Earth-like planets found orbiting nearby star

A recent study published in the journal Nature reported that there are at least seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a star about 40 light years away. NASA and European astronomers found that these planets are all similar to Earth in that they are similarly sized and their climate is relatively temperate.

Spider silk inspires synthetic fiber design

A team of researchers at the University of Oxford recently discovered the Loxosceles genus, commonly known as the recluse spider. The species has unusually tough silk produced by a unique spinning mechanism. In the journal Materials Horizons, the research team, also consisting of members from the Applied Math Department from the College of William & Mary in Virginia, published their observations of the recluse spider and its silk’s properties.

Saturated fats lead to liver metabolism changes

The documented increase in the number of people worldwide suffering from obesity and Type 2 diabetes is often linked with an unhealthy overconsumption of saturated fats. Researchers from the German Diabetes Center (Deutsches Diabetes-Zentrum, DDZ) and the Helmholtz Center in Munich (HMGU) have discovered that even a one-time consumption of increased amounts of palm oil can have long-lasting effects on human bodies.

New diet reduces risk of age-related diseases

Biologists at the Longevity Institute of the University of Southern California (USC) Leonard Davis School of Gerontology recently discovered a new diet that reduces the risk of age-related diseases.

The reproducibility crisis in neuroscience

Photo Essay: HopHacks

Students participate in three-day hackathon

This past Friday, 300 entrepreneurs, coders and engineers marched into Hodson Hall to begin a weekend-long event called HopHacks. HopHacks is a semesterly event at which students work on a team to create, or hack, a new app, device or idea. Attendees came not only from within the Hopkins community, but also from other universities.

Time spent outdoors may improve vision

Some Hopkins students might have grown up with long afternoons spent doing homework in their rooms instead of playing outside. Sure, that hard work has played an important role in bringing students here today, but those who must wear glasses or contacts to see the blackboard at the front of the lecture hall might be interested to hear that nearsightedness has recently been linked to the amount of time spend indoors as children.

Hopkins senior engages in multiple sclerosis research

After barreling through a detailed explanation of her neuroscience research — throwing a “remyelination” here and an “endogenous oligodendrocyte” there — senior Hayley Strasburger casually mentions, “Oh, I came in as a history major.”

Fossil sheds light on reproductive evolution

Professor Jonathan Aitchison, head of the University of Queensland’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, recently proposed a theory that, if proven true, would revolutionize established archaeological models and deductions.

Extracellular vesicles can act as biomarkers

Formerly dismissed as mere by-products from cellular metabolic activities, extracellular vesicles are now regarded as potential biomarkers in diseases such as pancreatic cancer. These vesicles transfer nucleic acids, proteins and lipids, resulting in modifications of both parent and target cells. In the case of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles, target cells are changed so that they comprise an environment favorable for tumor invasion and growth.

Examining motor learning in classical piano

Wrap up: the latest in technology...

Toshiba’s Chairman to Resign after $6.3 Billion Loss

Sex of fetus influences mother’s immune state

It is an old wives’ tale that being pregnant with a boy is different than being pregnant with a girl. If a woman is pregnant with a girl, it is rumored she will have a wider stomach, more nausea and overall worse pregnancy symptoms due to a higher level of hormones.

Cell surface engineering creates 3D heart tissue

Tissue and organ failure that arises due to injury or other forms of damage is a major health issue and has motivated tremendous interest in the fields of tissue engineering and artificial organ research.

Kata table engages students and stroke patients

Returning to Brody Atrium after a restful winter break, you might have noticed the absence of the BALAUR Wall. In its place lies a mysterious wooden box with intricate designs carved into its sides. As you approach the box you see that it appears to control the screen in front of it, which displays some video game-like sequence.

Researchers developing drone for pollination

One of the most contentious topics in the world today is the use of drones by the U.S. military to target terrorist threats. However, a different kind of drone may help promote agricultural and economic growth along with maintaining wildlife diversity.

Obese couples may take longer to get pregnant

Biologists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently discovered that it may take between 55 and 59 percent longer for couples in which both partners are obese to get pregnant.

Professor Beer awarded $1.8 million NIH grant

Early last week, Professor Michael Beer, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Hopkins, was awarded a $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his work as part of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements Consortium (ENCODE), a collaboration of 18 labs striving to catalog all coding and regulatory regions of the human genome.