Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
August 31, 2024

Science & Technology

Biofuel from corn may not be the future

By SUNNY CAI | May 1, 2014

     Modern human energy consumption can be compared to Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster. Just like Cookie Monster is always hungry for cookies, humans are always hungry for energy. Since Cookie Monster eats more and more cookies everyday, eventually, all the cookies will be gone. Likewise, as nonrenewable energy sources are quickly being depleted in nearly every corner of the world, scientists across the globe have been hunting for new materials and methods to generate clean and sustainable energy from renewable resources.

JHU physics fair appeals to kids

By JOEL PALLY | May 1, 2014

This past Saturday marks the 11th annual physics fair, an event put on by physics graduate students as well as undergrads showcasing physics to the Baltimore community. The atmosphere was lively – food was served while families and children enjoyed great weather and fun activities. Through the use of live demos, games, and interactive activities the physics fair aimed at getting kids to associate math and science with positive experiences, not just the challenges that are associated with learning it.

Possible bike share at Hopkins

By TONY WU | May 1, 2014

While Hopkins may be considered a small campus by many students, sometimes it’s a drag to travel from Bloomberg to Olin (those unfortunate souls in discrete math may know the pain). If only getting around campus could be easier! Bikes are an obvious solution to the excruciating walks. However, currently, the university does not offer a bike rental program. For the majority of us who don’t have a bike—or don’t want to pay for one—there is a shining beacon of hope on the horizon. A group of students on Homewood have decided to create an organization called Jay Bikes.

Autophagy inhibition proves to fight cancer

By JOSH SCARALIA | May 1, 2014

Have you ever seen Breaking Bad? If not, here’s the premise: Man finds out he has cancer. Man cannot pay for cancer and does not want to leave his family in debt if he is going to die. Man turns to making crystal meth to make big cash. It’s a slippery slope from there.

Botch regulates activity of Notch protein

By KELLY CARTY | May 1, 2014

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have determined how the protein Botch regulates the activity of the development-related protein Notch. The results, which were published online April 24th, 2014 in the journal Cell Reports, could have significant implications for our understanding of mammalian development.

NASA's orbiting observatory finds exo-planet

By SOPHIA GAUTHIER | May 1, 2014

Scientists have stumbled across an exciting new lead in the search for extraterrestrial life.  After analyzing data collected from NASA’s Kepler orbiting observatory from March 2009 to May 2013, researchers have discovered the most Earth-like exoplanet yet with a promising potential for sustaining life.

Lab successfully grows functional vaginas

By KELLY CARTY | April 24, 2014

Four teenage girls born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, a condition that causes the underdevelopment or complete absence of the vagina, cervix and uterus, have successfully received vaginas grown from their own cells. The vaginal development, implantation and incorporation were reported on April 10 in The Lancet by researchers from the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Researchers can fight cancer with 3D printing

By JOSH SCARALIA | April 24, 2014

With the ability to create anything from toys to guns to shoes, three-dimensional printing has become a major player in today’s market. Recently, a group of researchers from China and the U.S. have taken 3D printing to the medical field, successfully printing cancer cell models. The researchers’ model consists of HeLa cells, the immoral line of cancer cells derived from a patient at the Hopkins Hospital in 1951, printed in a fibrous protein scaffold. This in vitro setup accurately recreates the environment of the cancer cells in vivo and allows researchers to find efficient anti-cancer drugs.

Anti-jet lag app resets circadian rhythms

By JOEL PALLY | April 24, 2014

Whether it’s going back home on Thanksgiving, or coming back from studying abroad, many of us have fallen victim to jet lag. We find ourselves waiting impatiently for our bodies to catch up to our new schedules, sometimes trying to reassign our circadian rhythm, or internal clock, with caffeine or nyquil. Like the hangover, jet lag holds special place in daily conversation as one of those ailments for which everyone has a remedy but no one has a cure. Until now, that is, as a group of researchers at the University of Michigan believe they have developed a system to help global travelers overcome their jet lag quicker and easier than ever before.

