Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
November 25, 2024

Science & Technology



Static electricity may soon help power your iPhone

Though many of us experience it every day, static electricity remains somewhat poorly understood. Researchers have recently begun to look into the details behind how electricity is generated through frictional contact; that is, the molecular physics behind your hair’s propensity to stick to balloons. The research being conducted at the University of Buffalo and Kansas State University has so far uncovered some interesting twists to the electron exchange known as triboelectrification that takes place between two materials in contact with one another.


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Many animal species, such as the pygmy-owl, will be affected by the proposed border wall extension. 

Building a border wall would put wildlife at risk

Although the controversy over whether or not to extend the 650-mile border wall between the United States and Mexico largely centers around immigration, it is also important to consider the effects a wall would have on the environment of the borderlands.


NASA/JPL/CORNELL UNIVERSITY
NASA’s Opportunity rover might have to end its 15-year orbit on Mars.

NASA lost contact with its Mars Opportunity rover in a dust storm

Mars is one of the closest planets to Earth within our solar system and a strong contender for habitability under controlled conditions. Considering its unique status, it makes sense that many missions have been launched for the purpose of characterizing the planet. This would allow astronomers and scientists to better understand Mars and determine whether life could possibly exist there in the future. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Mars Opportunity rover is one of two rovers launched back in 2003 to probe Mars for any signs of past life.


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The ratio of male to female births may be affected by temperature.

Global warming might mean fewer baby boys

One unexpected impact of climate change may be an altered ratio of male to female children born, a recent study suggests. Research published by a team of Japanese and Danish scientists in Fertility and Sterility indicated that there is a statistically significant relationship between temperature differentials and the male-to-female birth ratio. 


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Scientists are ever closer to the cure for cancer after the discovery that autophagy fights cancer.

Autophagy naturally destroys cancerous cells

Cancer research is constantly ongoing with new discoveries left and right and a potential breakthrough scattered here and there. Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, San Diego, Calif., have recently discovered a process that may potentially put an end to the controversial topic on the role of autophagy in cancer. 



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Researchers used AI to help analyze evolutionary and genomic datasets.

New human ancestor discovered through machine learning methods

It is a well-established and often taught principle of evolution that new genes are introduced into the gene pool through both random mutations as well as introgressions. Introgressions are insertions into the gene pool through crossbreeding with another species (or related group).


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The WHO attributed the drastic increase of measles to the growing number of anti-vaxxers.

Superbugs and anti-vaxxers threaten global health

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of 10 global health threats may surprise some this year, with uninformed parents and germs straight out of a science fiction novel making the cut. Diseases that were previously pushed to the brink of eradication are making a comeback, thanks in part to the anti-vaccination movement. 


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A recently developed blood test might help detect certain neurological diseases before symptom onset.

New test detects Alzheimer’s before symptoms show

According to a recent study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Germany, a blood test might be able to reliably detect signs of brain damage in a person who is on the way to developing Alzheimer’s disease. This simple blood test can provide results even before the person begins showing hallmark symptoms of the disease, such as confusion and memory loss.


Virtual reality fails to stimulate real responses

Many people might recall an experience where simply looking at an image of someone yawning triggers them to yawn. This is no magic; in fact, it is a popular phenomenon known as contagious yawning. Studies in the past have shown that approximately 50 percent of adults would yawn in response to other people’s yawning.



Blood vessels in petri dish help diabetes research

Scientists at the University of British Columbia have recently made a breakthrough in diabetes research. For the first time, researchers were able to grow human blood vessels as organoids in a petri dish, which will dramatically enhance research in cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes.


Global warming causes shorter, colder winters

Chicago natives are no stranger to arctic weather, suffering through subzero temperatures at least once a year. But this winter, temperatures are plummeting to near negative 55 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill, making Chicago colder than even the South Pole. And the reason may be surprising: global warming.


 
Famartin / CC BY-SA 4.0 
Blue Water Baltimore focuses on cleaning up the Harbor and streams.

Blue Water Baltimore’s Jenn Aiosa reflects on career

According to predictions from the Baltimore Office of Sustainability, Baltimore will encounter severe public health, infrastructural and economic issues as a result of global warming, from expanding rates of respiratory problems to extreme flooding. 


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BrainGate researchers have previously developed prosthetic limbs that react to neural signals.

Quadriplegics wirelessly control computer systems

Paralysis is a debilitating condition, but one that affects nearly two percent of the population in the U.S. — approximately 5.4 million people. Many paralyzed patients suffer from quadriplegia, a condition signified by partial or complete lack of motor function in all four limbs. Often the result of a traumatic injury, paralysis is caused by an inability of the spinal cord to pass signals from the brain to the peripheral nervous system.


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HopAI brings disciplines together to talk about the importance of AI.

HopAI launches with its first symposium at Hopkins

HopAI held its inaugural event on Thursday, Nov. 29. The organization, which seeks to connect and expose Hopkins students to artificial intelligence (AI), invited three speakers from different areas of study to describe their work with the diverse technologies.



COURTESY OF TAL LINZEN
Tal Linzen, an assistant professor in the Cognitive Science Department, studies cognitive processes involved in AI.

Lab Spotlight: Professor Tal Linzen

Yes, the machines might take over one day – but that’s (probably) still a long way away. In reality, human intelligence may be the key to developing artificial intelligence (AI). 


Bernoulli, Jurin and the math behind smallpox

In December of 1694, Mary II of England fell ill. Physicians who attended the stricken queen, half of the pair known as William and Mary, argued over a diagnosis, but before long it became clear that she had contracted a severe form of smallpox. She died three days after Christmas, and the news was carried across London by tolling bells.


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