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Seminars

April 18 – Approximating Intelligence: Machine Learning Driven AI

Time: 7-9 p.m., Wednesday, April 18th Location: Pfizer Hall, Mallinckrodt Chemistry Labs, 12 Oxford St, Cambridge (link to directions) Speakers: Spandan Madan The last five years have witnessed a dramatic surge in the excitement surrounding Artificial Intelligence: technology companies are investing billions, and news outlets are covering every new development in the research and the industry alike. Beyond the hype, we all often converge on a few simple, … Continue reading April 18 – Approximating Intelligence: Machine Learning Driven AI

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Promising results for a treatment for blindness

Progressive blindness has been reversed in two patients with age-related macular degeneration, also known as AMD. AMD is a leading cause of blindness in people over 50. AMD damages the central portion of the retina, called the macula, which decreases vision over time, and can lead to blind spot formation. Phase 1 clinical trial results highlighting the effectiveness of a stem cell-based therapy were published … Continue reading Promising results for a treatment for blindness

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AI advises chemists on how to make complex molecules

What is the hardest thing you think scientists need to do in a lab? Organic chemistry may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but multi-step organic syntheses are easily ranked a top challenge, even among experienced chemists. Nevertheless, computer scientists surprised us again with artificial intelligence (AI) which, despite having less chemistry experience than the average high-schooler, could prescribe recipes with success. … Continue reading AI advises chemists on how to make complex molecules

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Seminars

April 4 – Electricity, Epilepsy, and How Your Brain Stays Balanced

Time: 7-9 p.m., Wednesday, April 4th Location: Pfizer Hall, Mallinckrodt Chemistry Labs, 12 Oxford St, Cambridge (link to directions) Speakers: Kelsey Tyssowski Much like Goldilocks, our brains are finicky: not too much, not too little, but just right—at least when it comes to their electrical activity. Your brain’s electrical activity allows you to interpret the world: everything you think, learn, see, touch, smell, taste, or hear causes a … Continue reading April 4 – Electricity, Epilepsy, and How Your Brain Stays Balanced

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Thirsty Plants: Can plants be genetically modified to need less water?

In order to feed every human being on the planet by 2050, the world will need to produce far more food. One difficulty farmers face is finding enough fresh water. A group of scientists led by Katarzyna Glowacka, from the University of Illinois, Urbana, may have found a potential way to save farmers water. The group’s technique hinges on the stomata of plants. Stomata are … Continue reading Thirsty Plants: Can plants be genetically modified to need less water?

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Fat cells – Nature’s Band-Aid?

It’s very easy to disparage fat and fat cells, especially in our weight-conscious culture. However, fat cells might deserve more credit than we give them. Fat cells can help store energy and provide our bodies with insulation. And now, research from Paul Martin’s group at the University of Bristol has shown that fat cells can move around within body compartments to help heal wounds. Researchers … Continue reading Fat cells – Nature’s Band-Aid?

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All About That Mucus: How it keeps us healthy

by Jenny Zheng figures by Rebecca Clements With winter soon coming to an end (hopefully), many of us have been plagued by seemingly endless hacking that’s accompanied by phlegm, a type of mucus produced by the respiratory tract. The body starts feeling better after a week of sickness, but even after that “hell-week,” one final foe has to be dealt with: the phlegm. It’s such … Continue reading All About That Mucus: How it keeps us healthy

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Seminars

It Takes Guts: The Power of Your Gut Microbiota

Time: 7-9 p.m., Wednesday, March 21st Location: Pfizer Hall, Mallinckrodt Chemistry Labs, 12 Oxford St, Cambridge (link to directions) Speakers: Katie Wu The first friends we make are the ones that stick with us for life – all one hundred trillion of them. Meet your gut microbiota – the diverse, bustling community that you couldn’t function without! From food cravings to poop pills, the gut microbiota plays an … Continue reading It Takes Guts: The Power of Your Gut Microbiota

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Seeing the Invisible: A short history of the scientific evidence of dark matter

by Sasha Brownsberger figures by Abagail Burrus Everything you have ever touched, seen, or tasted; the air you breathe; the ground on which you stand; and the constituents of your body all consist of a type of matter that is only a fraction of all that is. In light of a series of unexpected discoveries over the past half century, astronomers and physicists have determined … Continue reading Seeing the Invisible: A short history of the scientific evidence of dark matter

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Bees

By carrying pollen from plant to plant in their quest for nectar, bees help to facilitate plant reproduction, giving bees an essential role in the sustainability of our agriculture.  Bee populations have been threatened over the last decade by a phenomenon called colony collapse disorder, where the bees leave their hives and never return.  This year, however, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released positive … Continue reading Bees

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