Actress Orchita Sporshia on her 30th birthday, today (December 8), officially announced that she will be donating her body to science after death.  Sporshia told she wishes to serve people by donating her organs. She had a final discussion with the authorities of Dhaka Medical College regarding this matter. Therefore, instead of burial after death, the college authorities will take her body for medical purposes. Regarding her organ donation, the Sporshia stated, "Within this donation lies the desire to benefit others and contribute to medical science. If another person can live because of my reason, then I have no regrets. If the sense of humanity is not present among artistes like us, then what will the common people learn? If as a result of my decision or announcement, ordinary people find inspiration in organ donation, that too is my success."

Actress Orchita Sporshia on her 30th birthday, today (December 8), officially announced that she will be donating her body to science after death.  Sporshia told she wishes to serve people by donating her organs. She had a final discussion with the authorities of Dhaka Medical College regarding this matter. Therefore, instead of burial after death, the college authorities will take her body for medical purposes. Regarding her organ donation, the Sporshia stated, "Within this donation lies the desire to benefit others and contribute to medical science. If another person can live because of my reason, then I have no regrets. If the sense of humanity is not present among artistes like us, then what will the common people learn? If as a result of my decision or announcement, ordinary people find inspiration in organ donation, that too is my success."

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta on Friday launched three online services offered by the Department of Science and Technology of the state, said an official statement. Saurabh Bhagat, Commissioner Secretary, Science and Technology was also present for the launch. The services include Sponsored Research & Extension Programme, Support for Innovation & Patent Filing scheme, and Science Talent Promotion Scholarship Scheme. "All these schemes are offered by the J&K Science, Technology and Innovation Council (JKST&IC) and are primarily meant for inculcating the scientific culture among students/scientific community in particular and common masses in general", reads the statement. Chief Secretary stressed the need for scientific solutions to various issues of local importance such as waste management, biomass energy, plastic to fuel stressing need to run a waste to wealth campaign. He complimented the Science & Technology Department for establishing Industrial Biotechnology Parks, Sub Regional Science Centre, and instructed for establishment of various Centre of Excellences across UT of Jammu & Kashmir. He enjoined upon the Department to collaborate with other departments for innovative solutions to problems faced by people in their day to day life. "Science and Technology should contribute to ease of living. Our focus should be on innovations for larger public interest so that the knowledge actually gets transferred from lab to land", he said. The chief secretary also took stock of various schemes of Science & Technology Department including Jammu Smart City Mission, Jammu Solar City Mission, PM-KUSUM, Rooftop Solar Power Plant Mission and focused on the need to increase the demand of solar energy within the UT of J&K. On the occasion it was given out that the Sponsored Research & Extension Programme envisages that the research proposals/scientific surveys should be invited through open advertisement from the Scientists/professors/ academicians/scholars/research etc, get it evaluated by the Scientific Advisory Committee(SAC)/ Technical Committee (TC) constituted by the Government for furnishing of recommendations and then should be provided with the financial support for carrying out the research on the local specific issues. Later the outcome/recommendation of these research projects/surveys are forwarded to the line departments for implementation. Regarding the Support for Innovation & Patent Filing scheme it was said that the JKST&IC provides financial support (seed money) to the innovator/ institution working on novel ideas for development of prototype. The scheme is aimed at the promotion of Innovations and encouragement of local youth for their pursuits in different fields of Science & Technology. As far as Science Talent Promotion Scholarship Scheme is concerned it aims at encouraging the students to pursue Science subjects in their higher classes. The scholarships are provided to the meritorious students at 10+2 up to PG levels for a period of 2, 3 and 2 years respectively at each level. The three online schemes/services detailed above being implemented in the online mode now are also RAS integrated therefore open for public feedback. Post launch of these services, the Department of Science & Technology will be e-Governance Complaint as envisaged under the 'Digital J&K' mission of the UT. Giving details about the performance of the Department it was said that a total of 2169 works have been completed under different schemes during 2022-23 out of 2400 works taken in hand. Moreover, the ST & IC has registered an expenditure of nearly 99.8% of its funds released for the previous financial year. Commissioner Secretary IT and other senior officers of IT department were also present during the inaugural function.

