results latest research published by scientists in December last year. FROM most media scientific projects were represented NUST "MISiS" and "TOP-science" magazinein the first scientific hit parade.
Magic pill for the liver
Employees of the First Moscow State medical university them. THEM. Sechenov on the eve of the New Year made a gift to all lovers of strong drinks. They announced the development of a drug that can save the liver from harmful effects alcohol and other toxic substances.
Despite the fact that the moment for the presentation of the new drug was well chosen - when, if not on holidays, to take care of the liver? – scientists still need to conduct preclinical trials of this form. This means that the magic drug that saves the liver in situations " increased load", will appear on the pharmacological market in five years.
Instead of a driver - a radar
The topic of unmanned vehicles remains one of the most popular in Russian science. Scientists from the Tomsk University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics have created two radar models for the first Russian unmanned truck. They promised to transfer them to KamAZ for testing by the end of 2017.
At the same time, we are talking about the own development of domestic scientists, and not about an analogue of foreign samples. Upon completion of the tests, university staff plan to create a compact prototype of the radar, after which they will begin preparations for mass production.
universe on a diet
The dark matter of the universe is "losing weight," Russian scientists warn. According to physicists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Novosibirsk State University, it is the decay of some dark particles that can explain the well-known oddities in astrophysics.
We are talking, in particular, about the Hubble constant, which has different values in the near and far regions of the Universe. It is noteworthy that over 13.8 billion years of dark matter managed to "lose weight" by only 2-5%.
Life of the Chelyabinsk meteorite
The Chelyabinsk meteorites are so severe that even four years after the fall they are of interest in the scientific world. Scientists from the Physico-Technological Institute of the Ural Federal University gradually restored all the "life" cycles of the Chelyabinsk meteorite, which exploded not only in the sky over the Urals, but also on YouTube in February 2013.
However, Yekaterinburg scientists are not going to rest on their laurels. They have already announced the study of the "Yaratkulov meteorite", which fell on the territory of the Chelyabinsk region at the beginning of the 20th century.
Abibas vs Adidas
Researchers from the National Research University Higher School of Economics found that the total turnover of illegal products on the Russian consumer market in 2015 amounted to approximately 2.5 trillion rubles. It is noteworthy that the largest share of counterfeit products - about 40% - is recorded on the alcohol market.
Nuclear fuel electricity
Employees of the Far East federal university developed, according to them, a method of manufacturing nuclear fuel for nuclear reactors that has no analogues in the world - using electricity. Recall that the main type of fuel for reactors are tablet uranium oxide compositions, which are produced from powder by granulation, pressing and sintering. Primorye scientists proposed a different method of production - electropulse sintering under pressure.
Forewarned is forearmed
Scientists of the Far Eastern Federal University propose to deploy in Russia a network of reference stations located at the same distance from each other. Such stations can measure their position relative to each other with high accuracy.
The method is based on the property of the earth's surface before an earthquake to significantly change its height above sea level in the region of future shocks, which serves as a precursor of seismic movement. These changes will be recorded by the network of stations, the scientists promise. However, with all the advantages of this method, it has one significant disadvantage: it is too expensive.
fantasy thieves
Employees of the Tomsk University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics surprised the scientific world with another discovery. They developed a program to recognize plagiarism. After the plot of the film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" was loaded into it, it turned out that the film coincides 90% with the content of the famous Soviet cartoon "The Secret of the Third Planet", filmed by Roman Kachanov in 1981.
So, the hero Newt Scamander is the same Professor Seleznev, Captain Zeleny became the prototype of Kowalski, and Porpentina is the same Alice. At the same time, we are talking not only about the number of main characters and their relationships, but also about the main storyline– search for fantastic animals
It is noteworthy that a year ago, TUSUR employees already made a similar disclosure. In February 2016, they announced that the content of the first film of the fantastic Star Wars saga was 96% copied from the fairy tale Kashchei the Immortal, filmed by Alexander Rowe in 1944.
Scientists of the world annually present the latest samples of scientific developments, among which there are quite utilitarian and very useful things for every person. Test strips for determining iron deficiency in the body or a device that will accurately show if there is a dangerous allergen in the food you ordered at a restaurant. About fantastic discoveries and developments of scientists from all over the world.
