Tonia Curdas

The interior world of a mysterious moon: A search for life in our solar system

Space / /

It was a simple question, asked offhandedly over a casual meal, but it has spurred decades of research far beyond the confines of our Earth. In 1950, physicists Enrico Fermi, Edward Teller, Emil Konopinski, and Herbert York shared a meal and let their imaginations run wild. The conversation dipped into topics like aliens, flying saucers, […]

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The answer to life, the universe, and everything could be neutrinos

Space / /

How did we get here? This question is not just an existential dilemma, but a driving force behind the life’s work of particle physicists. 13.8 billion years ago, the Big Bang occurred. In a matter of milliseconds, all the matter that would create our universe and life as we know it was formed. However, this

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A new hope: Rat recollection and a glimpse into the future of prosthetics       

Biology / /

Moving objects with your mind has always been an element of science fiction, popularized as an iconic feature of the “force” in the pop culture-defining series “Star Wars.” But recent advancements in brain-machine interfaces, or BMIs, are working to bring fantasy to fruition. With the power of deep learning algorithms, even lab rats are becoming

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Rats! How terrestrial invasion can have unexpected impacts on tropical reef food chains

Environment / /

The spread of the black rat (Rattus rattus) across the globe has been inextricably linked to the spread of human civilization from as early as 2000 BCE. They’ve easily survived worldwide expansion due to their skills in cohabiting with humans and taking advantage of our gathered food and resources. From raiding pantries to spreading devastating

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