Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Smart fabrics are immune to wear and tear and last significantly longer than regular textiles. [SEP] Text: , 2013) and then subsequently maintained on either on fixed or choice diets for 10 days. Flies were then transferred to the negative geotaxis apparatus using brief CO2 anesthesia, after which they were allowed to recover for 30 min. We used an automated process in which flies were automatically dropped from 24”. After freefall, which effectively knocked the flies to the bottom of the chamber, a video camera was triggered and individual fly movements were tracked for 10 sec using the DDrop software developed in our laboratory. From the tracking data we were able to calculate, for each female, the total distance traveled as well as the time required to reach the top of the chamber. We present the time (in seconds) required to reach the top of the chamber, which is highly correlated with total distance traveled. Survival analysis Request a detailed protocol Flies were prepared for survival experiments as previously described (Linford et al. , 2013), with a slight modification. Briefly, 2–3 day old adult female flies were transferred onto test food medium. For each genotype per treatment, we put 25 flies per vial with 8–10 vial replicates. Flies were transferred to new food three times per week at which time survival was recorded and dead flies removed. For the protein-restriction experiment, we used a fixed mixture of 5% sucrose + 5% yeast as the protein-restricted diet, and a fixed mixture of 5% sucrose +15% yeast as the high protein diet. For the lifespan experiments comparing 'Fixed food' vs 'Choice food' environments, we created inserts that fit into individual vials. These inserts allowed us to expose the flies to two separate sources of food simultaneously. For these experiments we either loaded the same foods on both sides (no choice diets) or a different food on each side (choice diet). Specifically, the no choice diets contained either 10% sucrose in each well, 10% yeast in each well, or a fixed mixture of 10% yeast and 10% sucrose in each well. The choice diet entailed 10% sucrose on one side of the insert and 10% yeast on the other side of the insert. To test effects of a sugar-rich diet on longevity, we provided flies a fixed mixture of 30% sucrose + 5% yeast as the sugar-rich food, or a fixed mixture of 5% sucrose + 5% yeast as the sugar-restricted food. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim, as it discusses an experimental setup involving fruit flies and diet conditions, without any mention of smart fabrics, textiles, or their durability. Therefore, it does not support, contrast, or relate to the claim regarding smart fabrics.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: The search for extraterrestrial life involves studying extremophiles on Earth. [SEP] Text: One way of looking at a definition is as an abstract generalization about a class of entities that’s based on prior knowledge of many concrete individual entities of the sort concerned. So, let’s start with a list of ‘concrete’ living entities – organisms – on our home planet. Not a complete list, of course, for that would include more than a million names. But we don’t need a complete list, nor even a particularly lengthy one. A short one will suffice, and indeed is preferable, in terms of not drowning in detail. Here it is: humans, snails, whales, trees, toadstools, and bacteria. A definition of ‘X’ – in this case ‘life’ – only works if we also have entities that we know are ‘not X’, which in this case means ‘not life’, or alternatively ‘inert objects’. Here’s a short list of such objects, all of which are generally agreed not to be living things: rocks, clouds, cars, smoke, and water. Of course, some of these entities might contain life forms – for example a cloud might contain airborne microbes – but that’s not the same thing as a cloud actually being a living organism itself. And in one case – cars – they’re made by life forms, but again that’s something different. So, the question is this: how do we word an abstract definition of life so that it includes all of the things that we think of as living and none of those that we think are not? There are different ways of doing this, and I have no intention of surveying them all. That would be both boring and pointless. Instead, I will focus on the definition that I think works best. I call it the RIM definition of life. These letters stand for the following three attributes of life forms: Reproduction, Inheritance, Metabolism. So, an entity that has all three RIM attributes is alive, while an entity with none of them is not. We’ll get to the annoying grey area in the middle shortly. Now is the moment for a warning about the risk of infinite regress. To define life, it’s necessary to define reproduction, inheritance, and metabolism. This could lead to a need to define words that occur in these definitions, and so on indefinitely. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim as it focuses on defining life and discussing general attributes of living organisms. It does not mention extremophiles, extraterrestrial life, or the search for such life, nor does it relate the definition of life to studies on Earth organisms in regard to extraterrestrial research.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Gene drive technology has the potential to control pests and invasive species without the use of pesticides. [SEP] Text: , 2005). Releases would need to occur in local areas not treated with pesticide or herbicide, which would quickly become reservoirs of sensitizing drives that could spread into adjacent fields. Periodically releasing new drives could potentially allow any given pesticide or herbicide to be utilized indefinitely. Modeling experiments will be needed to evaluate feasibility for different target species. A second form of sensitizing drive could potentially render pest populations vulnerable to molecules that never previously affected them. For example, a gene important to fitness might be replaced with a version from another species or laboratory isolate whose function is sensitive to a particular compound. In principle, this approach could eventually lead to the development and use of safer and more species-specific pesticides and herbicides. Controlling invasive species One of the most environmentally damaging consequences of global economic activity is the introduction of invasive species, which often cause ecological disruption or even the extinction of native species. Isolated ecosystems such as those on small islands are especially vulnerable. RNA-guided suppression drives might be used to promote biodiversity by controlling or even eradicating invasive species from islands or possibly entire continents. The economics of invasive species control are also compelling: the top ten invasives in the cause an estimated $42 billion in damages every year (Pimentel et al. , 2005). Black and brown rats alone cause $19 billion in damages and may be responsible for more extinctions than any other nonhuman species. Deploying RNA-guided suppression drives against invasive species will incur two primary risks related to undesired spread. First, rare mating events may allow the drive to affect closely related species. Using precision drives to target sequences unique to the invasive species could mitigate or eliminate this problem. Second, the suppression drive might spread from the invasive population back into the native habitat, perhaps even through intentional human action. Native populations might be protected using an immunizing drive, but doing so would risk transferring immunity back into invasive populations. Instead, we might grant the invasive population a unique sequence with a standard drive (Figure 5C), verify that these changes have not spread to the native population, and only then release a suppression drive targeting the recoded sequences while holding an immunizing drive in reserve. Another approach might utilize a sensitizing drive to render all populations newly vulnerable to a specific compound, which could then be used as a pesticide for the local control of invasive populations. All of these possibilities will require modeling and experimentation to establish safety and feasibility before use. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by discussing the use of RNA-guided suppression drives as a means to control invasive species. It highlights that these drives could be utilized to promote biodiversity by controlling or eradicating invasive species, therefore supporting the idea that gene drive technology can manage pests without traditional pesticide methods. The exploration of alternatives, such as sensitizing drives that make pest populations vulnerable to specific compounds, directly aligns with the notion of controlling pests without conventional pesticides, thus reinforcing the claim.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Smart fabrics are immune to wear and tear and last significantly longer than regular textiles. [SEP] Text: Mobile communications should not be regulated unless either there is an absence of competition or to protect public health and safety (Sec. 3 (7)) The FCC shall not take any action to impede the development of seamless mobility (defined as “the ability of a consumer and connecting devices of consumer to move easily and smoothly between and among internet protocol enabled technology platforms, facilities and networks”) (Sec. 3 (8)). Subsequently, in discussing the obligations of incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), it stipulates (Sec. 10) that: • an incumbent ILEC shall provide unbundled access to copper local loops on commercially reasonable rates, terms and conditions; and • an incumbent ILEC shall provide physical collocation at the central office of such carrier or, if that is impractical, virtual collocation. Sec. 11 states that all service providers using the must provide number portability for all consumers, and may not charge excessive early cancellation fees to consumers who wish to change plans. Moving on to the more contentious area of video services (Sec. 13), the bill stipulates that a video service provider may not be required to obtain a State or local video franchise or to build out its video distribution system in any particular manner or to provide leased or common carrier access to its video distribution facilities and equipment to any other video service provider. This is, on the face of it, a victory for the RBOCs, although it was pointed out that Texas lawmakers had already authorized state-wide video services so the new rules might prove to be redundant. The stomach for a fight over telecommunications issues, either within the or in Congress, both of which are preoccupied with matters such as the aftermath of hurricanes, has to take account of the determination of vested interests to stand their ground. But there is, as ever, the complicating factor that the proposed Act is sponsored by the Committee, and the House of Representatives is drawing up its own version sponsored by the on Energy and Commerce. Equally, the FCC is busy (as it sees it) dragging the industry into the twenty-first century. For example, in August the FCC reclassified fixed-wire broadband providers as “information services”. The previous classification of DSL as a “telecommunications service” meant that providers had to open their broadband networks to ISPs on non-discriminatory terms and obey other common carrier rules. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim as it discusses mobile communications regulations, telecommunications issues, and FCC actions without mentioning smart fabrics or their durability relative to regular textiles. Therefore, it does not provide any information that could corroborate or contrast with the claim regarding the performance of smart fabrics.