Test strip for determining iron deficiency and vitamin A (determination time - 15 minutes)
Despite the fact that both iron and vitamin A are easily replenished with food, their deficiency is a common occurrence for the inhabitants of the Earth. So, iron deficiency occurs in about 2 billion people on the planet, as a rule, residents suffer from a lack of vitamin A. developing countries.
This test strip works on the principle of biomarker quantification. For iron, it is ferritin, an iron-binding protein; for vitamin A, it is RBP, or retinol-binding protein. Developers from Cornell University, led by David Erickson, also took into account that the concentration of these biomarkers can change in the presence of an inflammatory process in the body, so the test is also equipped with C-reactive protein, which is a marker of inflammation.
The test strip is arranged like a "sandwich" - exactly like other tests, for example, those that determine pregnancy by the presence of a certain hormone in the urine. The incubation zone contains antibodies against proteins (ferritin, RBP, C-reactive protein) that are coupled to a fluorescent dye. Separate zones of the strip are stitched with antibodies already without dyes. A drop of blood, falling on the incubation zone, mixes with antibodies and rises along the strip due to the capillary effect. In each subsequent zone, the desired component binds to "its" antibody. "In this case, the zones have a different color: the one in which there are ferritin antibodies is orange, the inflammation zone is red, and the retinol-binding protein zone is green. If the control value of the zone inflammation is exceeded, you should first consult a doctor about the infection, and only then determine the level of iron and retinol.The test results can be interpreted using a separate option - a nozzle on a smartphone or reader.
The accuracy of such a study is quite high. The developers checked the results standard method ELISA (specificity for ferritin - 97% and for vitamin A - 100%).
Allergy test (determination time 5-20 minutes)
This device, developed by the Swiss company Abionic, is already in use in Europe and will go on sale in the US in 2018. AbioSCOPE - the device allows you to quickly and painlessly determine allergens that are dangerous to the health of a particular person in the laboratory. Unlike standard methods (skin reaction or CBC), this test is designed for rapid analysis (5 - 20 minutes).
The device works quite simply: a blood sample taken from the patient's finger is mixed with a reagent and applied to a special strip on the disk device, which is inserted into the abioSCOPE device. The doctor enters information about the patient's demographics and also determines the required allergy tests. Ready information appears on the screen of the device. Depending on the number of examinations required, abioSCOPE will take from 5 to 20 minutes. This is the fastest test in this direction.
Portable keychain detector for the determination of allergens in food
A small device called iEAT detects 5 common allergens found in peanuts, milk, eggs, and hazelnuts. This unit, more like a keychain, was developed by engineers at Harvard medical school. They claim that in just a few minutes the device will detect the presence of even minimal concentrations of allergens.
Despite the requirements for the need for the composition on the labels, manufacturers are often cunning and present products that are potentially dangerous for allergy sufferers as, for example, gluten-free. Whereas the actual composition does not correspond to the declared one.
The main part of the device is represented by a microcontroller, a battery and a display. An additional module in the form of an indicator strip is connected to this part, on which food samples are placed. Substances that react with declared allergens have electrical characteristics that determine the content of allergens in the sample.
According to preliminary calculations, the cost of the components of this tester is only $40. With an experimental sample, engineers tested dishes served in several cafes. They found a small amount of gluten even where it should not be - for example, in dishes from a special gluten-free menu.
"Smart" glue for wounds of the eyeball
A special adhesive gel for the eyeball is able to reversibly "glue" the wound on its surface. This is especially important in conditions where quick help is impossible: in the forest, in the field, or in any other place remote from the hospital.
Scientists from the laboratory of John Whalen (University of Southern California) have developed a formulation based on N-isopropylacrylamide. By adding butyl acrylate as a crosslinking agent to the polymer solution, it was possible to obtain a gel that is in a liquid state at temperatures up to 33 degrees Celsius. After injection into the wound, the gel solidifies, forming a plug. To remove it, it is enough to cool the wound surface and the gel will again turn into a liquid state.
During the experiment, such a plug stayed in the rabbit's eye for a month and was removed without any consequences for vision and the eye as a whole. Such fast way sealing the wound is able to minimize the drop in eye pressure leading to retinal detachment and blindness.
Such a sealant can withstand pressure that is 5 times the physiological intraocular pressure. It does not cause inflammation, does not lead to retinal detachment, does not contain toxic substances. And although this gel was developed specifically for ophthalmology, its authors also showed the promise of its use for gluing wounds of other types.
