Our Universe’s Story: Cosmos from chaos
Presented by Stephen Portillo, Zachary Slepian, and Kate Alexander As the result of observational and theoretical breakthroughs starting in the twentieth century, the cosmology of the Big Bang Theory was established. A crucial part of this captivating story is explaining how, from the violence and chaos of the Big Bang, organized structures like our own Milky Way galaxy formed. The first part of this lecture … Continue reading Our Universe’s Story: Cosmos from chaos
Inputs and Outputs: How the brain allows us to interact with the world
Presented by Laura Driscoll and Shay Neufeld The simplest way to think about the brain is as a platform through which we can interact with the world. Highly specialized sensory structures in our peripheral nervous system detect information in our environment and send these sensory signals to the “information hub” of our bodies, the brain. Here, sensory information is processed to produce an internal precept … Continue reading Inputs and Outputs: How the brain allows us to interact with the world
A Stem Cell Milestone
An important milestone in the field of regenerative biology has been reached: earlier this month a Japanese patient became the first person to receive a tissue transplant derived from her own induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). The team of doctors and researchers responsible for the breakthrough took some of the patient’s own skin cells and, through a process termed reprogramming, turned them into pluripotent stem … Continue reading A Stem Cell Milestone
African Innovators: Scientists from the continent speak about their work changing the world
Click here for more information from Seeding Labs’ website, and click here to register. More about Seeding Labs: Seeding Labs invests in exceptional scientists in developing countries who have limited resources, but limitless potential. They provide reduced-cost lab equipment and training and foster professional networks in order to enhance higher education, support vital research and create a more connected global scientific community. Seeding Labs has … Continue reading African Innovators: Scientists from the continent speak about their work changing the world
Home is where the healthy reefs are: insights into coral recruitment
Of all the beautiful and varied natural ecosystems on earth, few have inspired awe like coral reefs. And rightly so – these colorful structures found on shallow ocean bottoms in tropical and subtropical regions of the world are not only pretty to look at (Figure 1), but also support an incredible diversity of life and are thus often called “rainforests of the sea” [1]. Some … Continue reading Home is where the healthy reefs are: insights into coral recruitment
The (Internal) War on Cancer: Using the immune system to fight tumors
Presented by Jernej Godec, Ezana Demissie, and Vikram Juneja The immune system has evolved to recognize foreign invaders into our bodies, such as bacteria and viruses. In a similar fashion, it is able to recognize when healthy cells transform into cancer cells, and attempts to clear them. When patients come to the clinic with a tumor, the immune system has failed at this job, often … Continue reading The (Internal) War on Cancer: Using the immune system to fight tumors
Enough Diet Soda? Respect the Microbiota…
Intestinal microbes impact weight gain, dictate food allergies, and activate neural pathways that regulate stress and depression. They eat what we eat, whether it is a cheeseburger, a kale salad, or in today’s world, an extra large diet soda. A recent study published in Nature presents compelling data to suggest that artificial sweeteners might disrupt microbes in the gut and the body’s ability to control blood sugar, making consumers more prone to metabolic disorders. Continue reading Enough Diet Soda? Respect the Microbiota…
Exploring the Quantum World: From Plants to Pulsars
Presented by Mike Goldman, Joey Goodknight, and Tansu Daylan What do the interior of an atom, the bottom of a volcanic caldera, and the center of the sun have in common? Mike will begin with an introduction to quantum mechanics, which explores its relationship with our everyday world. Some aspects of the quantum world seem perfectly sensible but other concepts, like superposition, are deeply counterintuitive. … Continue reading Exploring the Quantum World: From Plants to Pulsars
Marine Mercury Rising
Nearly 60 years ago a mysterious illness swept through families in fishing villages along Japan’s Minamata Bay. Those affected presented symptoms of a neurological disease: loss of feeling in the limbs, impaired vision, difficulty walking, and trouble speaking. Many with severe symptoms became paralyzed, and dozens died within weeks. Then, newborns in the region began to exhibit neurological disorders and crippling birth defects. The culprit … Continue reading Marine Mercury Rising
The Risks of Control: Assessing the Link Between Birth Control Pills and Breast Cancer
More than 10 million women in the United States (almost 20% of women between the ages of 15 and 44) take birth control pills as a means of contraception []. In 2013, more than 2.9 million American women were living with breast cancer, almost 300,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and nearly 40,000 women lost their lives to breast cancer []. Troublingly, many studies … Continue reading The Risks of Control: Assessing the Link Between Birth Control Pills and Breast Cancer