Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
April 20, 2025
April 20, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Science & Technology



CC BY-SA 3.0 / JJ Harrison
Scientists and virologists suggest that Zika may be around indefinitely.

Scientists worry Zika virus will return soon

Recently, the number of people suffering from Zika virus throughout the world has significantly decreased. However, biologists predict that Zika will return with a vengeance, potentially leading to more infections.






Researchers regrow boy’s skin cells from stem cells

Stem cells are special cells in our body that have the potential to develop into many different types of cells during proliferation. A stem cell divides by producing a new cell with the potential either to remain a stem cell or to become a cell with a more specialized function such as a muscle cell, a brain cell or a red blood cell.


SCOTT KINMARTIN/CC BY 2.0
A new study looks into the details of how an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs could have survived the asteroid hit

The age of dinosaurs drew to a close some 66 million years ago when a large asteroid struck the Yucatán Peninsula. The asteroid was about nine kilometers in diameter and released large amounts of stratospheric soot and sulfate aerosols when it collided with the hydrocarbon-rich sedimentary rocks on Earth.



PUBLIC DOMAIN
Fish have a neurochemistry similar to humans and illustrate signs of depression.

Research shows that fish can also get depressed

Recent studies have shown that some species of fish can show symptoms of major depressive disorder. While one might find this claim bizarre and dismiss fish as simple organisms incapable of complex emotion, there are actually several striking similarities we share with fish.





PUBLIC DOMAIN
DNA phenotyping can help give investigators an idea about the physical traits of a victim.

DNA phenotyping helps identify crime victims

When crime scene investigators go after criminals, it’s usually a time-consuming, multi-step process that involves finding out who the criminal is, what they look like and where they are. How much faster would the process be if it was possible to determine someone’s appearance with just their DNA?





PUBLIC DOMAIN
Supervolcanoes have the potential to complete an eruption cycle during an individual’s lifespan.

Supervolcano eruption cycle shorter than expected

Underneath the tranquil and beauty that is the Yellowstone National Park is the Yellowstone Caldera, a supervolcano classified as able to produce upwards of 1,000 cubic kilometers of volcanic deposits such as rock and ash.




News-Letter Magazine