Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
December 4, 2025 December 4, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Science & Technology

Scientists discover genetic basis for handedness

By MELISSA STALEY | September 27, 2013

The distribution of right handed and left handed people in the world seem to be random. Different family members can write with either hand, and there are a few of those who can switch between both hands. In most cases, it doesn’t seem to be a trained practice and it just comes naturally for each individual. However, recently, genes that are linked to the orientation of internal organs during embryogenesis were found to play a role in the development of handedness.

Merlin protein prevents tumors

By JOEL PALLY | September 27, 2013

Tumors, both cancerous and noncancerous, can arise when cellular pathways that control cell proliferation and tissue growth go awry. Many ongoing research efforts are underway to identify the crucial genetic underpinning of such pathways.

Largest earthquake ever recorded in Asia

By SEAN YAMAKAWA | September 27, 2013

“Not another earthquake!” I am sure that this is the thought that most Japanese citizens would jump to if they heard that one of the absolute largest earthquakes ever recorded occurred earlier this year right on the Japanese sea border. The magnitude 8.3 earthquake rattled the earth below the Sea of Okhotsk, an area enclosed by the Russian, Chinese, and Japanese borders.

JHU uses light to restart the heart

By KELLY CARTY | September 21, 2013

Electrical stimulation of the heart is a common phenomenon. If you are CPR/AED certified, you’ve practiced saving someone’s life using a defibrillator. If you know anyone with a heart problem, chances are they have a pacemaker or have talked to their doctor about getting one. Both defibrillators and electrodes use direct electrical stimulation to correct cardiac arrhythmias.

A mass of students use wifi to get iOS7

By SEAN YAMAKAWA | September 21, 2013

If you own a Twitter, you certainly know what day it is today. It’s #iOS7 day, of course. After weeks of anticipation, Apple has finally released iOS 7 to the masses. What is new in iOS 7, and what does it mean for you?

NuSTAR program finds data in black holes

By MARK STUCZYNSKI | September 21, 2013

The celestial bodies found on the beaches of southern California have only a secondary priority for researchers at Caltech’s NuSTAR program. The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, is an X-ray telescope designed to focus X-rays from the universe to survey for black holes.

Debunking myths about the Coriolis effect

By SOPHIA GAUTHIER | September 21, 2013

Water does indeed drain clockwise in the Southern hemisphere. It also drains counterclockwise in the Southern hemisphere. In fact, it drains in whichever way it desires, regardless of geographical locale. I reluctantly came to accept this conclusion after spending a solid forty-five minutes last year draining and refilling my bathroom sink in Brisbane, Australia.

Apple captures global attention with new iPhone

By SEAN YAMAKAWA | September 21, 2013

On Sept. 10, Apple hit the stage and unveiled the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. Despite the countless leaked documents and photos of these phones, Apple still captured the world’s attention with their new introduction.

Smart watches storm the accessory market

By MARK STUCZYNSKI | September 12, 2013

While Samsung hasn’t equipped the new Galaxy Gear with a grappling hook or other Bond-esque gadgets, the Gear is a frontrunner for a new generation of wristwatches that blur the line between smartphone and wristwatch. The Gear, a “smartwatch,” is designed to be an extension of a wearer’s smartphone, piggybacking off the larger machine in a similar fashion to a Bluetooth headset, albeit with a far wider range of utility and applications.

Symptoms of Down Syndrome alleviated

By JOEL PALLY | September 12, 2013

Down Syndrome is the disorder resulting from a partial or complete copy of the 21st chromosome. In fact, another name for Down Syndrome is trisomy 21. It affects nearly 1 in 700 Americans, and crosses all racial and economic boundaries. Down syndrome is an inherently complicated disease to treat with potentially over 300 misappropriated genes on that 21st chromosome.

Are video games the fountain of youth?

By JOSH SCARALIA | September 12, 2013

In recent years, a new genre of video game has emerged: “brain training” games.  The makers of these games claim that they will improve your cognitive function, intelligence, and attention.  However, these claims have undergone plenty of scrutiny and debate as there has been no published data that supports them. Until now.

Sony Smart Lens clips to smartphones

By SOPHIA GAUTHIER | September 12, 2013

Photography enthusiasts may have conflicted opinions about the up and coming trend in smartphone accessorizing: the smart lens. While subscribers to SLR school of thought still have dibs in the categories of durability, quality, and versatility, the smart lens phenomenon just might be the long awaited love child between convenience and quality for the rest of us low(er) budget art lovers.

Dr. Q explains how the brain fights back

By BARBARA HOLT | September 12, 2013

When we think of cancer research, our first thought is usually of dangerous, but necessary, medical treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, and various invasive surgeries, whose destructive forces can kill healthy cells along with the damaged, leaving patients feeling weakened and sick.

Hamburger cultured from petri dish

By ELLE PFEFFER | September 12, 2013

In recent years environmentally conscious eaters have opted for diets that exclude meat like the vegetarian and even trendier vegan and raw food diets. But for those who just can’t give up their weekly cheeseburger, there may be another option that saves the environment some wear and tear: artificially grown meat.

NSA-related blog post sparks controversy

By MARY KATHERINE ATKINS | September 12, 2013

Hopkins received criticism on Monday when the University’s adherence to academic freedom was called into question. Matthew Green, a computer science professor, authored a recent blog post critiquing the National Security Agency (NSA). As a specialist in applied cryptology, he condemned the NSA’s ability to bypass online encryption that safeguards sensitive information on the internet. Four days later, Andrew Douglas, interim dean of the Whiting School of Engineering (WSE), instructed Green to remove his blog post from the Hopkins servers because it included the NSA logo and linked to classified information.

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