Introduction: A Breakthrough in Tattooing

In a groundbreaking scientific advancement, researchers at the Georgia Tech have introduced painless and bloodless tattoos using microneedle patch technology. This innovative approach aims to make medical tattoos more accessible and create new possibilities for cosmetic tattoos, all while eliminating the pain associated with traditional tattooing methods.

Microneedle Technology (Prausnitz et al., 2023)

Microneedle Patch Tattoos

Traditional tattoos involve large needles and painful, time-consuming processes. The Georgia Tech team has redefined tattooing with microneedles smaller than a grain of sand, made of tattoo ink encased in a dissolvable matrix. These microneedles are designed to efficiently deposit ink in the skin, eliminating the need for repeated punctures and offering a painless tattooing experience.

Tattooing Technique

Microneedle patch tattoos employ a unique technique, imprinting designs using microneedles arranged in specific patterns. Acting like pixels, each microneedle contributes to creating intricate tattoo images. The process involves applying a patch containing tattoo ink-filled microneedles to the skin for a few minutes, after which the microneedles dissolve, leaving the ink embedded in the skin without bleeding.

From Medicine to Cosmetics

Medical Tattoos

Microneedle patch tattoos have diverse applications in the medical field, from covering scars and guiding radiation treatments to serving as medical alerts for conditions like diabetes and epilepsy. The technology not only improves accessibility to medical tattoos but also offers a potential avenue for physiological monitoring and encoding complex health information.

Pain-Free Aesthetics

The painless nature of microneedle patch tattoos opens new doors for cosmetic applications. Beyond medical use, these tattoos can be self-administered for cosmetic purposes, providing an easy and painless alternative to traditional tattooing. The technology even includes privacy features, such as tattoos visible only under ultraviolet light, enhancing personal choices.

A Painless Tattoo Revolution

Long-lasting and Permanent

Research indicates that microneedle patch tattoos can last for at least a year, offering a permanent option for those seeking aesthetic tattoos without the associated risks. The technology provides a canvas for creativity while minimizing infection risks and discomfort.

Encoded Information and Animal Identification

Microneedle patch tattoos aren’t limited to humans; they can be used to encode information in the skin of animals, offering a painless and discreet alternative to traditional identification methods. This development has implications for sterilization status indications in pets and could revolutionize how we care for our animal companions.

Conclusion

The science behind microneedle patch tattoos represents a fusion of technology and creativity, offering painless and accessible alternatives for medical and cosmetic purposes. While respecting the artistry of traditional tattoos, this scientific innovation opens new opportunities for patients, pets, and individuals seeking a pain-free tattooing experience.

References

Georgia Institute of Technology. (2022, September 14). Researchers develop painless tattoos that can be self-administered. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220914141006.htm

Li, S., Kim, Y., Lee, J. W., & Prausnitz, M. R. (2022). Microneedle Patch tattoos. iScience, 25(10), 105014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105014

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made remarkable strides in generating jokes, but the burning question remains: Can AI truly comprehend humor? In this exploration, we delve into the scientific challenges posed to AI models through tasks derived from the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest, aiming to uncover the depth of AI’s understanding of humor.

The Experiment: Testing AI’s Wit

Task 1: Matching Jokes to Cartoons

The first challenge involved matching jokes to cartoons, a task requiring a grasp of the intricate relationships between visual elements and textual humor. The study included both multimodal models, which directly analyzed cartoon images, and language-only models, which relied on descriptions of visual scenes to simulate human-level visual understanding.

Task 2: Identifying Winning Captions

The second task tasked AI models and human participants with identifying winning captions from a pool of entries. Humans consistently outperformed AI across these tasks.

Task 3: Explaining the Humor

The pinnacle of the experiment was explaining why a winning caption was funny. Here, they explored the depth of understanding required to decipher the often indirect and playful allusions to human experience and culture present in New Yorker cartoons.

Results: AI’s Struggle with the Punchline

Findings revealed that both multimodal and language-only models struggled across all three tasks. Even the best multimodal models lagged 30 accuracy points behind human performance in matching jokes to cartoons. Moreover, when provided with ground-truth visual scene descriptors, human-authored explanations consistently outshone the best machine-authored ones, showcasing the existing gap in humor comprehension.

