.
Once you’re satisfied with the content, tap on Insert to add it to your email.
When can I use Google Help Me Write?
According to Google, some users have had access to Help Me Write since March, indicating that a wider release is imminent. However, no official launch date has been announced yet. During the I/O event, Google stated that the feature would become available later in 2023. We will continue to monitor any updates on the release of Help Me Write.
Wooden Transistor: A Breakthrough in Sustainable Technology
World’s First Electrical Transistor Made of Wood Developed by Linköping University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology Researchers
Modulation of electrical current in a wood-based electrochemical transistor.
A team of researchers from Linköping University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology have created the world’s first wood-based electrical transistor, according to a study published in PNAS. The development of wood-based electronics could lead to new possibilities for controlling electronic plants and advancing the field of wood-based electronics. While the wood transistor is slow and bulky, it represents an innovative breakthrough in electronic technology.
New transistor made of wood can regulate electricity flow continuously without deteriorating, according to researchers at Linköping University. Previous wood transistors could only regulate ion transport and stop functioning when ions run out. The researchers used balsa wood and a conductive polymer called PEDOT:PSS to create their transistor. Removing the lignin and filling the channels with the polymer created an electrically conductive wood material.
Researchers at Linköping University have developed a wood transistor that can regulate electric current and provide continuous function without deteriorating. The transistor can switch power on and off, with a delay of about five seconds to switch it on and a second to turn it off. This technology could potentially be used to regulate electronic plants and tolerate a higher current than organic transistors. However, the researchers emphasize that their work is basic research without any specific applications in mind and hope that it will inspire further research.
Reference: “Electrical current modulation in wood electrochemical transistor” by Van Chinh Tran, Gabriella G. Mastantuoni, Marzieh Zabihipour, Lengwan Li, Lars Berglund, Magnus Berggren, Qi Zhou and Isak Engquist, 24 April 2023, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218380120
Wavefront Shaping: Improving Medical Imaging with Astronomical Technique
Caltech researchers have developed a new method for improving medical imaging using wavefront shaping, inspired by astronomical techniques. This approach is used to correct optical distortion caused by scattering of light in biological tissue, which can make images of microscopic structures appear distorted. The researchers drew inspiration from wavefront shaping techniques used to correct for atmospheric distortion in astronomical imaging.
Researchers at Caltech have made progress in medical imaging by adapting wavefront shaping techniques from astronomy to counteract the distortion caused by biological tissue. By using a “magic mirror” made of a photo-refractive crystal, the team achieved high-speed, high-energy gain, and high control degrees of freedom. Biological tissue is also a scattering medium, making microscopic images appear cloudy. The “magic mirror” cancels out distortion caused by tissue, potentially improving cancer detection below the skin. This new process of medical wavefront shaping has the potential to sharply focus on tissue to detect cancer below the skin.
The research on high-gain and high-speed wavefront shaping through scattering media was funded by the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH). The authors of the study are Zhongtao Cheng, Chengmingyue Li, Anjul Khadria, Yide Zhang, and Lihong V. Wang, and the study was published in the journal Nature Photonics on January 23, 2023, with a DOI of 10.1038/s41566-022-01142-4.
NASA’s Snake Robot: Searching for Life on Saturn’s Moon
NASA is developing a snake-like robot called the EELS that can explore locations that are otherwise unreachable on Earth, the moon, and other planets in the solar system.
The EELS is being developed to autonomously map, travel, and explore thin and inhospitable locations, such as Enceladus’ surface vents, in search of underground waters. The robot uses eight stereo cameras and lidar to build a 3D map of its surroundings and navigation algorithms to choose its safest course.
The EELS will contain 48 tiny motors in its finished configuration, providing it with a great deal of flexibility, but also making things more complicated for the hardware and software teams.
Additionally, built-in force-torque sensing in many of these actuators will allow the EELS to “feel” how much force is being applied to the area, functioning like a thin layer of skin.
