Science & Technology

Bloomberg Professor answers questions about the coronavirus

By YANNI GU
February 14, 2020

On Tuesday, the World Health Organization officially named the novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, “COVID-19”, which stands for Coronavirus Disease 2019. From now on, the novel 2019 coronavirus will be referred to as COVID-19.

PUBLIC DOMAIN Researchers have yet to learn exactly how the coronavirus is spreading.
COURTESY OF JUNYAO LI  Middle school and high school students from 18 schools competed at the olympiad on Feb. 6. 

Students hold first Science Olympiad Invitational at Hopkins

By JUNYAO LI | February 13, 2020

On Feb. 8, the first Science Olympiad Invitational at Hopkins was held on Homewood Campus. The competition was organized by students involved in Charm City Science League, a student group at Hopkins. Members of the organization mentor Baltimore students every week to help them prepare for olympiads. This year, Charm City Science League decided to host their invitational in order to serve as a practice competition for their mentees as well as other students, and to allow them to hone their skills before the regional and state tournaments. 

Professor monitors concussions at Super Bowl

By LAKSHAY SOOD | February 14, 2020

For American football fans, the end of the Super Bowl may elicit uncontrollable joy or despondent regret. But for Hopkins neurosurgeon Dr. Nicholas Theodore, the Super Bowl’s conclusion brought an immense sense of satisfaction. 

PUBLIC DOMAIN Helmets are categorized according to their relative safety and effectiveness.

How math can help to create winning brackets

By VIVIAN LI | February 13, 2020

One in 9.2 quintillion (that’s 92 followed by 18 zeros) — those are the odds of one generating a perfect bracket for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Division-I Basketball Tournament, or what is more commonly known as “March Madness.” On Feb. 6, the Hopkins Undergraduate Society for Applied Math (HUSAM) invited Professor Tim Chartier from Davidson College to give a talk on how ranking methods and algorithms could better your chances of making a winning bracket.

Professor recognized for work on photochemistry

By MEDHA KALLEM | February 13, 2020

David Yarkony, D. Mead Johnson professor of Chemistry and chair of the department, received the American Chemical Society (ACS) Award in theoretical chemistry for 2020 last month, and will be honored in San Francisco this year. 

PUBLIC DOMAIN  A majority of the air pollution in India is due to the congested traffic. 

The Taj Mahal’s beauty is blurred by pollution

By TANVI NARVEKAR | February 6, 2020

Over winter break, I went to India. I mainly stayed in Mumbai for around three weeks. My family and I wanted to visit the Taj Mahal, but the concerns regarding the dangerous pollution there deterred our plans. However, the pollution problem is still bad in Mumbai. The air is hazy from sunrise to sunset, and the evening sun is darkened by smog.

Technology can create personalized health care

By PETER NOVELLO | February 6, 2020

Algorithms are steadily finding their way into health care. The influence of personal technologies and the implementation of computing systems to support a patient-oriented approach to their health was the topic of Maia Jacobs’ talk on Feb. 4 titled “One Size Doesn’t Fit Anyone: Tailoring Digital Tools for Personal Health Journeys.” 

PUBLIC DOMAIN CC/BY 2 The next frontier to be conquered in health care is chronic diseases.
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Sift through noise with Archeological Studies

By MUHAMMAD ABIDI | February 6, 2020

Popularized by the adventurous Indiana Jones, archaeology is a field that contributes critical information to the discovery of lost histories of the past. Discovery is often a word that connotes the future. Yet, in terms of archaeology, it applies to unraveling the mysteries of previous societies and prehistoric trends. 

COURTESY OF TRISHA PARAYIL Cabral’s research suggests that workers’ compensation increases medical spending.

Workers’ compensation affects medical spending

By TRISHA PARAYIL | January 30, 2020

When an employee suffers an on-the-job injury, their employer gives them full coverage for medical expenditures associated with that injury. To what extent, Marika Cabral wondered, does that coverage influence behaviors like medical spending, program costs and welfare? 

Seminar outlines zero-net carbon emission plan

By SHIRLEY MARINO LEE | January 30, 2020

On Jan. 28, the Department of Health and Engineering at Hopkins hosted Karl Hausker, who is a senior fellow at the World Resources Institute’s Climate Program. His talk, titled “Getting to Net-Zero: Climate Challenges and Solutions,” was part of the M. Gordon Wolman Seminar Series. 

COURTESY OF SHIRLEY MARINO LEE Hausker espoused the production of bioenergy and carbon capture methods in his presentation.