Pregnancy is one of the most strangely beautiful mysteries of life. In slightly less than a year, a tiny new person is fashioned through a laborious, yet gratifying algorithm of biology. But what if pregnancy lasted longer, say several decades, and never even produced a viable offspring?
Like language, the composition of music involves combining separate elements into structured and meaningful sequences. An example is the musical exercise of “trading fours.” This time-honored tradition among jazz musicians describes a pattern in which two solo musicians alternate playing four measures each, usually after each person has played a solo. Beginner musicians, especially drummers who are inexperienced in playing jazz, often find this exercise difficult. It is a skill that is only learned after much practice and determination.
In our increasingly environmentally conscious society, consumers often opt for reusable versions of frequently used items such as shopping bags or water bottles. Unfortunately, reusable varieties are not available for all items. For example, tape, one of the most commonly used supplies, does not come in a reusable strain. At least not yet.
Groundbreaking research on stem cells presented by Haruko Obokata of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology has recently come under serious scientific scrutiny. Concerns about the research data and the reproducibility of the results have prompted Nature and the RIKEN Center to launch investigations into Obokata’s original work.
“If you want this suit, you’re going to have to pry my cold dead body out of it.” Lucky for you, Mr. Tony Stark, it may not have to come to that.
For the past few decades, America has been at war against obesity. Cheap, high fat foods are continuously tempting our front lines and indiscriminately adding inches to our waistlines. To combat this growing problem, schools, businesses and healthcare institutions across the nation have tried to increase awareness of obesity and its causes. Despite the numerous health talks and active lifestyle initiatives, a Hopkins study suggests that the key player in weight loss may be the discussions patients have with their doctors about weight.
What’s a better way to celebrate a hard-played game than by having a few drinks (provided you’re over 21)? According to a study by exercise scientists in Australia, quite a lot, especially if you want to maintain the health-related gains associated with exercise.
As images of melting ice caps and destructive natural phenomena plague our consciences during warm winters, we become more convinced that climate change is here. The global warming presented by Al Gore in his film, An Inconvenient Truth is visible; we see it in the news on a daily basis.
Research and common sense say that pets are good for your health. However, a recent study shows that, unfortunately, this may not always be the case.
While the nature of beauty is a topic often left to philosophers poet, it appears that scientists and mathematicians may understand the beauty of complexity. A study conducted by researchers at University College London found a correlation between mathematical formulae and a neurological response to beauty in the minds of mathematicians.
A fossil of three babies discovered in central China has shed light on the origins of live birth. Against the prevailing option, this fossil suggests that live birth may have evolved on land rather than in the sea. A team lead by Dr. Ryosuke Motani from the University of California, Davis, recently published this finding in a Plos One paper.
Earwax. We get rid of it, like many of the wastes manufactured by our bodies, without a second thought. However, what seems to be simply a smelly secretion actually contains important identifying information about the individual from which it was produced.
Air pollution antagonizes the body. It can lead to asthma and in extreme cases, lung cancer. While we typically associate its detrimental effects with the respiratory system, air pollution may have even more grave consequences. A recent study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, suggests that unclean air may be just as toxic as cigarette smoke for pregnant women.
It’s not very often that a standard medical procedure is called into question. However, due to information recently uncovered by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Blaustein Pain Treatment Center, this rarity just happened. Pain Medicine.
Consider the following medical scenario:
We are all familiar with the concept of the Freshman Fifteen. Thanks to academic stressors and buffet-style cafeterias, the first year of college is nearly synonymous with weight gain. Even at Hopkins, most students put on a few pounds in the first couple of months.
Darwin’s demon is alive, and her name is Wisdom. This age-defying Laysan albatross, the world’s oldest known bird, just gave birth to a new chick. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wisdom was seen with her new chick on February 4 at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
Internet trolls: unanimously hated by other web users and virtually unblockable by website administrators. These attention-seeking creatures are a growing problem for websites with commenting platforms. They post inflammatory remarks, for the sole intention of infuriating other users. While seasoned web users have learned to simply ignore these trolls, novice users are victimized by their tactics daily. Who are these mysterious creatures? What are they like in real life, unguarded by the mask of online anonymity?
In genetics, X marks the spot. The X chromosome, one of the two sex-determining chromosomes in humans, has become increasingly popular for scientists studying chromosome inactivation, the mosaic expression of genes in females and the genetics of sex differences. Researchers at the University of Helsinki, joining this wave of X chromosome investigations, have founding a correlation between the X chromosome and human height. This correlation may explain the height difference in females and males.
The Sochi Winter Olympics has finally begun to snowball as Norway takes the lead in gold medals after their outstanding performance in the 15 kilometer biathlon. The excitement pulled the viewers’ attention off of something that concerned many before the events started: security.