Live bacteria ink for 3D printer
Modern 3D printers can use anything from metal to chocolate as the starting material for printing. However, formulations with live bacteria are not yet common. Swiss scientists from the ETH Zurich, led by Andre Studart, have created new material for 3D printing. As a basis, a hydrogel is used, which includes hyaluronic acid, pyrogenic silicon dioxide, carrageenan. Scientists experimented with the ratio of substances, and, in the end, they got a suitable material, which has a moderate viscosity. It is able to pass through the printing nozzles and, at the same time, not spread. In addition, the composition includes nutrients for bacteria. During the experiment, we worked with 2 types of bacteria: Pseudomonas putida (processes phenol) and Acetobacter xylinum (produces cellulose).
In addition, similar developments by other scientists - American - included ink that contained bacteria that convert methane into methyl alcohol, and the British created a composition with which they printed panels in which light is converted into electricity due to the action of phototrophic bacteria.
Bacteria to find mines
The search for unexploded mines is still a risky business. As a rule, they are found with the help of mine detectors, however, recently there are also remotely controlled devices. However, they are not able to detect a dangerous object not in a metal, but in a plastic case.
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created a bacterium that can recognize trinitrotoluene and, when it is detected, emit a fluorescent glow that can be detected using a special optoelectronic system. For these purposes, a culture of Escherichia coli E. coli with specially modified DNA was used. If it fell into water containing trinitrotoluene or its decay products, it triggered the synthesis of a protein that emits a fluorescent glow. It is captured by a system that reads, among other things, its intensity. Importantly, this method works even if the body of the projectile is plastic.
Of course, like any other method, this one has its complications. So, during the experiment, it was found that bacteria work well only on relatively "old" mines in the ground. Fresh ones, which were buried 3-5 days before the start of the experiment, did not catch the bacteria.
In the future, Israeli experts plan to conduct even larger tests, which will take into account different types of soil, different depths of mines.
The drug Disulfiram from alcoholism was effective in the treatment of cancerous tumors
It has been repeatedly observed that the anti-cancer effect is found in drugs intended for the treatment of other diseases. Disulfiram (DSF) is a medicine that is prescribed to treat alcoholism. Meanwhile, scientists from several countries report on the suppression of cancerous tumors with the use of this drug.
To understand the pattern of action of disulfiram, the scientists conducted an epidemiological analysis using the Danish demographic and medical registries database. As a result, it turned out that among the patients, those cancer patients who suffered from alcoholism and took the drug before the oncology diagnosis and continued to take it during cancer treatment had the least lethal outcome. This trend was maintained for different cases of diseases (rectal, prostate or breast cancer), as well as for patients with metastases.
The mechanism of suppressing the growth of cancer cells is not yet fully understood, but there are already some results: it has been noticed that the drug is more effective in combination with taking copper preparations. This information has been confirmed in studies on mice. The results of the experiment showed the greatest efficiency in suppressing tumor growth in the group of rodents that received copper gluconate (CuGlu) and disulfiram in addition to food.
Robots no longer perceive human intervention as a hindrance
During autonomous operation, robots perceived physical contact with a person as an obstacle, after which the algorithm tried to return to the task in the shortest possible way. at the same time, the simplest and most natural way of "learning" was completely rejected - to show how it should be.
Dylan P. Losey and Marcia K. O'Malley of Rice University developed an algorithm that stopped human intervention as a nuisance. In this case, instead of returning to a pre-programmed path, the robot takes into account the human correction and calculates a new trajectory. Moreover, he remembers these changes and in the future will be able to use them already in the corrected version. This discovery is especially important for direct learning systems.
And scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology created an algorithm that weaned robots from "pushing" while working in a group. This is especially important when organizing the work of a large group of mechanisms. Colliding, falling into the comfort zone of another device, they ceased to function and were unable to complete the task.
According to the developers, these new security algorithms will be useful in the operation of unmanned vehicles or advanced passenger aircraft.
What achievements Russian science surprised us the most in 2018? The editors of the Vesti.Science project (website) have prepared an overview of the most significant discoveries made by researchers in our country in various fields of science and technology.
Physics
This year, Russian physicists have made several real breakthroughs at once. For example, specialists from NUST MISIS and two institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences have created the highest quality quantum computer in the world, which emits the lowest possible noise level. The device can also be used in radio telescopes and other devices operating with ultra-weak radio emission.
