The first time I fell in love was in the Sonoran Desert. I had just pulled over to the side of the road and there it was. An Ocotillo cactus, in all its glory, stood proudly before the rugged landscape. Its fluid tentacle-like stems pointed towards the sky, like a sea anemone frozen in turbulent […]
Masters of survival: Is the desert truly deserted? Read More »
After a long day of exploring the lush jungles of Guam, you and your adventure buddies relax in the shade of a native coconut palm tree. Suddenly you hear a slight rustle of leaves in the canopy above. Fearing the worst, your eyes dart upwards in frantic search of the abundant, ill-famed brown tree snake
Space invaders: The carnage of invasive species Read More »
Fifth grade science class taught us that chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, but what about other closely-related species who are no longer living? Through millions of years of evolution, Homo sapiens has come to dominate Earth as the only surviving hominid species. However, this wasn’t always the case, and our presence as the dominant
Weathering any storm: What it means to be human Read More »
For most people, fire is synonymous with destruction and death. After the recent apocalyptic-looking orange skies in northern California made national news, this association has only been strengthened. Because of California’s rampant wildfires, thousands of people and countless animals have been displaced, more than a thousand homes have been destroyed, and five people have tragically
Fire is a blessing and a curse (and a result of climate change) Read More »
What do coal tar, asbestos, mustard gas, and beef jerky have in common? They’re all identified as Group 1 carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Following suit in 2015, the World Health Organization declared red meat as a Group 2A probable carcinogen and has specifically placed processed meat into the known
Lab-Grown Meat: What’s the Beef? Read More »
Globe-trotting, exploring new cultures, and helping people are common dreams of young college students. For a few ambitious individuals at Northeastern University, these dreams have become reality due to their involvement in Engineers Without Borders (EWB). A chapter of a global organization, their mission is to help communities around the world meet their basic needs
Engineers Without Borders: Providing Global Communities with Sustainable Solutions Read More »
Heartache is never good, but for individuals with Cardiac Valve Disease, having a broken heart can take on quite a literal meaning. A faulty heart can be the result of birth defects, infection, age, or other factors. There are many manifestations of this debilitating condition such as valvular stenosis, when the heart valve cannot fully
Fixing a Broken Heart: Treatment of Cardiac Valve Disease Read More »
Imagine you and three friends are cruising down the street in a driverless car. The car turns a sharp corner when suddenly it sees a group of four children playing hopscotch in the middle of the road. The car has two options: either continue on its path, tragically hitting the group of children, or swerve
The Fast and Furious Rise of Automated Technology: Driverless Cars Read More »