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: The search for extraterrestrial life involves studying extremophiles on Earth. [SEP] Text: You’ll be pleased to know that I’m absolutely not going to go down that road. However, I am going to briefly consider each of the three components of RIM. Since these three things are crucial in allowing us to distinguish life forms from inert entities – potentially throughout the universe – it simply won’t work if we’re fuzzy about their meanings. This point was brought home to me when I was reading the Introduction to astrobiology written by the planetary scientist David C. Catling in 2013. With regard to metabolism, Catling says the following: ‘All life metabolizes but so does my car. ’ I don’t agree with him, but I see what he means. The burning of a fuel such as petrol powers a car in much the same way as the burning of a fuel such as glucose powers a living organism. is right to see a parallel. But he’s wrong – in my view – to equate automotive and biological ‘metabolism’. I have an instinctive feeling that the two are different in some fundamental way, and perhaps you do too. But what is it? Of course, the fuels are different, but that’s not the best approach to this issue, because we can’t guarantee that the fuel of alien life is glucose. Here’s a better approach. A life form metabolizes right from the start; a car doesn’t. An organism is not simply a collection of cells, membranes, vesicles, filaments, and so on, that is inert until some point in its life when it gets fired up with an infusion of glucose or some other fuel. In contrast, a car is an object of precisely this latter sort. It’s a collection of metal and plastic parts that gets built in stages and hasn’t a whiff of ‘metabolism’ until after it’s complete – or has reached its ‘adult’ stage, to stretch the use of that term – and someone turns on the ignition. So, to be a life form from a metabolic perspective you need to be metabolizing right from the start. Even the very first cell of a new human or other animal – the zygote – metabolizes. An organism is an intrinsically metabolizing thing. Its default state is to metabolize. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim as it discusses concepts related to metabolism and the distinction between living organisms and non-living entities, without mentioning extremophiles or their relevance to the search for extraterrestrial life.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Gene drive technology has the potential to control pests and invasive species without the use of pesticides. [SEP] Text: A triple stranded -sheet is the dominant secondary structural feature; several -turns and a short region -helix are also present (Figure 3B; [238]). The reactive site is located on an exposed loop which has a higher degree of mobility than other regions of the protein (Figure 3B). This is a common feature of PIs and is thought to allow the inhibitor to adapt to slightly different enzymes [239]. Atkinson and colleagues suggested NaPIs may be involved in deterring insects from feeding on stigmas or in protecting the stigma from pathogen invasion since the related type-II PIs from potato and tomato are effective against proteases of fungal, bacterial and insect origin [232,241]. The PIs from N. alata inhibit the digestive gut proteases from five insect orders in vitro and display significant inhibitory activity against the midgut proteases of H. punctigera and T. commodus [197,198]. Significant mortality was recorded when H. punctigera larvae were fed transgenic tobacco [197] or transgenic peas [198] expressing the NaPI precursor. More recently, the response of Helicoverpa larvae to ingestion of NaPI has been more thoroughly characterized. Following ingestion of NaPI, all surviving Helicoverpa punctigera larvae produced high levels of a chymotrypsin that was resistant to inhibition by NaPI [199]. However this NaPI-resistant chymotrypsin was strongly inhibited by a potato type 1 inhibitor which is also produced by solanaceous plants, but belongs to a different class of serine proteinase inhibitors. When presented to H. armigera larvae in an artificial diet the combination of NaPI and the potato type I inhibitor had a much more dramatic effect on growth and development of the larvae compared to either of the inhibitors alone (Figure 4). Figure 4. Percentage of Helicoverpa larval growth on day 11. This laboratory result was then translated to transgenic plants in the field. Transgenic cotton plants expressing both PI classes, NaPI and StPin1A performed better than transgenic cotton plants expressing either PI alone. The improved performance of the transgenic cotton plants with both PIs was measured by an increase in cotton boll number per plant and increased yield of lint at the end of the cotton growing season (Figure 5)[199]. Figure 5. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim as it discusses the effects of protease inhibitors (PIs) on insect larvae and their role in pest control through genetic modification of plants. While it mentions transgenic plants and their performance in managing pest populations, it does not address gene drive technology specifically nor its potential to control pests without pesticides. Therefore, the text doesn't corroborate or contrast the claim.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Smart fabrics are immune to wear and tear and last significantly longer than regular textiles. [SEP] Text: is commonly assumed that the brain’s neural coding strategies are adapted to the statistics of natural stimuli. Specifically, to maximize information transmission, a sensory neuron’s tuning function should effectively oppose the decaying stimulus spectral power, such that the neural response is temporally decorrelated (i. e. ‘whitened’). However, theory predicts that the structure of neuronal variability also plays an essential role in determining how coding is optimized. Here, we provide experimental evidence supporting this view by recording from neurons in early vestibular pathways during naturalistic self-motion. We found that central vestibular neurons displayed temporally whitened responses that could not be explained by their tuning alone. Rather, computational modeling and analysis revealed that neuronal variability and tuning were matched to effectively complement natural stimulus statistics, thereby achieving temporal decorrelation and optimizing information transmission. Taken together, our findings reveal a novel strategy by which neural variability contributes to optimized processing of naturalistic stimuli. fundamental challenge in neuroscience is to understand how the brain processes sensory information in order to generate accurate perception and guide appropriate behavioral responses. During everyday life, the inputs to our sensory systems have clearly defined statistical structures characterized by a pronounced decay in spectral power with increasing frequency (visual and auditory systems as reviewed in: Simoncelli and Olshausen, 2001; vestibular system: Carriot et al. , 2014). It is generally agreed that sensory pathways are adapted to the statistical properties of natural stimuli (Laughlin, 1981; Attneave, 1954; Barlow, 1961; Simoncelli and Olshausen, 2001; Olshausen and Field, 2004; Wark et al. , 2007). In this context, the brain is thought to optimize information transmission by removing the redundancy of (i. e. decorrelate) time-varying input, such that the spectral power of the resulting neuronal response is constant (i. e. are ‘whitened’; Srinivasan et al. , 1982; Atick and Redlich, 1990; Atick, 2011). Indeed, the fact that whitening has been reported in several early sensory pathways supports this idea (Dan et al. , 1996; Huang et al. , 2016). The prevailing view is that whitening at the single neuron level is achieved as a result of a precise match between tuning and stimulus statistics. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim as it discusses neural coding strategies and sensory information processing in the brain, with no mention of smart fabrics, wear and tear, or textiles. Therefore, it does not provide support or contrast to the claim being analyzed.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: The search for extraterrestrial life involves studying extremophiles on Earth. [SEP] Text: However, to call life forms perpetually metabolizing things would be a step too far. We’re all familiar with hibernation – in hedgehogs, for example. This is a state of reduced metabolic activity in cold weather. And there’s the related phenomenon of aestivation – reduced metabolic activity in hot dry weather, as is found in some Mediterranean snails. But these two states are eclipsed by a more extreme one called cryptobiosis (‘hidden life’), in which metabolism may be reduced to zero, or very nearly so. The best example of animals exhibiting cryptobiosis are the tiny invertebrates called tardigrades, or water bears. These have played an interesting role in astrobiology, as we’ll see later. So it’s appropriate that they should feature in our discussion here of the definition of life. When environmental conditions become too extreme for a tardigrade to maintain normal, active, rapidly metabolizing life, it converts itself into a static, low-or-zero metabolizing structure called a tun. Both this state and the normal active state are shown in Figure 1. 2. When conditions improve again, it can convert back from a tun into an active, mobile, metabolizing tardigrade. But this fact doesn’t really cause us difficulties of definition. As long as we stick with a view of organisms as ‘intrinsically metabolizing’ rather than ‘perpetually metabolizing’, then we’re ok. Figure 1. 2 Two forms of the tiny invertebrate called a tardigrade or water bear. Upper right: how the animal looks under benign environmental conditions, when it is active. Lower left: a tardigrade tun, which is a resistant, non-metabolizing form that the animal converts itself into under extreme environmental conditions such as very low temperatures or lack of water. If conditions become less extreme, the tun can revert to the active form. That was a quick look at ‘metabolism’. Now, what about reproduction? Cars don’t reproduce. Neither do rocks or clouds of smoke. Organisms do. Perhaps this is more straightforward, then, than the case of metabolism? Well, not entirely. Regrettably, not all adult humans can reproduce. But those who can’t are no less alive than those who can. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text discusses metabolic states in various organisms, specifically utilizing tardigrades as an example of extremophiles. However, it does not explicitly mention the search for extraterrestrial life or the relevance of studying extremophiles in that context, thus it is considered irrelevant to the claim.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: The majority of gene drive research is focused on controlling harmful species rather than enhancing beneficial ones. [SEP] Text: , 2017; Carboni et al. , 2021). It has been shown by Williamson's "tens rule" that one in ten introduced species becomes established, and one in ten established species becomes a problem (Jaric et al. , 2019). Despite the fact that the number of woody plant invasions throughout the world is increasing, just 0. 5–0. 7% of the world's shrub and tree species are considered to be invasive outside their natural range. , Richardson and Rejmanek (2011). There are two possible roles that invasive species might play in the process of environmental change: "drivers" or "passengers"(Pysek et al. , 2020; Linders et al. , 2019; Waller et al. , 2018). If they are drivers, they dominate the native diversity with their unique traits and mechanisms, but if they are passengers, they dominate the region as a consequence of anthropogenic causes like disturbances or habitat degradation. Either way, they affect the native biodiversity (Roy et al. , 2019 Young et al. , 2017). They are sometimes perceived as good indicators of land use change or disturbance in a region (Pyšek et al. , 2020; Miserendino et al. , 2011). Invasion hotspots are mostly characterized by vegetation with less tree cover (Padalia and Bahuguna, 2017). that become invasive are considered to be main direct drivers of biodiversity loss across the globe (Jaureguiberry et al. , 2022). Management of Exotic alien Species (EAS) Invasion is seen as major challenge in the field of biodiversity conservation. EAS, threaten ecosystems, destroy habitats and create problems for other native species through invasion. It is believed to be the second most important factor contributing to the endangerment and extinction of species. The ecological cost is often the irretrievable loss of native species and ecosystems. It also causes heavy economic loss, in terms of reduced crop and livestock production, reduced native biodiversity, increased production costs, and so forth. Species (EIS) are species, native to one area or region, that have been introduced into an area outside their normal distribution, either by accident or on purpose, and which have colonized or invaded their new home, threatening biological diversity, ecosystems, and habitats, and human wellbeing (Dyer et al. , 2017; Kumari and Choudhary, 2016; Thapa and Maharjan, 2014). [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text discusses the challenges posed by invasive species and their impact on biodiversity but does not mention gene drive research or its focus on either controlling harmful species or enhancing beneficial ones. Therefore, it does not provide relevant information to corroborate or contrast the claim.