Another discovery in the field of quantum technology is an LED capable of emitting several billion single photons per second. This will help make quantum communication lines as fast as classical ones.
Another technology will bring the era of the quantum Internet and optical quantum communications closer. We are talking about from one key storage method to another. The key to success was quantum "teleportation".
By the way, about means of communication. Having considered the complex mathematical aspects of gravitational waves, experts said that this phenomenon can be used. At least in theory.
Speaking of experimental achievements, one cannot but recall the work of physicists from Moscow State University, who predicted the effect of control atomic nucleus. This achievement will make it possible to create clocks and chronometers ten times more accurate than the best modern atomic clocks.
We also reported on how artificial intelligence allowed Russian physicists to "cheat" quantum mechanics and create a supersensitive . Such measurements are needed for the operation of future quantum computers and modern detectors in medicine, geological exploration, and even astronomy.
It is impossible not to recall the new power source - powerful and durable, which was developed by a team of physicists from several Russian universities. Pacemakers that do not need to be recharged, and - here are just a few possible applications new technology.
Space
The designers of future space probes will have to take into account for the successful completion of the mission. On Deimos (the second largest moon of Mars), researchers have discovered an unusual danger to landers - clouds of electrically charged dust.
Meanwhile, their colleagues have found a way to deal with another threat, not for spacecraft, but for earthly inhabitants. Russian physicists proposed to attack with nuclear charges. The effectiveness of their idea they: simulated the fall of a potentially dangerous asteroid and crushed it into small fragments using lasers.
Chemistry
Tomsk chemists submitted to the creation of composite materials for use in traumatology and orthopedics. Their sol-gel method, which can improve the structure of bioactive coatings, will help reduce the percentage of implant rejection.
Meanwhile, scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have improved the efficiency of solar panels.
And their colleagues from the same university figured out the most difficult - polypropylene. With the help of this knowledge, it is possible to set the desired characteristics of the material already at the synthesis stage: from elasticity to hardness.
In addition, archaeologists summed up the results of the excavations preceding the construction of Zaryadye Park. "Catch" of researchers - (including coins, weapons, household utensils, horse harness). Now many of these artifacts are exhibits of the Zaryadye Underground Museum.
We also reported on the real investigation in Rostov the Great. It was discovered in the Assumption Cathedral. It is not yet known to whom it was intended and whether anyone was ever buried in it at all. Experts have put forward several versions.
Meanwhile, in the very center of Rostov-on-Don, archaeologists unearthed an age of about two thousand years. They are part of two necropolises created by the Meotian tribes, who in the 1st millennium BC inhabited the eastern and southeastern coasts of the Sea of Azov.
Another high-profile find was made this year in the Crimea. Not far from Sevastopol, an expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences discovered an unlooted 2nd-4th century AD. The artifacts found during the excavations will help to restore the history of the Crimea of the Roman period and recreate a picture of the life of the late Scythians, experts said.
Paleontology
This year, Russian paleontologists described previously unknown to science that lived on Earth 120 million years ago. The new genus was named Sibirotitan ( Sibirotitan), and the view - Sibirotitan astrosacralis. The dinosaur became the second sauropod to receive a scientific name in our country, as well as one of the oldest titanosaur forms found in Asia.
By the way, quite recently, not far from Ulyanovsk, the remains of another large four-legged dinosaur were found, which, apparently, is also a representative of titanosaurs. Previously, experts were sure that the evolution of these fossil giants took place mainly in South America.
Meanwhile, Samara researchers have discovered the world's most complete
Russia is one of the world's largest countries capable of conducting advanced developments in various branches of technology and production. AT last years many successful projects have appeared using the latest Russian technologies.
The Vocord company has come up with an innovative face recognition system. It is suitable for smartphones and other gadgets. Their competitors are the big market companies Samsung and Apple. But the latter still have serious difficulties and shortcomings. For example, a Samsung smartphone can be easily unlocked by holding a picture of the owner downloaded from social networks. Therefore, the Russian development is of great interest. Vokorod prophesies that their novelty has great prospects.
A Russian company has successfully developed a cloud service for drones. It's called Le Talo Robotics. It has all the statistics on the operation of the drone. Using it, you can easily evaluate the status of the device and identify emerging problems. Also, scientists have already invented a charging station for drones, which aroused the curiosity of many investors.
