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Massimo Caine

Founder and Director

About Massimo

Harnessing his dual expertise in molecular biology and digital communications, Massimo is a steadfast advocate for science, striving to weave it into the fabric of everyday life. As the founder and editor-in-chief of TheScienceBreaker, he is not just chasing a dream, but actively building a reality where society and science walk hand-in-hand. His aspiration is not one of distant admiration, but of close collaboration: empowering every individual with scientific understanding and fostering a collective enthusiasm for discovery. His vision is one of unity, where society acknowledges the integral role of science and technology in shaping our shared future.

Massimo is the editor of 352 Breaks:

Distinctive stone tools reveal Siberian Neanderthals originated in eastern Europe

Neanderthals once inhabited Eurasia, but the geographical origin and time of arrival of the easternmost populations in southern Siberia remain open questions. Distinctive stone tools found at Chagyrskaya Cave reveal at least two separate dispersals of Neanderthals into this region, with the most recent incursion about 60,000 years ago originating in eastern Europe—a journey of more than 3,000 km.

Oct 26, 2020 | 3.5 min read
Repurposing of retroviral genes: when foe becomes self

Throughout evolution, our genomes have been under attack by potentially harmful viruses. However, sometimes genes from the viral invaders have been captured and converted to provide a beneficial function for the host. A viral gene responsible for protecting retroviral RNA has been repurposed in both human and insect hosts to protect and transmit neurological mRNA signals.

Oct 23, 2020 | 3.5 min read
How to know slow slip events and anticipate future large earthquakes

To visualize the slow slip events on the plate boundary and the geological process that leads to future catastrophic earthquakes, we installed a "seafloor GNSS station".

Oct 22, 2020 | 3 min read
Where mind meets body: a master brain circuit for stress responses

We discovered in rats the long-sought brain circuit mechanism of "mind–body connection". This mechanism is critical for driving a variety of autonomic and behavioral responses when mammals undergo psychological stress. This new knowledge will be an essential basis for the future development of novel strategies for treating stress-related disorders.

Oct 21, 2020 | 4 min read
Making non-magnetic photons feel a taste for magnetism

Photons are intrinsically chargeless and non-magnetic. Using intrinsic properties of photons and a straightforward structure, we have created “synthetic dimensions” in which such photons behave like electrons, responding to magnetic fields as if they were carrying a charge. The strength of these magnetic field effects can be easily and precisely controlled at will.

Oct 19, 2020 | 3.5 min read
The solid which conducts heat best

A phonon is a quantum of atomic vibrations. According to quantum mechanics, these phonons are what allow heat to travel in any solid medium. The capacity of solids to conduct heat is extremely variable. We identify a stack of graphene sheets as the best-known conductor of heat at room temperature, thanks to carbon atoms' ability to vibrate fast combined to other mysterious properties of a honeycomb lattice.

Oct 15, 2020 | 3 min read