Pakistanis scientists and entrepreneurs alike have made considerable progress in their respective fields. Here, five important discoveries of Pakistani scientists in last decade (2010-2020) will be discussed.
In this article I will be describing the achievements made by Pakistani scientists. So, the top 5 discoveries made by Pakistani scientists include designing a lavatory that produces charcoal, creating a formula for the first explosive-free fertiliser, inventing the world’s first neuro-chip, developing the Flash Pack and observing Einstein’s gravitational waves for the first time.
1. Toilet that converts waste into charcoal, nutrients and pure water
Firstly, Professor M. Sohail Khan, a researcher at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. M. Sohail was part of a team that designed a lavatory which transforms human waste into biological charcoal, minerals and clean water. This project was carried out for the 2011 Reinvent the Toilet Challenge.
This was an initiative by the Gates Foundation. The challenge was to come up with solutions for capturing and processing human waste and transforming it into useful resources( Bill Gates, 2012).
In August of 2012, Loughborough University was awarded second place at the Reinvent the Toilet Fair in Seattle. This is a highly commendable achievement.
2. First IED-free fertiliser
Moreover, in 2013, a Pakistani firm Fatima Group created the first IED-proof fertilizer which proved a ground-breaking achievement. Lt-Gen Michael Barbero, the head of the Pentagon’s Joint Improved Explosive Device Defeat Organization, said that it was a true scientific breakthrough on account of being a long-term solution.
The firm managed to find a non-lethal alternative to calcium ammonium nitrate, a key ingredient in the making of their fertilizers. This is a significant achievement because calcium ammonium nitrate when separated from the fertilizer can be used in making explosives.
The US had traced the route of this substance from Pakistan to Afghanistan via smuggling at the border, where it was used to make home-made bombs. This discovery by Fatima Group solved that problem completely since they found a viable alternative which could not be used in bomb-making.
3. Invention of the first neuro-chip
Next, in 2016, Dr. Naweed Syed, a Pakistani Canadian scientist, managed to “connect brain cells to a silicon chip,” thus creating the world’s first neuro-chip. This was a major milestone in linking computers with human brains. Dr. Naweed first started testing it as a diagnostic device for epileptic patients by detecting seizures. Then, this data was wirelessly transmitted to a pocket-held device.
In an interview with The Daily Times in 2016, he said that this discovery would make it possible for a prosthetic to work as if it were a natural leg. Furthermore, he mentioned that his lab managed to ‘designed and developed a device paired wonderfully with the brain cells,’ hence achieving ‘the first ever and true bionic hybrid’. That was the device that enabled a connection between brain cells and a semiconductor chip. We must acknowledge the greatness of this achievement.
4. Battery pack that can charge up in 15 minutes
Furthermore, Abdullah Soomro, founder of Micropower Labs, invented a 5,000 mAh power bank named Flash Pack which can charge up in only 15 minutes. Soomro created this battery pack as a way to solve the problem of fickle and unreliable batteries in today’s smartphones These batteries act as a hindrance to the establishment of an uninterrupted connection between delivery-persons and their customers(www.Techjuice.pk/25 under 25 2018).
5. Detection of Einstein’s gravitational waves
Pakistan-born quantum astrophysicist, Dr. Nergis Mavalvala was one of the first scientists who detected ‘gravitational waves’. Gravitational waves, hypothesised by physicist Albert Einstein a century ago, are ripples in the fabric of space and time. The researchers said they discovered gravitational waves coming from two black holes. These waves circled inwards and collided with each other(Dawn.com/Feb 2016). Furthermore, this discovery was made on September 14, 2015 but made public on February 11, 2016 after the scientists confirmed the detection with their data.
Source: Pakistaninfo