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Smart fabrics are immune to wear and tear and last significantly longer than regular textiles. [SEP] Text: Thus, we conclude that whitening occurs in stages: some decorrelation of naturalistic self-motion input is achieved by irregular afferents and further decorrelation of this input occurs as the level of central vestibular neurons. Figure 3 Download asset Open asset Temporal whitening of neuronal responses occurs sequentially throughout early vestibular pathways. (A) Normalized power spectra of natural stimuli (black), and neuronal responses of regular (blue), irregular afferents (red), and VO neurons (green). (B) Population-averaged whitening index values for regular afferents (blue, left), irregular afferents (red, middle), and VO neurons (green, right). Values for VO neurons were significantly higher than those of either regular or irregular afferents, while those of irregular afferents were significantly higher than those of regular afferents (one-way ANOVA, p < 0. 001, F(2,50)=24. 26). (C) Normalized autocorrelation functions of natural stimuli (black), and neuronal responses of regular (blue), irregular afferents (red), and VO neurons (green). (D) Population-averaged correlation time values for regular afferents (blue, left), irregular afferents (red, middle), and VO neurons (green, right). Values for VO neurons were significantly lower than those of either regular or irregular afferents, while those of irregular afferents were significantly lower than those of regular afferents (one-way ANOVA, p < 0. 001, F(2,50)=26. 68). The tuning properties of central vestibular neurons are not sufficient to explain whitening of naturalistic self-motion stimuli As described above, the prevailing view is that sensory pathways achieve whitening by matching neural tuning to stimulus statistics. Specifically, increases in the neuronal tuning function should effectively compensate for the decaying stimulus power spectrum, such that the response power spectrum is constant as a function of frequency (Figure 4A). To test whether whitening by central vestibular neurons can be explained based on their tuning properties, we first characterized their sensitivity to naturalistic self-motion as a function of frequency (Figure 4B, inset). We then used these tuning curves (i. e. sensitivity as a function of frequency) to predict the response power spectrum to naturalistic self-motion (see Figure 4A and Materials and methods). [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim about smart fabrics, as it discusses specific neuronal responses and sensory pathways related to vestibular functions, without any mention of textiles or their durability. Therefore, it does not support, contrast, or provide any relevant information regarding the claim about smart fabrics.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: The search for extraterrestrial life involves studying extremophiles on Earth. [SEP] Text: In bees and ants, there are whole castes that can’t reproduce – workers, for example. These are no less alive than reproductive drones and queens. Also, cases are known where two species occasionally interbreed, producing offspring that are typically sterile – such as the mule, a hybrid between a horse and a donkey. So, we have to use reproduction as a characteristic of a species rather than of every individual, in our attempts to draw a line between life and non-life. Now we come to the third attribute included in the RIM definition of life – inheritance. This applies to all life forms on Earth, though in different ways to some than to others. We humans are most familiar with the sort of inheritance that is associated with sexual reproduction, in which, as we can plainly see, offspring tend to resemble one or both parents more than they do other members of the overall population. Most other animal species have sexual reproduction, so the same phenomenon applies, even though, for example, we humans find it hard to distinguish degrees of similarity among different individual houseflies. Inheritance still applies in the world of asexual reproduction, which is much more common in bacteria and other microbes than it is in animals. A population of a particular kind of bacterium that reproduces in this way can be thought of us a collection of clones. Each parent, on its own, produces progeny that are genetically identical to itself, so the within-clone variation is zero at the level of the gene (unless a mutation occurs), and may be quite small at the level of the organism. In contrast, the between-clone variation is greater. Since clones are to all intents and purposes families, the situation regarding inheritance is broadly the same. Finally, we must be equally careful in deciding what entity to apply inheritance to, as we were in using the term reproduction. Inheritance applies to the relationship between generations, not to individual organisms taken alone. Of the three RIM attributes, metabolism is the only one that can be applied to individuals considered in isolation from other members of their family, population, or species. In summary, the RIM definition of life can be constructed something like this. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim because it discusses reproduction, inheritance, and definitions of life without mentioning extremophiles or the search for extraterrestrial life. It does not provide any information or context that supports or contradicts the claim about studying extremophiles to find extraterrestrial life.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Gene drives are still in the experimental stage, with concerns about their ecological impact if released into the wild. [SEP] Text: Skip to Content eLife home page your research Search by keyword or author Reset form my search to Feature 10. 7554/eLife. 03401 Open access Copyright information annotations (there are currently 0 annotations on this page). Share 46,927 views 7,310 downloads 634 3401. Copy to clipboard Download BibTeX Download. RIS 10. 7554/eLife. 03401. 001 numerous advances, the field of molecular biology has often struggled to address key biological problems affecting public health and the environment. Until recently, editing the genomes of even model organisms has been difficult. Moreover, altered traits typically reduce evolutionary fitness and are consequently eliminated by natural selection. This restriction has profoundly limited our ability to alter ecosystems through molecular biology. If we could develop a general method of ensuring that engineered traits would instead be favored by natural selection, then those traits could spread to most members of wild populations over many generations. This capability would allow us to address several major world problems, including the spread of insect-borne diseases, the rise of pesticide and herbicide resistance, and the agricultural and environmental damage wrought by invasive species. Scientists have long known of naturally occurring selfish genetic elements that can increase the odds that they will be inherited. This advantage allows them to spread through populations even if they reduce the fitness of individual organisms. Many researchers have suggested that these elements might serve as the basis for ‘gene drives’ capable of spreading engineered traits through wild populations (Craig et al. , 1960; Wood et al. , 1977; Sinkins and Gould, 2006; Burt and Trivers, 2009; Alphey, 2014). was the first to propose gene drives based on site-specific ‘homing’ endonuclease genes over a decade ago (Burt, 2003). These genes bias inheritance by cutting the homologous chromosome, inducing the cell to copy them when it repairs the break. Several efforts have focused on the possibility of using gene drives targeting mosquitoes to block malaria transmission (Scott et al. , 2002; Windbichler et al. , 2007, 2008, 2011; Li et al. , 2013a; Galizi et al. , 2014). However, development has been hindered by the difficulty of engineering homing endonucleases to cut new target sequences (Chan et al. , 2013a; Thyme et al. , 2013; Takeuchi et al. , 2014). [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by discussing the challenges faced in developing gene drives and highlighting the underlying difficulties in editing genomes of organisms. It mentions that despite the theoretical potential of gene drives, development has been hindered by engineering issues. This implies that gene drives remain in the experimental stage and acknowledges broader ecological concerns, as there is reference to limitations regarding fitness and natural selection affecting engineered traits.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Smart fabrics can diagnose and treat medical conditions without human intervention. [SEP] Text: How can smart contact lenses monitor and treat eye conditions? Published: October 4, 2022 More than 3 million people live with glaucoma in the United States, an eye disease that is the world’s second leading cause of blindness. is using his skills as a biomedical engineer to develop smart contact lenses that can both monitor the condition and deliver drugs to combat it. — the fraction of a drug that enters the body and has an active effect — a signal in living organisms that can be measured e. g. , heart rate — the transparent layer forming the front of the eye — an eye condition in which increased pressure within the eyeball can lead to an eventual loss of sight — an adjective describing something concerned with the eye or vision — an electronic device that can be comfortably worn on the body while performing a specific medical function Imagine wearing contact lenses that could not only monitor your eyes to check for diseases, but could also send reports to your doctor and administer drugs directly into your eyes to improve your condition, all while you are sat in the comfort of your own home. This futuristic-sounding type of healthcare could soon become a reality. Hwan Lee, associate professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering at Purdue University, is developing smart contact lenses that can do just that. Biomedical engineering lies at the heart of medical technology, where researchers collaborate with healthcare practitioners to develop new and innovative devices that can improve the lives of patients. Chi Hwan’s research group is designing wearable biomedical devices that can be attached to a patient’s eye or skin to monitor or treat specific health conditions. ? Wearable sensors can be tailored to monitor a range of physical (e. g. , pressure and strain), electrophysical (e. g. , heart and muscle activities) and electrochemical (e. g. , chemicals in blood or sweat) biosignals. For example, sensors attached to the skin under the chin could be used to monitor muscle activity in individuals suffering from swallowing disorders, and contact lenses could monitor ocular pressure in those suffering from glaucoma. As more than 3 million people live with glaucoma in the United States, and it is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, finding ways to monitor the condition is essential for medical research and patient welfare. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by discussing smart contact lenses that monitor and treat eye conditions, which suggests a reliance on human doctors to receive reports and administer treatment. It implies a level of human involvement, as patients would send reports to their doctors, countering the notion that smart fabrics can operate entirely without human intervention.