
From Antarctica To Brussels, Hunting Climate Clues In Old Ice
In a small, refrigerated room at a Brussels university, parka-wearing scientists chop up Antarctic ice cores tens of thousands of years old in search of clues to our planet's changing climate.
Trapped inside the cylindrical icicles are tiny air bubbles that can provide a snapshot of what the earth's atmosphere looked like back then.
"We want to know a lot about the climates of the past because we can use it as an analogy for what can happen in the future," said Harry Zekollari, a glaciologist at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).
Zekollari was part of a team of four that headed to the white continent in November on a mission to find some of the world's oldest ice -- without breaking the bank.
Ice dating back millions of years can be found deep inside Antarctica, close to the South Pole, buried under kilometres of fresher ice and snow.
But that's hard to reach and expeditions to drill it out are expensive.
A recent EU-funded mission that brought back some 1.2-million-year-old samples came with a total price tag of around 11 million euros (around $12.8 million).
To cut costs, the team from VUB and the nearby Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) used satellite data and other clues to find areas where ancient ice might be more accessible.
Blue ice
Just like the water it is made of, ice flows towards the coast -- albeit slowly, explained Maaike Izeboud, a remote sensing specialist at VUB.
And when the flow hits an obstacle, say a ridge or mountain, bottom layers can be pushed up closer to the surface.
In a few rare spots, weather conditions like heavy winds prevent the formation of snow cover -- leaving thick layers of ice exposed.
Named after their colouration, which contrasts with the whiteness of the rest of the continent, these account for only about one percent of Antarctica territory.
"Blue ice areas are very special," said Izeboud.
Her team zeroed in on a blue ice stretch lying about 2,300 meters (7,500 feet) above sea level, around 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Belgium's Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Research Station.
Some old meteorites had been previously found there -- a hint that the surrounding ice is also old, the researchers explained.
A container camp was set up and after a few weeks of measurements, drilling, and frozen meals, in January the team came back with 15 ice cores totalling about 60 meters in length.
These were then shipped from South Africa to Belgium, where they arrived in late June.
Inside a stocky cement ULB building in the Belgian capital, they are now being cut into smaller pieces to then be shipped to specialised labs in France and China for dating.
Zekollari said the team hopes some of the samples, which were taken at shallow depths of about 10 meters, will be confirmed to be about 100,000 years old.
Climate 'treasure hunt'
This would allow them to go back and dig a few hundred meters deeper in the same spot for the big prize.
"It's like a treasure hunt," Zekollari, 36, said, comparing their work to drawing a map for "Indiana Jones".
"We're trying to cross the good spot on the map... and in one and a half years, we'll go back and we'll drill there," he said.
"We're dreaming a bit, but we hope to get maybe three, four, five-million-year-old ice."
Such ice could provide crucial input to climatologists studying the effects of global warming.
Climate projections and models are calibrated using existing data on past temperatures and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere -- but the puzzle has some missing pieces.
By the end of the century temperatures could reach levels similar to those the planet last experienced between 2.6 and 3.3 million years ago, said Etienne Legrain, 29, a paleo-climatologist at ULB.
But currently there is little data on what CO2 levels were back then -- a key metric to understand how much further warming we could expect.
"We don't know the link between CO2 concentration and temperature in a climate warmer than that of today," Legrain said.
