By Victoria Vernail In 1986, geneticist Alec Jeffreys was the first to use DNA profiling techniques in a murder investigation. The use of DNA resulted in the release of an innocent suspect and eventual identification of the culprit.1 In the coming decades, DNA would become the backbone of forensic science, serving as evidence in over … Continue reading Does your brain know all your secrets?
From Bakery to Bench: How Scientists use Yeast for Biomedical Research
By Gaelyn Lyons Yeast has been an essential tool to our society since the beginning of time. Beer, bread, and wine all use yeast due to their ability to undergo fermentation.1 Not only does yeast contribute to creating yummy food, but it also plays an important role in biomedical research. Many scientists, including some at … Continue reading From Bakery to Bench: How Scientists use Yeast for Biomedical Research
BLT: A Treatment More Therapeutic Than The Sandwich
By Savanna Ledford Figure 1: Standard Time Act of 1918 (Robinson, R. & Vick, A. (2019). Does falling back an hour cause you to experience seasonal depression? You can thank Congress for that. Daylight savings time has been observed by most people in the United States since 1918 with the hopes that it will save … Continue reading BLT: A Treatment More Therapeutic Than The Sandwich
How We Almost Eradicated Polio
By Sonam Lhamo In the late 1940s and early 1950s, polio was a feared infectious disease in the U.S. During summers, when the disease peaked, parents would keep their children from going to swimming pools and movies for fear of their children contracting polio from infected children1. Polio is a highly contagious, infectious disease caused … Continue reading How We Almost Eradicated Polio
How to Grow a 4th Stomach for Your Thanksgiving Feast
By Rebecca Fleeman As the sweet potato casserole gets passed down the table and you scoot your green beans over to make room, this Thanksgiving you may think “will I be able to finish all the food on my plate?”. By the end of the meal, you are absolutely stuffed, eating more than twice what … Continue reading How to Grow a 4th Stomach for Your Thanksgiving Feast
Algebraic Geometry: A Bridge Between Equations and Shapes
By Mike Sha A common problem in robotics is finding all the possible positions the hand can end up. This is a question for algebraic geometry, which can be solved by homotopy continuation1. In this article, we’ll be taking the path of least resistance to these topics. Algebra is “the study of mathematical symbols … Continue reading Algebraic Geometry: A Bridge Between Equations and Shapes
Eavesdropping on Sperm Whales: The Cetacean Translation Initiative
By Julia Simpson An international team of roboticists, cryptographers, and biologists, along with experts in machine learning, underwater acoustics, and linguistics, recently assembled to decode messages from the deep1. That may sound like the title-card montage for the next “team of international super spies” blockbuster, but no: this is the diverse, interdisciplinary expertise behind the … Continue reading Eavesdropping on Sperm Whales: The Cetacean Translation Initiative
The Knee Jerk Reflex: More Than A Simple Medical Test
By Mariam Melkumyan If you have ever been to a primary care physician, they have almost certainly used a little hammer to tap your knee to test for your knee-jerk reflex. In response to this tap, your leg likely jerked a little, hence the name of the reflex. This simple test is used to assure … Continue reading The Knee Jerk Reflex: More Than A Simple Medical Test
What’s the buzz about Mosquirix?
By Victoria Silvis While the world has focused on rapidly developing a vaccine for SARS-CoV2, the WHO recently approved a vaccine that has been developed for malaria, a serious illness endemic to poorer tropic and subtropic regions globally. In 2020 alone, there were 229 million cases with an estimated half a million deaths.1 Malaria infections … Continue reading What’s the buzz about Mosquirix?
Give Me a Boost! The Debate on the COVID-19 Booster Vaccine
By Gaelyn Lyons There has been a lot of talk lately about the COVID-19 booster vaccine, especially with new variants arising and Pfizer submitting an application to the FDA for a booster against COVID-19. The first two jabs have been found to significantly protect individuals from severe symptoms and reduce the risk of hospitalization.1 However, … Continue reading Give Me a Boost! The Debate on the COVID-19 Booster Vaccine
Lions Talk Science 