Zeeya Merali

United States

Journalist at John Templeton Foundation

Articles

‘Dark matter’, 'Big Bang' and ‘spin’: how physics terms can confuse researchers

2 days ago | nature.com | Zeeya Merali

Listen to episode 3 of What's in a nameCategorizing things is central to science. And there are dozens of systems scientists have created to name everything from the trenches on the sea bed to the stars in the sky. But names have consequences. What’s in a name is a series exploring naming in science and how names impact the world.
Breakthrough Prizes Awarded to Obesity-Drug Pioneers and Large Hadron Collider Physicists

2 weeks ago | scientificamerican.com | Zeeya Merali

Five scientists who contributed to the development of the blockbuster weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy have picked up one of this year’s US$3-million Breakthrough prizes — the most lucrative awards in science. Originally developed to treat diabetes, these drugs work by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) that controls blood sugar levels and helps to curb appetite.
Obesity-drug pioneers and 13,508 physicists win US$3-million Breakthrough Prizes

2 weeks ago | nature.com | Zeeya Merali

Five scientists who contributed to the development of the blockbuster weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy have picked up one of this year’s US$3-million Breakthrough prizes — the most lucrative awards in science. Originally developed to treat diabetes, these drugs work by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) that controls blood sugar levels and helps to curb appetite.
Can We Turn Back Time?

Jul 31, 2024 | templeton.org | Zeeya Merali

It sounds like the cosmetics industry dream: discovering a way to resist time’s arrow. For centuries, scientists and philosophers have pondered why we move relentlessly from past to future. What is the origin of this flow? Can it be reversed or halted? Now physicists in the burgeoning field of “quantum thermodynamics”—which examines heat and energy transfer at the smallest scales—are investigating a peculiar set of circumstances in which time’s inexorable march may be slowed in some tiny systems.
Our Manifest Destiny-In Space

Jan 9, 2024 | templeton.org | Zeeya Merali

Templeton.org is in English. Only a few pages are translated into other languages. Usted está viendo Templeton.org en español. Tenga en cuenta que solamente hemos traducido algunas páginas a su idioma. El resto permanecen en inglés. Você está vendo Templeton.org em Português. Apenas algumas páginas do site são traduzidas para o seu idioma.
Life-Changing Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Wins $3-Million Breakthrough Prize

Sep 15, 2023 | scientificamerican.com | Zeeya Merali

The triple-drug combination Trikafta has given a new lease of life to 90% of people with cystic fibrosis, an inherited disorder that affects the lungs and other organs. Now, the trio of researchers who spearheaded its development has won one of this year’s US$3-million Breakthrough prizes — the most lucrative awards in science.
Life-changing cystic fibrosis treatment wins US$3-million Breakthrough Prize

Sep 14, 2023 | nature.com | Zeeya Merali

The triple-drug combination Trikafta has given a new lease of life to 90% of people with cystic fibrosis, an inherited disorder that affects the lungs and other organs. Now, the trio of chemists who spearheaded its development has won one of this year’s US$3-million Breakthrough prizes — the most lucrative awards in science.
Detecting an Atom's Breath: The Hunt for Dark Matter

Sep 7, 2023 | templeton.org | Zeeya Merali

“If you were blind and I told you that there are ‘magical’ particles of light called ‘photons’ all around you,” ponders Swati Singh, “what evidence would convince you that these photons are real?” It’s this kind of question that has inspired Singh, a quantum optical physicist and engineer at the University of Delaware, in Newark, and others, to search for novel ways to detect a different particle that is veiled from all our views.