Good Morning! 🌞 

This will blow your mind: You could fit all of humanity inside a sugar cube!!

That is - If you removed the empty space in atoms, the entire human population could be compressed into a sugar cube-sized volume.

Health Sciences

Gene Therapy Trial for Vision

Scientists have developed a groundbreaking gene therapy that dramatically improves vision in patients with a genetic disorder causing early vision loss. The therapy targets the specific gene responsible for the condition, leading to significant improvements—up to 100 times better vision for some patients, with the highest dose resulting in a remarkable 10,000-fold enhancement. For instance, a person who could previously only see in bright light might now be able to see clearly on a moonlit night.

This therapy, tested on 15 individuals (including three children) with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA1), tackles a rare genetic mutation affecting around 100,000 people worldwide. LCA1 causes severe vision loss from infancy, and even with corrective lenses, patients typically couldn't achieve better than 20/80 vision (meaning they need to be 20 feet away to see what others can see from 80 feet). In the trial, a gene therapy called ATSN-101 was injected directly into the eye. Patients experienced noticeable improvements within a month, with benefits lasting at least a year. Those receiving the highest doses saw the most dramatic results, including better mobility in low-light environments.

This trial, funded by Atsena Therapeutics, is part of a growing wave of gene therapies restoring vision in patients with inherited disorders. Earlier this year, another breakthrough using CRISPR gene editing also led to vision improvements in patients with a different mutation linked to LCA.

Culture

Your Next Vacation May Be a Lifesaver

Research from scientists suggests that taking a break could be crucial for your well-being.

Their study explores how travel and tourism benefit health by moving the body into a "low entropy state." Entropy, a concept from thermodynamics, describes the tendency of systems to move toward disorder. This principle, rarely mentioned in travel promotions, suggests that systems naturally move towards chaos, but this can be mitigated. Chinese scientists publishing through Australia’s Edith Cowan University propose that health is defined by good order in four key bodily systems: self-organization, self-defense, self-repair, and anti-wear-and-tear. Disruptions in these systems lead to a high-entropy state.

“Entropy reflects the fundamental process from health to illness and eventually death, and this law is used in health science to explain disease and aging,” says Fangli Hu, a doctoral candidate in Philosophy at Edith Cowan. Travel exposes the body to various environmental and social factors that are generally considered beneficial.

“Novel settings can trigger stress responses and elevate metabolic rates, positively affecting metabolic activities and self-organizing capabilities,” the authors state in their paper published in the Journal of Travel Research. “These contexts can also activate the immune system, making it more resilient.”“Hormones that aid tissue repair and regeneration might be released, promoting the self-healing system and reducing chronic stress,” they add.

Time to book the next vacation I guess…?! 😉 

Environment

Dinosaur-Era Tree

Thirty years ago this month, botanists in Australia discovered a pine tree species near Sydney that has been around since the time of dinosaurs.

To mark this milestone, the Botanic Gardens of Sydney are auctioning off six saplings to promote interest in this ancient conifer. The auction's outcome is hard to predict, given the rarity of such high-profile plant sales.

The original 90 trees exist in a highly protected area, with entry restricted even for scientists. Unauthorized access can result in up to two years in prison and a $330,000 fine under the Australian Biodiversity Conservation Act. This strict control helps prevent the introduction of harmful plants, parasites, and diseases that could devastate this rare species. The Wollemi pine, which evolved 91 million years ago and was thought to be extinct for 2 million years, was rediscovered in 1994 in the Blue Mountains. It has survived major global events, including the comet impact that wiped out the dinosaurs.

For the past 30 years, the National Parks and Wildlife Service has been planting the Wollemi pine in other locations to help ensure its survival. John Siemon, Director of Horticulture at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, hopes the auction winners will share their passion for conserving plant species and find suitable homes for the saplings.

Mind Stretchers

❓️ 

I turn once, what is out will not get in.
I turn again, what is in will not get out.
What am I?

Yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
What common chemical compound is represented by the letters H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O? - H to O (H20)

Gerry Moore got the correct answer first!

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected]

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.