So far three people have been reported dead in an explosion in a three-storey building in the capital's Science Lab area. The deceased are Shafiquzzaman, Abdul Mannan and Tushar. Dhanmondi Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ikram Ali Mia confirmed the matter. Earlier, on Sunday at 10:50 am the explosion occurred. The building partially collapsed and caught fire. The fire was brought under control with the efforts of four units of the fire service. Meanwhile, 13 people were injured in the incident and are receiving treatment in the hospital.  Khaleda Yasmin, the officer in charge of the control room of the fire service and civil defense, told, "On Sunday morning, the fire broke out in the building due to an explosion."

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today reiterated her call to put special focus on medical science research, urging all to take the country forward with fresh inventions to cope with the new global technologies. "I can't but say with a sorrow that research on agriculture and science is going on, but our research on medical science is fewer in number. So give special attention to medical science research," she said.   The prime minister was distributing cheques of "Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship," "National Science and Technology Fellowship" and special research donations among teachers, scientists, researchers and students of different universities.   The Science and Technology Ministry arranged the ceremony at Osmani Smriti Auditorium in the capital.   The prime minister expressed a bit dismay saying a section of physicians either joins the government services or politics after obtaining MBBS degrees shunning practices and research.   And another section is busy with income, for which, they do government services and private practices at the same time, she said.   "Fewer people are doing research on medical sciences. Research on medical science has increased a little bit after I have told it time and again," she added.   The prime minister said her government aims at reaching the scientific and technological advancement to a new height. So, she wants vigorous efforts from scientists and researchers to help the country cope with newer global technologies, she continued.   The scientists and researchers will have to give commendable returns to the nation to prepare people worthy of working in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), she said.   "Technology has changed over times and we are now at the era of the 4IR as we need new technologies to be further developed and to make efficient manpower to overcome the challenges of the new era," she said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today stressed the need for global efforts in changing the mindset of all to allow more women and girls to excel in science, urging the womenfolk to act as an agent to change them. "It is unfortunate that women represent only 12 percent of scientists and 30 percent of researchers globally. We must work to address the barriers in mindsets and learning environments to allow more women and girls to excel in science," she said.   In a video statement at the 8th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly held at the UN Headquarters, New York, the USA, the Prime Minister urged the women and girls to act as the agents of change themselves.   "The women and girls in science and technology must remember that they are not alone. The steps they take would help open the door further for their sisters around the world," she said.   In Bangladesh, she said they have made it a priority to have Bangladesh's women and girls lead in every sphere.   "Our women are doing very well in the field of research and higher education. Scholarships are being given to girls to carry out research in agriculture, industry, health, science, art, information technology - all fields," she said.   To encourage girls, she said her government has established 5,275 digital centers across the country from where one girl and one boy entrepreneur are providing 200 types of services.   Describing measures taken by her government, she said they have established science and technology universities nationwide to ensure easy access to those for Bangladeshi boys and girls.   The Prime Minister said the hi-tech parks have created an inclusive environment where the girls can thrive alongside the boys.   "We wish to see our women and girls fulfill their potentials for innovation and creativity in science. We must bridge the gaps in opportunities available for them in developed and developing countries. We want our girls to have their full share in building smart, knowledge-based societies," she said.   The International Day of Women and Girls in science began as a resolution by the United Nations in 2015. The mission was to address the gender gap in STEM fields by celebrating the contributions and achievements of women in science.   "Today, we celebrate the women and girls who are making important contributions to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics," she added.

