Recent scientific advancements include the creation of diamonds from recycled plastic bottles, among other things.

We present four examples of how scientific progress is improving people's lives.

1. Nanodiamonds may be manufactured from PET plastics, thanks to research conducted by scientists.
2. The first clinical trials of a universal COVID-19 vaccine that can be used in the future are imminent.
3. Recent research has shown that random acts of kindness can significantly impact.
4. A woman with a fantastic sense of smell contributed to developing a straightforward test for Parkinson's disease.

1. Nanodiamonds may be manufactured from PET plastics, thanks to research conducted by scientists.

An experiment aiming to shed light on the icy giants Uranus and Neptune yielded a surprise result.

Diamond rain is a phenomenon that scientists have been studying, and it is theorised to be formed by the planets' peculiar elemental makeup.

PET plastic, the polymer used in packaging like water bottles, was used in the studies; it is made of hydrogen and carbon. Using an optical laser, the team produced high-pressure shockwaves on the plastic, emulating the process within the ice giants.

That's the kind of pressure we're talking about if you can picture a million and two million elephants jumping on a thing at once.

When microscopic synthetic diamonds were developed, researchers were delighted.

According to Professor Dr Dominik Kraus of the University of Rostock, who took part in the experiments, the astonishing thing is the clarity of the results they noticed in the data. In just a few nanoseconds, "a huge fraction of the carbon atoms are converted into diamonds,"

In addition, the diamonds are still there once the pressure is removed. He told Euronews that the materials are recoverable and might be put to various uses.

These nanodiamonds are both aesthetically attractive and potentially important for quantum technology and medicine.

These tests were designed to help us learn more about the planets in our solar system. Prof. Kraus speculates that this may be another example of how scientific inquiry into what seems like a highly remote topic might lead to practical applications.

The good news for the environment is if this new method of producing nanodiamonds from waste plastic works as advertised.

2. The first clinical trials of a universal COVID-19 vaccine that can be used in the future are imminent.

Researchers and leaders in public health have been lamenting the lack of financing for vaccine development for years. However, with COVID-19, the game was radically altered.

Research into universal coronavirus vaccines received tens of millions of dollars in the wake of the epidemic. We urgently need these vaccines to hope for a future free of COVID.

If a universal vaccine could be developed against COVID-19, it could protect against any future versions of the virus and any future illnesses caused by completely new coronaviruses.

The good news is that this study was begun long before we heard of alpha, delta, omicron, and the rest of them.

The doctoral candidate at Caltech, Alexander Cohen and his team of scientists are very near their goal.

The antibodies generated in the laboratory's vaccination identified not just the eight coronaviruses that were included in the vaccine but four more coronaviruses that were not. After exposing mice and monkeys to various coronaviruses, the team announced in March this year that the vaccine appeared to protect them. The findings were reported in July in the journal Science.

Human vaccine trials can now proceed, as resources have been set aside for this purpose. If it works, it may prevent us from ever again being forced to go into lockdown due to a COVID outbreak.

3. Recent research has shown that random acts of kindness can significantly impact.

Those who perform random acts of kindness bring joy to both the giver and the recipient. According to a latest study, Good Samaritans underestimate their impact.

According to the study's authors, this prevents many of us from doing kind acts for others more frequently, which in turn prevents us from experiencing the joy of making others happy.

Experiments involving hundreds of participants found that those who did acts of kindness, such as buying a stranger a coffee or a cup of hot chocolate, consistently underestimated the beneficial effect it would have on the recipients.

Nothing novel about the idea that acts of kindness might improve people's moods. Numerous studies have demonstrated the mutually beneficial effects of acts of kindness.

However, experts claim that the theory is strengthened with each new finding, turning it into a more robust scientific argument rather than just something that appears logical.

4. A woman with a fantastic sense of smell contributed to developing a straightforward test for Parkinson's disease.

Joy Milne, aged 72, has unwittingly contributed significantly to the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Twelve years before his Parkinson's diagnosis, she had noticed a change in her husband's smell, describing it as "musky" instead of his usual "fresh" aroma.

She added, "When I first wake up in the morning," she didn't open her eyes but instead focused on her sense of scent.

Someone with Joy Milne's condition is a "super smeller," a term used to describe those who have inherited a heightened sense of smell.

With her help, researchers at the University of Manchester identified a distinct odour associated with Parkinson's illness.

A test developed with Mme Milne's assistance can now tell if a person has Parkinson's disease within three minutes.

Professor Perdita Barran, who oversaw the study, explained to Euronews how they "swab people's backs just like that," and then analysed the molecules on the skin to determine whether or not a person has Parkinson's disease.

Our primary goal is to provide the specialist with a "confirmatory diagnosis" that will aid in selecting an appropriate treatment plan.

The diagnosis of Parkinson's disease has hitherto relied on the patient's symptoms and medical history due to the lack of a definitive diagnostic test. A cotton swab is about to alter all of that.