Domestic printer prints products using electron beam technology. The equipment was created by the Tomsk company TETA, and the project was developed at the Tomsk Polytechnic University and the Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science.
The printer has the ability to take into work alloys that change their properties when in contact with air. As for the sizes, they can be very different.
The developers plan to actively use the innovation also in shipbuilding and mechanical engineering
Exoskeleton
With the help of new technologies, Russian scientists have come up with a "man-borne robot" called ExoAtlet. Its purpose is the rehabilitation of patients with the following problems:
- unsuccessful operations;
- trauma;
- post-stroke states.
Such a robot helps the patient in independent movement, speeds up the recovery process.
It is a vehicle powered exclusively by solar energy. The car receives it due to solar panels, the total area of which is 4 square meters. m. The body is made of a composite material, also used in space production and rocket science.
The creation of the solar car is carried out by specialists at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The project is actively supported Russian Ministry industry and trade, as well as Kaspersky Lab.
The Moscow Technical Institute presented a unique new invention - a virtual reality helmet equipped with built-in intelligence. It is suitable for use in a wide variety of industries. Among them:
- entertainment industry;
- education;
- the medicine;
- art;
- defense.
The creators claim that the helmet has surpassed foreign analogues in all technical characteristics.
The largest corporations from Silicon Valley are busy creating vehicles that can fly. Our country is also not lagging behind and is preparing to release similar devices. Hoversurf has invented a flying motorcycle "Scorpion-3", which develops a speed of 320 km / h. It has the ability to keep recharging up to 450 km. The new Russian technology of the future has already aroused interest from abroad.
Research staff of Tomsk polytechnic university develop unique technologies that provide wireless power transmission via mobile communications over impressive distances. At the same time, it is planned to use fifth-generation communications. According to the invented algorithm, the transfer of energy will occur from one device to another along with the radio signal. Now this innovation is being tested for effectiveness.
Among the latest Russian technologies and developments is the BiTronics designer. Its purpose is to study human biosignals. For example, it is possible to create human-machine control interfaces.
Additional branches of use:
- the study of robotics, physical and mathematical sciences among schoolchildren;
- improvement of sports sensors, heart rate monitors and other devices.
In the future, it is possible to bring the product to the international level.
The company "Motorika" creates highly effective methods for limb prosthetics with a unique design. They created an innovation that allows a person with an injury to return the grip function to the upper limb. It's called an active traction prosthesis. Devices can be built into it to provide wireless Internet access. The data is displayed on the display, which is located on the forearm.
The price of such a product is an order of magnitude lower than that of foreign developments. AT individual cases the state provides compensation, and you can get a prosthesis absolutely free.
Modern aircraft cover long distances, but they take a lot of time. Russian Aviation science Center engaged in work on the creation of supersonic airliners. For this, third-party specialists are actively involved, since the range of tasks is very wide. According to preliminary estimates, the new aircraft will emit noise comparable to that of conventional civil aircraft.
Scientists are faced with the following tasks:
- development of a preliminary structural-power scheme of the airframe;
- selection of basic structural materials;
- evaluation of engine characteristics;
- alignment of the necessary thermal protection of the device;
- development of requirements for measuring instruments.
Supersonic aircraft will be able to make a transatlantic flight in just a couple of hours.
Robot rover
The Anywalker device has become a useful domestic startup. It is a small robot capable of moving independently. Anywalker also presses buttons and opens doors, moves up stairs.
A plan has been developed to scale the production of such devices up to one thousand copies annually.
This is a device that provides a direct quantum channel for the exchange of information between two subscribers. This invention is being developed by scientists Faculty of Physics at Moscow State University. Conversations on such a device will be completely protected from "eavesdropping". This requires that the phones are connected by fiber optics. It is through it that the transmission of quantum states of light takes place.
"Smart" agricultural machinery
This project is being actively developed and supported by financial injections from the state. Cognitive Technologies has developed a computer vision system that allows agricultural machinery to see dangerous objects in the fields in the form of poles, stones, etc. This information is used to ensure the safety of mechanisms during harvesting.
The first tractor equipped with this system has already been successfully tested on Russian fields. The widespread use of "smart" agricultural machinery will significantly save money (up to tens of millions of rubles annually on a single farm).
Tomsk State University has invented a special laser designed to cut biological tissues and bones. The setup was developed on strontium vapor and can operate at different wavelengths. It is compact and fits on a regular table. Under the influence of a laser beam, a cut and a thin film remain on the tissues.
