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Single-Crystalline Scandium Nitride

Why in News:

• Researchers at JNCASR in Bengaluru have discovered a new material named "single-crystalline scandium nitride (ScN)" that can convert infrared light into renewable energy.
• The material achieved this by utilizing a scientific phenomenon called polariton excitations, which occur when light couples with either collective free electron oscillations or polar lattice vibrations in tailored materials.
• Infrared light is a form of electromagnetic radiation beyond the range of visible light, with a longer wavelength than visible light.
• The discovery of infrared polaritons in ScN has great potential for a wide range of applications in various industries, such as electronics, healthcare, defense and security, and energy, as infrared sources, emitters, and sensors are in high demand.

Key Highlights of Single-Crystalline Scandium Nitride (ScN)

About:

• Scandium nitride (ScN) has a high efficiency in emitting, detecting, and modulating infrared light.
• ScN is useful for solar and thermal energy harvesting, as well as optical communication devices.
• Scientists have used infrared light to excite polaritons and achieve strong light-matter interactions in single-crystalline ScN.

Significance:

• Polaritons in ScN are compatible with modern complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) or Si-chip technology.
• Polaritons can be easily integrated into on-chip optical communication devices.
• The exotic polaritons in ScN can be utilized for solar and thermal energy harvesting.

Large Hadron Collider

Context:

• Starting from July 5, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will start colliding protons at very high levels of energy.
• The LHC is considered the most powerful particle collider in the world.
• Scientists expect that the LHC's collisions will reveal evidence of "new physics," which goes beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics.
• The Standard Model of Particle Physics explains how the fundamental building blocks of matter interact and are governed by four fundamental forces.

Overview of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)

Introduction:

• The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a machine designed for studying particles that are the basic building blocks of everything in the universe. It is the most powerful particle collider in the world, located on the Swiss-French border.

Structure:

• The LHC is a 27-km-long track-loop buried 100m underground. It consists of a ring of superconducting electromagnets.

Operation:

• During operation, the LHC accelerates two beams of protons close to the speed of light and sends them in opposite directions within the ring.

Guided by Magnetic Field:

• The superconducting electromagnets create a powerful magnetic field that guides the protons in tight beams along the way as they travel through beam pipes and collide.

High Precision:

• Colliding particles are incredibly tiny, so the LHC needs to achieve incredible precision, much like firing two needles ten kilometers apart so that they meet halfway.

Supercooled:

• To prevent the powerful electromagnets from overheating, the LHC uses liquid helium to keep the critical components at ultra-cold temperatures of minus 271.3 degrees Celsius.

Experiments:

• Two experiments conducted at the LHC are ATLAS and Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS). ATLAS is the largest general-purpose particle detector experiment, while CMS is one of the largest international scientific collaborations, both with similar goals of exploring the fundamental nature of matter.

Achievements of LHC in Particle Physics

Discovery of 'God Particle':

• In 2012, the scientists at the LHC announced the discovery of Higgs boson or the 'God Particle' during its first run.
• This led to the awarding of Nobel Prize for physics to Peter Higgs and his collaborator François Englert in 2013.
• Higgs boson is a fundamental particle associated with the Higgs field which gives mass to other fundamental particles.

Exploration beyond Standard Model:

• After the discovery of Higgs boson, scientists have used the data collected at LHC as a tool to explore the possibility of 'New Physics' beyond the Standard Model.
• The Standard Model is the current best theory explaining the fundamental building blocks of the universe and their interactions.

