Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
November 26, 2024

Science & Technology



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Bacteria that are resistant to current antibiotics can be killed by using peptide polymers.

Researchers discover new ways to combat deadly superbugs

At a United Nations General Assembly meeting on Sept. 21, the first ever called only to discuss drug-resistant bacteria, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated that antimicrobial resistance is a “fundamental threat” to global health and safety.


Autism connected to late-in-life pregnancy

A recent study done by the Copenhagen Centre for Social Evolution showed that parents who have kids later in life are more likely to have children with autism disorders. However, the link between later reproduction and schizophrenia in children was disproved.



Medhacks 2.0

Students from across the country competed in the second annual MedHacks, where medicine and technology meet.


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Antibacterial triclosan hand washes have shown to increase bacterial resistance and hormonal effects.

FDA bans antiseptics in consumer products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a ban prohibiting the sale of consumer antibacterial soaps containing antiseptics the FDA deemed “not generally recognized as safe and effective.” This final ruling solidified a proposed rule published in the Federal Register of Dec. 17, 2013.



July and August tie for hottest months on record

This past July and August have tied each other for the hottest months on Earth since NASA’s record-keeping began in 1880. The past two months boast temperatures averaging 0.84 degrees Celsius (1.27 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the earth’s average temperature.




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Scientists have detected complex molecules in the core of Neptune, one of the gas giants.

Stable compounds found in interior of gas giants

Gas giants are massive planets that consist of a significant amount of hydrogen and helium gases, with only a comparatively tiny terrestrial core in the center. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are the four unique gas giants that exist in our very own Solar System. Recently, a group of combined scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) and the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) in Russia successfully utilized computer modeling to detect inherently stable molecules that might be present in the interiors of Uranus and Neptune.


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Certain gut bacteria in human intestines are shown to cause disease.

Intestinal tissue repair fosters bacteria growth

When you feel sick after a meal, it could be due to your own body’s tissue-repair mechanism. Scientists at the University of California Davis School of Medicine have discovered that certain microorganisms known as enteric pathogens, located in the digestive tract of humans, can cause harm to our bodies, instead of repairing the damages due to a food-borne illness.


Georgetown professor breaks down the brain

Maximilian Riesenhuber, a professor of Neuroscience at the Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., spoke about hierarchical processing involved in object recognition and deep learning in the brain as well as their implications for Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology on Sept. 25 in Krieger Hall.


COURTESY OF Kunal Maiti
Students from across the country competed in the second annual MedHacks, where medicine and technology meet. See Page B7.

MedHacks unites a community of hackers

The University hosted its second-annual student-run medical hackathon MedHacks this past weekend at the Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy. The event brought together over 350 student hackers from the Hopkins community and beyond to discuss solutions for pressing health care issues.


Harmless bacteria used to treat MRSA infections

A recent collaborative study at Forsyth Institute and Texas Tech University has proven the effect of using a harmless bacteria species to protect humans from life-threatening MRSA infections. The study shows how the nonmalignant strain Corynebacterium interacts with the Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) strain that causes the MRSA infection by inhibiting the harmful bacteria. Furthermore, researchers have found that the interactions between S. aureus and other benign, ingrown human bacteria can lead to new treatments for other diseases.


Study examines PTSD using neuroimaging

There is a chart titled ‘Causes of Stress’ on the American Psychological Association’s website. It describes the worries of the general public and it includes factors such as money, work, personal health concerns, housing costs, relationships and personal safety. These stress inducers are ubiquitous in American society — even the least prevalent issue, personal safety, is reported to affect 30 percent of the population as of 2010.


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Students and young adults are using marijuana at an increasing rate.

Marijuana use in college students is on the rise

Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered that marijuana use in college has been increasing during the past decade. One of the chief causes for the increase in marijuana use could be the decrease in students’ perception that marijuana use leads to harm.




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Food that has fallen on a table has probably been contaminated by bacteria before five seconds has passed.

Researchers disprove the ‘five-second’ rule

Most people have referred to the “five-second rule” in order to save a tasty morsel that has fallen on the germ-covered ground. However, staunch believers of this popular rule may want to reconsider. Scientists from Rutgers University have conducted an experiment that disproves the widely accepted belief that food that was dropped on the ground is clean as long as it is picked up within five seconds.


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