Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
October 14, 2026 October 14, 2026 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Science & Technology

Scientists are working toward an Ebola vaccine

By ELIZABETH LIU | September 18, 2014

For the past ten months, the Ebola virus has been ravaging West Africa. Healthcare workers are struggling to keep up with the rising numbers of infection and disease containment as well as a lack of funding and resources. Despite these obstacles, a light at the end of the tunnel may be emerging as researchers are brewing an experimental Ebola vaccine that could be the saving grace for the thousands of people at risk for contracting Ebola.

New dinosaur, Dreadnoughtus, found in Argentina

By SARAH SUKARDI | September 18, 2014

What’s the first image that comes to mind when someone says the word “dinosaur?” Maybe a menacing T. rex with huge, gnashing teeth and comically short arms, or a stegosaurus with its tail spikes and bony, distinctive plates or perhaps even a triceratops with its three large horns and frill of bone.

Third HopHacks sparks student innovation

By ALBERT HUANG | September 11, 2014

HopHacks, a 36-hour student-run hackathon, returned to Hackerman Hall for the third time this past weekend, drawing 160 students from all over the country to produce innovative computer applications ranging from games to healthcare.

Bum thumbs: basal point arthritis troubles patients

By SARAH SUKARDI | September 11, 2014

Pinching and pulling, pressing and picking, typing and texting: these are just a few of the myriad uses of the hand’s most mobile joint, the thumb. But researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital have found that the movement we take so much for granted in this versatile joint may come at a cost.

Cars of the future: Google shifts to new gears

By ELLI TIAN | September 11, 2014

Who hasn’t dreamt of a time when cars drive themselves and adjust themselves to fit all needs? In the days of The Jetsons and Back to the Future, these new technologies might have seemed to be something of the very distant future. But now, with the introduction of even tinier computers and even more efficient fuel technologies, even companies like Google have ventured into changing the future of driving.

Great Barrier Reef in danger of dredge

By JOAN YEA | September 11, 2014

The Great Barrier Reef, which sprawls 1,430 miles along Australia’s east coast, is the largest living organism on the planet. It is also one of the most intricate natural ecosystems in the world, home to 600 species of corals, 3,000 types of mollusks, 1,625 varieties of fish and more than 30 species of marine mammals.

Action movies cause viewers to eat more

By REGINA PALATINI | September 11, 2014

Think back to the last action movie you watched. Was it Captain America, The Hunger Games, or maybe 22 Jump Street? Odds are that you remember the basic plot pretty well or at least the chase scenes that had you holding your breath and refusing to blink so that you wouldn’t miss a second. Now, think of what you were eating during the movie. Can you remember the exact snack that you had, whether that small popcorn that looked like an extra large, or those King Size Twizzlers? Do you think the movie you were watching had any relationship with how much of your snack you consumed?

Technology has changed in response to 9/11 attacks

By JOEL PALLY | September 11, 2014

As President Barack Obama attempts to assemble an international coalition to go after the Islamic militant group that calls itself the Islamic State, we are reminded that the threat of global terrorism is still an ever-present reality. But since our declared war on terrorism shortly after 9/11, are we any safer from a coordinated attack against the United States than we were on that fatal day 13 years ago? The answer to the question is complicated and subjective. Preparing against a terrorist plot is akin to preparing for the next viral outbreak. The threat is global, diffuse, and constantly evolving in unpredictable ways. Natural selection almost guarantees that even our best defenses will eventually be outmaneuvered. As a result, we are forced to be reactionary with our goals, focusing on identification, containment and future prevention of threats.

Apple denies claims that poor security led to leak

By ELIZABETH LIU | September 11, 2014

If you have been online any time this past week, you most likely know by now that Labor Day weekend was host to a massive leak of celebrity nudes that were stolen from iCloud accounts. Though clearly an illegal and immoral breach of privacy, events like this occur quite often. However, what made this one shake up the internet so badly was the sheer massiveness and breadth of the image cache — hundreds of nude, semi-nude and revealing photos of celebrities, ranging from actresses, to fashion models, to Olympians, were disclosed by an anonymous user and posted on the infamous web forum 4Chan.

