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

Science & Technology



 THOMAS SCHULZ/cc-by-sa-3.0
The psychedelic drug can alter brain networks and cause hallucinations.

LSD found to change neuronal connectivity

It has recently been found that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) can have an influence on the brain’s connectivity between regions. LSD is a banned psychedelic drug that is derived from a poisonous ergot fungus. The drug can cause severe mood changes and altered states of awareness.


 DUPONT/cc-by-sa-2.0
All three recently named species of mouse lemurs are found in the southern and eastern parts of Madagascar.

Three new mouse lemur species named

In the past 20 years the list of known mouse lemur species has grown from a measly two recognized species to 24. In fact, in the past year, three species were added to the list.



 BABUROV/CC-BY-sa-4.0
EEG shows each individual’s unique pattern of the electrical activity in his or her brain.

EEG imaging provides new method of personal identification

Recently a team of researchers from Binghamton University have discovered that humans have unique “brainprints,” which can be measured by using an electroencephalogram (EEG) to visualize the unique brain activity that occurs when different individuals are exposed to the same images. The researchers believe that their discovery could replace current security and identification methods such as fingerprint identification, retinal scans and DNA fingerprinting.


Healthy cells shown to promote tumor growth

Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research, London and the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute of the University of Manchester recently published a paper in Cell. It implicated one of the most common mutated genes across all cancers, KRAS, in the acceleration of tumor growth. KRAS shows up in more than 90 percent of pancreatic cancers.


 Jay okonek/public domain
Earthquakes can destroy buildings and other infrastructure, causing devastating and costly damage.

7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Japan

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s Kyushu region on April 16. There have been a total of 32 reported deaths, according to Kumamoto Prefecture’s disaster management office. Following the earthquake, heavy rains struck the region, making the search for the remaining survivors even more difficult. The quake struck near the city of Kumamoto and turned landmarks into piles of debris, taking down buildings and other structures.


 keith weller/public domain
Food as Medicine holds healthy living and balanced eating workshops.

Food as Medicine club urges healthy living

Food as Medicine is a student group at Hopkins focused on improving the health of children attending Baltimore City public schools. According to Maryland’s Department of Education, 87.71 percent of Baltimore City public school students qualified for free or reduced meals for the 2015-2016 school year.





FBI requests access to criminals’ iPhones

Over the past few months, Apple has found itself in a flurry of legal bouts with the U.S. government regarding data access and privacy of Apple users’ devices. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has asked Apple for assistance in accessing information from particular devices, such as the iPhone of the San Bernardino killer Syed Farook, since the FBI hoped that GPS data from Farook’s phone will provide them with information regarding who Farook contacted after the shooting and where he traveled immediately after the shooting.


 paul joseph/cc-by-2.0
Naltrexone can be used to reduce people’s dependence on alcohol in addition to opioids.

CDC reports rise in deaths from drug overdose

Deaths resulting from drug overdose have escalated by 137 percent from 2000 to 2014 in the United States, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The number of drug-related deaths in 2014 was greater than any reported in past years, with more than three out of five drug overdose mortalities involving the use of opioids such as prescription opioids and heroin.




 Sanjay acharya/cc-by-sa-3.0
Doctors have successfully created an artificial esophagus organ.

Scientists regenerate esophageal tissue

Each year, patients around the world have to wait for tissue and organ donors, creating a bottleneck in the health care system. Increasingly, scientists have looked for artificial organs or regeneration techniques to alleviate this problem.


 LUCA GALUZZI/cc-by-sa-2.5
Scientists discover a new device to test for the HIV virus in extreme weather conditions.

Scientists develop new HIV diagnostic device

All too often, brilliant research ideas and applications are left in lab due to impediments such as the high cost of the reagents, low turnaround times, the requirement of sophisticated technical skills, the need for a controlled environment and the difficulty of obtaining FDA approval for public use of the product.


Mental health effects linked to marijuana

Marijuana has been in the spotlight recently for its alleged medicinal properties, prompting 23 states and the District of Columbia to legalize medical cannabis. As medical marijuana becomes increasingly accepted as a viable alternative to traditional therapies, the recreational value of the drug is also increasing.



 susanne nilsson/CC-BY-sa-2.0
Birds that have adapted to living in the city are more successful in attracting mates.

City-dwelling birds are smarter than rural birds, study finds

Animals adapt to survive. When we think of this concept, we can imagine animals facing challenges in the wild: foraging for food, searching for shelter or competing for a mate. Recent studies show that animals living in our cities also need to adapt in order to survive in the urban jungle. Some of their unique adaptations allow them to survive just as well as, if not better than, their counterparts in the wild.


News-Letter Magazine
Multimedia
Hoptoberfest 2024
Leisure Interactive Food Map