ISRO proposes Space Tourism

• Why in News:
  ISRO plans to start ‘Space Tourism’ for passenger by 2030

ISRO's Space Tourism Module: Highlights, Challenges, Importance, and Other Countries with Similar Programs

Highlights of ISRO's space tourism module:

• Estimated cost of the trip is around Rs 6 crore
• Enthusiasts will be able to take a trip to space by 2030
• Type of space travel is likely to be sub-orbital
• Partnership with private firms for the development of the module
• Safety measures include the use of Reusable Launch Vehicle—Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD)

Challenges of space tourism:

• High cost
• Safety concerns
• Medical issues
• Lack of international regulatory framework
• Environmental impact

Importance of space tourism:

• Economic benefits
• Promotion of space exploration
• Advances in technology
• Environmental benefits

Other countries with space tourism modules:

• United States
• Russia
• China
• United Arab Emirates
• Japan

Implications of ISRO's Space Tourism Module

Benefits of ISRO's Space Tourism Module:

• ISRO's space tourism module can create several opportunities for the Indian space industry and space enthusiasts, as well as contribute to the growth of the space industry and generate revenue for space companies.
• It can also increase public interest in space exploration and encourage more people to learn about the universe, astronomy, and space technology.
• Moreover, it can potentially help reduce the environmental impact of tourism on Earth by providing an alternative destination for travelers.

Future of Space Tourism:

• As technology continues to advance, space tourism may become more accessible and affordable, which could allow more people to experience space travel and contribute to the growth of the space industry.

CRISPR-Cas9 for Sickle-Cell Anaemia

About:

• India has approved a 5-year project aimed at using Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology to cure sickle cell anaemia.

Highlights:

• Sickle cell anaemia is the first disease in India that is being targeted for CRISPR-based therapy.
• The project will enter the pre-clinical phase, which involves trials on animal subjects, soon.

CRISPR Technology

About:

• Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) is a gene editing technology
• It replicates the natural defense mechanism in bacteria to fight virus attacks using a protein called Cas9
• The process is described as genetic engineering
• It does not involve introducing new genes from the outside
• CRISPR-Cas9 technology is known as ‘Genetic Scissors’
• Its mechanism is compared to ‘cut-copy-paste’ or ‘find-replace’ functionalities in computer programs
• The technology uses biochemical tools such as specific protein and RNA molecules
• It replicates a natural defense mechanism in some bacteria that uses a similar method to protect itself from virus attacks

Mechanism:

• Identify the specific sequence of genes causing trouble
• Program an RNA molecule to locate the sequence on the DNA strand
• Use Cas9 to break the DNA strand at specific points and remove the bad sequence
• Supply the correct sequence of genetic codes during the auto-repair process
• The process is programmable and has remarkable efficiency, although errors can occur.

Understanding CRISPR-based Therapeutic Solutions

• CRISPR-based therapeutic solutions involve correcting the underlying genetic problem causing a disease or disorder
• This treatment is not in the form of a pill or drug
• A specific solution needs to be devised for every disease or disorder
• Solutions could be specific to particular populations or racial groups
• Changes in genetic sequences remain with the individual and are not passed on to the offspring

Diseases and Disorders that Can be Cured Permanently:

• Many diseases and disorders are genetic in nature and can be cured permanently through CRISPR
• Examples include sickle cell anaemia, eye diseases, cancer, diabetes, HIV, liver and heart diseases
• Deformities like stunted or slow growth, speech disorders, or inability to stand or walk can also potentially be cured

Ethical Dilemmas Related to CRISPR Technology

• CRISPR technology has the potential to induce dramatic changes in an individual which can be potentially misused
• In 2018, a Chinese researcher disclosed creating a 'designer baby' which caused widespread concern in the scientific community
• Preventive interventions to obtain special traits is not something that scientists currently want the technology to be used for
• Changes made in the embryo itself can be inherited by successive generations
• While the technology is fairly accurate, it is not 100% precise, and could induce errors in other genes.

Sickle Cell Anemia

Overview: Sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disease, which is most commonly found in people of African, Arabian, and Indian origin.
It is caused by atypical hemoglobin molecules called hemoglobin S, which can distort red blood cells into a sickle or crescent shape. This blocks blood flow and oxygen from reaching all parts of the body.

