Figure 1: Bandmates join in a group hug. The powerful bond between members of a band is one example of community making friendships stronger. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons) According to a recent study, the perceived support individuals receive from family members, friends, and others correlates with how close the individual believes the supporters are with …
Strength in Numbers: How Community Enhances Perceived Support Read More »
Figure 1: Some of the major detrimental effects of sleep deprivation are listed here, including an impaired immune system and other symptoms that are amplified when the immune system is under duress Source: Wikimedia Commons In today’s fast-paced society, sleep is often sacrificed when other responsibilities pile up. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends …
Figure 1: Childhood experiences are widely considered to affect adult life. A new study revealed that low childhood peer status may have dire health consequences: heightened risk of adult cardiovascular disease. Source: Wikimedia Commons A recent prospective cohort study from Stockholm, Sweden indicates that social marginalization in late childhood may result in a heightened likelihood …
Childhood Unpopularity May Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Adulthood Read More »
Figure 1: A Northwestern Crow near Whittier, Alaska. Corvids, along with parrots, have experimentally demonstrated cognition comparable to that of great apes—a family of primates including gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans (Olkowicz et al., 2016). When asked to name the smartest animal, most people would name an elephant, a dolphin, a primate, or – most likely …
Contradicting the Disparity Between Primate and Avian Brains Read More »
Figure 1: A doctor drawing blood from a patient as part of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study in 1932, National Archives (National Archives, 1932) Source: Wikimedia Commons Despite disproportionately higher rates of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death in racial and ethnic minority groups, these vulnerable populations remain heavily underrepresented in COVID-19 clinical trials. Currently, Black, Latinx, …
COVID-19 Clinical Trials and Racial Disproportionality Read More »
Figure 1: This is an artist’s rendering of a potential Martian colony Source: Wikimedia Commons After successfully planting humans on the Moon fifty-one years ago, researchers are working tirelessly towards their next most ambitious goal: delivering human colonists to Mars in the next 20 years. Many questions must be answered before man can step foot …
Figure 1: Abstract Molecular Model Source: ShutterStock Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore have found a way to trick cancer cells into self-destructing, bypassing the need for radiation treatments, chemotherapy, or surgery. Their weapon? A nanoparticle (NP) secret agent that is 30,000 times smaller than a human hair. These tiny particles come from …
New ‘Drugless’ Approach to Killing Cancer Cells Shows Promise Read More »
Figure 1: The representation of cellular activity of SARS-COV-2 as it passes throughout the human body and looks to contaminate organs. Source: Wikimedia Commons The novel coronavirus, otherwise known as SARS-CoV-2, belongs to the broader classes of coronaviruses (some of which, like SARS-CoV-1 and MERS, have a known history of causing widespread death). After performing …
The Immunological and Physiological Effects of SARS-COV-2 on the Human Body Read More »
Figure 1: This is an image of Venus with its surface obscured by a thick atmosphere composed of carbon dioxide, sulfuric acid, and with trace amounts of other gases, including phosphine. Phosphine has been a particular source of interest for researchers as it is normally produced by biotic organisms, and it could be the first …
Possible Biosignature for Life Discovered on Venus Read More »
Figure 1: 3D structure of alpha-synuclein protein. Mutations in alpha-synuclein that alter its structure have been linked to Parkinson’s disease. Source: Wikimedia Commons Parkinson’s disease affects around 1 million individuals in the US.¹ It is a neurodegenerative disease typically characterized by tremors, and it severely impacts motor functions including movement, speech, and balance.² Despite its …