In the early hours of April 26, 1986There was a loud bang at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, alarmed the local residents, and in an instant, the flames soared, and everyone came forward to watch.
At first, people were interested in "watching the show", thinking that it was just an ordinary fire, but they did not expect it to be in the futureIt turned into one of the most tragic disasters in human history.
Since then, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been the centerA radius of 30 kmbecame a no-go zone for humans, according to scientists**, itsThe impact will last for 100,000 years!
In a sense, the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant alsoIt provides valuable data for scientific experiments
For example, a few years after the tragedy, scientists used scientific and technological means to explore the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. They were on the wall of the No. 4 nuclear reactor where the accident occurred, and found outLarge areas of black substance.
After further examination, the scientists concluded that this is a kind ofBlack fungus,It reproduces by "swallowing radiation", and the discovery of this alternative "life" has also given scientists some special inspiration.
In fact, although the Chernobyl nuclear power plant became off-limits to humans after the accident, animals still live in it.
These animals are affected by nuclear radiation, geneticallyThere have been varying degrees of variationand present a completely different situation from the parent.
Some of these animals are able to survive the radiation and are one of the important organisms for scientists to study the effects of radiation on organisms.
In addition, after the disaster, due to the need for long-term control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant by the Soviet Union, thereforeEvery once in a while, the Soviet Union would send robots into it to collect samplesCheck the situation.
Surprisingly, this forbidden area for humans seemsIt has become a paradise for mutant animalsAnimals such as wolves and elk can be seen here occasionally.
As the robot went deeper, scientists found that on the walls of the No. 4 nuclear reactor where the accident occurred, and even in the cooling water of the nuclear reactorIt turned out to be a black fungus
In general, the closer you get to the center of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the higher the radiation level, which can reach tens of thousands of roentgens in the vicinity of the reactor.
What is this concept? Let's just say that if a person stands in such an environment without wearing a radiation suit, he will directly turn into a pool of blood.
You must know that when the Chernobyl nuclear power plant first occurred, the radiation dose produced was more than 400 times that of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, and this is not counting the subsequent radiation leaks.
In such an environment,It is almost impossible for any living thing to exist.
After discovering the black fungus, scientists instructed the robot to carefully collect it, do a variety of safety work, and then pack it up and send it to the laboratory.
After research, it was found that this fungus belongsCryptococcus neoformans after mutation,Not a new breed in the true sense of the word.
Because it was discovered by scientists in modern times, and it is one of the few fungi that can cause disease.
Cryptococcus neoformans mainly targets the human nervous systemSevere conditions can lead to the death of the patient
For example, pigeon droppings may contain Cryptococcus neoformans, but the amount is relatively small, as long as it is not a large-scale gathering, it will not cause disease.
And this time it was found in ChernobylCryptococcus neoformans mutantIt is very special in that its color is darker than similar fungi that scientists have previously discovered.
The most critical point is that in the center of Chernobyl isDoes not contain organic substances that can feed fungal growthAnd where the robot found it, there happened to be a large amount of nuclear radiation, which indicates that the mutant Cryptococcus neoformansIt is highly likely that it is extremely resistant to nuclear radiationand even "swallow radiation" to reproduce.
This is unbelievable, the so-called nuclear radiation refers to radioactive materialsEnergy emitted in the form of waves or particlesGenerally speaking, it does not have the function of nourishing organisms.
However, the peculiarity of the mutant Cryptococcus neoformans here is a testament to the fact that our knowledge of living things may not be comprehensive enough.
But in any case, after a relatively detailed study of Cryptococcus mutans, scientists believe that its ability to reproduce by "swallowing radiation" may become the key to solving the headache of nuclear radiation in the future.
And I can tooDerived from a kind of aerospace black technology,Helping humanity to carry out a wider and more detailed space exploration.
You must know that in the depths of outer space, there are countless types of radiation.
Although astronauts have special spacesuits for protection, if they are exposed to the cosmic environment for a long timeNor can the spacesuit fully function
Not to mention, all kinds of universesRadiation that humans have not yet recognized may existIt is difficult to say how much of a role the existing spacesuits will make.
In addition, the solar system is actually relatively safe now, and the solar wind forms a natural barrier at the edge of the solar system, blocking most of the harmful rays from outside the universe.
There will always be a day when humanity will go out of the solar system, but so far we don't seem to be able toA means of dealing with the dangers of the unknown universe
If you say, the future can beCryptococcus neoformans mutantCan it be used in a new spacesuit to isolate radiation to a certain extent?
This kind of conceptionIt sounds simple, but it's very difficult to put it into practiceAfter all, there are not many studies related to nuclear radiation, and there are many kinds of radiation in the universe, which adds great uncertainty to the application of Cryptococcus mutant in the aerospace field.
Another point is, since Cryptococcus mutans is resistant to nuclear radiation, should we add this substance to the construction of future nuclear reactors to maintain the continued stability of the reactors?
We can even imagine a further future, where today's nuclear reactors are subject to technical and material constraintsIt is difficult to apply it in the field of aerospace
In the future, can we rely on Cryptococcus mutans to build a nuclear-powered launch vehicle, or even a spacecraft?
All kinds of novel ideas are guiding the future direction of humanity, maybe not now, but at least we can try.
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References:
1] Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China: "The Far-reaching Impact of the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident".
2] Xiao Jiesheng, Wang Fei. Clinical analysis of 54 cases of central nervous system neoneoplasmosis and ** Guangdong Medicine