Binh Dang – NU Sci Magazine

Opinion: Climate change, the Anthropocene, and the Plantationocene

Environment, Opinion / Binh Dang / October 20, 2022

As we grapple with the consequences of anthropogenic climate change, some scientists and researchers have tried to nominalize the cause of today’s environmental degradation. The term “Anthropocene” has been used to emphasize humanity’s impact on the environment, suggesting that humans are the major force of environmental change in this geological epoch. In 2016, the Anthropocene […]

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Trusting the dialectics of science

World / Binh Dang / February 21, 2022

In many ways, science is a discussion. Many within the community know all too well about the rivalries and bickerings between academics and scientists, the workplace politics that plague every human endeavor. However, the way that we’re usually taught science emphasizes facts: 1 + 1 = 2, the Earth is a sphere, and gravity will

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Post-truth politics and the future state of knowledge

Health, World / Binh Dang / October 25, 2021

The 2016 presidential election and victory of Donald Trump marked the start of a period scholars call the “post-truth” era. While this concept isn’t new, a post-truth society is characterized by the absence of shared objective standards for truth in favor of appeals to emotion or personal beliefs. Today, many politicians appeal to the emotional

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Opinion: A profile of the alt-right and modern American conservatism

Opinion, World / Binh Dang / June 30, 2021

A deadly rally in Charlottesville, a slew of mass shootings, a divisive general election, and an insurrection based on unfounded claims of voter fraud. The United States is more openly divided than it has been since the Civil War, and the extremist right wing of the country has become emboldened over the years. During the

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Scientific research’s unsavory past

World / Binh Dang / April 1, 2021

Content Warning: This article discusses but condemns racism, ableism, and eugenics. Before seeing a single patient, every doctor learns the ultimate maxim of healthcare: primum non nocere — first, do no harm. The principle of nonmaleficence is essential to medicine, and this ethical tenet grants the field a strong level of trust among the public.

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Opinion: What the 2020 US presidential election means for the future of STEM

Opinion / Binh Dang / January 17, 2021

In most messaging intended to encourage voter turnout, we are reminded of the “issues on the ballot.” From Roe v. Wade to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many key issues are used as justification to vote for the candidate who supports one’s own stance. For many Americans, this rhetoric works because 20 million people have

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Humans of NU Sci: Lessons for the future

World / Binh Dang / August 31, 2020

In search of the ever scarce commodity of human connection during quarantine, I interviewed some e-board and editors in my own imitation of Humans of New York. I also wanted to synthesize a piece that might provide solace in isolating times, one regaling human stories. I cherish those conversations — discussing fears, aspirations, favorite memories,

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