Transparency is a critical element of science. A fundamental principle of any experiment is reproducibility, or the ability for an experiment to be reproduced by any researcher, which is impossible without researchers being transparent about the conditions of the initial experiment. But transparency is also important to ensure that policymakers, healthcare providers, and members of […]
Open access: A new age of research publication Read More »
In the scientific community, the consensus on human-caused global warming is almost universal — a recent study from Environmental Research Letters found that more than 99 percent of peer-reviewed papers agreed that humans are causing global warming and climate change. However, among Americans, the belief in anthropogenic climate change is not nearly as strong, with
How we can avoid polarization in conversations around climate solutions Read More »
According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “without … a sharp decline in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, global warming will surpass 1.5 [degrees Celsius] in the following decades, leading to irreversible loss of the most fragile ecosystems, and crisis after crisis for the most vulnerable people and societies.” As 2030 fast
Opinion: Why Northeastern should become climate resilient Read More »
In the 1990s, the US government heavily funded neuroscience research and sponsored numerous programs to educate members of Congress and the public about the wonders of the brain. But years before this “decade of the brain”, the writings of a man named Oliver Sacks helped introduce the world to the complexities of neurology and cognition.
Oliver Sacks: A decoder of neurological glitches Read More »
The chaos of Earth’s climate has led some to doubt the validity of anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change currently affecting the planet. Climate deniers commonly respond to scientific evidence of global warming with statements along the lines of “hasn’t the climate always been changing?” While it is true that Earth’s climate has often fluctuated throughout planetary
Studying the climate is chaotic. Could physics help? Read More »
Most of the time, the natural phenomena that are visible from space are destructive forces such as hurricanes, volcanoes, and forest fires. But every so often, a beautiful display of flowers illuminates satellite images. In the springs of 2017 and 2019, the dry hills in southern California exploded into what has become known as a
California’s super blooms: A force of nature Read More »
On September 30 2020, Lacino Hamilton was released from a prison near Detroit, Michigan after serving 26 years for a crime he did not commit — thanks to a piece of DNA the size of a grain of salt. The DNA technology used to clear Hamilton did not become widespread until the late 1990s, after
Around once a month, I have a day where nothing seems to go right. I can’t focus, everything is irritating, and all I want to do is sit in bed eating ice cream alone. I first noticed this pattern around age 14 and thought it meant I was about to start my period, but menstruation
Periodic pulses: Hormonal releases during the menstrual cycle Read More »
When my 81-year-old grandmother first told me she was taking turmeric to help her arthritis, I was skeptical. To me, turmeric was the orange spice that sometimes came out of the cabinet when curry was on the menu. Was my grandmother’s venture into the spice world for medicinal solutions based in fact? She reassured me
Peppered with positives: The health benefits of spices Read More »