Scientists plan to test the invention and want to use it in neurosurgery, implantology and other medical fields.
Microchips are at the heart of all modern technology. The smaller their size, the more compact the device will be. Moscow scientists have come up with the thinnest microcircuit in the world, its thickness is only one molecule.
When the new Russian technology is introduced into production, there will be miniature gadgets, pacemakers and other devices. This invention, according to experts, is capable of "turning the world." It will reduce energy consumption, weight and dimensions of gadgets, and performance will rise to a new level.
Students from Perm decided to make a robot that can not only move independently, but also communicate with people. They created Promobot, which determines the age and gender of a person, recognizes faces. He owns a huge vocabulary, is connected to the Internet and can answer many questions. Such a robot is suitable for performing the functions of a seller, waiter or administrator. Promobot is used by some Perm shopping and entertainment centers and banks. Its cost is ten thousand dollars, which is much cheaper than Korean counterparts.
In the coming year, Tomsk Polytechnic University plans to start creating a new X-ray tomograph. It will differ in that it can work with the phase electromagnetic wave. While conventional devices work only with its amplitude. This will allow the device to obtain much more information about the structure of the objects of study.
In addition to application in the medical field, the invention is suitable for diagnosing composite products.
The project is actively financed by the state and industrial partners.
Drones are being developed not only in America, but also in our country. At the Urban Forum, the Volgabas company from the city of Volzhsky developed and presented the first unmanned bus. It is made entirely from spare parts of domestic production. Such a bus is suitable for transporting passengers in closed areas. It is planned that in 2018 the first copies will already appear in the capital.
Rostec Corporation presents the latest unique camera. Its main feature is that it has a short-wave infrared range. It achieves high levels natural contrasts and better night illumination.
"All-seeing" cameras can be used in different areas. Among them:
- monitoring of agricultural land;
- ship navigation;
- checking the authenticity of banknotes.
There are many in Russia talented people, which can bring a lot more interesting ideas and inventions. In the coming years, there will be many more new technologies that will radically change the world.
Today we have a new hit parade of the “coolest” scientific developments of Russian universities. This project was started on the one hand to popularize Russian science, on the other hand, we wanted to understand what scientific developments receive good press and resonate in the Russian media. The question is actually not trivial, because the situation in our country is rapidly drifting towards the West, and good PR for scientific developments is becoming more and more relevant.
Let us briefly recall the criteria by which we are guided in compiling the rating. Research places are arranged according to the simplest and most verifiable principle - the number of reprints of the original message. The number of reprints is determined using the information and analytical monitoring system and effective analysis Russian media "Medialogy".
The rating includes only Russian developments and only developments of researchers from higher educational institutions Russian Federation. One more caveat - we do not include various monitorings, measurements of the living wage, etc. in the rating. research carried out at regular intervals. Here's what made us happy in February:
February Media Ten: Waiting for Noah
Ideal explosives, death to staphylococci, black hole striptease, eternal youth and the global flood - all this and much more in the February hit parade of the most media scientific developments of Russian universities.