Implications and Future Possibilities: The Role of AI in Humor Creation

While machines may not fully “understand” humor, they display impressive capabilities. The question of true understanding remains debatable, but AI’s proficiency in these tasks is undeniable. The study opens doors to the potential use of AI as a collaborative tool for humorists, offering a fresh perspective on ideation and creativity in the realm of humor.

References

Cornell University. (2023, July 31). That’s funny — but AI models don’t get the joke. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230731122233.htm

Hessel, J., Marasovic, A., Hwang, J. D., Lee, L., Da, J., Zellers, R., Mankoff, R., & Choi, Y. (2023). Do androids laugh at Electric Sheep? humor “understanding” benchmarks from the New Yorker Caption Contest. Proceedings of the 61st Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (Volume 1: Long Papers). https://doi.org/10.18653/v1/2023.acl-long.41

Oreo cookies, beloved for their delicious combination of creamy filling and wafer layers, have become the subject of a scientific study exploring the mechanical mysteries behind their unique properties. Researchers at MIT have delved into the science of Oreo cookies, investigating the distribution of their creamy center, the torque required to twist them open, and the fascinating behavior of the cream under stress.

Torque Measurements and Cream Texture

The researchers measured the torque needed to twist open an Oreo, revealing similarities to turning a doorknob and only a fraction of the force required to open a bottle cap. The cream’s failure stress, the force per area needed to deform it, was found to be twice that of cream cheese and peanut butter, resembling the stress magnitude of mozzarella cheese. The cream’s texture was classified as “mushy.” Adding milk into the equation revealed another layer of scientific wonder. Dunking Oreos in milk resulted in a decline in the elastic modulus of the wafer due to swelling. 

Cream Distribution Mystery

Despite variations in filling levels and flavors, the study found that the cream tends to separate onto one wafer rather than evenly between both. The researchers mapped this distribution and observed a tendency for the cream to stick to the inward-facing wafer, suggesting a post-manufacturing environmental effect.

Manufacturing Process Influence

Videos of the manufacturing process revealed that a slight time delay in placing the cream between wafers may contribute to better adhesion to the first wafer, influencing the subsequent distribution during twisting.

The Oreometer

To make the study accessible and interactive, the researchers even designed a 3D-printable device called the “Oreometer,” allowing precise control over the twisting force applied to an Oreo. This device can be used for tabletop experiments and provides an opportunity for hands-on exploration of Oreo mechanics.

Confectionary Insights

The study not only provides a scientific investigation into the mechanics of Oreos but also opens possibilities for further exploration into the design of food materials. The researchers suggest that adding texture to Oreo wafers might enhance cream adhesion, leading to a more even split when twisted open.

In conclusion, Oreos offer more than just a delightful treat—they serve as a fascinating canvas for exploring the intricate science behind food materials and rheology.

References

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2022, April 19). Engineers introduce the Oreometer. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220419124037.htm

Owens, C. E., Fan, M. R., Hart, A. J., & McKinley, G. H. (2022). On Oreology, the fracture and flow of “milk’s favorite Cookie®.” Physics of Fluids, 34(4). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0085362

 

Senescence and Telomeres

Biological aging, scientifically known as senescence, involves changes in an organism’s biology after maturity. Telomeres, repetitive DNA sequences at chromosome ends, play a crucial role in preventing DNA damage during cell division (Urdaneta, 2023). Imagine them as protective caps at the end of our chromosomes.

 

Our cells start with a healthy supply of telomeres, but each year we lose around 31 of them due to cell duplications. This loss limits the number of times cells can divide, impacting tissue repair and contributing to the aging process. Interestingly, animals with longer telomeres tend to enjoy longer lifespans (Urdaneta, 2023).

 

Lobsters

Lobsters, those crustacean wonders of the ocean, possess a remarkable ability to regenerate even in their old age. Lobsters owe their longevity to the presence of telomerase enzymes scattered throughout their organs. Telomerase helps maintain the conditions of youthful cells for an extended period, showcasing nature’s ingenuity in the battle against aging (Joseph, 2013).

Hydras

Enter the hydra, a mesmerizing eukaryotic organism that breaks all the rules of biological aging. Hydras continually divide on a cellular level, effectively “editing” flaws in their DNA during the replication process. What sets them apart is their ability to produce and maintain telomeres, rendering them biologically immortal. The hydra challenges our understanding of senescence, offering insights into potential pathways for extending lifespan (Joseph, 2013).