Symptoms: The disease can cause severe pain known as sickle cell crises. Over time, sickle cell disorders can also cause damage to organs such as the liver, kidney, lungs, heart, and spleen. In some cases, complications can be fatal.

Treatment: Treatment options include medication, blood transfusions, and rarely, bone-marrow transplant.

Treeshrew Spotted in Jammu and Kashmir

Why in News:

• Scientists have recently discovered fossils of a new genus and species of a small mammal that looks like a squirrel called treeshrew, named Sivatupaia ramnagarensis, in Jammu and Kashmir.

Fossil Discovery of Treeshrew

About Treeshrew:

• Treeshrew is a small mammal resembling squirrels found in Jammu and Kashmir.
• It belongs to a new genus and species called Sivatupaia ramnagarensis.
• Treeshrew is a rare element in the fossil record, with only a few species known throughout the Cenozoic era.
• The new tupaiid was probably adapted for a less mechanically challenging or more fruit eating diet compared to other extant and fossil tupaiids.

Significance of the Discovery:

• The discovery of time-sensitive dental features helps to provide a more precise age estimate for the Ramnagar locality between 12.7-11.6 million years.
• The treeshrew currently represents the oldest record of fossil tupaiids in the Siwaliks, extending their time range by 2.5-4.0 million years in the region.

Siwalik Sediments:

• The Siwalik is a thick sedimentary sequence forming the youngest mountain belt, extending throughout the East-West of the foothills of the Himalayas.
• It documents the evolution of many mammalian groups from the middle Miocene Epoch through the Pleistocene, including treeshrews, hedgehogs, and other small mammals.

Miocene Epoch:

• It is the period between 23.03 to 5.3 million years ago, characterized by warmer global climates.
• The expansion of grasslands is correlated to a drying of continental interiors as the global climate first warmed and then cooled.
• Important Miocene deposits occur in North and South America, southern Europe, India, Mongolia, East Africa, and Pakistan.

Pleistocene (Ice Age):

• It is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago.
• It was during the Pleistocene that the most recent episodes of global cooling, or ice ages, took place.

5G Spectrum Auctions

Why in News:

India’s biggest ever spectrum auction ended with bids upwards of Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

India's 5G Spectrum Auction Results: Summary and Analysis

Amount of Spectrum Bought:

• 51.2 GHz of spectrum was sold out of 72 GHz available (close to 71%).
• The total spectrum sold is enough to cover all areas in the country and to provide good 5G coverage in the next two to three years.
• Final total bids exceeded expectations, with Rs 1.5 lakh crore, surpassing the government's internal estimates of Rs 1 lakh crore.
• Reliance Jio emerged as the largest spender, acquiring almost half of all airwaves sold for over Rs 88,000 crore.
• All bands were sold at base price, except for the 1,800 MHz band.

Different Bands of Spectrum:

• The 700 MHz band is best suited for coverage in high-density areas, providing a range of 6-10 kilometres and ideal for data networks and consumer-led services.
• The 26 GHz millimetre band is ideal for enterprise-level 5G applications, including setting up private 5G networks.
• Bidders bought airwaves primarily to increase their coverage of 4G and fill gaps in circles where the 4G network had started to congest.
• The 600 MHz band saw no takers in the latest auction.

Criticisms Against the Auction:

• Some criticized that the 5G spectrum was sold for less amount than it should have been.
• The auction did not meet the expectation of up to Rs. 5 lakh crore projected by the government, only auctioned for Rs. 1.5 lakh crore.

Post-Auction Predictions

• Earlier this year, the government abolished the spectrum usage charge (SUC) for the 5G spectrum auction.
• This will bring significant savings for telecom companies and they won't need to hike the tariff too much.
• Estimates suggest that telecom service providers would require a modest 4% incremental tariff hike on their overall subscriber base or a 30% premium over 1.5 GB/day 4G plans.
• Telecom companies may charge a premium for 5G due to potentially higher speed and likely initial uptake from premium customers.