Science & Technology

Scientists discover a new uniquely human neuron

By SANJANA PASARI
September 6, 2018

For millennia, scientists and philosophers have pondered what separates man from animal. Whether it was utilizing the mirror recognition test, examining ancient weapons and tools, or even looking into our own choices and decisions, we have always wondered ...

PUBLIC DOMAIN Researchers at the Allen Institute have discovered new human neurons called “roseship cells.”
PUBLIC DOMAIN Researchers around the world are trying to stimulate growth of nerve fibers.

Method to regenerate nerve fibers discovered

By ALLISON CHEN | September 6, 2018

Spinal cord injuries are among the most alarming and unpredictable of injuries, carrying the possibility of paralysis. Compounding this fact, since severed nerve fibers in the central nervous system, which comprises the brain and spinal cord, do not regenerate, the paralysis has the potential to be permanent. 

FLOPPY/CC BY 2.0 Researchers at the RIKEN Center for BDR found that two acetylcholine receptors in the brain are linked to dreaming.

Brain receptors govern how much we dream

By ELAINE CHIAO | September 6, 2018

Sleeping is often considered one of the most primitive and mundane aspects of biological existence. Some scientists claim that it is a survival instinct that has evolved for millions of years. However, despite its ancestral roots, sleep is not very well understood. In fact, countless mysteries take place when we sleep: How does the mind create dreams? Do dreams come in colors or black-and-white? Most importantly, how does the brain sustain and maintain high levels of activity during certain periods of the sleep cycle? 

Facial appearance is linked to personality traits

By JESSICA KASAMOTO | September 6, 2018

While it may be the norm for one to put great effort into making good first impressions in social situations, recent studies are leading scientists to believe that one may have less control over first impressions than they may believe. 

PUBLIC DOMAIN A person’s appearance may greatly affect how others perceive their personality, according to a study from NYU.

Chiral molecules found on Murchison meteorite

By JAEMIE BENNETT | September 6, 2018

As the only known planet with life, it makes sense to assume that life began on Earth. Numerous experiments have recreated the environment of the early Earth and determined that biological molecules could have first formed on our planet.

Immune cells do not have a homogenous response

By ISAAC CHEN | September 6, 2018

In human diseases and injuries, inflammation is a critical defense and repair mechanism. In response to a physical injury or infection, immune cells are recruited to the site of inflammation to defend against the foreign injury or pathogen. However, immune cells also have destructive properties. Persisting inflammation can create an opposite effect, causing more harm than benefit.

PUBLIC DOMAIN Bone marrow in the skull has been identified to contribute greatly to the migration of immune cells.
PUBLIC DOMAIN   CDC recently released statistics on increasing STD diagnoses across the nation.

National number of STD cases continues to climb

By CINDY JIANG | September 6, 2018

For the past half-decade, statistics for the number of sexually transmitted disease (STD) diagnoses have shown an upward trend. All together, the numbers for novel cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis total to nearly 2.3 million for 2017 in the United States alone. 

New diseases found to be linked to mono virus

By ANNA CHEN | May 2, 2018

Mononucleosis is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which is estimated to infect 90 percent of people in the U.S. by age 20 and 90 percent of the people in developing countries by the age of two. Ninety-eight percent of the world’s population carries EBV, since once it infects, it remains in a person for the rest of their lives. 

PUBLIC DOMAIN Mono virus attacks B cells, which produces proteins to turn genes on and off.
PUBLIC DOMAIN Antioxidants, commonly found in fruits and vegetables, can improve health.

Antioxidants can reduce cardiovascular diseases

By CINDY JIANG | May 2, 2018

In this day and age, antioxidants seem to have flooded popular media with their promises of youth and good health. According to a new study published in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal, the use of oral antioxidants may produce considerable health benefits. 

Sharks should not get such a bad reputation

By CATHERINE PALMER | May 3, 2018

According to National Geographic, “You have a one in 63 chance of dying from the flu and a one in 3,700,000 chance of being killed by a shark during your lifetime.” And yet, do we fear the flu? No. But we’re convinced that we may very well be fatally attacked by a shark whenever stepping foot in the ocean. 

TRAVELBAG LTD./CC BY 2.0 The likelihood of being fatally attacked by a shark is one in 3,700,000.

Eating dark chocolate has neurological benefits

By ELAINE CHIAO | May 2, 2018

Researchers at Loma Linda University have recently announced good news for people with a sweet tooth. After many experimental trials, they discovered that the consumption of certain types of dark chocolate noticeably improves people’s cognitive abilities.

NASA launches a new satellite to detect planets

By JESSICA KASAMOTO | May 2, 2018

While the exploration of the solar system and the search for extraterrestrial life has been going on for decades, NASA recently took a huge step forward with the launch of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Exoplanets are planets outside the solar system that orbit a star.

PUBLIC DOMAIN NASA, along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, launched TESS, an exoplanet explorer.
PUBLIC DOMAIN Scientists have developed 3-D mini-brains to aid in studying brain development.

3-D brains offer new way to study mental illnesses

By ISAAC CHEN | May 2, 2018

While there is currently no cure for schizophrenia, research has continued to develop new ways of understanding this disease. In fact, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston have recently used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and embryonic stem cells to develop 3-D cerebral organoids, which are artificially grown models of the brain.

Wrap up: the latest in technology...

By WILLIAM XIE | April 25, 2018

Nest Labs Provides Low-Income Families with Thermostats Nest Labs, a producer of sensor-driven thermostats, smoke detectors and security systems, recently announced that it will donate up to one million thermostats to low-income families. The company is involved in Power Project, an initiative to improve energy costs for low-income families.