Jellyfish

The immortal jellyfish, scientifically known as Turritopsis dohrnii, dances through the ocean with a unique strategy for perpetual life. When faced with threats, disease, or aging, this petite creature undergoes transdifferentiation. It transforms into an earlier life stage, the polyp stage, essentially hitting the reset button on its life cycle. This process not only rejuvenates the jellyfish but also allows it to clone itself, perpetuating its genetic code in an awe-inspiring display of biological immortality (Joseph, 2013).

Telomeres: A Summary

In the intricate dance of life, telomeres emerge as central players, orchestrating the rhythm of aging and regeneration. From lobsters’ telomerase-powered longevity to hydras’ defiance of senescence and jellyfish’s transdifferentiation ballet, animals present a captivating narrative in the exploration of cellular immortality. These creatures beckon scientists to unravel the mysteries of telomeres, hinting at potential breakthroughs in understanding and potentially manipulating the aging process.

 

References

Joseph, A. (2013). Senescence, cancer, and immortality. Young Scientists Journal, 6(13), 9. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-6102.107611

Urdaneta, I. (2023, July 28). The “biological immortality” in certain animal species. Resonance Science Foundation – Explore the Connected Universe. https://www.resonancescience.org/blog/the-biological-immortality-in-certain-species

I’ve eaten toast for breakfast or sandwiches for lunch since I discovered bread’s existence. Not once, in all these years, have I ever cut the crusts off a single slice. There’s a lot to be learned from those delightful, overlooked edges.

 

Bread Crust’s “Roll” Against Cancer?

The nutritional value of bread crust often goes unappreciated because not enough people take the time to recognize it. Bread crust actually contains compounds that have cancer-fighting potential. Researchers in Germany have found that the crust is rich in antioxidants (“Bread Crust And Stuffing Rich In Healthy Antioxidants,” 2002). The reason these compounds become concentrated in the crust is all in the baking.

Maillard Reaction: Delicious Chemistry

The crust forms as a result of the Maillard Reaction, in which amino acids and reducing sugars react from heat. What follows from these chemical reactions are the formation of enticing aroma components, the distinct brown surface, and an enhanced flavor. The interaction between the protein-bound amino acid L-lysine and reducing sugars at high temperatures is what gives us pronyl-lysine (“Maillard reaction,” n.d.).

Darker breads like pumpernickel and wheat contain higher amounts of these antioxidants than the typical white loaf (“Bread Crust And Stuffing Rich In Healthy Antioxidants,” 2002). However, burning your toast to a crisp won’t increase the levels because eventually, the Maillard reaction just becomes…well, burning.

Proving Bread Crust’s Worth

In the sourdough mixture used by the researchers, this novel antioxidant was 8 times more abundant in the crust than in the crumb! It wasn’t present in the flour mixture either, which suggests that the crust of the bread may provide stronger health benefits than any other part. 

Veronika Fasit, Ph.D., demonstrated that this antioxidant raised the level of phase II enzymes in human intestinal cells. Phase II enzymes defend against carcinogens and toxic chemicals (Zhang, 1970).

Annamalai University in India examined the effect pronyl-lysine had on the development of precancerous lesions in rats — eating bread seemed to reduce the development of these lesions by up to 72 percent (“Bread Crust And Stuffing Rich In Healthy Antioxidants,” 2002)!

Bread is also known as a great source of fiber, a nutrient important for digestion and for lowering the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers (“Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet,” 2022). What isn’t as well known is that the crust is where most of the fiber accumulates!

Thinking Outside the Loaf

These experiments don’t mean you can never cut your crusts again — it just means that you should put the scraps to good use. In fact, the antioxidant might be even more abundant when you make something with several small pieces. When you bake broken down bits in a stuffing or bread pudding, increased surface area means more reactions can occur!

 

 

Crust Me, It’s Delicious!

I’ve never understood the hate bread crusts received. To me, it felt completely undeserved when that’s where the best flavor is! A study with French baguettes even confirmed this.

Tasting the Difference From Crust to Crumb

This bread study evaluated the connection between the bread crumb vs. the crust on volatile release and aroma perception.

