Learn more about human head transplants. Are they possible? And what moral dilemmas do they bring forth?
Category: science
SCP-022 Explained: The Morgue That Breaks Science (Speculative Science Deep Dive)
SCP 22, known as The Morgue, is one of the most chilling and mysterious anomalies in the SCP Foundation archives. A simple hospital basement in Great Britain became the stage for an impossible phenomenon: cadavers rising without life, objects vanishing into nowhere, and a morgue that behaves less like a room and more like a machine.
In this speculative science deep dive, we explore SCP 22 through the lenses of biology, physics, and consciousness. Could these reanimated cadavers be powered by quantum vacuum energy? Is the morgue recycling entropy across dimensions? Or is it a misunderstood mechanism that uses humans as raw material for unknown purposes?
This essay-video blends science, philosophy, and horror to uncover the enigma of SCP 022.
If you enjoyed this video, leave a comment with your theory, subscribe for more speculative science essays, and share it with anyone who loves the SCP universe.
Chip-scale cold atom experiments could unleash the power of quantum science in the field
Cold atom experiments are among the most powerful and precise ways of investigating and measuring the universe and exploring the quantum world. By trapping atoms and exploiting their quantum properties, scientists can discover new states of matter, sense even the faintest of signals, take ultra-precise measurements of time and gravity, and conduct quantum sensing and computing experiments.
Advanced Membrane Science and Technology for Water and Wastewater Treatment
The pressing need for clean and affordable drinking water is intensifying as global populations rise and pollutants increasingly compromise available water sources. Traditional methods of water purification, while effective, are often insufficient to address the complex array of contaminants now present in water, including microorganisms, organic compounds, and heavy metals. Over the past four decades, significant breakthroughs in water and wastewater treatment have been achieved through the application of nanotechnology, particularly in the development of nanomaterials and nanomembranes. These science and technology advancements have revolutionized membrane-based water and wastewater treatment, offering new levels of efficiency and precision in removing a wide range of pollutants.
This Collection aims to advance our understanding of membrane-based water and wastewater treatment, underlining the challenges and opportunities within this rapidly evolving field, e.g., the limitations of conventional ultrafiltration and microfiltration membrane systems, such as their reduced effectiveness in removing certain trace organic compounds (TrOCs) and the persistent issues of membrane fouling and salinity build-up. The Collection seeks to explore innovative solutions, e.g., high-retention membrane bioreactors (HR-MBRs) and advanced pre-treatment options like advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), which have the potential to significantly improve the effectiveness and sustainability of water and wastewater treatment processes.
Moreover, the Collection emphasizes the importance of developing sustainable materials, such as biopolymers, which can replace traditional synthetic polymers in membrane fabrication. While these materials offer eco-friendly alternatives with unique adsorption properties, their performance can vary based on source and processing methods, presenting challenges in terms of durability and scalability. The Collection also aims to showcase advancements in PVDF-based membranes, which are gaining popularity due to their superior mechanical and chemical properties, and to examine the integration of these materials in innovative membrane technologies, e.g., membrane distillation (MD) and hybrid systems.
Pinning down protons in water—a basic science success story
The movement of protons through electrically charged water is one of the most fundamental processes in chemistry. It is evident in everything from eyesight to energy storage to rocket fuel—and scientists have known about it for more than 200 years.
But no one has ever seen it happen. Or precisely measured it on a microscopic scale.
Now, the Mark Johnson lab at Yale has—for the first time—set benchmarks for how long it takes protons to move through six charged water molecules. The discovery, made possible with a highly customized mass spectrometer that has taken years to refine, could have far-reaching applications for researchers in years to come.
