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Deep Dives into Topics that Matter
Our contributing authors present well researched articles on scientific topics that matter. From recent advancements to science that’s becoming buzzworthy, these deep dives help explain, simplify, and inform.
Helping Cancer Cells “Grow” Could Be the Key to a Cure
by Harrison Ngue
Cancer is one of the world’s deadliest diseases, causing nearly 10 million deaths worldwide annually. It begins when cells in the body grow and divide uncontrollably, forming tumors that invade tissues and disrupt normal body…
How to Detect Black Hole Explosions
by Chris Shallue figures by Fiona Qu
There’s an equation engraved on Stephen Hawking’s gravestone in Westminster Abbey:
This unassuming equation, discovered by Hawking in 1975, has extraordinary implications. It suggests that black holes,…
Buzz-Worthy Behavior: Unraveling social learning in the honeybee’s waggle dance
by Stephan Foianini figures by Gracyn Mose
When you think of a beehive, what comes to mind? You may imagine an industrial factory with countless bees toiling away, tirelessly collecting and processing honey. However, what if I told you that a…
Self-Taught AI: The Secret to Learning Without Supervision
by Shreya Johri
Machine learning (ML) influences nearly every aspect of our lives. Whether it’s receiving personalized recommendations on your favorite shopping site, interacting with ChatGPT, or even navigating through your city with real-time…
Bringing Hidden Hearing Loss into the Open
by Jessica Dixonfigures by MacKenzie Mauger
Do you have difficulty hearing conversations in noisy spaces? Turns out, you’re not alone! According to the World Health Organization, almost 20% of the global population has hearing loss, with this…
Gene Editing to Treat Disease: A success story in sickle cell disease
by Sophia Renauldfigures by Salvador Balkus
Our understanding of the genetic material, or DNA, that makes up organisms has exploded over the last several decades. We have discovered that DNA is made up of multiple genes, and that different genes have…
Our Cyborg Future: Brain-computer interfaces and their unique privacy challenges
by Vicki Xufigures by Corena Loeb
Suppose someone wants to move their arm. How might they accomplish this task?
Every action starts with a thought — for instance, “move my arm” — that is essentially an electrical signal in the brain. The…
A New Way to Beat the Heat: Scientists Develop an ‘Elastocaloric’ Cooling Device
by Brittany Linnfigures by Swathy Karamchedu
To escape the oppressive summer heat, many of us seek the cool retreat of air-conditioned shopping centers, movie theaters, and public buildings; however, traditional air-conditioning systems are not…
Long COVID: The latest in a series of unexplained post-acute infectious syndromes?
by Ya’el Courtneyfigures by Gracyn Mose
COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has killed over 1 million Americans from 2020 to 2024. This number is startling, especially considering that the harm of COVID-19 extends beyond loss…
Quick Dives into Recent News
Our wonderful short-form writers dive into recent news articles, scientific reports, and more in these quick-to-read explainers!
New Study Charts Neanderthal DNA through Human History
A group of researchers at the University of California, Berkeley has mapped out the evolution of Neanderthal DNA over the last 40,000 years
A Thin Layer of Silence for You!
MIT scientists develop a piezoelectric fiber actuator that can be incorporated with different fabrics to create active noise cancelling and emission.
Circular Economy of Chocolate
Researchers at ETH Zurich are redefining the cocoa value chain through the development of innovative whole-fruit chocolate formulations.
Lizard saliva offers an improved tool for detecting benign tumors
A team of scientists demonstrates that a molecule found in lizard saliva can be used to better detect benign pancreatic tumors called insulinomas.
The ingredients for pluripotent stem cells are more ancient than we thought
By studying our closest single-celled relatives, scientists find that proteins important for stem cell pluripotency existed before the evolutionary jump to multicellularity.
A new method of breaking down harmful chemicals with carbon-fluorine bonds
Chemists are using a protein that absorbs light to speed up the breaking of carbon-fluorine bonds, which are present in many harmful chemicals.
Scientists analyze DNA of volcano victims in Pompeii, finding ancient diversity and archaeological mistakes
In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius violently erupted and buried the city of Pompeii under ash, preserving the city and many of the volcano’s victims. In the 1700s, when archaeologists discovered the ruins at Pompeii, they filled empty cavities left by the…
Fundamental research on artificial intelligence wins Nobel Prize in Physics (2024)
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to John J. Hopfield (Professor at Princeton University) and Geoffrey E. Hinton (University of Toronto) ‘for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.’
A veterinary survey may help pet owners evaluate quality of life for their furry friends
A team of veterinarians launched a survey to predict the health of aging dogs to help pet owners make more informed decisions.
Neuroscientists pinpoint how adaptation lives in the brain
A team of scientists unveils new insights into how the hippocampus plays a critical role in human learning and adaptation.
Researchers Create Unnatural Proteins by Expanding the Amino Acid Dictionary
By expanding beyond the normal dictionary, researchers at Scripps University have created a portable system for creating proteins with unnatural amino acids
Programmable Engineered Human Tissues using Living Materials
Researchers from the University of Aveiro in Portugal have developed free-standing, soft gel structures using living cells as the building blocks.
Love on the Brain: fMRI Imaging Shows Patterns of Brain Activation while Thinking about Love
A recent study imaged the brain to show which areas are activated while participants think about different kinds of love.
Do Animals Age Like We Do?
Researchers find shared mechanisms regulating longevity across species that could be targeted to test pro-longevity interventions in animals.
Astrophysicists Develop a Novel Approach for Searching for Dark Matter
Scientists use archival images of Jupiter to search for dark matter collisions.
New Genetic Study Illuminates Biology of Raynaud’s Syndrome
Using a data set of over 10,000 people with Raynaud syndrome, scientists have identified genes underlying the biology of the cardiovascular condition.
Nature’s Ink: Microalgae Biofactories for Creating Sustainable 3D Printing Inks
Researchers from Heidelberg University have developed a sustainable approach to high-resolution 3D printing by using microalgae as “biofactories” to produce environmentally friendly, biocompatible inks, offering an alternative to conventional petroleum…
Sex Determination is Messy, and Sometimes Mutable
What defines sex determination? Sex-changing fish enrich the picture.
Sleep Patterns Play a Role in Brain Composition and Architecture
A new study in mice shows that sleep deprivation reduces diversity in the types of neurons that make up specific regions of the brain.
The Cells for Smelling and Tasting Also Sense Influenza
Researchers discover a previously unappreciated role of sensory nerves in detecting pathogens and boosting the immune response required for viral clearance.