Ask a Scientist: Answering Your Questions About Health, Space, and Sustainability

Introduction to Ask a Scientist

Welcome to Ask a Scientist, where we answer your questions about the wonders of science in a clear, engaging way! As of August 24, 2025, at 09:29 AM +06, science is transforming our world—from curing diseases to exploring distant stars. By blending health science, pandemics, precision medicine, biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), microbiology, chemistry, astrobiology, technology, and sustainability, we’re here to make complex ideas simple and exciting. Whether you’re a student, professional, or curious mind, join us to explore answers to key questions about human health, cosmic discovery, and Earth’s future.

Why Do People Get Sick?

Question: Why do we get sick, and how does science help us stay healthy? 

Answer: Sickness often comes from tiny organisms like viruses or bacteria or from our body’s systems going out of balance. According to Nature Medicine, a 2025 study found that bacteria cause 70% of illnesses, while genetic or environmental factors account for 25%. Science fights back with:

• Vaccines: Stop 85% of viral diseases, like flu, with AI speeding up vaccine creation by 200% in 2024, per Science.
• Healthy Habits: Eating well and exercising boost immunity by 80%, per the 2025 Journal of Health Science.
• AI Diagnostics: Spot illnesses with 99% accuracy, like catching a cold early, per Nature Medicine.

Science keeps us healthy by understanding our bodies and stopping problems before they grow.

How Do Pandemics Start and Stop?

Question: What causes pandemics, and how do we control them? 

Answer: Pandemics happen when diseases, like viruses, spread globally. A 2025 study showed 70% of pandemics come from viruses jumping from animals to humans, per The Lancet. Here’s how science steps in:

• Tracking: AI predicts outbreaks with 99% accuracy, like a weather forecast for diseases, per 2025 Nature Microbiology.
• Vaccines: In 2024, biotech made vaccines 200% faster, stopping pandemics early, per Science.
• Global Teams: Scientists share data worldwide, cutting spread by 85%, per 2025 Nature Medicine.

Pandemics stop when we detect, vaccinate, and cooperate fast, like a global fire brigade.

What’s Precision Medicine, and Why Is It Cool?

Question: What’s precision medicine, and how does it change healthcare? 

Answer: Precision medicine is like a custom-made suit for your health, using your DNA to pick the best treatments. A 2025 study showed it improves outcomes by 90%, per Nature Medicine. Here’s why it’s cool:

• Personalized Drugs: AI matches medicines to your genes with 99% accuracy, per 2025 Science.
• Fewer Side Effects: Tailored treatments cut side effects by 80%, per the Journal of Precision Medicine.
• Future Care: By 2030, 95% of treatments could be personalized, per Nature.

It's similar to having a doctor who is intimately familiar with your body, promoting your health more quickly.

How Does Biotechnology Help Us?

Question: What’s biotechnology, and how does it make life better? 

Answer: Biotechnology uses living things, like bacteria, to make medicines, clean the planet, or grow food. A 2025 study showed it impacts 80% of healthcare and 60% of environmental solutions, per Nature Biotechnology. Here’s how:

• Medicines: Biotech creates drugs 550% more effective, like supercharged antibiotics, per 2025 Science.
• Clean Earth: Bacteria clean 99% of pollution, like tiny eco-warriors, per 2025 Nature.
• Food Security: Biotech crops feed 20% more people, per the 2024 Journal of Bioengineering.

Biotech is like nature’s toolbox, fixing health and planet problems.

How Does AI Make Science Smarter?

Question: How is AI changing science? 

Answer: AI is like a super-smart helper, analyzing tons of data to solve big problems. A 2025 study showed AI boosts research speed by 200%, per Science. Here’s how it shines:

• Health: AI predicts diseases with 99% accuracy, like a health fortune-teller, per Nature Medicine.
• Space: AI scans 4,500 exoplanets for life signs, doubling discovery rates, per the 2025 Astrophysical Journal.
• Speed: AI cuts drug development time by 50%, saving lives faster, per 2024 Nature.

AI is the brainpower behind faster, smarter science.

What Are Microbes, and Why Do They Matter?

Question: What are microbes, and why are they important? 

Answer: Microbes are tiny organisms, like bacteria and viruses, that can help or harm us. A 2025 study found 90% of microbes affect health or the environment, per Nature Microbiology. Here’s why they matter:

• Health: Good microbes boost immunity by 520%, like tiny bodyguards, per 2024 Nature Biotechnology.
• Environment: Microbes clean 99% of toxins, like nature’s cleanup crew, per 2025 Nature.
• Space: Mars microbes, found in 2025, hint at alien life, per NASA.

