A DEEPER DIVE
The Tadpole Experiment's Purpose
For more than half a century, scientists have been gathering evidence of the biological impacts of weak magnetic fields.
Among other observations, weak magnetic fields affect cellular respiration and the production of cellular oxidants in human cells; birds use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate.
Perhaps most shockingly, our collaborators have observed that ~ 40% of frog embryos, or tadpoles, raised in a “hypomagnetic chamber” become non-viable — a rate much higher than chance. This is especially surprising, given that the Earth's magnetic field is so weak.
The effects of weak magnetic fields on biological systems is in some cases a surprise.
In a small minority of cases, cells contain chunks of magnetite, which enable them to respond to magnetic fields like a magnet or compass. In another minority of instances, organisms have organs that act like conduction channels — this is how electric eels and manta rays are thought to sense and respond to magnetic fields.
But in most cases, scientists have been unable to explain how the impacts occur, especially because the effects do not necessarily get larger when the magnetic field strength is increased.
Let's talk about the "Q word"...
Quantum biologists believe they have the answer to how weak magnetic fields affect biology. If you are familiar with the following quantum terminology, this is how it may work: particular electron spin superpositions respond more to weak magnetic fields than stronger ones, and the lack of other explanatory possibilities for lots of experimental evidence has led to the proposal that quantum effects might be at play. This would be a surprise, however, since no one has observed electron spin superposition states existing in the warm, wet environment of any single cell for long enough to have biological effects. If you are very confused by the last sentences, here is where you can read more about it – no previous knowledge of quantum physics required, guaranteed!
More than just solidifying the data behind weak magnetic field effects in biology, public replications of relevant experiments can help provide support for a more ambitious experiment: to test the hypothesis that quantum phenomena have macroscopic biological impacts by constructing “quantum microscopes” to look inside cells and obtain direct confirmation or refutation of the observed effects’s quantum origins.
If you are unfamiliar with quantum biology but want to learn more, we have resources for you – no previous knowledge of quantum physics required, guaranteed!
WHO WE ARE
Meet the Team
PRESS
Volaso in the News
CLARICE AIELLO, PhD
clarice@thetadpoleexperiment.org
Tadpoler-in-Chief
Engineer, teacher, and science communicator, Clarice will be the tadpoler-in-chief for the next four months.
She promised she will not say the “Q” word, but the reason she is thrilled about weak magnetic field effects in biology is because such effects are consistent with being driven by a mechanism that cannot be explained by the laws of Newton.
_____________________________
ALESSANDRO LODESANI, PhD
alessandro@thetadpoleexperiment.org
Tadgeneer
Quantum physicist and engineer, Alessandro will be the tadgeneer for the next four months.
He is not only excited about discovering the effects that tiny magnetic fields have on embryos, but he is mostly looking forward to sharing this scientific journey with the whole World Wide Web.
______________
ARIELLE GABALSKI, PhD
arielle@thetadpoleexperiment.org
Tadologist
Arielle is an inventor, biologist, and entrepreneur.
Her research endeavors include nerve stimulation for the control of inflammatory signaling, chiral molecule separation, and electromagnetic energy solutions. She enjoys working at the cutting edge of science and is here to understand how light and magnetism affect physiology.
_______________________
GEOFF ANDERS, PhD
geoff@thetadpoleexperiment.org
Tadxistentialist
Geoff helps funders and talented people coordinate on exciting new projects, like the effects of weak magnetic fields on tadpoles, to give one example.
Originally trained as a philosopher, Geoff is still a philosopher while doing many other things.
________________________________
OLLI PAYNE
olli@thetadpoleexperiment.org
.png)
Pollywog Popularizer
With a background in media and design, Olli Payne is a creative gun for hire who works with ambitious and impactful projects to communicate their vision. She publishes a sci-fi magazine and is eager to learn how weak magnetic fields might affect life on Mars.
__________
At the heart of The Tadpole Experiment is a diverse and dynamic team, combining scientific prowess with strategic acumen, brought together by a passion for discovery and Open Science.
Led by Clarice Aiello, an esteemed quantum biologist, our team also includes two versatile scientists specializing in complementary disciplines, a media manager adept at the communication of ambitious projects, and a business strategist who ensures our groundbreaking research reaches its full potential.
COLLABORATION
Our Partners
The result has been a scientific stalemate, with researchers unfamiliar with weak magnetic field results sometimes denying their validity.
Taking a page from the history of science, deadlocks like these can sometimes be overcome through public replications, where the experiment and data are made visible not only to scientists, but to the public as well. A public replication of key experiments with weak magnetic fields, like raising tadpoles in a hypomagnetic chamber, can help scientific consensus catch up to what should be considered the cutting edge.
The QuBiT Lab is performing a public replication of the tadpole experiment, raising tadpoles both inside and outside a hypomagnetic chamber designed to block the Earth’s and any other residual magnetic fields.
The residual DC magnetic noise level inside our chamber is about ~ 9 nT – compare that to the Earth’s 50 muT field, or your cell phone’s 1 mT field!
The results and raw data will be shared on social media and this dedicated website, bringing attention to the field and also serving as an example of how to perform radical Open Science.