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: The search for extraterrestrial life involves studying extremophiles on Earth. [SEP] Text: An entity is alive if (1) it has intrinsic metabolism; (2) it belongs to, or is descended from, a group (species) that reproduces sexually, asexually, or through a mixture of the two; and (3) there is inheritance of organismic features from one generation to the next. If it has none of these features, it is not alive. Now we get to the grey area mentioned above. What happens if an entity has one or two of these attributes, rather than zero or three? I’m quite confident that most entities on planet Earth can be classified as living or non-living on the basis of the RIM definition, as given above. However, there is an important exception: viruses. Are these entities tiny subcellular organisms, or very large and complex, but non-living, molecules? Most people think of them as being alive, but is this intuitive feeling justified? Viruses have no metabolism. At its simplest, a virus is a piece of hereditary material made of nucleic acid (sometimes DNA, sometimes RNA) wrapped in a protein coat. Its size is orders of magnitude less than that of a single cell. Viruses operate by entering host cells and hijacking their molecular machinery to make offspring viruses. It’s clear from this brief description that viruses have the R and the I of RIM, but not the M. So they possess two out of the three attributes of life. However, this statement has to be qualified in an important way. Viruses can’t reproduce outside of a living cell of their host organism, be it an animal, a plant, a fungus, or a microbe. So their reproduction, and hence their inheritance, is not intrinsic. Perhaps we could conclude that they score half, half, and zero on the RIM scale, thus giving them an overall score of one rather than two. Whatever exact score we give them, the conclusion is inescapable: viruses inhabit a grey area between life and non-life. A of searches for alien life in general, and intelligent alien life in particular, are very different endeavours. We’ve already seen that they involve different wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum, and consequently different designs of telescope. Searching for signatures of oxygen is centred on the visible and infrared parts of the spectrum. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text does not address the claim regarding the study of extremophiles on Earth in the search for extraterrestrial life. Instead, it delves into the characteristics of life, focusing on definitions and the case of viruses, which does not relate directly to the study of extremophiles. As such, the text is irrelevant to the claim.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Gene drives are still in the experimental stage, with concerns about their ecological impact if released into the wild. [SEP] Text: Attempts to build gene drives with more easily retargeted zinc-finger nucleases and TALENs suffered from instability due to the repetitive nature of the genes encoding them (Simoni et al. , 2014). The recent discovery and development of the RNA-guided Cas9 nuclease has dramatically enhanced our ability to engineer the genomes of diverse species. Originally isolated from ‘’ acquired immune systems in bacteria, Cas9 is a non-repetitive enzyme that can be directed to cut almost any DNA sequence by simply expressing a ‘guide RNA’ containing that same sequence. In little more than a year following the first demonstrations in human cells, it has enabled gene insertion, deletion, and replacement in many different species (Bassett et al. , 2013; Cho et al. , 2013; Cong et al. , 2013; DiCarlo et al. , 2013; Friedland et al. , 2013; Gratz et al. , 2013; Hu et al. , 2013; Hwang et al. , 2013; Jiang et al. , 2013a, 2013b; Jinek et al. , 2013; Li et al. , 2013b; Mali et al. , 2013c; Tan et al. , 2013; Upadhyay et al. , 2013; Wang et al. , 2013b). Building RNA-guided gene drives based on the Cas9 nuclease is a logical way to overcome the targeting and stability problems hindering gene drive development. Less obvious is the extent to which the unique properties of Cas9 are well-suited to overcoming other molecular and evolutionary challenges inherent to the construction of safe and functional gene drives. We submit that Cas9 is highly likely to enable scientists to construct efficient RNA-guided gene drives not only in mosquitoes, but in many other species. In addition to altering populations of insects to prevent them from spreading disease (Curtis, 1968), this advance would represent an entirely new approach to ecological engineering with many potential applications relevant to human health, agriculture, biodiversity, and ecological science. The first technical descriptions of endonuclease gene drives were provided by in his landmark proposal to engineer wild populations more than a decade ago (Burt, 2003). Any of the rapidly expanding number of laboratories with expertise in Cas9-mediated genome engineering could attempt to build a gene drive by substituting Cas9 for the homing endonucleases described in his proposal. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by discussing the current development of gene drives, particularly highlighting the challenges and innovations involved in building RNA-guided gene drives using the Cas9 nuclease. It mentions that these systems are still in the experimental phase, dealing with molecular and evolutionary challenges, which implies that there are ongoing concerns regarding their ecological impact and functionality in the wild.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Smart fabrics can diagnose and treat medical conditions without human intervention. [SEP] Text: 1126/sciadv. abn1772 A horse wearing a smart textile during the continuous monitoring of health conditions © : 10. 1002/adma. 202108021 Eyedrops and ointments that are traditionally used to administer ocular drugs have a very low bioavailability. Less than 5% of eyedrop medication reaches its target, as our eyes are designed to prevent foreign substances from entering. “This means larger or more frequent doses are required,” says Chi Hwan, “which burdens the patient and increases the risk of side effects such as blurred vision and discomfort. ” In response to this, has developed tear-soluble contact lenses equipped with biodegradable nanoneedles that can inject drugs directly into the required location. “When a patient inserts the contact lens, the nanoneedles penetrate the cornea in a minimally-invasive manner and then undergo gradual degradation over the course of several months while providing sustained, painless delivery of ocular drugs,” he explains. “The contact lens itself dissolves in tear fluid within a few minutes. ” These drug delivery contact lenses will be useful for treating chronic ocular diseases, such as glaucoma, as they will provide painless, long-term, sustained drug delivery to the patient’s eye. ? and the team are also designing other wearable biomedical devices. They are integrating electronics (such as heart rate sensors) into fabric textiles, creating fabrics that can monitor health conditions while also retaining their original wearability and breathability. A key condition of these electronic textiles is that they can be worn multiple times and can survive for multiple laundry cycles. These electronic textiles have recently been applied in a wearable biomedical device for horses. The team created a horse blanket containing multiple sensors that continuously monitor the horse’s heart rate, muscle activity and breathing rate. This allows the horse owner to monitor the horse’s health over long periods of time, whether they are galloping through a field or asleep in their stable. ? “My next steps will be to bring the research outcomes out of university and into clinical practice so many people can benefit from using our technologies,” says Chi Hwan. He hopes that, after extensive clinical trials, his wearable biomedical devices will become commercially available, enhancing and advancing the care of patients with a wide range of health conditions. . [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by detailing the development of wearable biomedical devices that monitor health conditions but do not explicitly state that they can diagnose or treat medical conditions without human intervention. Although it discusses electronic textiles integrated with sensors for monitoring purposes, it primarily focuses on monitoring health rather than diagnosing or providing treatment autonomously.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: The search for extraterrestrial life involves studying extremophiles on Earth. [SEP] Text: Among the primates, the great apes stand out, and among these, of course, humans represent an apex. Rather than pretend that it’s possible to create a cross-species numerical scale of intelligence, let’s simply acknowledge five broad-brush levels: zero (e. g. sponges), little if any (e. g. worms), some (e. g. jumping spiders), a lot (e. g. octopuses, crows, most mammals), and ‘high’ (humans). Counterparts of these may well eventually be found among the life forms of other planets, though there may also be a further category (‘very high’) on some of them, the nature of which we can only dimly conjecture. Now let’s poke further into the ‘high’ category here on Earth. Human tool-making is thought to have originated about three million years ago – in the form of stones fashioned for hammering and chopping. That was a significant milestone. Wheels and writing – two further important milestones – were invented thousands rather than millions of years ago. Telescopes were invented a few hundred years ago – around 1600, as we’ve already seen. And radio transmission was achieved in the years around 1900, with the Italian scientist being a key figure. Here’s an important caveat. The pattern of increasing sophistication of human inventions over time can’t be mapped directly to a pattern of increasing intelligence in time. Human brain size reached its present level more than 100,000 years ago. Brain size is a very blunt instrument, but even when more subtle aspects of the brain, such as its shape, are taken into account, the brains of members of our species – Homo sapiens – seem to have reached something resembling the present-day condition by about 50,000 years ago. Not only that, but the Neanderthals alive at that time had brains that were at least as big as ours. So humans of 50,000 years ago probably had an intelligence level not dissimilar to that of an average human alive today. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim as it discusses the intelligence levels of various life forms on Earth, particularly focusing on humans and their evolutionary milestones. There is no mention or connection made to extremophiles or the search for extraterrestrial life.