Volatiles are substances that evaporate easily and are released from food when changes take place. Processes like hydration with saliva and the increase in surface area are then sensed in the nose. These flavor volatiles give us a window into the sensory properties of food while it’s being eaten (Taylor, 1996).

Participants in the study consumed different samples of crusts and crumbs. The researchers measured their chewing behavior, perceptions, and volatile release. Results revealed that the volatiles, or markers, of the crust were released more quickly. This led to perception dynamics that differed from those of the crumb. There are several contributions to this observation. The crust’s firmness, which requires greater muscular activity to chew, released more volatiles. It’s placement on the surface and brittle structure lead to the crust being broken down more rapidly and thus a faster release of markers (Jourdren et al., 2017). 

Aroma perception had some pretty noticeable differences, too. When food is eaten, the compounds from the aroma released into the oral cavity, where it interacts with olfactory receptors to allow the consumer to perceive the dimensions of flavor of their food (Jourdren et al., 2017).

 

 

Slice of Life

Parents of crust-haters might be relieved that their child eats any part of the bread at all. As a former picky eater, I would never guilt anyone into eat a certain food. But at the same time, I’d never leave the crust out of the experience of a crunchy slice of toast or a hearty sandwich. A loaf of bread doesn’t just appear without it’s crust. Crust is evidence of the cascade of reactions that allowed it to form and protects the delicate crumb lying inside.

A Toast to the End of Bread Waste

A crust thrown away is a small representation of the 119 billion pounds of food wasted each year (“Food Waste and Food Rescue,” n.d.). Most of this waste is bread, with over 240 million slices tossed annually. Even if you are adamantly anti-crust, a gentle reminder: bread freezes well and stale bread can be transformed into croutons, breadcrumbs, bread pudding and plenty more. 

 

Resources

• Bread Crust and Stuffing Rich in Healthy Antioxidants
• Food Waste and Food Rescue
• Effect of Bread Crumb and Crust Structure
• Maillard Reaction
• Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet
• Volatile flavor release from foods during eating
• Phase II enzymes

In 24 days, or a little over 3 weeks, I chewed 171 pieces of gum. That’s between 10 and 12 packs of gum (depending on whether it was a 14 or 16 count). Sure, that doesn’t seem like much, but during these three weeks, I was trying to cut down. On a bad day, I could tear through an entire pack in an afternoon. I wish I could say that with age, I learned how to control my gum-chewing as a result of witnessing the dent my wallet takes after every trip to the grocery store, but to be completely honest, it shows no sign of stopping.

You hear a lot about the benefits of chewing gum to relax your mind or help you remember what you’ve studied (Sasaki-Otomaru et al., 2011), but I’ve always wondered — can an excessive amount of something that’s supposedly good for your health be harmful?

The NHS describes addiction as “not having control over doing, taking or using something to the point where it could be harmful to you… it’s possible to be addicted to just about anything” (“Addiction: what is it?,” n.d.). By that definition, “too much of a good thing” applies to every activity you could dream up.

Investigating Ingredients

Several artificial sweeteners are added to gum — xylitol being at the top of the ingredient list. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, used to replace sugar, that naturally occurs in vegetables and fruits (Hester, 2022).

• Xylitol is behind why gum chewing is recommended 30 minutes after a meal — it can’t be broken down into the acids that wear away teeth.
• Although xylitol is easily absorbed by bacteria like sugar, once absolved, the bacteria will use their energy to expel the xylitol instead of reproducing, making it less able to stick to your teeth and causing them to die off. (Hester, 2022)
• By neutralizing acids in the mouth, acid reflux and erosion of enamel, the hard mineralized substance that protects the surface of the teeth, are minimized.
• Chewing gum also boosts saliva production, helping to wash away food particles from the teeth as well as digestive acids. (“Sugar-free gum – is it bad for me?,” 2012)
• The saliva produced when you chew gum is stimulated saliva, which has a higher concentration of the proteins your teeth need to defend against the erosive acids in food and drinks (Hester, 2022).
• To summarize, xylitol doesn’t spike blood sugar or insulin, starves the plaque-producing bacteria, and feeds microbes in the digestive system (Gunnars, 2018).

But how do the rest of the ingredients line up?

 

Next on the list is sorbitol.

