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Exactly 41 years ago today, Microsoft Windows 1.0 was announced (1983):

Microsoft revealed its first operating system with a graphical user interface on November 10, 1983. Windows 1.0 would launch two years later, forever transforming personal computing. This was only 41 years ago. Let that sink in…

Health Sciences

Immortal Cells

Researchers at the University of Bern have made a significant breakthrough by successfully immortalizing lip cells from both healthy and cleft lips. This advance addresses a longstanding issue in lip research, where a lack of available cells has limited progress and clinical model development.

Dr. Martin Degen from Bern University Hospital has propelled this field forward using lip tissue that is typically discarded. Published in Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, the study confirms an important step in creating lab-based lip models that could benefit many patients. The researchers collected skin cells from two patients – one treated for a lip laceration and another for a cleft lip. Using a retroviral vector, they deactivated the gene controlling the cell life cycle and adjusted telomere length to extend cell lifespan. Ensuring genetic stability was crucial; the engineered cells were thoroughly tested and showed no cancer-like behavior or chromosomal abnormalities, allowing researchers to move forward. To assess healing potential, they damaged cell samples and treated them with growth factors. The cells repaired themselves quickly, forming a preliminary 3D model. This model was then infected with Candida albicans, a yeast posing a risk to individuals with weakened immunity or cleft lips, and the tests succeeded.

The study demonstrated that these 3D lip models can be effective tools for screening wound healing and infections in the lip epithelium. Dr. Degen noted that this development opens doors for new applications in areas like dermatology, wound healing, tissue engineering, and craniofacial medicine. These models mark a significant advance, with Degen confident in their broader medical potential. He acknowledged the challenge of working with various types of lip keratinocytes, depending on research needs, but emphasized the team's ability to identify and purify these cell types as needed.

Entertainment

Beatles' Recording Console

For devoted Beatles fans, a rare chance has arrived to bid on the recording console used for tracking Abbey Road.

Reverb, a second-hand music gear outlet, obtained the EMI-TG12345 console, which was originally built as a world-class prototype. After the Beatles finished using it, the console was disassembled and stored away. Five years ago, Brian Gibson, an EMI technician and former Beatles collaborator, took on the task of reassembling and restoring it, using replacement parts when necessary. With support from various audio companies and EMI enthusiasts, about 70% of the original console remains. Built with no budget limits, it was intended to be the best. Although it recorded only one complete Beatles album, the console was used by all four members for their solo projects. These included John Lennon’s Instant Karma! and Plastic Ono Band, Paul McCartney’s McCartney, George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, and Ringo Starr’s Sentimental Journey. According to Harries, the console’s unique sound was so exceptional that Harrison once asked EMI to sell him one, a request denied to avoid copies being sold to competitors.

Only 17 such consoles were made by EMI, which is now owned by Sony, adding to its value. A similar model, the Mark IV, was previously auctioned for $1.8 million, having been used by artists like The Cure, Pink Floyd, and Kate Bush.

World News

3,000-Year-old Spade Found

Archaeologists have found a 3,000-year-old wooden spade, one of the oldest and most intact tools ever discovered in the UK, during excavations in Dorset, England. The dig, part of the Moors-at-Arne project at Poole Harbour, was led by Wessex Archaeology.

The spade, carved from a single piece of oak, dates back to the Middle Bronze Age, around 3500-3400 years ago. Its preservation was aided by the waterlogged conditions of the area. Ed Treasure of Wessex Archaeology, who led its analysis, noted that the team recognized the spade's significance immediately. Radiocarbon dating confirmed its age, and further study is underway. The spade likely required significant effort to make, emphasizing its value to its owner. While the region shows little sign of permanent Bronze Age settlements, archaeologists suggest it may have been used seasonally. Greg Chuter, Environment Agency Archaeologist, highlighted that beneath the natural landscape, signs of human adaptation to the environment have been found. He noted that ongoing research will examine the relationship between the spade and surrounding features to learn more about life in the area 3,000 years ago.

Only one similar Bronze Age wooden tool has been found in Britain, discovered in Cheshire in 1875 and dated to nearly 4,000 years old. Peter Robertson, Site Manager of Dorset nature reserves, expressed excitement about learning the history of the Arne Moors land. Wessex Archaeology has also created an interactive 3D model of the spade for public viewing.

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