Scientists Found the Staggering Natural Switch That Could Bring Back Your Eyesight
Researchers in South Korea found a protein, PROX1, that acts sort of like a molecular gatekeeper, suppressing your body's natural ability to regrow damaged retinal cells. When the scientists blocked PROX1 in mice, something incredible happened: they regenerated essential vision cells for a whopping six months.
For mice, that's a huge milestone. Zebrafish and amphibians have done this naturally for ages, but the regenerative implications for mammals—and maybe humans—are seismic.
Watch Pop Mech editors Andrew Daniels and Manasee Wagh discuss the new discovery that could reshape how we treat blindness.
Andrew and Manasee break down why this is such a groundbreaking moment in regenerative medicine, how retinal cells are basically extensions of your brain, and what this new study could mean for millions of people (and Andrew's dog) suffering from degenerative eye diseases.
Along the way, they also explore other mind-blowing methods for restoring eyesight, including one that uses gold nanoparticles and lasers—yes, really.
Watch the full episode above now, and find more installments of the Astounding Pop Mech Show on PopularMechanics.com.
You Might Also Like
The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape
The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere
Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
The U.S. shouldn't ignore the starving Rohingya of Myanmar
In Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state, a new horror is unfolding largely unobserved. The long-persecuted Rohingya have been caught in the crossfire of the country's ongoing civil war, and now they are being deliberately starved. Recent reports from inside the mostly closed country, including from the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK, detail how the ruling junta has imposed blockades that cut off virtually all vital supplies to the 145,000 Rohingya confined to overcrowded, squalid internment camps. At least 25 Rohingya adults are reported to have died this year from starvation, and seven died from a lack of medical care. Children are suffering from malnutrition.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Life on the Moon? Lunar soil could help humans live on the Moon, study finds
The soil on the Moon might be able to sustain life, according to a new study. Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong developed a technology to extract water from lunar soil and used it to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and chemical fuel. The technology does this by converting light from the Sun into heat. According to the study, published in the Cell Press journal Joule, the research could 'potentially open new doors for future deep space exploration' because it could mitigate the expensive costs needed to bring essential resources such as water to the Moon. A single gallon (3.78 litres) of water costs $83,000 (€71,230) to ship up by rocket, the study continued, with one astronaut drinking roughly four gallons (15.14 litres) a day. 'We never fully imagined the 'magic' that the lunar soil possessed,' said lead researcher Lu Wang. Related US Senate greenlights billions for Moon missions despite Elon Musk's opposition However, the study notes that any strategies that are already in place to extract water from the surface of the Moon involve multiple 'energy-intensive' steps and do not break down how much CO2 is used by fuel. The Moon's extreme lunar environment will still make it challenging to harvest more oxygen and water from the land, the study continued, because there are 'drastic temperature fluctuations,' radiation and low gravity to deal with. The CO2 emitted from the breaths of the astronauts won't be enough to supply all the water, fuel and oxygen that the team of astronauts might need.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
China's new X-shaped rail gun design doubles firepower and improves range
Chinese researchers are experimenting with a new rail gun design to help overcome the firepower limitations of existing designs. They believe that stacking two rail guns in an X-shape in a single barrel could be the solution they need. A rail gun is a futuristic weapon that utilizes electromagnetic force, rather than explosives or gunpowder, to launch projectiles. Designs vary, but rail guns typically utilize electricity to generate powerful magnetic fields that accelerate a projectile to extremely high speeds, around Mach 7 (approximately 5,344 mph or 8,600 kph). Many nations around the world have experimented with the technology, with China developing its own version in 2018. This gun was mounted on the Haiyangshan, a Chinese Type 072III-class landing ship, and was seen as a first-of-its-kind at the time. Meanwhile, the U.S. has abandoned its rail gun program owing to cost, complexity, and the rise of hyper-sonic missiles. Japan is working on a smaller rail gun—essentially a technology demonstrator—that fires tiny 0.66-pound (300g) shells from ships. X marks the spot China's existing rail gun, which seemed insurmountable during its induction, has displayed its set of limitations over time. Being a naval gun, the weapon needs to pack a punch but this requires more power, which in turn leads to issues. Too much current melts the metal components, like the U-shaped armature (which helps carry current and launch the shell). Magnetic forces can tear apart melted metal mid-shot, likened to a "magnetic saw." This leads to the rails getting damaged, reducing performance. At present, the navy's rail gun is capped at firing 33-pound (15 kg) shells, which is not nearly enough to damage a ship—suggesting the weapon is not yet war-ready. In a bid to address the issue, a group of Chinese army researchers—led by associate professor Lyu Qingao from the Army Engineering University of PLA in Shijiazhuang—proposed a x-shaped 'double-decker' rail gun which could overcome power limitations. To this end, the design features each rail gun having its own power circuit, allowing them to operate independently but in parallel. The setup utilizes four rails and two U-armatures that work together. Patent pending Vertical magnetic fields don't interfere with each other, so stacking two rail guns does not reduce performance. You can think of it like twin engines on a rocket, delivering more power without one interfering with the other. This design, the team believes, will enable the weapon to launch a 132-pound (60 kg) shell at speeds of at least Mach 7. The improved ordinance size also happens to be four times more than the current Chinese Navy requirement. The team has already filed a patent for the new 'x-shape armature' technology, but has not conducted any live-fire tests as yet. If the trials prove successful, it should translate to ranges in the region of 248 miles (400 km), with the shell able to cross that distance in as little as 6 minutes. The team also believes the impact speed of the shell could exceed Mach 4 on target. However, researchers caution that the 'proximity effect' (interference between nearby electrical currents) may still cause issues with performance and reliability. To this end, real-world testing is necessary to demonstrate its effectiveness. Solve the daily Crossword