Juno proteins helps sperm to fertilize eggs

By SEAN YAMAKAWA | April 24, 2014

The missing piece to understanding mammalian conception has finally been uncovered. Last week, Gavin Wright, a researcher at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, and his team reported the discovery of the protein that facilitates sperm-egg binding. In an article published in Nature, the British scientists describe the identification of Juno, a protein located on the surface of murine eggs.

Napping linked to earlier death

By KELLY CARTY | April 24, 2014

Middle-aged nappers, beware. According to a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology, daytime napping is linked to an increased risk of death.

New toilet for astronauts can recycle urine

By MARK STUCZYNSKI | April 24, 2014

If Bear Grylls has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes, when you’re thirsty, almost anything is going to work. Nowhere is this more evident than on board space stations, where high mission costs make the transport of water very costly. Fortunately for astronauts, scientists Eduardo Nicolau and Carlos Cabrera have devised a way to turn urine into power and clean drinking water.

International research team explores ocean

By LIZZY LIU | April 24, 2014

It is hard to believe that parts of Earth remain unexplored. But, even today, there are still places on our planet that have escaped the gaze of human eyes. Scientists from around the world decided to team up and dive deeper into the dark depths of the Hadal Zone, which has parts of the ocean that are more than 6,000 meters deep. The team, which includes researchers from the U.S. and Scotland, started the proposed three-year expedition on Saturday, April 12, 2014. 

Stress has harmful effects on the brain

By REGINA PALATINI | April 24, 2014

After being under the severe stress and anxiety associated with exams or papers, most of us are able to readjust after the assessment is submitted. We can finally get a good night’s sleep, and our mental state is much better than it was before the exam. It’s great if we feel back on track by having a healthy and relaxing post-exam day, but a recent study by researchers at Hopkins has found that the effects of stress are not restricted to the temporary feelings of anxiety. Stress, according to this study, can be permanently harmful to the brain.

Tetraquark existence is confirmed

By KELLY CARTY | April 17, 2014

Researchers at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland have confirmed the existence of Z(4430). This particle, thought to be an elusive form of matter called a tetraquark, does not conform to any other known models of matter. This Z(4430) discovery came from the Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) collaboration, a multinational research project led by researchers from Syracuse University.

Computer models new soy crop

By TONY WU | April 17, 2014

As the world’s population continues to grow, the planet’s ability to support life is being stretched to its limits. In fact, models on Earth’s carrying capacity suggest that the planet cannot sustain current growth rates. If changes are not made, food and water shortages will span the globe in the near future. Some scientists believe that the only way to avoid such crises is through a second Green Revolution, in which global food production significantly increases.

Atomic clock accurate to 3% of a nanosecond

By MARK STUCZYNSKI | April 17, 2014

Have you ever been late because of problems with your watch? Good news: the National Institute of Science has your back for the next 300 million years. Their newly developed atomic clock, called NIST-F2, is designed to maintain perfect time with no decay or error. Furthermore, NIST-F2 may have many uses for GPS and other future inventions. While nothing is perfect, this clock is so precise that it only suffers from a 0.03 nanosecond displacement every day. This translates to about 1 second of inaccuracy over 100 million years.

Large subsurface ocean exists on Saturn’s moon

By SEAN YAMAKAWA | April 17, 2014

In 2005, NASA gathered information that suggested that a vast sea of water underneath the frozen surface of Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, spewed water vapor into the atmosphere. Images captured by the Imaging Science Sub-system (ISS) camera of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft featured parallel, linear ridges on the surface of Enceladus’ southern region.

Urban soil exhibits dangerous pollution levels

By REGINA PALATINI | April 17, 2014

There is currently a global soil crisis. An entire third of all soil is degraded, and declines in the quality and amount of soil will greatly impact the current food supply. It is easy to assume that most soil in gardens is healthy and safe, but is all garden soil really the same?

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