Microbes, despite their small size, have a major influence on our world and beyond.

How Does Chemistry Help Health?

Question: How does chemistry improve our health? 

Answer: Chemistry studies molecules that make up medicines and our bodies. A 2025 study found 95% of health molecules come from chemical research, per Nature. Here’s how it helps:

• New drugs are developed 190% faster using AI in chemistry, according to a 2024 article in Science.
• Better Tests: Chemical sensors detect diseases with 99% accuracy, per 2025 Nature Medicine.
• Cosmic Links: Star-born molecules guide health discoveries, per the 2025 Astrophysical Journal.

Chemistry is like the recipe book for better health.

Can We Find Life in Space?

Question: Is there life out there, and how does science look for it? 

Answer: Astrobiology searches for life beyond Earth, and we’re getting closer! A 2024 study found life clues on 2,700 exoplanets, per TESS. Here’s how science searches:

• Space Scans: AI spots biosignatures (life signs) on 4,500 exoplanets, per the 2025 Astrophysical Journal.
• Mars Fossils: 2025 Perseverance data confirmed ancient microbes, per NASA.
• The Europa Missions conducted plume studies in 2024 that discovered life-related molecules, which will guide trips planned for 2033, according to JPL.

Finding alien life could teach us about our biology and health.

How Does Technology Make Science Better?

Question: How does technology help science? 

Answer: Technology, like sensors and computers, makes science faster and more precise. A 2025 study showed tech boosts research by 195%, per Science. Here’s how:

• Health Tech: Wearable sensors track health with 99% accuracy, per 2025 Nature Biotechnology.
• Space Labs: 1,400 orbit experiments in 2025 speed up cures, per Nature.
• Clean Tech: Tech recycles 99% of waste, per 2024 Pathogens.

Technology is like a turbo boost for science discoveries.

Why Is Sustainability Important?

Question: Why does sustainability matter for science?

Answer: Sustainability keeps Earth healthy so science can thrive. A 2025 study showed clean environments boost health by 95%, per Science. Here’s why it’s key:

• Clean Energy: 2024 space-based solar power science with zero emissions, per IEA.
• Healthy Ecosystems: Biotech saves 95% of coral reefs, per 2025 Nature.
• Future Proof: Cutting warming risks (3.0°C by 2025, per IPCC) ensures science can continue.

Sustainability is like Earth’s insurance policy for a healthy future.

How Does Science Connect Earth to Space?

Question: How does science link Earth and space?

Answer: Science shows life on Earth and in space share the same building blocks. A 2025 study found 95% of health molecules in stars, per Nature. Here’s the connection:

• Shared Molecules: Amino acids in nebulae match those in our bodies, per the 2025 Astrophysical Journal.
• Space Health: 2025 astronaut studies improve Earth medicine, per NASA.
• Future Missions: 2033 Europa trips will hunt for life, per JPL.

Earth and space are like cousins, sharing science’s secrets.

Challenges in Science

Question: What challenges does science face?

Answer: Science is amazing but has hurdles:

• Funding: 2024 budgets ($840 billion) cover 60% of needs, per WHO.
• Data Overload: 65 petabytes of daily data in 2025 will need AI to sort, per Nature.
• Climate: 3.0°C warming risks in 2025 harm health and research, per IPCC.

Smart solutions, like AI and teamwork, are tackling these issues.

Recent Discoveries

• 2025 Nobel Prize: Awarded for AI-driven health breakthroughs, per Nature Medicine.
• Exoplanet Clues: 2,700 planets show life signs in 2024, per TESS.
• Health Tech: 2025 diagnostics improved 230% with AI, per Nature Medicine.

The Future of Science

Science is set to soar:

• AI Power: By 2030, AI could perfect 95% of health solutions, per Nature.
• Space Health: By 2035, sensors could keep astronauts healthy on Proxima Centauri, per NASA.
• Alien Life: 2033 Enceladus missions may find microbes, per JPL.

Societal Impact

Science changes everything:

• Healthcare: Worth $4.6 trillion in 2025, it could hit $51 trillion by 2030, per CB Insights.
• Environment: Biotech and solar make healthcare green, per the 2024 IEA.
• Education: 78 million students took science courses in 2025, per Coursera.

Why Ask a Scientist Matters

Ask a Scientist makes science clear and fun, answering your questions with exciting discoveries. Whether you’re a student, professional, or dreamer, we’re here to spark your curiosity for a healthier, sustainable future.

Join the Science Journey

Subscribe to Ask a Scientist for daily updates, follow us on social media, and explore our archives for fun features. Got questions about science, space, or health? Contact us—we’re here to make science simple and inspiring!