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Gene drives are still in the experimental stage, with concerns about their ecological impact if released into the wild. [SEP] Text: Indeed, the well-recognized potential for gene drives to combat vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue virtually ensures that this strategy will eventually be attempted in mosquitoes. While considerable scholarship has been devoted to the question of how gene drives might be safely utilized in mosquitoes (Scott et al. , 2002; Touré et al. , 2004; Benedict et al. , 2008; Marshall, 2009; UNEP, 2010; Reeves et al. , 2012; David et al. , 2013; Alphey, 2014), few if any studies have examined the potential ecological effects of gene drives in other species. After all, constructing a drive to spread a particular genomic alteration in a given species was simply not feasible with earlier genome editing methods. Disconcertingly, several published gene drive architectures could lead to extinction or other hazardous consequences if applied to sensitive species, demonstrating an urgent need for improved methods of controlling these elements. After consulting with experts in many fields as well as concerned environmental organizations, we are confident that the responsible development of RNA-guided gene drive technology is best served by full transparency and early engagement with the public. Here we provide brief overviews of gene drives and Cas9-mediated genome engineering, detail the mechanistic reasons that RNA-guided gene drives are likely to be effective in many species, and outline probable capabilities and limitations. We further propose novel gene drive architectures that may substantially improve our control over gene drives and their effects, discuss possible applications, and suggest guidelines for the safe development and evaluation of this promising but as yet unrealized technology. A discussion of risk governance and regulation intended specifically for policymakers is published separately (Oye et al. , 2014). Natural gene drives In nature, certain genes ‘drive’ themselves through populations by increasing the odds that they will be inherited (Burt and Trivers, 2009). Examples include endonuclease genes that copy themselves into chromosomes lacking them (Burt and Koufopanou, 2004), segregation distorters that destroy competing chromosomes during meiosis (Lyttle, 1991), transposons that insert copies of themselves elsewhere in the genome (Charlesworth and Langley, 1989), Medea elements that eliminate competing siblings who do not inherit them (Beeman et al. , 1992; Chen et al. , 2007), and heritable microbes such as Wolbachia (Werren, 1997). [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by acknowledging that the development of gene drives is closely monitored and still in the experimental phase, as it discusses the considerable scholarship focused on how gene drives might be safely utilized, and expresses concerns regarding their ecological effects if applied to sensitive species. It emphasizes the urgent need for improved methods to control gene drives, highlighting ecological risks, which aligns directly with the concern presented in the claim.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Smart fabrics can diagnose and treat medical conditions without human intervention. [SEP] Text: Professor of and : : Developing wearable biomedical devices for the skin and eye : of Health (NIH), Foundation (NSF), Department of Defence (DOD), and engineering is a field that spans many disciplines, combining engineering, biology, medicine and healthcare. Biomedical engineers aim to solve health problems by developing new technologies for clinical use. “As a biomedical engineer, I enjoy spending every moment solving real-world problems by emphasising the importance of team science and interdisciplinary research,” says Chi Hwan. ? “Problems regarding human health and disease cannot be tackled by one discipline alone,” says Chi Hwan. “I work with collaborators in numerous fields: biomedical, mechanical and materials engineering; speech, language and hearing science; animal science; vision science; medicine… We also actively interact with clinicians, patients and caregivers to identify all aspects of the current challenges in clinical settings. These collaborations are extremely important as their feedback helps us to create patient-centred designs. ” Collaborations within and outside academia are vital for ensuring that any technology developed by biomedical engineers will meet the needs of the end-user. “I believe that the success of future biomedical engineers, and all scientists, requires an understanding of interdisciplinary collaborations,” says Chi Hwan. ? In the past, biomedical engineers have given us pacemakers, bionic limbs, hearing aids and MRI scanners. Current topics of research include 3D printing human organs for transplants and designing nano-robots that can enter the bloodstream and release drugs directly into cancerous cells. What new inventions will biomedical engineers develop in the future as technology advances? • Purdue University’s of (engineering. purdue. edu/BME ) runs a summer internship programme. Underrepresented students from local high schools can participate in paid opportunities to develop their interests in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). • Many research groups in the school also offer internship programmes for high school and undergraduate students, including Chi Hwan’s lab (engineering. purdue. edu/StickTronics ). Participating in such an internship will allow you to experience the work of biomedical engineers while contributing to research projects that are tackling problems facing human health. Contact biomedical engineers at universities near you to see if they offer similar opportunities. • hosts STEM outreach programmes designed for young female students, including the ‘Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day’ (IGED; www. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by discussing the role of biomedical engineers in developing technologies like wearable devices and treatments, emphasizing that human collaboration is critical in addressing health challenges. It notes that innovations, such as nano-robots that target cancer cells, still rely on the involvement of various professionals across disciplines to design and implement solutions tailored to medical needs, which implies that human intervention remains necessary despite advancements in technology.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: The search for extraterrestrial life involves studying extremophiles on Earth. [SEP] Text: Marconi’s ability to send radio signals across the Atlantic in the early twentieth century was probably not so much a consequence of human evolution in the last 50,000 years as it was a consequence of being able to build on a wide range of discoveries and inventions that had taken place in previous history, and on the prediction of radio waves by the Scottish physicist Maxwell in the 1860s. It’s important to keep in mind this point that the mapping of the level of technology of a society to the level of intelligence of its members is complex. However, it’s also important to be pragmatic when trying to come up with a working definition. I’m going to use the ability to send and receive radio waves as indicating that a certain threshold of intelligence has been reached, because searches of a SETI type are largely conducted using radio, and the only beings we’ll detect by conducting these searches are those who can send out powerful signals (radio or possibly laser) into space. The relevant intelligence threshold may have been reached thousands of years earlier, but that’s not important from a practical perspective. Questions We’ve now considered what we’re looking with – telescopes plus various associated techniques including spectroscopy. And we’ve also thought carefully about what we’re looking for – both life in general, as defined by reproduction, inheritance and metabolism, and intelligent life with advanced technology in particular, as defined by the ability to send and receive radio signals. Our final job, before venturing out into the cosmos to take its measure, is to be clear about the key questions we’re asking in our endeavour to understand what has sometimes been called ‘the biological universe’. There are two of these questions, or perhaps more accurately two groups of questions, as follows. First, a group that I think of as being about the geography of alien life. These are questions about distribution in space. For example: Is life only found on planets orbiting stars, or might it be found in other places too, such as rogue planets (which don’t orbit anything) or moons, which orbit planets? Where is the closest life – and the closest intelligent life – to us? How many inhabited bodies are there, at various levels of spatial scale from the solar system through the galaxy to the universe as a whole? Are there planetary systems in which more than one planet is inhabited? [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text focuses on the technological advancements related to detecting extraterrestrial life, particularly the ability to send and receive radio signals. It does not mention extremophiles on Earth or how studying them relates to the search for extraterrestrial life, making it irrelevant to the claim.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Gene drives are still in the experimental stage, with concerns about their ecological impact if released into the wild. [SEP] Text: , 2014). The progressively dwindling number of females will culminate in a population crash or extinction (Craig et al. , 1960; Lyttle, 1977; Burt, 2003; Schliekelman et al. , 2005; Deredec et al. , 2008, 2011; North et al. , 2013; Burt, 2014). Whether a standard gene drive will spread through a target population depends on molecular factors such as homing efficiency, fitness cost, and evolutionary stability (Marshall and Hay, 2012); only the rate of spread is determined by the mating dynamics, generation time, and other characteristics of the target population. In contrast, models suggest that the deleterious and complex effects of genetic load and sex-biasing suppression drives render them more sensitive to population-specific ecological variables such as density-dependent selection (Burt, 2003; Schliekelman et al. , 2005; Huang et al. , 2007; Deredec et al. , 2008; Marshall, 2009; Yahara et al. , 2009; Deredec et al. , 2011; Alphey and Bonsall, 2014). No engineered endonuclease gene drive capable of spreading through a wild population has yet been published. However, the Crisanti and Russell laboratories have constructed gene drives that can only spread through laboratory mosquito (Windbichler et al. , 2011) and fruit fly (Chan et al. , 2011; Simoni et al. , 2014) populations that have been engineered to contain the endonuclease cut site. and Crisanti laboratories are attempting to build a male-biasing suppression drive using an endonuclease that serendipitously cuts a conserved sequence repeated hundreds of times in the X chromosome of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae (Windbichler et al. , 2007, 2008; Galizi et al. , 2014). If successful, their work promises to substantially reduce the population of this important malaria vector. All engineered gene drives based on homing endonucleases cut the natural recognition site of the relevant enzyme. Despite early hopes, it has proven difficult to engineer homing endonucleases to cleave new target sequences. Numerous laboratories have sought to accomplish this goal for well over a decade with only a few recent successes (Chan et al. , 2013a; Thyme et al. , 2013; Takeuchi et al. , 2014). [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by discussing the experimental status of gene drives, stating that no engineered endonuclease gene drive capable of spreading through a wild population has yet been published. This indicates that gene drives remain in the experimental stage. The discussion about the sensitivity of gene drives to population-specific ecological variables and the potential difficulties in developing functional gene drives based on homing endonucleases further supports concerns about their ecological impact if released into the wild.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: These cells have potential applications in wastewater treatment for energy generation. [SEP] Text: Immobilized cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) bud peroxidase (CBP) on calcium alginate gel beads in dye color removalSynthetic dyes are difficult to remove from effluents by conventional biological processes as they are highly stable and resistant to microbial attack [71]. Although physico-chemical methods are available for dye color removal but being expensive finds limited application [72]. Another concern of such approaches are the generation of intermediates and end products that are carcinogenic and mostly more toxic than the dyes per se. Approaches utilizing biodegradative abilities of some white rot fungi and peroxidases from vegetable sources seems promising [73, 74]. Owing to their extracellular nonspecific free radical-based enzymatic system, they can completely eliminate a variety of xenobiotics as well as synthetic dyes, giving rise to nontoxic compounds [75, 76]. B. oleracea popularly known as cauliflower is widely planted in tropical areas and consumed as vegetables and has earlier been shown by our group to be significantly effective in decolorizing synthetic recalcitrant dye. Salt fractionated immobilized CBP with lectin was entrapped into calcium alginate-pectin beads [77]. Peroxidases in conjunction with hydrogen peroxide can act on specific recalcitrant pollutants to remove them either by precipitation or transformation to often innocuous products. They can change the characteristics of a given waste rendering it more amenable for treatment [78]. Their catalytic action is extremely efficient and selective as opposed to chemical catalysts due to higher reaction rates, milder reaction conditions (relatively low temperature and in the entire aqueous phase pH range) and greater stereo-specificity [79]. Though much attention has been paid in the utilization of biocatalysts in several fields, their involvement has been felt very recently in solving the environmental problems [80, 81]. Soluble enzymes have inherent limitations of losing catalytic potential due structural variations influenced by the complexity of effluents. Immobilization is a way out to improve their catalytic characteristics with enhancement in their reusability. Different polymeric materials have been employed for encapsulation of enzymes and their ability in treating the effluents containing pollutants [82, [83]. However, appropriate selection of encapsulation material specific to the enzyme and optimization of process conditions is still under intensive investigation. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by discussing the application of immobilized cauliflower bud peroxidase in dye color removal and its enzymatic systems that can help in treating pollutants, but it does not support the assertion that these cells have potential applications specifically for energy generation. Instead, it focuses on detoxifying wastewater through the elimination of synthetic dyes, which is a different application.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: The search for extraterrestrial life involves studying extremophiles on Earth. [SEP] Text: Second, a group of questions that I think of as being about the biology of alien life. These are questions about the nature of life forms, wherever they are found. For example: Is life usually (or always) based on carbon? Is it usually dependent on water? Is life usually made of cells or cell-like units? Are large life forms common, and do they usually arise from the evolution of multicellularity rather than by some other means? Are there features of large multicellular life forms that are to be expected to occur widely across multiple planets, for example skeletons? How does intelligent life arise from unintelligent beginnings, and are there parallels in the evolution of intelligence from one planet to another? Although these two groups of questions are reasonably distinct from each other, they are not without overlap and interaction, as I mentioned earlier. For example, by now we are fairly sure that, Earth aside, there are no multicellular life forms in the solar system, even though the possibility of microbial life having evolved on some local body – for example Jupiter’s moon Europa or Saturn’s moon Enceladus – remains a possibility, as we’ll see in 5. In contrast, it seems highly probable that there are plenty of rocky bodies scattered across our galaxy that have large life forms as well as microbes. Some authors have argued against this – notably the American scientists in their 2000 book Rare Earth. These authors argued that Earth possessed a combination of unique features that was unlikely to be replicated elsewhere. However, that was before the discovery of Earth-like exoplanets, and their argument no longer seems tenable. As we proceed, these two groups of questions – about the geography and biology of alien life – will always both be at least in the background. In particular 1. 1 Detecting gases in exoplanet atmospheres. Left: amount of light received by a space telescope when the planet is ‘off to one side’ from our perspective. Right: amount of light received when the planet is in a direct line between its host star and the Earth. Note the dip in the amount of light received at a particular wavelength in the right-hand panel. If instead of looking at this graph you were looking at the light itself, after it had been split into its various colours by a prism, you would see a dark band at the wavelength (= colour) concerned. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text does not directly address the claim regarding the study of extremophiles on Earth in relation to extraterrestrial life. Instead, it discusses general questions about the biology and nature of alien life, including the possibility of microbial life elsewhere in the solar system, but does not mention extremophiles specifically. Therefore, it is deemed irrelevant to the claim.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Gene drives are still in the experimental stage, with concerns about their ecological impact if released into the wild. [SEP] Text: Incomplete cutting was a problem for the homing endonuclease drive constructed in transgenic mosquitoes (72% cutting) and also for the homing endonuclease, zinc-finger nuclease, and TALEN drives in fruit flies (37%, 86%, and 70% cutting) (Windbichler et al. , 2011; Chan et al. , 2013b; Simoni et al. , 2014). The simplest way to increase cutting is to target multiple adjacent sequences. However, this is impractical for homing endonucleases and quite difficult for zinc-finger nucleases and TALENs, as each additional sequence requires a new nuclease protein to be engineered or evolved and then co-expressed. In contrast, the RNA-guided Cas9 nuclease can be readily directed to cleave additional sequences by expressing additional guide RNAs (Figure 4). The sequences of these additional guide RNAs can be altered so as to avoid creating unstable repeats within the drive cassette (Nishimasu et al. , 2014; Simoni et al. , 2014). Including more guides has been demonstrated to improve upon already high rates of cutting. For example, fruit flies expressing both Cas9 and guide RNAs in their germline exhibited target cutting rates exceeding 85–99% in males for four out of six tested guide RNAs (Kondo and Ueda, 2013). The two least effective guide RNAs individually cut at rates exceeding 12% and 56%, but exhibited cutting rates above 91% when combined. Using more than two guide RNAs should further enhance cutting. The notable success of Cas9-based genome engineering in many different species, including studies that targeted every gene in the genome (Shalem et al. , 2014; Wang et al. , 2014), demonstrates that most sequences can be efficiently targeted independent of species and cell type. Thus, RNA-guided gene drives should be capable of efficiently cutting any given gene. Figure 4 with 3 supplements see all Download asset Open asset Technical advantages of RNA-guided gene drives. Clockwise from lower left: The targeting flexibility of Cas9 permits the exclusive selection of target sequences with few potential off-targets in the genome. Targeting multiple sites increases the cutting frequency and hinders the evolution of drive resistant alleles, which must accumulate mutations at all of the sites. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text supports the claim by discussing the technical challenges and developmental aspects of gene drives, such as the issues with homing endonucleases and the complexity of engineering multiple guide RNAs for effective cutting. This implies that while there are advancements in gene drives like RNA-guided Cas9 nucleases, these methodologies still face significant hurdles and are not yet fully realized, aligning with the assertion that gene drives are still in the experimental stage.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Microbial fuel cells will soon power the majority of household electricity needs. [SEP] Text: Therefore, the objective of this thesis was to determine, quantify and maximize the benefits resulting from the synergy between and MFCs. To address the objectives of this study two different experimental designs were considered: pilot-scale and lab-scale CW-MFCs. Results showed that continuous flow regime and planted wetlands generate higher redox gradients through the bed gravel than unplanted wetlands operated under discontinuous flow regime. CW-MFCs performed to a better extent under the presence of a HUSB reactor as primary treatment when compared to conventional settling. More precisely, the presence of HUSB reactor stimulated the presence of exoelectrogenic bacteria in anodic biofilms. Optimal cathode to anode surface ratio was that of 4:1. In order to maximize CW-MFCs performance, the cathode shall be placed semi-submerged within the water and kept at a distance of ca. 10 cm from the anode. Overall, even under these optimal wetlands and MFC operational and design conditions the energy produced by CW-MFCs would only cover between the 3 and the 14% of the total energy requirements of a CW treatment plant. Therefore, energy surplus provided by CW-MFCs, yet interesting, is not its most advantageous feature. In terms of CW-MFCs environmental applications, MFCs showed the capacity to improve CWs treatment efficiency. Organic matter effluent concentration for connected CW-MFCs was significantly lower either in terms of total or soluble COD than unconnected CW-MFCs. Furthermore, CW-MFCs showed potential for COD assessment. Although results indicate that linear relationships can be established between both parameters, several factors can affect the precision, repeatability and operational stability of the sensor. Therefore, other alternatives such as its utilization as qualitative response tools should be considered for biosensor CW-MFCs. Finally, CW-MFCs also showed potential as a tool for indirect, continuous clogging assessment. In terms of the environmental impacts associated to the implementation of MFCs, CW system coupled with graphite-based anode MFC appeared as the most environmentally friendly solution which could reduce CW both surface requirements and system footprint (by around 20%). Also CW systems coupled with high performance MFCs would be competitive with conventional CWs in terms of costs. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by stating that even under optimal conditions, the energy produced by CW-MFCs (constructed wetlands microbial fuel cells) would only cover between 3 and 14% of the total energy requirements of a constructed wetland treatment plant. This indicates that while MFCs have potential benefits and applications, they are not on the verge of powering a majority of household electricity needs.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: The search for extraterrestrial life involves studying extremophiles on Earth. [SEP] Text: Such a dip (or band) is interpreted as the result of absorption by a particular gas in the planet’s atmosphere, and is known as an absorption band. Since different gases have different patterns of absorption centred on different wavelengths – in other words different ‘signatures’ – they can be identified. Some gases, notably oxygen, are regarded as biosignatures. As we will see later (in 1. 2 Two forms of the tiny invertebrate called a tardigrade or water bear. Upper right: how the animal looks under benign environmental conditions, when it is active. Lower left: a tardigrade tun, which is a resistant, non-metabolizing form that the animal converts itself into under extreme environmental conditions such as very low temperatures or lack of water. If conditions become less extreme, the tun can revert to the active form. You have by Loading. . . [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text does not address the claim about studying extremophiles to search for extraterrestrial life. Instead, it discusses gas absorption in planetary atmospheres and mentions tardigrades, but does not connect these points to extremophiles or the search for alien life.