2020

Strength in Numbers: How Community Enhances Perceived Support

Strength in Numbers: How Community Enhances Perceived Support

2020, Neuroscience, Social Science • November 2, 2020

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 »

Another Reason To Get More Sleep

Another Reason To Get More Sleep

2020, Biology, Medicine • October 31, 2020

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 …

Another Reason To Get More Sleep Read More »

Childhood Unpopularity May Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Adulthood

Childhood Unpopularity May Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Adulthood

2020, Biology, Medicine, Neuroscience, Social Science • October 27, 2020

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 »

Contradicting the Disparity Between Primate and Avian Brains

Contradicting the Disparity Between Primate and Avian Brains

2020, Environment, Neuroscience • October 27, 2020

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 »

COVID-19 CLINICAL TRIALS AND RACIAL DISPROPORTIONALITY

COVID-19 Clinical Trials and Racial Disproportionality

2020, Biology, Medicine, Social Science • October 21, 2020

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 »

How Many Humans Does it Take to Host a Planet?

How Many Humans Does it Take to Host a Planet?

2020, Biology, Social Science • October 20, 2020

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 …

How Many Humans Does it Take to Host a Planet? Read More »

New ‘Drugless’ Approach to Killing Cancer Cells Shows Promise

New ‘Drugless’ Approach to Killing Cancer Cells Shows Promise

2020, Biology, Medicine, Physics • October 19, 2020

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 »

The Immunological and Physiological Effects of SARS-COV-2 on the Human Body

The Immunological and Physiological Effects of SARS-COV-2 on the Human Body

2020, Biology, Chemistry, Medicine • October 19, 2020

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 »

A New Method to Track Parkinson’s Disease

A New Method to Track Parkinson’s Disease

2020, Biology, Medicine, Neuroscience • October 12, 2020

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 …

A New Method to Track Parkinson’s Disease Read More »