TMS brings “shock” to science of memory loss

By SAMHITA ILANGO | September 4, 2014

With a few shocks to the brain, scientists have made it possible to never forget a friend’s birthday, lose track of keys or have to deal with uncomfortable encounter of forgetting an acquaintance’s name. A research team at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine has used this knowledge for more than just key tracking but for enhancing the retention network of memory-impaired individuals. 

Atlantic methane leakage is larger than expected

By REGINA PALATINI | September 4, 2014

GECS major or not, you are probably familiar with hydrothermal vents, which are commonly found in the waters around the Galapagos Islands and known for the incredible diversity of organisms that live near them and rely on their significant chemical processes.  Vents are typically close in proximity to active volcanoes and are above slowly shifting tectonic plates. A common example is the hot springs that thousands of tourists visit every year at Yellowstone National Park.  

Gut bacteria found to resist food allergies

By MARU GARZA | September 4, 2014

To some people, allergies are an annoyance that they have to deal with every spring. To others, allergies are a life-threatening illness that could strike if they eat the wrong food. Regardless of their severity, the prevalence of allergies as a whole has increased rapidly around the globe.

Striking out ALS with the #IceBucketChallenge

By SEAN YAMAKAWA | September 4, 2014

This summer, many people became aware of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, as their Facebook and Youtube newsfeeds were filled with videos of the Ice Bucket Challenge. The premise of the challenge was simple and fun: Dump a bucket of ice-cold water on your head, and nominate three of your friends to do the same. If they fail to comply within 24 hours, they must donate $100 to the ALS Association. 

Mouse survives transplant from lab-grown organ

By TONY WU | September 4, 2014

Those of us who are drivers have all heard the question, “Do you want to be an organ donor?” If a deceased person is an organ donor, a hospital can remove their organs and transplant them into a patient who is in critical need. By having drivers sign up as donors, our health system is creating a supply of organs needed to save lives.

NASA, JHU send a spaceship to Pluto

By JOAN YEA | September 4, 2014

We’ve made many discoveries here on Earth, but space still remains largely a mystery. Partly to blame are the vast distances involved; it’s easier to journey to the bottom of the ocean than to the nearest planet. NASA, however, doesn’t back down from a challenge. Their New Horizons spacecraft aims to travel not to the nearest planet, but to the one farthest away from us; a few days ago the craft began a historic journey to Pluto.

Hopkins research finds cancer “fingerprint”

By SUNNY CAI | September 4, 2014

Just like Miley Cyrus came in like a wrecking ball, cancer often comes in the same way, wanting only to break your walls. Although Miley never hit so hard in love, cancer has been hitting the human body hard since the beginning of time. But a year and a day after Miley closed her eyes and swung, a team of researchers published a study online in Genome Medicine that could leave cancer cells crashing in a blazing fall and lamenting “all you ever did was wreck me; yeah, you, you wreck me!”

Taung child’s skull compared to human’s

By ELLI TIAN | September 4, 2014

If there’s one thing that paleontologists can say for certain about human evolution, it’s that we evolved from hominids who lived millions of years ago. We’ve all heard about the Neanderthals, Homo erectus and Homo sapiens, but can we ever be sure which of these species evolved from which? Which major species are we really descended from? And most importantly, what does evolution really show about the differences between modern humans and their ancestors, and what characteristics we can truly call “human?”

Basketball players score with physics

By LIZZY LIU | May 1, 2014

     Who knew that professional and collegiate basketball players are instinctual physicists? Many physics professors agree that it is not easy to shoot a three-pointer – there are many factors that come into play on the court in order to make that perfect shot.

Diabetes rates increase in U.S. over 20 years

By MARTIN KANG | May 1, 2014

     A study from the Bloomberg School of Public Health revealed a rise in prevalence of diabetes over the past two decades. It was estimated that the total cases of confirmed diabetes increased from 5.5% in the time from 1988 to 1994 to 9.3% in the time from 2005 to 2010. This represents a nearly two fold increase in cases of diabetes since 1988.

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