Our hit parade is opened by the initiative of biologists of Moscow State University, who launched a unique information system containing data on half a million plants and ten thousand microorganisms, including photomicrographs and fragments of genome sequences. By the end of next year, it is planned to load all samples of the Moscow State University collections into the system. The work was done as part of the Noah's Ark project, it remains to be understood how animals will be divided into clean and unclean. 10th place, 62 publications
Russian chemists and physicists, in collaboration with scientists from other countries, have found a way to create super-powerful explosives with relatively little pressure. As one of the developers, Skoltech and MIPT professor Artem Oganov, recalled, we are talking about “one of the Holy Grails in materials science, the search for polymer nitrogen.” Polymeric nitrogen, an extremely powerful explosive, has so far been obtained only at pressures above a million atmospheres, which automatically removed the question of its industrial production. And although a group of researchers managed to reduce the pressure at which a substance with a bunch of nitrogen-nitrogen bonds is formed, only up to 230 thousand atmospheres, the news still turned out to be very much in demand by the press: 9th place in the rating. 9th place, 67 publications
Cock staphylococcus aureus
In eighth place in our first scientific hit parade is the development of the university, which will make its debut in our ranking today. Chemists of PSNIU filed a patent for a method for obtaining new chemical compounds, which will help overcome the famous Staphylococcus aureus. It is known to be the most common cause of nosocomial infections. According to Permians, their compounds were 2-3 times more effective in the fight against Staphylococcus aureus than the most common antiseptics. 8th place, 69 publications
Astronomers from Moscow State University have published an article explaining the reasons why supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies "reveal their faces". The fact is that usually the observation of these celestial "heavyweights" is hindered by a huge amount of dust and gas surrounding the nuclei of galaxies. But sometimes all this space debris disappears for unknown reasons, and the supermassive black hole, as astronomers say, "opens its face", all of its surroundings become visible to telescopes. The interest of the media in the reasons for such openness turned out to be quite large and brought the study to the seventh position. 7th place, 70 publications
The MSU chemists take over from MSU astronomers. These worthy people presented in February a development that journalists managed to dub "a panacea for chemical weapons" and "an antidote for pesticides." We are talking about received at the chemical faculty of the largest Russian university nanoparticles that can be used as a protective agent against chemical warfare agents and toxic pesticides. Experiments on rats have confirmed that the substance protects against usually lethal doses of even such powerful chemical weapons as VX gas. 6th place, 74 publications
The hegemony of Moscow State University in the February TOP SCIENCE ranking is briefly interrupted by Siberia. Consolidated scientific group (Novosibirsk State University, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Siberian Federal Biomedical Research Center and Institute of Chemical Biology and fundamental medicine SB RAS) has created tissue-engineering structures capable, according to the authors of the work, in the future to replace human vessels. The properties of artificial vessels are as close as possible to physiological ones, which will reduce the risk of inflammation, thrombosis and other negative processes in patients after transplantation. 5th place, 97 publications
Sometimes they return - the astronomers of the Moscow State University. This time, Moscow State University scientists, together with colleagues from France, presented the RCSED catalog to the scientific community, which contains information about 800,000 galaxies. According to the creators, this is the world's largest homogeneous data set for galaxies. The magic of round numbers worked - the news was reprinted in the media exactly one hundred times and brought astronomers to fourth place in our hit parade. 4th place, 100 publications
"Bronze" in February 2017 is received by specialists from the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, who released a program that tracks the unusual behavior of people in the crowd, mainly in the manner of walking. According to the creators, this development is primarily focused on modern IT security systems for railway stations, airports, etc. However, the program does not require expensive equipment, the power of a trivial smartphone is quite enough. 3rd place, 101 publications
In second place are MSU researchers, and this is the fifth development of the University on Sparrow Hills in the “top ten” of the February TOP SCIENCE rating. University biologists, together with researchers from Stockholm University, have obtained a substance that slows down aging. Developed artificial antioxidant SkQ1 in progress experimental studies showed that in mice treated with it, the signs of aging developed much more slowly, while life expectancy increased significantly. According to scientists, the "cure for old age" may appear in pharmacies in 2-3 years.
2nd place, 127 publications
We started with Noah's ark, we end with the Flood. The most sensational scientific development in February was a large-scale study conducted by Ural scientists from the Laboratory of Climate Physics and environment UrFU together with colleagues from research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, France, Germany and Japan. The main sensation was the prediction that, due to the thawing of permafrost, eight regions of Russia could completely go under water in the next 50 years. Residents of the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk regions are invited to prepare, Yamalo-Nenets District, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Yakutia and the Komi Republic and nearby regions. 1st place, 274 publications
In addition, in February, Russian university scientists treated the heart with canned saury, calculated marital status using social networks, extracted platinum and scandium from water, proved that gadgets do not interfere with children's studies and dealt with many equally interesting problems.
Traditionally - a few words about the results. The rating is held for the second month, and the same “pyramid of media needs” is observed for the second month. Below - developments in the field of exact sciences (10th, 9th, 7th place). People are not well versed in them, but they are also interested. A prerequisite for getting into the rating is that the research topic should be understandable to the average person. Which, of course, cuts off the lion's share, and it's sad. Here - the main "strangeness" of the rating - an unexpectedly high place in the astronomical catalog.
Above the exact sciences - the bulk of the studies, replicated by the media, which are devoted to scientific developments, one way or another related to health. In February it is 8th, 6th, 5th and 2nd place. As always, 1-2 scientific curiosities are located closer to the top, reprinted according to the principle “funny research, people will read it.”