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Science & Technology

Autism research in mice looks promising

By Catie Paul | September 18, 2014

Though fewer children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) today than in the past — one in 68 births, up from one in 150 births 10 years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — many aspects of the disorder are still a mystery. Researchers at Caltech have been studying this mystery and have found neurons that appear to control social behavior in mice. If similar neurons exist in humans, then they may have found the part of the brain that controls autism, leading to more treatment options.

Oxygen existed earlier than previously thought

By REGINA PALATINI | September 18, 2014

Somewhere around 2.4 to 2.8 billion years ago life on earth began to produce oxygen, thus giving many aerobic organisms the ability to live on earth ... or did it? While many of the details remain the same, recent research has shown that life first gave rise to oxygen not between two and three billion years ago, but approximately 3.02 billion years ago, disrupting a theory that was long taken for granted. This research was performed by scientists at Trinity College Dublin and Presidency University in Kolkata, India and was published in the most esteemed geology journal, Geology. The researchers discovered that oxygen arose an astounding 60 million years earlier than previously thought, which is quite a significant amount of time given that humans have only existed for 200,000 years. 

Hopkins finds protein associated with ALS

By ELLI TIAN | September 18, 2014

With the sudden popularity of the ice bucket challenge this past summer, many people were introduced to the neurodegenerative disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The goal of the challenge was to help fund research to find a cure for ALS, which is newly diagnosed at least 6,000 times per year and for which there currently exists no effective treatment.

With more shipments, whale population plummets

By TONY WU | September 18, 2014

Scientists around the world continue to be concerned about the amount of pollution created by modern industrialization. With emerging nations such as China and India, more people have access to luxuries like cars that produce waste and contribute to climate change. All these factors influence the environment and the affect the animals of the planet. In particular, blue whales are among some of the hardest-hit species at the turn of the century.

Study relates physicians’ weight to patient care

By MARU GARZA | September 18, 2014

As the world struggles to fight the incurable diseases that burden the human population, a silent epidemic infiltrates nations. Obesity rates worldwide has nearly doubled since 1980, affecting both children and adults in increasing numbers.

Medical Marijuana leads to fewer overdoses

By SUNNY CAI | September 18, 2014

While binging on Twinkies, picking up daddies at the playground and drinking up all your money may not constitute constructive life decisions, Tove Lo might be on to something in her 2014 single “Stay High,” in which she documents her experiences of, well, getting high.

Scientists are working toward an Ebola vaccine

By ELIZABETH LIU | September 18, 2014

For the past ten months, the Ebola virus has been ravaging West Africa. Healthcare workers are struggling to keep up with the rising numbers of infection and disease containment as well as a lack of funding and resources. Despite these obstacles, a light at the end of the tunnel may be emerging as researchers are brewing an experimental Ebola vaccine that could be the saving grace for the thousands of people at risk for contracting Ebola.

New dinosaur, Dreadnoughtus, found in Argentina

By SARAH SUKARDI | September 18, 2014

What’s the first image that comes to mind when someone says the word “dinosaur?” Maybe a menacing T. rex with huge, gnashing teeth and comically short arms, or a stegosaurus with its tail spikes and bony, distinctive plates or perhaps even a triceratops with its three large horns and frill of bone.

Third HopHacks sparks student innovation

By ALBERT HUANG | September 11, 2014

HopHacks, a 36-hour student-run hackathon, returned to Hackerman Hall for the third time this past weekend, drawing 160 students from all over the country to produce innovative computer applications ranging from games to healthcare.

Bum thumbs: basal point arthritis troubles patients

By SARAH SUKARDI | September 11, 2014

Pinching and pulling, pressing and picking, typing and texting: these are just a few of the myriad uses of the hand’s most mobile joint, the thumb. But researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital have found that the movement we take so much for granted in this versatile joint may come at a cost.

Cars of the future: Google shifts to new gears

By ELLI TIAN | September 11, 2014

Who hasn’t dreamt of a time when cars drive themselves and adjust themselves to fit all needs? In the days of The Jetsons and Back to the Future, these new technologies might have seemed to be something of the very distant future. But now, with the introduction of even tinier computers and even more efficient fuel technologies, even companies like Google have ventured into changing the future of driving.

Great Barrier Reef in danger of dredge

By JOAN YEA | September 11, 2014

The Great Barrier Reef, which sprawls 1,430 miles along Australia’s east coast, is the largest living organism on the planet. It is also one of the most intricate natural ecosystems in the world, home to 600 species of corals, 3,000 types of mollusks, 1,625 varieties of fish and more than 30 species of marine mammals.

Action movies cause viewers to eat more

By REGINA PALATINI | September 11, 2014

Think back to the last action movie you watched. Was it Captain America, The Hunger Games, or maybe 22 Jump Street? Odds are that you remember the basic plot pretty well or at least the chase scenes that had you holding your breath and refusing to blink so that you wouldn’t miss a second. Now, think of what you were eating during the movie. Can you remember the exact snack that you had, whether that small popcorn that looked like an extra large, or those King Size Twizzlers? Do you think the movie you were watching had any relationship with how much of your snack you consumed?

Technology has changed in response to 9/11 attacks

By JOEL PALLY | September 11, 2014

As President Barack Obama attempts to assemble an international coalition to go after the Islamic militant group that calls itself the Islamic State, we are reminded that the threat of global terrorism is still an ever-present reality. But since our declared war on terrorism shortly after 9/11, are we any safer from a coordinated attack against the United States than we were on that fatal day 13 years ago? The answer to the question is complicated and subjective. Preparing against a terrorist plot is akin to preparing for the next viral outbreak. The threat is global, diffuse, and constantly evolving in unpredictable ways. Natural selection almost guarantees that even our best defenses will eventually be outmaneuvered. As a result, we are forced to be reactionary with our goals, focusing on identification, containment and future prevention of threats.

Apple denies claims that poor security led to leak

By ELIZABETH LIU | September 11, 2014

If you have been online any time this past week, you most likely know by now that Labor Day weekend was host to a massive leak of celebrity nudes that were stolen from iCloud accounts. Though clearly an illegal and immoral breach of privacy, events like this occur quite often. However, what made this one shake up the internet so badly was the sheer massiveness and breadth of the image cache — hundreds of nude, semi-nude and revealing photos of celebrities, ranging from actresses, to fashion models, to Olympians, were disclosed by an anonymous user and posted on the infamous web forum 4Chan.

TMS brings “shock” to science of memory loss

By SAMHITA ILANGO | September 4, 2014

With a few shocks to the brain, scientists have made it possible to never forget a friend’s birthday, lose track of keys or have to deal with uncomfortable encounter of forgetting an acquaintance’s name. A research team at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine has used this knowledge for more than just key tracking but for enhancing the retention network of memory-impaired individuals. 

Atlantic methane leakage is larger than expected

By REGINA PALATINI | September 4, 2014

GECS major or not, you are probably familiar with hydrothermal vents, which are commonly found in the waters around the Galapagos Islands and known for the incredible diversity of organisms that live near them and rely on their significant chemical processes.  Vents are typically close in proximity to active volcanoes and are above slowly shifting tectonic plates. A common example is the hot springs that thousands of tourists visit every year at Yellowstone National Park.  

Gut bacteria found to resist food allergies

By MARU GARZA | September 4, 2014

To some people, allergies are an annoyance that they have to deal with every spring. To others, allergies are a life-threatening illness that could strike if they eat the wrong food. Regardless of their severity, the prevalence of allergies as a whole has increased rapidly around the globe.

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