His team hopes to find it trapped inside some very old ice. "The air bubbles are the atmosphere of the past," he said. "It's really like magic when you feel it."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Global investment in fusion energy rises the most since 2022
WASHINGTON: Global fusion energy investment grew by $2.64 billion in the year since last July, an industry group said in an annual industry survey on Monday, but companies said they need much more money to take the industry commercial. The investment rise took place in places including the United States, the EU, Japan, China and Britain and was the highest since 2022. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Data Science Healthcare Others PGDM Project Management Data Science Product Management MBA MCA Leadership Data Analytics Degree Operations Management Finance CXO healthcare Public Policy Management Design Thinking Digital Marketing Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis & Interpretation Programming Proficiency Problem-Solving Skills Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT MSc in Data Science Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Strategic Data-Analysis, including Data Mining & Preparation Predictive Modeling & Advanced Clustering Techniques Machine Learning Concepts & Regression Analysis Cutting-edge applications of AI, like NLP & Generative AI Duration: 8 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Total funding since 2021 for the 53 fusion companies in the survey by the Washington-based Fusion Industry Association , is now nearly $9.77 billion, a five-fold increase. This year's investment was a 178% jump from the more than $900 million raised last year. "The acceleration of capital, even when the global economy has tightened, is a signal of maturing investor confidence, technological progress, and a rapidly coalescing supply chain," said Andrew Holland , FIA's CEO. Fusion, which fuels the sun and stars, is in the experimental stage on Earth, but could one day generate enormous amounts of energy that emits virtually no greenhouse gas and without generating large amounts of long-lasting radioactive waste. Live Events Physicists work to replicate fusion reactions by forcing together light atoms with technology including lasers or giant magnets. Tall hurdles to commercialisation include lowering the amount of energy needed to spur reactions, getting reactions to occur continuously, and systems to transmit the energy. The survey does not count public funding for public fusion projects, which China is believed to the world leader in. Venture arms of traditionally fossil fuel companies Chevron and Shell and Siemens Energy and Nucor, the largest U.S. steel producer, were some of the investors. The investment hike has benefited from a boom in power demand from artificial intelligence and data centers. Google said last month it had struck a deal to buy power from a Commonwealth Fusion systems plant in Virginia which hopes to generate power by the early 2030s. Despite the funding jump, 83% of respondents said they still consider getting investments challenging. Fusion companies said they would need an additional $3 million to $12.5 billion to bring their first pilot plants online, with a median response of $700 million. The total of $77 billion that respondents said they would need is about eight times more than has been committed by investors. Expected industry consolidation could reduce the total investment needed, the survey said.


Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Glioblastoma breakthrough: 40-year-old dad is brain cancer-free after groundbreaking immunotherapy trial
In a surprising and hopeful turn of events, a 40-year-old father is living his best life in his second innings, after he was diagnosed with terminal glioblastoma in 2023. In fact, three years later, he is not only healthy and thriving, but his brain cancer has completely 'vanished'! How? Read on to know more. What happened? In October 2022, 40-year-old Ben Trotman was diagnosed with terminal glioblastoma, the most common and deadliest form of brain cancer that typically carries a grim prognosis with a median survival of just 12–18 months. Yet, over two years after receiving a single dose of ipilimumab before standard care, Trotman reportedly remains cancer-free and healthy as ever. Under the care of consultant oncologist Dr. Paul Mulholland at UCLH (University College London Hospital), Trotman became part of an NHS-funded trial that administers ipilimumab, a checkpoint inhibitor designed to boost the immune system, before traditional surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Two years later, his scans show no signs of recurrence, an unprecedented outcome in glioblastoma treatment. The medical marvel The new clinical trial for the most deadly type of brain cancer, glioblastoma, which helped Ben with another shot at life, is looking for patients to join after an incredible success story. Organized by the NHS, this study aims to enroll 16 people over 18 months and is dedicated to Baroness Margaret McDonagh, who lost her battle with the disease. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma will receive an immunotherapy drug called ipilimumab before starting standard treatments, making the most of their immune systems when they are at their strongest. The trial is being led by experts at University College London Hospital's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. It follows a previous study with the same drug, which had to close because not enough patients joined. The trial honors the late Baroness Margaret McDonagh's memory and, like Trotman, participants receive ipilimumab to prime their immune defenses, with hopes of replicating his reassuring response. Ipilimumab: The key behind the breakthrough Ipilimumab is a monoclonal antibody that blocks CTLA-4, an immune checkpoint. In cancers like melanoma, it enhances T-cell activity, enabling the body to attack tumors. When used before standard glioblastoma therapy, it primes the immune system to better target cancer cells. In Trotman's case, it appears to have either eradicated or dramatically controlled his tumor, an outcome never before reported in this context. This 'window-of-opportunity' pre-treatment approach is groundbreaking. By delivering immunotherapy before surgery, it maximizes immune activation and potentially aids post-operative cancer control, a novel strategy in glioblastoma care. What is glioblastoma? Glioblastoma, previously known as glioblastoma multiforme or GBM, is the most common and aggressive type of primary brain cancer in adults. Glioblastoma originates from astrocytes, a type of glial cell that supports nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Glioblastoma is classified as a Grade IV tumor, meaning it's highly aggressive, grows rapidly, and infiltrates surrounding brain tissue. The exact cause of most glioblastomas is unknown. However, it is understood that the disease develops when brain cells undergo DNA mutations that cause them to grow and multiply uncontrollably. The prognosis for glioblastoma is generally poor, with a median survival of about 12-18 months after diagnosis. The five-year survival rate is around 5%, meaning about 5% of patients are still alive five years after their diagnosis. Glioblastoma almost always recurs despite maximal treatment. Hence, Trotman's cancer-free scans more than two years post-treatment represent a hopeful breakthrough. It suggests that bolstering immune readiness before conventional treatment might overcome glioblastoma's defenses. The success story The success story comes from Ben Trotman, who was diagnosed in October 2022 at the age of 40. Now, at 43, two years and eight months after his treatment, his scans are clear, and there are no traces of the tumor. Dr. Paul Mulholland, the consultant medical oncologist who is leading this new trial and treated Ben, as reported by The Independent, shared, 'It is very unusual to have a clear scan with glioblastoma, especially when he didn't have the follow-up surgery that had been planned to remove all of the tumor that was initially visible on scans. We hope that the immunotherapy and follow-up treatment Ben has had will hold his tumor at bay – and it has so far, which we are delighted to see. ' Ben's life has changed significantly since his diagnosis; he got married to Emily just two months after receiving the immunotherapy treatment, and in April, they welcomed their daughter, Mabel. Emily expressed the emotional toll of Ben's diagnosis, saying, 'Getting this diagnosis was the most traumatic experience. We were grappling with the fact that Ben had gone from being apparently perfectly healthy to having months to live. Had we not met Dr. Mulholland, that would have been it for us. We felt we had a lucky break in an otherwise devastating situation.' After the immunotherapy, Ben went on to have the standard treatments of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. He continues to have quarterly scans, which remain clear. Ben reflected on their journey, stating, 'We obviously don't know what the future holds, but having had the immunotherapy treatment and getting these encouraging scan results has given Emily and me a bit of hope. We are focused on rebuilding the life we thought we had lost and enjoying being parents. ' Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP led a successful fundraising campaign that gathered over £1 million to support this new trial. Her sister, Baroness McDonagh, sadly passed away from glioblastoma in 2023. Dame Siobhain shared, 'My beloved sister Margaret was appalled to discover that there had been no advances in brain cancer treatment for decades when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Changing this was Margaret's final campaign and one that I have continued in her memory. I am so grateful to the many people who knew and respected Margaret, who have come together and helped to raise funds and campaign for this new trial that we are calling Margaret's Trial.' Dr. Mulholland is also thankful for Margaret and Siobhain's dedication, stating, 'When I met Margaret, she said to me, 'What can I do to support you to cure this disease?'. I am incredibly grateful to her and to Siobhain, whose campaigning and fundraising in her sister's memory have led to this new clinical trial opening for patients with this most aggressive form of brain cancer that has such a poor prognosis, with most patients surviving just nine months after diagnosis. The crucial element of this trial is that patients will have their immune system boosted by the drug before they have any other treatment, when they are fit and well enough to tolerate the immunotherapy. We're taking everything we have learned from previous trials into this new study, and we are already planning follow-on trials. My aim is to find a cure for glioblastoma.' What's ahead? Led by Dr. Mulholland, the trial is expanding enrollment, aiming to confirm both safety and effectiveness. Currently, the National Brain Appeal is funding two positions to support Dr. Mulholland's vital research. The treatment will take place at the NIHR UCLH's Clinical Research Facility and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Patients who are interested in participating in the new Win-Glio trial should discuss it with their consultant.


Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Superbugs could kill millions and trigger $2 trillion economic meltdown by 2050
A recent study highlights an impending global catastrophe: antimicrobial resistance threatens to claim millions of lives. By 2050, the global economy could suffer losses amounting to trillions of dollars. Major economies, including the US, UK, and China, are at risk of severe financial repercussions. Experts emphasize the urgent need for investments in innovative antibiotics and enhanced infection control measures. MRSA bacteria in a petri dish. The US, UK and EU economies are on course to be among those hardest hit by antimicrobial resistance. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads By 2050, if the increase in antimicrobial resistance AMR ) is not stopped, superbugs could kill millions more people and cost the world economy around $2 trillion annually, according to new Centre for Global Development, a report supported by the UK government, cautions that rising AMR rates might deplete global GDP by $1.7 trillion a year over the next 25 read: Untreatable fungal infections are now killing nearly 3.8 mn each year, WHO experts sound alarm Economies such as the US, UK, and EU are projected to suffer some of the heaviest financial blows, leading critics to slam recent cuts to foreign aid budgets as short-sighted and harmful. Fleming Fund , aimed at AMR combatThese concerns follow the UK's recent decision to scrap funding for the Fleming Fund, a programme dedicated to combating AMR in lower-income nations. Similar aid reductions have been made by the US, which slashed its overseas aid by 80%, and various European to the study's worst-case scenarios, Anthony McDonnell, the principal author, cautioned that these aid cuts could hasten resistance rates worldwide. Even nations that are now efficiently handling the threat run the danger of seeing rising infection rates and death tolls in the absence of specialised AMR modelling, which examined the economic and health burden of AMR across 122 nations, forecasts stark worst-case scenario is that by 2050, China's yearly GDP losses might amount to $722 billion, the US $295.7 billion, the EU $187 billion, Japan $65.7 billion, and the UK $58.6 read: AI stuns scientists : Superbug mystery solved in 48 hours after decade long research According to data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), the number of deaths from AMR is expected to increase by 60% by 2050, reaching 1.34 million deaths in the US and 184,000 in the UK a sharp increase in drug-resistant bacterial infections is anticipated, which will result in more hospital stays, longer treatment durations, and higher medical cost of treating these infections is already around double that of treating non-resistant the health costs of AMR could rise to $176 billion a year. The UK's annual health bill could surge from $900 million to $3.7 billion, and the US from $15.5 billion to nearly $57 knock-on effect would shrink workforces too: 0.8% in the UK, 0.6% in the EU, and 0.4% in the US. However, the study suggests that investing in solutions, such as developing new antibiotics and improving infection treatment, could deliver substantial economic 2050, the US economy could grow by $156.2 billion annually and the UK by $12 billion if action is Dr. Mohsen Naghavi emphasised that AMR is becoming a bigger threat. Once-treatable illnesses could turn deadly in the absence of immediate, concerted read: Fighting superbugs: New paper-based platform enables rapid antibiotic-resistance screening Policy reforms, the creation of novel medications, and increased public knowledge of the limitations of antibiotics in treating viral infections are all necessary for solutions.A representative representing the UK government reiterated their dedication to combating AMR by developing vaccines, reducing the use of antibiotics in agriculture, and supporting novel treatments. According to the administration, it is still working with other countries to stop the development of antibiotic resistance.