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by Raehoon Jeong figures by Jovana Andrejevic Like fingerprints, each person’s DNA, or genetic code, is unique. Therefore, DNA evidence from traces like hair or blood found at crime scenes can be used to exonerate or incriminate suspects. However, DNA…

by Kelsey Tyssowski figures by Olivia Foster Let me look at your pee, and I’ll tell you your future. For over 3000 years, women wondering if they’ll be mothers have heard some variation of this phrase. In the first known pregnancy tests, ancient Egyptian…

Carrying diseases such as malaria, West Nile virus and yellow fever, a few species of mosquitoes are responsible for more than one million deaths each year. Certain species of mosquitoes actually prefer feeding on humans, and even show preferences…

Let’s consider a paradox of probabilities. If all cells have the same risk of becoming cancerous, then the likelihood of developing cancer is proportional to the number of cells in an animal. This argument generally holds true for the incidence of cancer…

by Catherine Weiner figures by Rebecca Clements The question, “where do babies come from?” used to have a simple answer. A man and woman have sex, the male sperm fertilizes the female egg, and 9 months later a baby is born. But in today’s world, medical…

by Benjamin Andreone figures by Nick Lue An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right? From packing in nutrients with a veggie-rich diet, to keeping off body fat through daily exercise, we have been taught our whole lives that healthy lifestyle choices…

by Christopher Gerry Weathering over fifty years’ worth of damning scientific evidence, asbestos, a known carcinogen, appears as resistant to American legislation as it is to fire, electricity, and heat. Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous…

by Anqi Zhang figures by Daniel Utter Have you ever met anyone with only one leg or arm? I bet you have. An estimated 185,000 people undergo amputation procedures in the US every year, with the leading cause being vascular diseases. Thanks to the…

Researchers from Kyoto University in Japan started a clinical trial this month to treat Parkinson’s disease with reprogrammed stem cells. This follows the successful restoration of brain cell function in monkeys using these stem cells reported last…

by Xiaomeng Han figures by Xiaomeng Han and Daniel Utter In the 19th century, Pavlov, a Russian scientist, electrically shocked dogs’ feet while ringing a bell. He found that his dogs quickly learned to dread the sound of his bell. We now think…