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

Science & Technology



Does breathing spread the influenza virus?

As college students, Hopkins students know all too well how dreadful — and how easy — it is to contract some sort of virus, one that will keep you up all night coughing your lungs out or force your runny nose through two full boxes of tissues a day. 




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Bowhead whales exfoliate in response to warm weathers, which correspond to their annual migration pattern.

Whale exfoliation may explain migration patterns

In the 1800s, fishermen were mystified by the sight of bowhead whales scraping their heads against rocks. In the present day, drone footage has lent credence to a particular theory as to why. According to marine scientist Sarah Fortune, the whales are engaging in skin care.



This image of the rose-coloured star forming region Messier 17 was captured by the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. It is one of the sharpest images showing the entire nebula and not only reveals its full size but also retains fine detail throughout the cosmic landscape of gas clouds, dust and newborn stars.

Space dust might transport life between planets

For centuries, humans have pondered the question of how life originated on Earth. Several theories have been developed that range from religious doctrines to scientific observations. Some propose that lightning provided the spark of life, while others suggest that life was brought from elsewhere in space.






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Researchers hope to apply knowledge of TraE to destroy harmful bacteria.

Blocking TraE can stop antibiotic resistance

Antibiotics are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in human medicine. And in addition to treating a plethora of different diseases in humans, antibiotics are widely used on animal and plants in farms and plantations to prevent the spread of bacterial infections that result in loss of consumable crops or meat.


This artist’s impression shows the first interstellar asteroid: `Oumuamua. This unique object was discovered on 19 October 2017 by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawai`i. Subsequent observations from ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile and other observatories around the world show that it was travelling through space for millions of years before its chance encounter with our star system. `Oumuamua seems to be a dark red highly-elongated metallic or rocky object, about 400 metres long, and is unlike anything normally found in the Solar System.

Scientists spot asteroid from another solar system

On Oct. 19, 2017, scientists in Hawaii spotted a visitor from beyond enter our solar system. Named ‘Oumuamua, it is the first known interstellar asteroid, and it flew in faster than anything astronomers have ever seen. ‘Oumuamua, according to NASA, is a term for “a messenger from afar arriving first.”


Potential new tech innovations can combat climate change

Over the past hundred years, human activity has brought about a rise in global temperatures, more extreme weather patterns and a drastically changing ecosystem. The effects of climate change and environmental degradation can be harmful to human health, with consequences such as water and food shortages, rising sea levels and pollution.


COURTESY OF THE DIGITAL MEDIA CENTER
A student works with the DMC’s Microsoft Surface Studio.

The DMC combines technology with art

Over Halloween weekend, students gathered in the Mattin courtyard to drop pumpkins off the second floor balcony, make their own masks and engage in some intense gaming competitions. The annual game night was hosted by the Digital Media Center (DMC), a multimedia lab space that serves as an equipment, printing, software and knowledge resource for students on campus.


Spiders have extremely short circadian rhythms

For many college students, the start of a new day is marked by the shrill ring of an alarm clock in the morning and the end is dictated by our brains becoming too exhausted to process the textbook we are reading at the end of the night. But, in the absence of alarm clocks or a study schedule, when would we wake up and go to sleep?


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Video games can act as a substitute for IQ tests

Those who enjoyed Orson Scott Card’s science-fiction classic Ender’s Game may remember how the governments in Card’s futuristic world used computer simulation games to train the best and brightest children to beat an alien invasion.


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Stem cells can be embedded into scaffolds to repair spinal cord injury.

Epithelial stem cells can treat spinal cord injury

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 250,000 to 500,000 people suffer from spinal cord injuries each year. A lot of these injuries are due to preventable causes, such as car crashes and falls.




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