Category: Physics and Technology

2016-17, Engineering, Genetics, Medicine and Physiology

A New Genome-Editing Technique

by Jalwa Afroz Developmental biology explores how cells differentiate from a fertilized egg into a complex multicellular organism. Although the idea of marking cells to track their development is not new, scientists at Harvard University and the University of Washington developed a CRISPR genome-editing system that offers far more specificity and versatility by tracing cells with fluorescent proteins. In order for a technology to trace … Continue reading A New Genome-Editing Technique

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2016-17, Biology, Engineering, Medicine and Physiology

Hippo Biology: The Next Step in Tissue Regeneration

by Aaron Gochman (’18) Traditional studies of tissue regeneration and repair have focused on delivering cells and biomaterials, compounds that will presumably grow when placed in a biologically friendly environment. A new avenue for research, however, has been revealed by a Chinese group that has chosen to focus on drug-based therapeutics instead. The study detailed a discovery in which the team found a drug, XMU-MP-1, … Continue reading Hippo Biology: The Next Step in Tissue Regeneration

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2016-17, Technology

The Exploration of Stone Tools

by Lillian Pao (’18) Stone tools have been around for millions of years. It is a technology that has evolved with the hominin phenotype. About three million years ago, flake-making was mastered by the African hominins, followed by handaxes 1.75 million years ago, and custom complex stone reductions by 1.6 million years ago.  Professor Mark W. Moore from the University of New England and a … Continue reading The Exploration of Stone Tools

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2016-17, Health, Technology

The Many Advantages of Almonds

by Julia Newman (’19) Oilseeds are incredibly valuable in our society because they are applicable to a wide array of industries. Currently, soybeans, sunflowers, and rapeseeds are the most commonly used plants for their oils due to their high nutritional value, ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and large quantity of oil extracted per plant. However, it was recently discovered by Dr. Sorkheh … Continue reading The Many Advantages of Almonds

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2016-17, Engineering, Environment, Technology

Bio-Diesel Enhances the Flow of Emulsions in Pipelines

by Jenna Mallon (’18) Emulsions, mixtures containing two immiscible liquids, are used in a variety of industries including food, paint, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and oil/gas. Emulsions play a large role in petroleum production since they exist at every stage of production, from crude oil to the refined petroleum. Issues arise when it comes to the transport of petroleum: the emulsions in the petroleum may contain solids … Continue reading Bio-Diesel Enhances the Flow of Emulsions in Pipelines

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2016-17, Biology, Engineering

A Step Toward Synthetic Cognition and Artificial Organs

by Aaron Gochman (’18) A team of researchers from Harvard, Stanford, and Sogang University in South Korea made headlines this week with a discovery that captures the future of bioengineering. Living cardiac muscle cells were taken from rats and printed onto a robot shaped like a sting ray. The cells were engineered to express proteins that activate in response to light; when activated, the cells … Continue reading A Step Toward Synthetic Cognition and Artificial Organs

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2016-17, Computer Science, Health

Computer Simulation Offers Alternative Ways to Stop Disease in Schools

by Lillian Pao (’18) Pandemics and seasonal infectious diseases, such as the influenza virus, have drastic negative health and economic consequences. One particular intervention strategy, school closures, can result in significant economic impacts because parents or guardians have to temporarily leave the workforce in order to take care of their child. School closures because of an epidemic outbreak normally last for one to two weeks, … Continue reading Computer Simulation Offers Alternative Ways to Stop Disease in Schools

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2015-16, Physics

Asteroids May Have Fostered Life on Mars

By Julia Newman Fig 1: Analysis of Mars’ surface shows a history of bombardment.   Ever since the official announcement of water on Mars just last September, the search for habitable conditions on the planet has been more intense than ever. Studies from earlier this week suggest that while Earth’s surface is affected mostly by erosion and plate tectonics, Mars has been subjected to billions of … Continue reading Asteroids May Have Fostered Life on Mars

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2015-16, Physics

Factors affecting disaster preparedness in tsunami-prone areas

By Shannon Bohman ’19 Following the 2012 Indian Ocean earthquakes, Dr. Witvorapong and his colleagues surveyed 557 households in tsunami-prone areas of Phang Nga, Thailand. They focused on the relationship between social participation and disaster risk reduction actions, such as stockpiling supplies, making family emergency plans, and promoting risk reduction actions via community involvement. To analyze the data, the scientists employed a multivariate probit model. … Continue reading Factors affecting disaster preparedness in tsunami-prone areas

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2015-16, Psychology, Technology

Application of Psychology in Emails Could Lead to More Effective Communication

By Lee Ann Santore ’19 In this age of technology, email is employed as a fundamental form of communication capable of creating and strengthening both casual and professional relationships. Researchers from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, having studied 16 billion emails sent by 2 million users, were able to identify several key patterns. The results revealed that most emails are responded to within an hour, … Continue reading Application of Psychology in Emails Could Lead to More Effective Communication

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Technology

Computers Can Learn Like Humans

By Cerise Carey ’16 Scientists have created an algorithm that allows computers to recognize and draw simple visual concepts, such as handwritten characters. A research group under the guidance of Dr. Brenden Lake, a Moore-Sloan Data Science Fellow at New York University, devised an algorithm that serves to shorten the time it takes for computers to “learn” new concepts and replicate types of pattern recognition … Continue reading Computers Can Learn Like Humans

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2015-16, Biology, Technology

Determining the Sex of a Fingerprint

By Shannon Bohman ’19 An new innovative test may help determine whether a fingerprint comes from a man or a woman. Certain amino acids are twice as prevalent in women than in men, meaning that testing for amino acid concentration found in fingerprints can determine the gender of the person they belong to. For more than a century, fingerprints have been analyzed as if they … Continue reading Determining the Sex of a Fingerprint

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