• Similar to xylitol, sorbitol is a naturally occurring sweetener extracted from glucose. Consuming sorbitol is what gives you that cooling sensation in the mouth. 
• Sorbitol has been declared safe by a number of studies. However, the suggests that if daily intake exceeded 30g, it may result in nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain.
• In larger quantities, sorbitol actually acts as a laxative. It does not get completely digested — the small intestine absorbs sorbitol in small amounts, which are then converted to fructose. The presence of excess remaining sorbitol may result in diarrhea, gas, bloating, and cramping (“Sorbitol research and safety,” 2022).
  • As it moves through the GI tract, it acts as a sponge by pulling water out of the intestinal walls, creating an excess of fluid in the bowels and these unpleasant symptoms (Johnson, 2010). 

As you can probably guess, the other main ingredients like mannitol & maltitol, have almost identical descriptions — a sugar alcohol recognized as safe by the FDA that may cause bloating, gas, or diarrhea when overconsumed.

 

Finally, I’ll discuss a bit about maltodextrin, a highly processed artificial sweetener made from corn, rice, potato starch, or wheat.

• Maltodextrin’s high glycemic index means it can cause spikes in blood sugar.
• Studies have suggested that it can change your gut bacteria composition in a way that makes you more susceptible to disease. 
  • Maltodextrin can suppress the growth of probiotics in your digestive system, increasing the growth of bacteria such as E.coli, which is associated with autoimmune disease.
  • It may also impair intestinal mucus release, raising the risk of colitis (inflammation of the large intestine).
• However, there’s also evidence that maltodextrin is effective for preventing colorectal cancer and had positive effects on overall digestion (Shaefer, 2022).

A Conclusion That’s Hard to Swallow

Well, it seems the health effects of chewing gum are pretty insignificant. After all, a piece of gum is usually no more than a couple of grams.

But you know what isn’t? The residue it leaves behind. Chewing gum is made of “non-biodegradable hydrophobic polymers together with artificial sweeteners” (Roy, 2011). Since gum is an oil base synthetic polymer, it’s remnants are just like plastic. Gum products, then, are not broken down by natural processes, which produces pollution destined to exist for much, much longer than the amount of time it took to chew (Jones, 2019). Unsurprisingly, valuable time and money must be spent to clean up unsightly and bacteria-saturated chewed gum from the streets.

As gross as it sounds, all the gum we’ve chewed probably still exists somewhere. It’ll be near excruciating to curb my chewing, but I’d like to think that the environment (and my wallet) will thank me.

 

Resources

Gunnars, K. (2018, October 4). Xylitol: Everything you need to know. Healthline. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/xylitol-101#bottom-line

Hester, J. (2022, June 17). Surprising dental health benefits of sugar-free gum. Dental Depot. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://dentaldepot.net/surprising-benefits-of-sugar-free-gum/

Johnson, C. (2010, July 26). Too much sugarless gum can hurt you. UF Health Podcasts. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://podcasts.ufhealth.org/too-much-sugarless-gum-can-hurt-you/

Jones, D. (2019, November 16). Chewing gum – 100,000 tonnes of plastic pollution every year. Just One Ocean. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://justoneocean.org/chewing-gum

NHS. (n.d.). Addiction: what is it? NHS choices. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/addiction-what-is-it/

Roy, A. S. (2011, November 30). Improper disposal of non-biodegradable chewing gum is one of the biggest threats to our ecology: A Review. Current World Environment. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://www.cwejournal.org/vol16no3/improper-disposal-of-non-biodegradable-chewing-gum-is-one-of-the-biggest-threats-to-our-ecology–a-review

Sasaki-Otomaru, A., Sakuma, Y., Mochizuki, Y., Ishida, S., Kanoya, Y., & Sato, C. (2011). Effect of regular gum chewing on levels of anxiety, mood, and fatigue in healthy young adults. Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health : CP & EMH. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3158435/

Shaefer, A. (2022, September 23). Is maltodextrin bad for me? Healthline. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/is-maltodextrin-bad-for-me#alternatives

Sorbitol research and safety. News. (2022, December 29). Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://www.news-medical.net/health/Sorbitol-Research-and-Safety.aspx

Sugar-free gum – is it bad for me? Go Ask Alice! (2012, December 7). Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/sugar-free-gum-it-bad-me/