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Science & Technology

Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt/ CC By 3.0 Hayabusa2 will collect asteroid samples that may shed light on early solar system conditions.

Spacecraft begins its mission on Ryugu asteroid

By SAMI SANIEI | March 7, 2019

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft finally landed on the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu on Feb. 21, 2019. This was no easy feat. The Hayabusa2’s main body measures about 1 x 1.25 x 1.6 meters (m) in size and weighs 609 kilograms (kg). Launched in December 2014, Hayabusa2 managed to land as planned about four years later on an asteroid no bigger than one kilometer (km) in diameter, orbiting over hundreds of millions of kilometers away from earth.

Bone marrow transplants may slow Alzheimer’s

By RACHEL HUANG | March 7, 2019

Neurocognitive disorders have become more and more prevalent in society. Cognitive disorders can be defined as any disorder that significantly impairs the cognitive function of an individual in motor coordination, learning and memory, and impaired judgement. These disorders make it impossible to function normally in everyday life.

LAURA WOLF/CC BY 2.0 Genome stability in sharks mean similar research could be done on humans.

Sharks possess DNA-stabilizing genes

By SHIRLEY MARINO LEE | March 7, 2019

An international team of researchers from institutions in the United States, Russia and Portugal recently achieved the feat of decoding the great white shark’s entire genome.  After doing so, the team proceeded to compare the great white’s genome to that of other species such as whale sharks and humans. 

Jordan Uhl/ cc by 2.0 If passed, the new rule would restrict Title X funding from health clinics which provide abortion referrals.

Proposed rule may limit reproductive health funds

By TRISHA PARAYIL | March 7, 2019

The Trump administration submitted a rule to bar groups which offer abortions or provide abortion referrals from partaking in Title X funding. It was first introduced in May 2018 and was submitted on Feb. 7 to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for final review. 

Elizabeth Roy/ CC by-SA 3.0 Synthetic opioids may be responsible for the third wave opioid epidemic.

Opioid deaths are more frequent in certain states

By JESSICA KASAMOTO | March 7, 2019

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared a public health emergency regarding the opioid epidemic in the U.S. While recent data shows that death rates have been dropping in recent years, data has also shown that opioid abuse related deaths still seem to be much more common in some states than others. 

   MARLITH / CC BY-SA 3.0 The soda tax raised eyebrows, but a new study shows it’s working.

Controversial soda tax is shown to be effective

By TRISHA PARAYIL | February 28, 2019

 A soda tax may be an effective way to curb rates of diabetes, heart disease and obesity.  According to a study in the American Journal of Public Health conducted by the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), the consumption of sugary drinks dropped 52 percent among low-income Berkeley residents. 

   PUBLIC DOMAIN Doctors often incorrectly treat dialysis as the only option to treat poor kidneys.

Dialysis is not the only treatment for ailing kidneys

By LAURA WADSTEN | February 28, 2019

The discussion about end-of-life care often centers around the value of invasive surgeries and that of palliative care, which is designed to treat symptoms rather than the cause of illness. One treatment that is rarely referred to as voluntary is kidney dialysis, which is defined by the National Kidney Foundation as treatment that includes the removal of waste, salt and extra water to prevent them from building up in the body; the maintenance of a safe level of potassium, sodium and bicarbonate in the blood; and control of blood pressure. 

 PUBLIC DOMAIN A 1994 earthquake offered clues to find underground mountain range.

Underground mountains discovered in Bolivia

By SHIRLEY MARINO LEE | February 28, 2019

During our days in elementary school science, most of us learned the basics of geology. We learned about the layers of the earth (crust, mantle, outer and inner core) and plate tectonics, among other topics. However, this was a great oversimplification of all that goes on under our feet. 

New cancer drug combination therapy is promising

By RACHEL HUANG | February 28, 2019

Finding a cure for cancer is one of the most highly researched topics in science because of its major impact all over the world. According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2018, there was an estimated 1.7 million new cases of cancer diagnosed in the United States and approximately 17 million new cases worldwide. 

NIAID / CC BY 2.0 Published clinical trials often report on trial outcomes they did not intentionally study.

Some clinical trials improperly report outcomes

By CHRIS REINHARDT | February 21, 2019

Clinical trials are essential for testing new medications because they let researchers know whether new medications, from vitamins to vaccines, are safe and effective. However, a new study published in Trials shows that researchers aren’t properly reporting the outcomes of their clinical trials. This may make a new treatment appear to be safer or more effective than the product actually is.

PUBLIC DOMAIN  Cooke first received her degree in anthropology from Barnard College.

Discussing paleontology, bias and representation with Prof. Siobhan Cooke

By LAUREN PADILLA | February 21, 2019

Scientists say we have entered a new epoch. Considering the lasting impacts of human-centered destruction on the world’s flora and fauna, researchers have stressed the need to mark the end of the Holocene and the start of the Anthropocene. The Center for Biological Diversity has stated that the last time Earth’s rate of species extinction was so high was 65 million years ago, when the dinosaurs collapsed. Recent statistics show that 45 percent of Earth’s invertebrates have a “threatened” status, along with over 40 percent of amphibians and nearly 20 percent of bird species.

PUBLIC DOMAIN Researchers believe certain music genres might be linked to aggression.

Music is shown to affect mental state of the brain

By JESSICA KASAMOTO | February 21, 2019

Psychological studies show that music has an effect on the way people feel, think and behave. Music is beneficial, especially to those with anxiety and depression, but evidence has also shown that some music is linked with violent behavior.

PIXABAY Female hormones interact with certain drugs to produce an increased addictive response.

Hormone cycles lead to greater addiction in women

By TRISHA PARAYIL | February 21, 2019

Epidemiological clinical studies have shown that females are especially vulnerable to drug addiction and relapse. More specifically, females are more likely to transition to addiction soon after their first drug use and relapse, and they have greater cue-induced cravings for drugs. 

Pill with a new design can now deliver insulin

By ALLISON CHEN | February 21, 2019

For individuals with type 2 diabetes, daily insulin injections are a necessary but uncomfortable routine. A team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), however, have developed a pill that can deliver doses of insulin, replacing daily injections. Their work was published in the journal Science.

A new treatment could reverse some paralysis

By RACHEL HUANG | February 14, 2019

Approximately 300,000 Americans in the United States live with some form of spinal cord injury (SCI), with about 20,000 new cases each year. Vehicular accidents are the leading cause of SCIs, followed by incidences of falls, violent behaviors and mishaps during recreational activities. Depending on the severity of the SCI, these injuries may lead to paralysis in various areas of the body.

PUBLIC DOMAIN Parent’s may perceive their child’s pain differently based on their gender.

Gender might change perceived pain

By TRISHA PARAYIL | February 14, 2019

In a study published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Brian Earp and his colleagues found that the perceived gender of a child influences an adult’s evaluation of that child’s pain. 

PUBLIC DOMAIN A dwarf galaxy possible as old as the universe has been discovered.

Hubble Space Telescope spots new dwarf galaxy

By CINDY JIANG | February 14, 2019

The Hubble Space Telescope is a joint project between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) that was established in 1990 via a Space Shuttle mission STS-31 launch into low-Earth orbit. Throughout its 29-year lifespan, the telescope has contributed immensely to planetary studies, having made more than 1.3 million observations.

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