Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
November 1, 2024

Science & Technology



Antarctica’s ice sheet is significantly retreating

Global warming has been a key term in conversations about the environment throughout the past few decades. It is the term attributed to the annual increase in rising temperatures on Earth, influenced by factors such as the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities. These endeavors contribute a considerable amount of greenhouse, or heat-trapping gases, to the atmosphere and consequently raise the surface temperature. 


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Only a small number of depressed adolescents are treated by doctors.

Adolescents face difficulty getting depression treatment

In February of this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announced its intentions to initiate change by calling for every child to receive an annual screening for depression beginning at the age of 12. This is a big step forward, but is it enough?


 
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Panamanian golden frogs may be developing a resistance to the BD skin fungus. 

Endangered frog species may be on rebound

The decline of many different forms of endangered species continues to be an issue worldwide. The Panamanian golden frog is native to the rainforests of Central America. While this species could easily be found in the rain forests of Panama as recent as 20 years ago, scientists noticed a sharp decline in the species’ population in recent years.


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The study showed the importance of schedules that align to your body clock.

New study links poor grades to class times

In what is thought to be the largest ever study of its kind, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and Northeastern Illinois University have reached an interesting conclusion concerning the battle between body clock and class schedule. 


 
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Astrophysicists discovered thousands of black holes situated at the center of the Milky Way.

Black holes found at the center of Milky Way

The Milky Way Galaxy is more than 100,000 light years in diameter. In between this vast space occupied by so many unknowns, how do humans advance their quest in determining the existence and locations of black holes?



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Nicotinamide riboside supplements may lower blood pressure in elderly.

Low-fat and low-carb diets equally beneficial

Obesity is a leading issue in American culture. More than one in three adults in the United States are considered obese, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Low-fat diets and low-carbohydrate diets are two popular strategies for weight loss.



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Nicotinamide riboside supplements may lower blood pressure in the elderly.

Dietary supplement may delay physiological aging

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) indicates that nicotinamide riboside (NR), a dietary supplement, may provide the same health benefits as restricting calories. The findings were reported in a paper published on March 29 in Nature Communications. 


Prosthetic implant in brain improves memory

Prosthetics is a focus area in biomedical engineering that has been constantly expanding. Recently, scientists came up with a novel way of incorporating a person’s prosthetic memory system into regulatory brain processes such as encoding and retrieving memories.


Social media created our political climate

Perhaps, though, what is most unique about the political environment we find ourselves in now, is the role the internet and social media play in shaping it. The internet has connected us in ways never before imaginable, but with that newfound connection comes new challenges. 


Researchers discover new organ: the interstitium

A scientific discovery hidden in plain sight is a rare occurrence in the research world. Yet, endoscopists at Beth Israel Medical Center, David Carr-Locke and Petros Benias, and New York University Professor Neil Theise have accomplished just that with their discovery of a new organ, the interstitium. 


The use of iron lungs as treatment for polio

In 1928, the first patient to use the iron lung was an eight-year-old girl, suffering from respiratory paralysis as a result of poliomyelitis, or polio. Though she later died from cardiac failure, the device, an artificial respirator, had kept her breathing — and alive — for over five days. 


The origin of life may be colder than we thought

The origin of life is perhaps the most tantalizing question in science. Was it catalyzed by a high-energy lightning strike to the right amalgam of molecules? Did it travel from deep space on an asteroid, only landing on our planet by an improbable collision? 


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The newly engineered Soft Robitic Fish (SoFi) has many motor advances. 

Researchers create robot fish to study marine life

Researchers from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conceptualized a biomimetic fish that could swim alongside marine life. The robotic fish is classified as an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) capable of observation, motion and communication. 



 
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The fetus or newborn Ata skeleton was disovered in the Atacama Desert in Chile in 2003. 

Child fossil shows molecular complexity of bone disease

In 2003, a skeleton was discovered in the Atacama Desert in Chile. This skeleton, which has since been named “Ata” was tiny, about six inches long, with strange and dramatic deformities: a long skull pointed at the top, deep angular eye sockets and fewer ribs than normal. Some observers thought it looked alien. 


 
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Researchers used soy plants as inspiration for tissue regeneration ideas.

New methods for tissue regeneration discovered

Researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have recently found two new techniques for tissue regeneration. One technique draws inspiration from naturally occurring proteins found in fetuses, while the other draws inspiration from soy plants.


COURTESY OF  SALLY & HARRY
Oh. Mmmm. Ohhhh yes. Yeah, right there. Ohhhh — mmmm. OH YES YES

The Quest to find the “Female Orgasm”

A recent study conducted by a team of world-class psychologists and gynecologists at the School of Medicine have determined that previous research severely overestimated the prevalence of the female orgasm.


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