Welcome to this edition of Over a Cup of Coffee!

In this newsletter

• World’s first analog computer

• Diagnosing autism using stool samples

• Biodegradable plastic made from food waste

World’s first analog computer

In 1901, a strange-looking mechanical contraption was found from a shipwreck near a Greek island. Investigations conducted over the years show that the device was made more than 2,200 years ago and can track the sun, the planets, constellations, and even the ancient Olympic Games.

It is called the Antikythera Mechanism.

This quite literally makes it the world’s oldest known analog computer. However, the mechanism of the device and its application is still a matter of debate.

To begin with, the device is not in its best shape. A ring made from holes that appears much like a circular calendar was found in fragments, and researchers are debating whether it has 365 holes or 354 holes.

The number makes a difference because having 365 holes makes it a solar calendar, while 354 holes make the device a lunar calendar. If it is a lunar calendar, then all theories about its mechanism published in the past 100 years would be invalidated.

Researchers at the University of Glasgow, who usually study gravitational waves, thought they could use their expertise in size and spacing to determine the exact number of holes.

Their research showed that the device has 354 holes, which likely puts historians and scientists back to square one in their understanding of the world’s first analog computer.

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Diagnosing autism using stool samples

A routine stool test could help doctors diagnose autism in the near future. Currently, diagnosing autism is complex and takes 3-4 years, often delaying interventions that could help children cope with the condition.

When the stool test becomes more mainstream, diagnosis for children at even one year could be possible.

Studies so far have attributed autism mostly to genetics and partly to the environment during pregnancy. Research has also shown that autistic individuals have a varied gut microbiome. Whether this is the cause of the condition or a result has been a matter of debate.

Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong analyzed over 1,600 stool samples of children aged between 1 and 13 years of age for different types of bacteria, viruses, fungi and microbes called archae. Some of the samples included were from children who were diagnosed as autistic.

The team found that 51 types of bacteria, 18 viruses, 14 archaea and seven fungi were different in stool samples of autistic children.

Using AI, the team them found a reliable way of diagnosing autism with 82 percent accuracy. Along with diagnosis, this also opens up potential treatment options that could help reset the microbial balance.

The research findings were published in Nature Microbiology.

Before we head to the last story, a little feedback on this newsletter.

Biodegradable plastic made from food waste

As much as 40 percent of the food produced in the US ends up in landfills. Researchers at the Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Science wondered if they could give it a new lease of life.

They succeeded by using them to make biodegradable plastics!

The team has identified organisms that can convert food waste into fats which can then be processed to make bioplastics. The process is similar to fermentation used in breweries and can generate polymers like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA).

PHA is completely biodegradable and can replace polyethylene or polyactic acid, which are used as a plastic covering in paper products. PHA can degrade in environments such as a backyard, too.

Thank you for reading till the end.

Until next time,
Ameya