Artificial Intelligence – our new MVP against infections?
In order to combat the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, a group of scientists from MIT are using artificial intelligence to discover new and effective antibiotics. They were able to predict a powerful new antibiotic compound that is effective against many dangerous pathogens. Continue reading Artificial Intelligence – our new MVP against infections?
More Realistic Tentacles Improve Performance Of Octopus Inspired Robots
Engineers at Beihang University and Harvard’s Wyss Institute use models to zero in on creating the perfect octopus tentacle for industrial gripping uses. Continue reading More Realistic Tentacles Improve Performance Of Octopus Inspired Robots
Fly-by of a distant asteroid provides clues about the formation of our solar system
Data from the New Horizons probe, flying in the asteroid field far beyond Pluto, have finally been downloaded and analyzed. They challenge our previous views of the formation of the solar system. Continue reading Fly-by of a distant asteroid provides clues about the formation of our solar system
Researchers Use Cloud Seeding to Make it Rain
A team from the University of Colorado Boulder finds a new way to measure how much extra snow can be produced by cloud seeding. Continue reading Researchers Use Cloud Seeding to Make it Rain
A Stressful New Decade: The latest information on how stress shapes our minds and bodies
by Kevin Dervishi figures by Tal Scully You’re in the frozen goods aisle of the grocery store, surveying ice cream flavors. You’re cradling a bottle of wine–or maybe it’s a six-pack of beer. It doesn’t matter. Suddenly, someone down the aisle calls your name. It’s your recent ex, smiling and walking towards you arm-in-arm with their new romantic partner. This feeling is stress. It’s the … Continue reading A Stressful New Decade: The latest information on how stress shapes our minds and bodies
March 11 – What’s your brain afraid of?
Update: In accordance with Harvard guidelines regarding coronavirus, this week’s lecture will be a virtual event only. Please join us via live-stream on Youtube at the scheduled time (7 p.m.)! Time: 7:00-9:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 11th Location: Armenise Amphitheater at Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston (link to directions) Speakers: Madelyn Ray and Rachel Walker Graphics: Abby Knecht Responding appropriately in the face of fear is an … Continue reading March 11 – What’s your brain afraid of?
An Evolutionary Argument for why Grandmas Rule
by Rebecca Silberman figures by Aparna Nathan Seen through the harsh, unsentimental lens of evolutionary biology, menopause doesn’t make sense. Why don’t women live like giraffes, like tarantulas, like pigeons, reproducing throughout their lives in order to maximize each person’s “fitness,” or reproductive success? Even in other long-lived, social species like elephants, females don’t stop having children before the end of their lives, and while … Continue reading An Evolutionary Argument for why Grandmas Rule
Cancers Evolve – Tagging and Tracking Can Help Us Understand How
by Catherine Gutierrez figures by Aparna Nathan Forty-nine years ago, President Richard Nixon launched a “War on Cancer”. That war has not ended—it rages on today, with cancer right behind heart disease as the leading cause of death in the United States. Nearly 1.8 million new cases of cancer are expected in 2020 in the U.S. alone, and rising rates of cancer risk factors such … Continue reading Cancers Evolve – Tagging and Tracking Can Help Us Understand How
March 4 – Machine learning in robotics: Current progress and challenges ahead.
Time: 7:00-9:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 4th Location: Armenise Amphitheater at Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston (link to directions) Speakers: Maria Bauza Villalonga and Ferran Alet Graphics: Rebecca Senft Robotic hardware has made enormous progress recently, with drones being commonplace and Boston dynamics releasing impressive videos. However, robots are only present in very limited environments, which only require very repetitive actions. Through the lens of the Amazon … Continue reading March 4 – Machine learning in robotics: Current progress and challenges ahead.
Study finds a classically mammalian brain region in reptilian brains
Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Brain Research have discovered a mammalian claustrum in reptiles, believed to impact decision-making and consciousness. The study hints at the claustrum’s prehistoric existence, in mammals, reptiles, and possibly their common ancestor. Continue reading Study finds a classically mammalian brain region in reptilian brains