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Gene drives are still in the experimental stage, with concerns about their ecological impact if released into the wild. [SEP] Text: But if half a dozen or even a dozen design-build-test cycles are sufficient to produce moderately efficient gene drives, many molecular biology laboratories around the world will soon be capable of engineering wild populations. Box 1 Could gene drives alter human populations? Not unless we wait for many centuries. Even in a hypothetical future in which human germline editing was considered safe and ethical, a driven alteration would be only four times as abundant as a non-driven alteration a full century after the birth of an edited human. This assumes future generations would not elect to remove the drive. Whole-genome sequencing - a technology that is available in many modern hospitals and is widely expected to be ubiquitous in the near future - is quite capable of detecting the presence of any gene drive if we decide to look. Gene drive limitations Given their potentially widespread availability, it will be essential to develop a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental limitations of genetic drive systems. First and most important, gene drives require many generations to spread through populations. Once transgenic organisms bearing the gene drive are constructed in the laboratory, they must be released into the wild to mate with wild-type individuals in order to begin the process of spreading the drive through the wild population. The total time required to spread to all members depends on the number of drive-carrying individuals that are released, the generation time of the organism, the efficiency of homing, the impact of the drive on individual fitness, and the dynamics of mating and gene flow in the population, but in general it will take several dozen generations (Burt, 2003; Huang et al. , 2007; Deredec et al. , 2008; Marshall, 2009; Yahara et al. , 2009; Deredec et al. , 2011). Thus, drives will spread very quickly in fast-reproducing species but only slowly in long-lived organisms. Second, gene drives cannot affect species that exclusively practice asexual reproduction through clonal division or self-fertilization. This category includes all viruses and bacteria as well as most unicellular organisms. Highly efficient standard drives might be able to slowly spread through populations that employ a mix of sexual and asexual reproduction, such as certain plants, but drives intended to suppress the population would presumably force target organisms to reproduce asexually in order to avoid suppression. Third, drive-mediated genome alterations are not permanent on an evolutionary timescale. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by emphasizing that gene drives require many generations to spread through populations and that the release of transgenic organisms into the wild is necessary for the drive to spread. It further states that although gene drives may become relatively widespread, there are still significant limitations and concerns regarding their ecological impact in different species and reproduction methods. This aligns with the assertion that gene drives remain experimental and underscores the need for comprehensive understanding before any release.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Microbial fuel cells will soon power the majority of household electricity needs. [SEP] Text: Per assolir els objectius d'aquest estudi s'han utilitzat dos dissenys experimentals diferents: PCM-AC implementades en sistemes a escala pilot i a escala de laboratori. Els resultats obtinguts demostren que el flux hidràulic continu i els aiguamolls plantats generen gradients redox superiors en el llit de grava quan es comparen amb els aiguamolls no-plantats operats en flux discontinu. A més a més, les PCM-AC generen corrents elèctrics superiors quan el tractament primari aplicat és el reactor HUSB en comparació al decantador convencional. La relació òptima de superfície càtode : ànode obtinguda és de 4:1. Finalment, per tal de maximitzar el potencial de les PCM-AC, cal situar el càtode en posició semi-submergida i a una distància de 10 cm de l'ànode. Tot i això, quan s'apliquen les condicions d'operació dels AC i l'arquitectura de les PCM òptima, l'energia produïda per les PCM-AC pot cobrir només entre el 3 i el 14% d'una planta de tractament d'aigua residual constituïda per aiguamolls construïts. Així doncs, tot i que l'energia generada per les PCM-AC constitueix un resultat positiu, no esdevé el benefici principal. En termes de les seves aplicacions ambientals, les PCM-AC han demostrat poder millorar la capacitat de tractament dels AC. La concentració de matèria orgànica a l'efluent de les PCM-AC connectades fou significativament inferior que a l'efluent dels sistemes no connectats. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by stating that while PCM-AC systems generate electrical currents and show positive results, the energy produced can only cover between 3 and 14% of a wastewater treatment facility's needs. This indicates that microbial fuel cells, at least in the context provided, are not capable of meeting the majority of household electricity needs.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Life on Earth originated around 3.5 billion years ago, suggesting early life is possible elsewhere. [SEP] Text: Cite this book. . Life on a Young Planet: Years of Evolution on Earth, Princeton: Press, 2015. Knoll, A. (2015). Life on a Young Planet: Years of Evolution on Earth. Princeton: Press. Knoll, A. 2015. Life on a Young Planet: Years of Evolution on Earth. Princeton: Press. Knoll, Andrew H. . Life on a Young Planet: Years of Evolution on Earth. Princeton: Press, 2015. Knoll A. Life on a Young Planet: Years of Evolution on Earth. Princeton: Press; 2015. Copied to clipboard Copy to clipboard Download: by Press 2015 Purchase book Life on a of Evolution on Earth - Andrew H. contributions by: Andrew H. Knoll in the series Library Cite this Share this this book Australopithecines, dinosaurs, trilobites--such fossils conjure up images of lost worlds filled with vanished organisms. But in the full history of life, ancient animals, even the trilobites, form only the half-billion-year tip of a nearly four-billion-year iceberg. explores the deep history of life from its origins on a young planet to the incredible Cambrian explosion, presenting a compelling new explanation for the emergence of biological novelty. The very latest discoveries in paleontology--many of them made by the author and his students--are integrated with emerging insights from molecular biology and earth system science to forge a broad understanding of how the biological diversity that surrounds us came to be. Moving from Siberia to Namibia to the Bahamas, Knoll shows how life and environment have evolved together through Earth's history. Innovations in biology have helped shape our air and oceans, and, just as surely, environmental change has influenced the course of evolution, repeatedly closing off opportunities for some species while opening avenues for others. Readers go into the field to confront fossils, enter the lab to discern the inner workings of cells, and alight on Mars to ask how our terrestrial experience can guide exploration for life beyond our planet. Along the way, Knoll brings us up-to-date on some of science's hottest questions, from the oldest fossils and claims of life beyond the Earth to the hypothesis of global glaciation and Knoll's own unifying concept of ''permissive ecology. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text does not provide a clear stance on the claim regarding the origin of life on Earth or its implications for life elsewhere. It mentions the deep history of life and references fossils and environmental changes without explicitly addressing the age of life on Earth or supporting the possibility of early life elsewhere.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Gene drives are still in the experimental stage, with concerns about their ecological impact if released into the wild. [SEP] Text: While gene drives can spread traits through populations even if they are costly to each individual organism, harmful traits will eventually be outcompeted by more fit alleles after the drive has gone to fixation. Highly deleterious traits may be eliminated even more quickly, with non-functional versions appearing in large numbers even before the drive and its cargo can spread to all members of the population. Even when the trait is perfectly linked to the drive mechanism, the selection pressure favoring the continued function of Cas9 and the guide RNAs will relax once the drive reaches fixation. Maintaining deleterious traits within a population indefinitely is likely to require scheduled releases of new RNA-guided gene drives to periodically overwrite the broken versions in the environment. Fourth, our current knowledge of the risk management (Scott et al. , 2002; Touré et al. , 2004; UNEP, 2010; McGraw and O’Neill, 2013; Alphey, 2014) and containment (Benedict et al. , 2008; Marshall, 2009) issues associated with gene drives is largely due to the efforts of researchers focused on mosquito-borne illnesses. Frameworks for evaluating ecological consequences are similarly focused on mosquitoes (David et al. , 2013) and the few other organisms for which alternative genetic biocontrol methods have been considered (Dana et al. , 2014). While these examples provide an invaluable starting point for investigations of RNA-guided gene drives targeting other organisms, studies examining the particular drive, population, and associated ecosystem in question will be needed. Box 2 Could gene drives alter domesticated animals or crops? In theory they could, though probably not without the permission of the farmers, scientists and breeders who typically monitor reproduction. For example, genetic records and artificial insemination are so common among cattle and other domesticated animals that it would be exceedingly difficult for a gene drive to spread through any of these species. Seed farms play a similar role for crops. Long generation times will represent a further barrier for many domesticated species. In general, our expectation is that beneficial applications are more likely to involve the alteration of weeds and insect pest populations rather than the crops themselves. Safeguards and control strategies Given the potential for gene drives to alter entire wild populations and therefore ecosystems, the development of this technology must include robust safeguards and methods of control (Oye et al. , 2014). Whereas existing gene drive proposals focus on adding genes (Ito et al. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by discussing the complexities and challenges associated with gene drives, highlighting the need for risk management and ecological consequence evaluation. It emphasizes that the current understanding of gene drives largely arises from research on mosquito-borne illnesses and that there are significant concerns about their potential impact on ecosystems, necessitating robust safeguards and methods of control before their potential application. This implies that the technology is still under examination and not fully deployed in practical scenarios, aligning with the claim about gene drives being in an experimental stage.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Microbial fuel cells will soon power the majority of household electricity needs. [SEP] Text: Scaling up microbial fuel cells to clean wastewater and produce electricity Engineering & 23, 2023 Securing clean, sustainable water and energy supplies is a critical issue worldwide. Wastewater treatment plants currently rely on energy-heavy processes to help microbes digest organic matter. Fischer and his team at HES-SO in Switzerland use electrogenic bacteria in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to convert energy from sewage into electricity. The team has successfully upscaled previous work to produce a 1,000-litre MFC, which could significantly reduce treatment plants’ energy consumption and operating costs. They believe MFCs have potential to power many everyday electronic items in remote locations and areas without infrastructure. Keeping the world supplied with clean water is an expensive business, currently relying on processes that consume large amounts of energy. But what if we could harness natural sources of electricity to make the process more efficient? Bioelectricity occurs when living things acquire energy from organic sources and convert it into an electrical output. Common examples include the bioluminescence produced by fireflies to attract a mate during a summer night, or the discharge used by electric eels to stun their prey. As well as these visible phenomena, many microorganisms can also generate bioelectricity, but in such minuscule amounts that a large microbial colony is needed before their output can be measured. For several years, a team led by Fischer at HES-SO Valais, Switzerland, has been investigating the potential of microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which use cultured electrogenic bacteria to generate bioelectricity. Water supply and wastewater purification consume 1–2% of Switzerland’s electricity output. The team came up with their method of harnessing the electrical energy produced by MFCs to minimise the costs and energy expenditure of wastewater treatment plants. While the electrogenic microbes also require aeration to thrive, their metabolic activity would result in the net production of useful electrical energy that could be used to cover, at least in part, the energy requirements of the water treatment plant. The researchers maintain that, if properly harnessed, the electricity from microbial fuel cells could also be used to charge batteries for cars, computers, and other electronic devices, as well as saving energy for wastewater operators today. The researchers started their venture by originally designing small prototype reactors that ranged from 20 to 250 ml. