Category: Blog

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Viruses to the Rescue: Can we use viruses to find bacteria in our environment?

Is this apple safe to eat? Did that course of antibiotics work? To answer these types of questions we often need to know how to find and count illness-causing bacteria. Several bacteria counting techniques already exist. However, these approaches are slow and sensitive to laboratory conditions. Sam Nugen and his team from Cornell University are streamlining this process using a type of virus called phages, … Continue reading Viruses to the Rescue: Can we use viruses to find bacteria in our environment?

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You Asked: How are pets different from wild animals?

by Katherine J. Wu The pets in our households are all descendants of wild animals, many of which still run free today. But dogs, cats, and rodents are all domesticated to varying degrees, with a wide range of consequences for their behavior and genetics. To understand the nitty gritty of this, let’s get some terminology out of the way first. When we discuss domestication, we’re … Continue reading You Asked: How are pets different from wild animals?

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Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A battle for your time

by Trevor Haynes figures by Rebecca Clements “I feel tremendous guilt,” admitted Chamath Palihapitiya, former Vice President of User Growth at Facebook, to an audience of Stanford students. He was responding to a question about his involvement in exploiting consumer behavior. “The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works,” he explained. In Palihapitiya’s talk, he highlighted something most of … Continue reading Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A battle for your time

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What does your grip strength say about your mental health?

“A healthy mind in a health body.” It’s a saying that is often tossed around when discussing the link between exercise and brain health. Many studies have shown that exercise can improve cognitive performance. In a new study, researchers asked if body strength could be used to predict brain health. Hand grip strength has been used in a variety of studies to assess cardiovascular health, … Continue reading What does your grip strength say about your mental health?

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Who lives in the Twilight Zone under the sea?

Where scientists previously assumed a harsh transition from reef life to deep-sea life, scientists have found a ‘missing link’ in oceanic life: the rariphotic zone. Between 150m-300m below the surface, this ‘twilight zone’ in the Caribbean houses a ‘deep sea reef’, complete with 30 new invertebrate species and 71 new species of reef fish. It was previously thought that reef fish couldn’t survive this deep, and their presence is a surprise to everyone. Continue reading Who lives in the Twilight Zone under the sea?

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Blog, Science Policy

The Most Widely Used Pesticide, One Year Later

by Xindi (Cindy) Hu figures by Lillian Horin In March 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided not to ban Chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide. One year later, in February 2018, a bill was introduced in Hawaii to ban the manufacturing, distribution, and use of chlorpyrifos across all Hawaiian islands. Hawaii House Rep Richard Creagan said the legislation was prompted by the inaction in … Continue reading The Most Widely Used Pesticide, One Year Later

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Biomass over Coal: Burning Different Carbon to Mitigate Climate Change

by Jordan Wilkerson figures by Daniel Utter Ever since the Industrial Revolution around 150 years ago, most of the electricity used in the United States has come from burning fossil fuels. These fuels, such as coal and oil, are all made of carbon. They’re such an important form of the element that the name “carbon” comes from the Latin word for coal. However, burning all … Continue reading Biomass over Coal: Burning Different Carbon to Mitigate Climate Change

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Loneliness: An Epidemic?

by Hannah Schulze figures by Sean Wilson If you’ve ever felt lonely, know that you’re not alone. According to a study from the British Red Cross, over nine million adults in the U.K. feel the same way—that’s about 1/5 of the country’s population! Loneliness is increasingly being considered a hazard to human health comparable to obesity and smoking. Now, even governments are getting involved—in 2018, … Continue reading Loneliness: An Epidemic?

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You Asked: What’s the deal with gluten?

by Katherine J. Wu As an aging and increasingly cynical graduate student, I’ve found that my ability to keep up with the hip lingo has been waning in recent years. But even I know that “gluten” has become the dirty culinary word of the decade. One in five adults now avoid or completely eliminate gluten from their diets; in millennials, the fad is even more … Continue reading You Asked: What’s the deal with gluten?

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Hit Me with the Flu Shot: Why you need the flu shot every year

by Catherine Weiner figures by Rebecca Senft Every winter, as we avoid the sneezing stranger on the sidewalk and the coughing coworker in the coffee room, the same thought races through our heads: “I hope it’s not the flu.” This year, the United States has been hit with a devastating flu season. As of March 17th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded … Continue reading Hit Me with the Flu Shot: Why you need the flu shot every year

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