by: Desiree Delavary Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, more commonly known as ADHD, is characterized by three different qualities: inattention, hyperactivity, also known as being overactive, and impulsivity, or acting without thinking. Often thought of as a childhood disorder that goes away with age, contrasting new evidence has suggested that ADHD is a lifelong disorder. Lily […]
Real-Life Chimeras: Scientists Create Human-Pig Hybrid
by: Caroline Zhou In ancient Egypt, the chimeric forms were associated with gods. Ra, the Sun God, for example, had a falcon head and a human body, and was a protector of mankind. The Chimera has, however, also been a central part of Greek mythology as an omen for disaster. With the front of a […]
Spatial Memory and Recognition: How You Know Where You Are
by: Ankita Singh The brain is a computer with hardware, which comes in the form of cells communicating through electrical signals, and software, which includes the complex thoughts and actions arising from these electrical signals. Like a computer, the brain stores all the information that is required for the proper functioning of an organism. Thus, […]
Researchers find the newest solution to eradicating cancer cells: Exploding bubbles
by: Mackenzie Moore After tumor-removal surgery in cancer patients, it is common for some cancer cells to be left behind, increasing the risk that the tumor will return. Dmitri Lapotko, a researcher at the University of California, Irvine, and his colleagues have applied a novel technology involving tiny exploding nanobubbles that can be injected inside […]
Luminescent Crystals: Using Light to Detect Toxins in Food
by: Lina Tudesi There exists a class of chemical compounds naturally produced by fungi which are known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, damaging to developing fetuses, and contaminate 25% of the world’s crops every year. They are called mycotoxins, and while their biological function in nature is unclear it is well established that they have serious […]
A New Type of Library: DNA
by: Gianna Mousalimas Imagine a library filled with trillions of books. Now, imagine that same library shrunk down so that it could slip into a small test tube. This phenomenon may seem unattainable, yet scientists have indeed achieved a DNA “library” that contains trillions of molecules. Even more incredible is that this library is frozen […]
Does this birth control make me look fat: The effects of progesterone-only contraception on metabolism
by: Stephanie Gates Weight gain has been a self-diagnosed side effect of many methods of birth control for years. While this has not been proven, scientists have found many associations between progesterone, an endogenous hormone commonly used in female contraception, and resting metabolic rate. This association might, in turn, lead to an increase in appetite […]