The first images from the Webb Telescope have wowed the world with their beauty. But what do they mean for the future of astronomy? Planet Earth had its head in the sky when the James Webb Space Telescope’s first images of the cosmos were revealed. Five stunning images showcased the telescope’s capabilities, capturing views of stars being born and a group of galaxies locked in a cosmic dance. The pictures are the deepest and sharpest color images of the universe so far. While celebrating the beauty of the images, scientists have been keen to point out the scientific significance of the international project, which is a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). These images show us that Webb works incredibly well. Webb will help us to study our universe in much more detail, said Kai Noeske, an astronomer and communications officer at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC). Looking back in time Webb’s first image was a deep field image of a tiny spec of the vast universe, showing distant galaxy clusters. Some of these galaxies are more than 13 billion years old and were created when the universe was in its infancy. It is light from the early universe, in its first 500 million years, which is reaching us today, Noeske told DW. The curious effect of looking back in time is caused by the speed of light and how long light takes to reach us. Light travels at 300,000 kilometers every second (about 670 million miles per hour). This is extremely fast. But space is really big, so it can still take a long time for light to travel. For example, the sun is about 150 million kilometers (93 million miles) from Earth, and it takes around eight minutes for light to reach us from our sun. The objects in Webb’s images are many billions of light-years away. One light-year is the distance traveled by light in one year, which is about 9.5 trillion kilometers. This means the light has traveled through space and time to reach us over billions of years. We would have to wait another 13 billion years to see these galaxies as they are today. The scale of these distances is difficult to imagine, but it certainly makes a walk to the store feel rather short by comparison. Making the invisible visible In the kaleidoscopic images of the Carina Nebula and Stephan’s Quintet, Webb shows us emerging stellar nurseries where stars are being born and developing. Scientists have never been able to observe galaxies interacting in this much detail. It’s thanks to Webb’s infrared cameras that we’re able to see the stars in all their glory. Infrared gives us a lot more information on the young universe than was possible before. The light from these galaxies was stretched as it traveled to us. Webb lets us see that, says Noeske. The colors in the Cosmic Cliffs were artificially added to the original image by Webb’s science team. However, that’s not to say the colors are not there. In fact, the light emitted from stars contains information far richer than we can see with the human eye. Researchers use data about light emitted from stars to understand how galaxies form, grow, and merge with each other, and in some cases why they stop forming stars altogether. For example, blue galaxies contain stars but very little dust. The red objects are enshrouded in thick layers of dust, while green galaxies are populated with hydrocarbons and other chemical compounds. Webb will address some of the great, open questions of modern astrophysics: What determines the number of stars that form in a certain region? Why do stars form with a certain mass? NASA said in a press release on Tuesday. Richer information about the universe It will take weeks and months to analyze the first images and demonstrate more of what Webb is capable of doing in the future. Each photo we see is a composite of many hours of imaging. Study teams will slice and dice the information into many images for detailed study, much like clinicians do with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It was a big step forward from what Hubble showed us. The sharpness and level of detail made it clear how much potential Webb has for scientific research. Webb not only looks further back in time, but also in higher detail, Noeske told DW. Webb will help scientists to answer questions about how planets, stars, galaxies, and ultimately the universe itself, are formed. Finding Earth 2.0? While less beautiful than the Cosmic Cliffs, Webb’s spectrographic analysis of the exoplanet WASP-96’s atmosphere is an example of perhaps more exciting information to come in the future. WASP-96 b is a type of gas giant around 1,150 light-years away that bears little similarity to the planets in our solar system. Webb’s team has analyzed the planet’s transmission spectrum, measuring starlight filtered through the planet’s atmosphere like a barcode. This is an amazing trick that astronomers use. The planet passes in front of its star a bit of light passes through the planet’s atmosphere, and that light shining contains the chemical signature of the atmosphere imprinted into it like a barcode, said Noeske. The analysis showed the planet has an atmosphere that contains water, along with clouds and haze. But WASP-96b won’t be supporting life as we know it any time soon, as the planet is made of gas and orbits its star extremely closely, making it an extremely hot and hostile environment. The analysis of WASP-96 b provides a hint of what Webb has in store for exoplanet research. Exactly what will happen is yet to be determined. The telescope is open to proposals from worldwide scientific communities about which exoplanets to study in the future.