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by discussing the current applications and limitations of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). It highlights that while MFCs have potential to generate electricity, notably for wastewater treatment plants and small electronic items in remote areas, there is no indication that they will meet the majority of household electricity needs. The text emphasizes the efficiency improvements for wastewater treatment rather than a widespread application for powering households.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Life on Earth originated around 3.5 billion years ago, suggesting early life is possible elsewhere. [SEP] Text: Knoll's book will appeal to anyone interested in the evolution of life on Earth. ""This is not a textbook but rather a story, giving one person's view of how the jigsaw pieces fit together. It is written in flowing prose with many asides, personal anecdotes and explanations of what evidence there is and how it is used. . . . [F]or ecologists the book has much to offer in putting the early evolution of life into perspective. ""The author weaves a beautifully written, fascinating story of life's origin and development based on his extensive field studies and research in the most remote corners of the globe. . . . This volume. . . is a most valuable asset that should be read by scientists active in the field, by teachers and students who are interested in the most recent thoughts on the subject, and, in fact, by anyone who is interested in how life might have originated and evolved on this planet or on other similar planets in our Universe. "---Nathan Dubowsky, & Films"A detective story to match the best crime fiction. It is told withverve. "---Paul Nettleton, The Guardian"Knoll is well placed to tell this amazing story, and he does so with verve. "---Douglas Palmer, New Scientist"A balanced, excellent account of current theories and discussions of the origin and early evolution of life. . . . Knoll is able to convey difficult scientific issues with a minimum of jargon, using a brisk and witty prose. . . He is a gifted storyteller with a knack for choosing the right anecdote. . . . A browse through Knoll's book will enlighten both the cognoscenti and those unfamiliar with the complexities of reading a fossil record. . . . Knoll manages to present a multidisciplinary field in an interdisciplinary volume. "---Antonio Lazcano, American Scientist"Life on a stands apart from it predecessors in two fundamental respects. First, Knoll is perhaps the most qualified person to write such an epic: a renaissance man whose text is filled with insightful quotes from authors ranging from Darwin to Dickins to Dyson. . . . Second. . . this book describes the coevolution of life on Earth as an integrated biochemical system that has profoundly and irrevocably changed over time. "---Guy M. Narbonne, Science"is an ideal guide through this early phase of life's history on the Earth. . . . [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text does not directly address the claim regarding the origin of life on Earth being around 3.5 billion years ago or suggest early life is possible elsewhere. Instead, it focuses on a narrative description of a book about the evolution of life and presents opinions from various reviewers about its storytelling and educational value. Therefore, it is irrelevant to the claim.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Gene drives are still in the experimental stage, with concerns about their ecological impact if released into the wild. [SEP] Text: The previously described genetic load and sex-biasing drives (Burt, 2003) could potentially lead to extinction (Deredec et al. , 2008, 2011). While this outcome may be necessary to achieve compelling goals such as the eradication of malaria, other situations may call for more refined methods. Here we outline a handful of alternative architectures that would provide greater control over the extent of population suppression. Chemical approaches to population control might utilize ‘sensitizing drives’ to render target organisms vulnerable to a particular molecule using one of three strategies (Figure 6). First, a sensitizing drive might reverse known mutations that confer resistance to existing pesticides or herbicides. Second, it might carry a prodrug-converting enzyme (Schellmann et al. , 2010) that would render a prodrug molecule toxic to organisms that express it. Third, it could swap a conserved gene for a version that is strongly inhibited by a particular small molecule. Because sensitizing drives would have no effect in the absence of their associated molecule – and in some cases vice versa – they could grant very fine control over the geography and extent of population suppression with minimal ecological risk. Figure 6 with 3 supplements see all Download asset Open asset Controlling population suppression. Previously proposed genetic load and meiotic suppression drives spread without limit and may incur a substantial risk of extinction. Alternative gene drive types might be used to grant finer control over the extent of suppression. ‘Sensitization drives’ would be harmless save for conferring vulnerability to a particular chemical, which could then be used as a population-specific pesticide. Evolutionarily ‘unstable drives’ would place a limit on the average number of drive copying events and thus the extent of population suppression. ‘Interacting drives’ would initiate suppression only upon encountering a specific genetic signature in the population, in this case a different gene drive. The combination would create a sterile-daughter effect (Figure 6—figure supplement 1) capable of continuing suppression for several generations. Finally, an immunizing drive could protect a subpopulation from a full genetic load or male-biasing suppression drive employed elsewhere. Interacting drive and immunizing drive approaches would be effective on very large populations spread across substantial geographic areas (Figure 6—figure supplement 2) while suffering from correspondingly reduced geographic resolution and greater ecological risk (Figure 6—figure supplement 3). [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by discussing various gene drive methods, including their potential ecological impacts. It emphasizes that while certain gene drives could provide fine control over population suppression, there are substantial risks of ecological consequences, such as extinction, associated with previously proposed drives. The mention of reduced ecological risk with sensitizing drives and the acknowledgment of ecological concerns with other drive types supports the idea that gene drives are still in the experimental stage and highlight ongoing concerns regarding their ecological impact.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Microbial fuel cells will soon power the majority of household electricity needs. [SEP] Text: A simple and innovative concept Electrogenic microbes settle spontaneously on the electrodes of MFCs, forming biofilms on their surface. Here the microbial colonies break down impurities dissolved in wastewater to convert this metabolic energy into useful electricity. While a simple concept, practical considerations need to be overcome to translate the project into a viable solution for the modern world’s energy needs. A single MFC can only produce a maximum voltage of 0. 5 V and several MFCs have to be connected to achieve higher voltages. Wastewater plants currently rely on processes that use large amounts of energy: Fischer’s work on microbial fuel cells could be the answer. In 2018, Fischer and his collaborators published a study describing the construction of a 12-litre MFC stack made of 12 connected MFC units. The 12-unit stack, assembled from four triple MFC modules, was able to charge three polymer lithium batteries at once. The investigation of this setup acted as a first significant milestone towards scaling up MFCs for wastewater-treatment-based electricity generation. The most significant step towards this target to date was taken with the publication of another study in 2021 by Fischer and his team in which they reported their successful design of a 1,000-litre MFC from 64 MFC units that could generate electricity while purifying wastewater. The interdisciplinary work and persistence of Fischer’s team has been instrumental in constructing the scale-up reactor and its use in the last few years, especially when considering that the researchers started their venture by originally designing small prototype reactors that ranged from just 20 to 250 ml. MFC unit (right)has eight electrodes and the cart (top) has 16 MFC units. The reactor is controlled by a commanding computer. The team has upscaled previous work to create a 1,000-litre microbial fuel cell under a wastewater treatment plant in Sion, Switzerland. Scaling up: a success story The 2021 study outlines how the team overcame these challenges, to build the 1000-litre MFC in the underground facility of a wastewater treatment plant in Sion, Switzerland. During the planning stage that preceded the construction of the 12m-long reactor, the researchers employed state-of-the-art computer aided design. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by discussing the limitations of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) in generating sufficient electricity for widespread use. It mentions that a single MFC can only produce a maximum voltage of 0.5 V and that multiple MFCs must be connected to achieve higher voltages. Moreover, it highlights the practical considerations that need to be resolved before MFCs can be scaled up to meet modern energy demands, indicating that while research is progressing, MFCs are not yet a viable solution for powering household electricity needs.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Life on Earth originated around 3.5 billion years ago, suggesting early life is possible elsewhere. [SEP] Text: [O]ne of the strengths of Knoll's book is that it presents science as the open-ended endeavor that it is. . . . Life on a. . . expresses better than most the bumptious vitality and sheer fun of open-minded research. "---Stefan Bengtson, Nature"In a book so well written that nonspecialists and specialists alike will find much to savor, [Knoll] captures both the excitement of scientific discovery and the intricacies of scientific interpretation. . . . Readers interested in substance will certainly not be disappointed. ""A fascinating book. . . . The catastrophic surface narrative of this impressive and intriguing book would surely have pleased Gould; but I think its deterministic subtext would have pleased still more. "---Matt Cartmill, Supplement"Winner of the 2003 in Science, Kappa" i vii 1. In the Beginning? 6 2. of 16 3. Life’s Signature in 32 4. Glimmers of 50 5. of 72 6. 89 7. The Cyanobacteria, Life’s 108 8. of 122 9. Fossils of 139 10. the 161 11. 179 12. 206 13. Paleontology ad 225 243 247 269 (Deutsch) Share this book Twitter Linkedlogin or register with to order this product. in Language: English Publisher: year: 2015 Edition: Audience: General/trade; content: 296 Illustrations Other: 8 color illus. 25 halftones. 47 line illus. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim because it discusses the strengths of a book and mentions its appeal to both specialists and nonspecialists. It does not provide any information regarding the origin of life on Earth or the possibility of early life existing elsewhere.