Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
November 15, 2025 November 15, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Science & Technology

Bloomberg discovers link between ADHD, obesity

By Catie Paul | April 3, 2014

The diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is on the rise in the U.S. From 2003 to 2011, the rate of ADHD diagnosis increased approximately 5 percent per year. Today, ADHD medication, often in the form of stimulants, is the second-most prescribed medication for children. A recent study by researchers at the Bloomberg School of Public Health has found a link between the stimulants prescribed for ADHD and childhood obesity.

Gravitational waves point to birth of universe

By SEAN YAMAKAWA | April 3, 2014

Less than 14 billion years ago, a hot and dense mass known as the initial singularity burst into the entire universe that we live in today. In less than a trillionth of a trillionth of a second, this mass expanded a distance of 45 billion light years, unfurling faster than the speed of light. While this event is commonly taught in academic classes, the notion of rapid expansion has all just been theory. No direct evidence linked this expansion to the Big Bang. However, some game changing evidence may have entered the field.

MRI side-effects uncover vertigo diagnostic

By MARU JAIME GARZA | April 3, 2014

Magnetism is the attractive force between positive and negative charges. In our everyday lives, we see it as what makes souvenirs stick on refrigerators and compasses magically point north or south. In reality, the effects of magnetism go much further. The natural magnetism created by our planet’s iron core protects the Earth from charged particles released from the sun.

Hopkins studies DNA link to the epigenome

By JOAN YEA | April 3, 2014

Genetic studies are indispensable tools for developing a comprehensive understanding of diseases, particularly cancer and psychiatric illnesses. Many investigators compare the genetic backgrounds of healthy and sick populations to identify the proclivity of specific factors in the genome to certain diseases.

Data mining used to improve disaster response

By JOEL PALLY | April 3, 2014

Citizens of the rural town of Oso, Wash. were greeted by tragedy on Mar. 23 as a waterlogged hillside gave way and unleashed a tsunami-like wave of earth, destroying dozens of homes residing in the river valley below.

Mugshots to be created from crime scene DNA

By MARK STUCZYNSKI | April 3, 2014

While they are not yet the cinematic experience of Minority Report, crime scene investigations are becoming more and more like sci-fi crime dramas. Researchers from Erasmus University in the Netherlands, the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium and Pennsylvania State University stateside have identified genetic determinants of facial structure. With these markers, the collaborators believe it will be possible to reconstruct criminal facial shapes from DNA evidence alone.

Hopkins analyzes ‘viral’ tweets to track flu

By REGINA PALATINI | April 3, 2014

Have you ever tweeted about having the flu? While such a message will certainly gain sympathy from friends and family, it may be even more useful than you think. New research is attempting to use Twitter to track the flu throughout the country.

Physicists look to harvest energy from outer space

By MARK STUCZYNSKI | March 27, 2014

Physicists at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have proposed a method to harvest energy from Earth’s infrared emissions. Because our planet is warm, especially compared to the cold void of space, physicists believe a significant amount of energy is transferred at the border between Earth and space. These particular physicists think that it may be possible to take advantage of this transfer and harvest the energy for our own use.

Hopkins finds link in Lou Gehrig’s and dementia

By MARTIN KANG | March 27, 2014

At first glance, there seems to be almost no connection between Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), two neurological disorders. However, a team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine recently found that these frightening disorders may share the same cause.

High-protein diets look more harmful than not

By REGINA PALATINI | March 27, 2014

A few years ago, it seemed that everyone was talking about the Atkins diet, a low-carb and high-protein approach to losing weight. Protein was touted as the dieter’s holy grail: It would lead to weight loss while still maintaining muscle mass. The Atkins diet was even voted one of the best diets of 2014 by U.S. News and World Report. New scientific data, however, could make high protein diets a thing of the past.

Daylight savings had energy-conserving roots

By TONY WU | March 27, 2014

As spring progresses, the sun rises earlier and earlier each day. With the hassle of adjusting our clocks and the arbitrary changes in our sleep schedules, most of us have probably, at one time or another, wondered about the origin of daylight savings time.

Drug reactivates silenced genes

By JOSH SCARALIA | March 27, 2014

Researchers at Hopkins have discovered a set of genes that are turned off by cancer cells in their attempt to hide from the immune system. These genes were discovered by treating breast, colorectal and ovarian cancer cell lines with the FDA-approved drug 5-azacitidine. This drug, which reactivates silenced genes, exposed 16 different immune system related pathways that have decreased expression in cancer cells. Such decreased expression allows cancer cells to more easily invade tissues.

Wearable technologies progresses

By SEAN YAMAKAWA | March 27, 2014

Demand for new electronic devices from the smartphone and tablet industry has recently simmered somewhat. Their markets are saturated. The newest processors or razor sharp displays aren’t as enticing as they once were, as last year’s models often hold up against the new competition. Some electronic companies have shifted focus to the low-end market, but their budget-friendly products are not flagship devices. To show their technological prowess and re-excite consumers, manufacturers have found a new focus for their industry in 2014: smartwatches.

Facebook looks to link the world with drones

By JOEL PALLY | March 27, 2014

Internet use has become such a ubiquitous part of everyday life, it is hard to imagine living permanently disconnected from the World Wide Web. Even when our eyes aren’t glued to a screen, our mobile devices are set to pull emails, Facebook statuses, instant messages, sports scores or breaking news at a minute’s notice. The internet, particularly through social media, has forged a kind of global community. It is easy to forget that the majority of the world, approximately 65 percent, is not plugged in.

Scientists track primate evolution via RNAs

By SUNNY CAI | March 27, 2014

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither was the human brain. The intricate organ was crafted over millions of years before it developed into the functionally sophisticated masterpiece it is today. Just like the numerous workers who toiled in the hot Mediterranean sun to construct the roads, buildings and aqueducts of Rome, countless different biological components labored for years to construct the neurons, lobes and synapses of the human brain. One class of these biological laborers is microRNAs.

Toothy tumor discovered in brain

By KELLY CARTY | March 13, 2014

Inherent in its Latin root tumere, meaning “to swell,” a tumor describes an abnormal growth of cells. It is a bodily excess, something indispensible, often necessarily, for proper bodily functions. This modern conception of tumorous growths leaves no room for functional structures in the abnormal mass. Imagine the surprise, then, when a team of doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital found fully grown teeth in the brain tumor of a four-month-old child.

Homophobic prejudices reduce lifespan

By SAMHITA ILANGO | March 13, 2014

As today’s world continues to have an increase in expected human lifespan, there may be something holding society back: homosexual prejudice. Recent studies have indicated that there exists a direct correlation between anti-gay stigma and shortened lifespans. The study suggests that the shortened lifespan can affect both those who hold the prejudice and those towards whom the prejudice is directed.

How could a Boeing 777 simply vanish?

By SOPHIA GAUTHIER | March 13, 2014

Mystery, intrigue and concern shroud Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 as officials scramble to uncover the missing plane. Such a strange occurrence raises the obvious question: How does a 200-plus passenger jet simply vanish in the first place?

Taxonomy is revamped in DNA-based system

By SEAN YAMAKAWA | March 13, 2014

In 1735, Carl Linneaus proposed a system for naming organisms in his publication Systema Naturae. This system, called Linnaean taxonomy, has proven robust as it is still used today, nearly 300 years after its original proposal. In this taxonomy, each organism is divided into one of three kingdoms, then further classified into different classes, orders, families, genera and species.

Trending
Weekly Rundown
News-Letter Magazine