Eight environment journalists from Nepal, India and Bangladesh will be part of an expedition to the Everest region to attend a climate change boot camp that will enable nuanced science reporting from the tough and under reported terrain.   The journalists –4 from Nepal and two each from India and Bangladesh – were chosen through a competitive call for application by the Nepal Forum of Science Journalists (NFSJ). The boot camp (from 20 to 28 April, 2022) is being funded by the Spark Grant Initiative of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ).   The eight journalists –BalikaMaden, Gobinda Prasad Pokharel, Marissa Taylor and SaugatBolakhe from Nepal; ArathiMenon and RaihanaMaqbool from India; and Sohara Mehroze Shachi and Zakir Hossain Chowdhury from Bangladesh – will get a first hand view of climate change and its impacts in the Everest region settlements aroundLukla, Monjo, Khumjung, Namche and Phakding. The bootcamp will be mentored by Indian science journalist SubhraPriyadarshini (Chief Editor, Nature India), Nepali environment journalist/Editor Ramesh Bhushal (The Third Pole) and Climate scientist Dr.SudeepThakuri (Associate Professor/ Dean, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Mid-western University, Surkhet, Nepal).   Science journalist Chhatra Karki, the team lead for the boot camp, says geographical remoteness of the Everest region and lack of resources in newsrooms have hampered field reportage on the impact of climate change in the Himalaya, including in the delicate Everest region. “The boot camp – to our knowledge, the first such – aims to enable journalists in the region to literally scale these heights to bring back untold stories.”   The tough terrain also hinders scientific research in the region resulting in scant primary literature. This meagre yet critical climate science research largely remains buried in technical manuscripts published in science journals due to lack of popular communication on part of the scientific community or journalists’ limited understanding of scientific jargon. “The boot camp will be a great opportunity for the participating journalists to include nuanced evidence in their reportage – both from the field and from the ongoing scientific inquiry in the region,” says Priyadarshini, also the founding president of the Science Journalists Association of India (SJAI).   “This project is very interesting as, while being original, it is coming from a region that is sometimes forgotten when talking about science journalism needs,” says Olivier Dessibourg, chairperson of the Spark Grant Initiative of the WFSJ and president of its jury.   Climate change induced snow melts, glacial lakes outbursts and unseasonal floods, emissions from man-made interventions, and poor energy and water availability affect the lives of people not only in Nepal but also across the Hind Kush Himalayan region spanning   Eight countries. This inaugural boot camp will focus on the three countries in the basin of river Koshi – Nepal, India and Bangladesh.   At the week-long intensive boot camp, journalists willget a chance to talk aboutcommon issues around climate change facing Asia and potentially forge reporting collaborations. The camp will facilitate open interactions among participants, trainers, scientists, academics, NGOs and policy makers to create an experiential learning and critical thinking atmosphere, the results of which will hopefully continue to be seen long after the camp is over. In-depth field reporting from the Everest region will provide better insights to governments and policymakers to formulate evidence-based climate policies.   The Nepal Forum of Science Journalists (NFSJ) is a Kathmandu-based non-profit body of science journalists working in Nepal’s news agencies, newspapers, television and online media. It aims to build capacity of journalists covering science, technology, health, environment, agriculture, astronomy and other related fields in Nepal.   The World Federation of Science Journalists is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, representing 67 science journalists’ associations and 10,000 individual science and technology journalists from around the world. The WFSJ encourages strong, critical coverage of issues in science and technology, the environment, health and medicine, agriculture, and related fields.   The Spark Grant Initiative (SGI), run under the auspices of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ), launched and funded by five science journalists’ associations in Europe and the United States, grantedthree projectsfrom South America, Africa and Asia 20,000 US$, the first results of which will be presented at the next World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ), in Medellin, Colombia, in late June 2022. Source: Press release AH

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Monday) laid emphasis on the use of familiar words instead of terminology in developing contents to make science education easier and accessible to all. “We have to accept the words that are widely familiar and mostly used in internationally,” she said. The Premier said this while inaugurating the four-day long programmes at the auditorium of International Mother Language Institute (IMLI), joining virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban. The IMLI organised the event on the occasion of Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day-2022. She urged all to avoid terminology in developing content, saying that everyone should keep in mind that the content becomes inaccessible and non-understandable due to more use of terminology. “I don’t believe that we need to use terminology in everywhere.” Referring to the incorporation of over 8,000 foreign words in Bangla language, she called upon all not to be much conservative in using foreign words rather put emphasis on developing easy and accessible content in Bangla using the conventional and familiar science terminology worlds. Sheikh Hasina also asked the International Mother Language Institute to continue their research to ensure that how the language can be made accessible and understandable to all alongside their regular works. With Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, MP in the chair, Secondary and Higher Secondary Division Secretary Md. Abu Bakr Siddique delivered welcome address. Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, MP and the Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh Beatrice Kaldun also spoke. International Mother Language Institute Director General Md. Belayet Hossain Talukdar gave vote of thanks. Besides, Professor Dr Lafifa Jamal, Chairperson, Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Dhaka, made keynote presentation. At the outset of the function, Ekushey song was presented while one minute silence was also observed in respect to the martyrs of February 21. The Prime Minister advised all to be careful in using the terminology, saying that the Bengali word for “content” is “adheya” but many people will not understand if is said where as if content is said it would be understandable easily to all. Putting priority on developing Bangla content on computers and internet alongside making Bangla Keyboard easier to use, said work is going on it. Sheikh Hasina said easy use of scientific terminology in Bengali language is needed to attract more students in science education in the country as no nation can make progress without flourishing the science-based education. “I think no nation can step further without flourishing the science based education,” she opined. She added science-based education, science-based research and knowledge-based research must be used for the welfare of the people that is the most important matter. She continued “Research in every sector such as health, education, science even in industry is utmost needed.” The Premier said research in all subjects including language, literature, culture and science is urgently needed to transform the country from developing to developed one. “Keeping eyes on that we are trying to do our works,” she said. Mentioning that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had given utmost importance to the practice of science and scientific research, she said he (Bangabandhu) had given the responsibility to Dr Muhammad Qudrat-i-Khuda, the best scientist of that time, to form the country’s Education Commission during the reconstruction of the war-torn country. Turing on the history of the Language Movement, the Prime Minister said although the February 21, 1952 saw the tragic incident, the movement for mother language began much earlier and Bangabandhu was one of the initiators of the movement. At the proposal of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said, the State Language Action Council was formed comprising Chhatra League, Tamuddin Majlish and other student organisations in 1948. She said the government has developed apps in nine languages and created many opportunities for freelancers, and added that her government has also adopted learning and earning project so that people in grassroots level can earn money through computers staying at home. Highlighting that her government has ensured the identity of freelancers through registration and certification as well as eliminating the problem of withdrawing money from banks, she said now freelancers can work easily and more scopes would be created if it is possible to develop good Bangla contents. "I think it is important to create content, use it in Bengali and get it widely publicized, so that they can learn it from an early age," she said. She also mentioned the initiative of her government to diversify education by establishing universities based on different subjects. Source: BSS AH

Scientists around the world are working together to neutralize a menacing enemy to mankind this year -- the novel coronavirus. Everything -- from research of the pathogen, genome sequencing to drug testing, and vaccine development -- has geared up in a race against the virus. IDENTIFYING THE CULPRIT Recognizing what we human beings are fighting against is the first step towards defeating the virus. Chinese researchers have responded swiftly after the outbreak. They isolated a new type of coronavirus from the first patients, figured out its entire genome sequence, and promptly shared it with the World Health Organization (WHO). "The speed with which China detected the outbreak, isolated the virus, sequenced the genome and shared it with the WHO and the world are very impressive, and beyond words. So is China's commitment to transparency and to supporting other countries," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference in Geneva on Jan. 30. Follow-up research in other countries has also yielded fruitful results. Australian scientists said they have obtained a sample of the virus from a patient, and experts in Italy declared that they have succeeded in the separation of the coronavirus. Johan Neyts, professor of virology at the University of Leuven, Belgium, told Xinhua that from identifying the virus to the development of a tool for testing, there are so many things that need to be done in such a short period. It is like a race against time. FINDING A CURE The WHO has said that there are currently no specific drugs for the new coronavirus, and the science community worldwide is working to find effective treatments. Remdesivir, an experimental antiviral drug developed by U.S. biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, has begun to attract attention in recent days. A study published late January in the New England Journal of Medicine said the clinical symptoms of a coronavirus patient have eased after taking the medicine. Associate Professor Ian Mackay of the Australian Infectious Diseases Research Center said in an interview with Xinhua on Monday that primary data show the effect of the new drug is inspiring but pending clinical trials of larger scale. More good news came from Thailand. The Thai Ministry of Public Health revealed a case on its website on Feb. 2 that a combination of the anti-flu drug Oseltamivir, and the anti-HIV drug combination of Lopinavir and Ritonavir improved the condition of a coronavirus patient after 48 hours, who tested negative for the virus. Nevertheless, the medical team has found that the therapy may not be effective for all patients, with at least one allergy case reported. RESEARCH NEEDS PATIENCE Scientific research is difficult to accomplish overnight. The process of exploration is often a tortuous one. Experts are calling for more understanding and patience towards scientific researchers. In the research of the new coronavirus vaccine, for example, understanding is always needed as vaccine development usually takes a long time. Although the vaccine is highly unlikely to be able to catch up with the virus at the early stage of its spread, global scientific institutions and pharmaceutical companies are busy developing vaccines with a record efficiency. Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, has said that he hopes the vaccine could be applied to a clinical trial in a 16- week period but that a phase-1 trial may take as long as two to four months. Committed to financing and coordinating the development of new vaccines, the alliance based in Norway has announced that it will offer a grant of 12.5 million U.S. dollars to three institutions to develop vaccines for the novel coronavirus. "We aim to be able to manufacture more than 200,000 doses of a new vaccine, demonstrate safety and the likelihood of efficacy, and be ready for field deployment in as little as six months," Dr. Keith Chappell, co-leader of a vaccine project at Australia's University of Queensland, told Xinhua. Source: Xinhua/UNB AH