New snowmaking tech is helping New England ski resorts beat climate change

Environment, Technology, World / /

Preparations for ski season start early in Vermont’s Green Mountains. In early October, Greg Gleason, who runs snowmaking at Killington Ski Resort, gives his staff the all-clear. Over the next four hours the system of artificial snow production on which Vermont’s tourism industry increasingly depends roars to life. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water […]

New snowmaking tech is helping New England ski resorts beat climate change Read More »

Opinion: The cultural significance of handwriting is too great to lose to keyboards

Culture, Opinion, World / /

The earliest example of physical writing is widely considered to be Cuneiform, a system of wedge-shaped inscriptions dating back to 3000 BCE. Attributed to the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia, the informal system was utilized namely for communication and maintaining transactional records. Although this physical remnant of Sumer offers invaluable insight into ancient civilization, most anthropologists

Opinion: The cultural significance of handwriting is too great to lose to keyboards Read More »

Northeastern group pilots hands-on renewable energy education program with Boston-area students

Environment, Technology / /

On Wednesday, May 3, four Roxbury high school students and a couple of Northeastern undergraduate volunteers built mini wind turbines as part of an energy education pilot program. The motivation behind the event was not only to teach students about the generation and conversion of energy but also to try out accompanying learning modules with

Northeastern group pilots hands-on renewable energy education program with Boston-area students Read More »

The return of monkeypox

Health / /

Just when the world thought it had gotten a grasp on COVID-19, monkeypox emerged as another infectious disease and public health concern. Monkeypox is a viral disease classified as an Orthopoxvirus, a genus that includes smallpox, cowpox, camelpox, and similar diseases. Excluding smallpox, all human cases of orthopoxviruses are considered zoonoses, or diseases transmitted to

The return of monkeypox Read More »

Starchild Awaits: The Technology of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’

Space, Technology / /

You awaken to your Alexa alarm blaring. You ask the virtual assistant for the weather report and a reminder of the day’s appointments. After a quick FaceTime with a friend across the world, you casually scroll past the headline “New SpaceX crew blasts off to International Space Station.” Only 50 years ago, Stanley Kubrick’s cult

Starchild Awaits: The Technology of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Read More »

How AI can improve MRI imaging speed

Health, Technology / /

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology has greatly accelerated advancements in the medical field. Today, MRI machines are a staple in hospitals across the world. The machines use a magnetic field and radio waves to produce anatomical images. They provide doctors with the ability to see abnormalities or defects in certain body parts. MRI machines are

How AI can improve MRI imaging speed Read More »

A fluorescent cry for help: How corals use “sunscreen” to stay cool

Chemistry, Environment / /

Glow sticks are part of a happy childhood memory for many. Beneath your fingertips, you snap the plastic stick in half, revealing a beautiful vibrant color show in the dark. While glowing colors may remind us of nostalgic times, fluorescing corals are a sign of a last-ditch effort to survive bleaching in the battle against

A fluorescent cry for help: How corals use “sunscreen” to stay cool Read More »

Sending humans to Mars: Outlook, barriers, and timeline

Biology, Space / /

The United States has landed nine payloads on Mars — the fourth planet from the sun, with a reddish-brown coloration — dating all the way back to 1976. And yet, no human has ever set foot on Mars. Although Earth’s and Mars’ days are approximately equivalent lengths, many stark differences exist between the two celestial

Sending humans to Mars: Outlook, barriers, and timeline Read More »

Long, lost COVID

Health / /

The long crusade of the coronavirus pandemic began in late 2019. Fast forward to present time, and we are approaching three years since the premier cases of the virus. During these long and “apocalyptic” years, COVID-19 has taken a tragic toll on the lives of people globally. Millions of exposures and deaths have inevitably occurred

Long, lost COVID Read More »

Why We Should Move from Synthetic to Natural Fibers

Chemistry, Environment, Health, Opinion / /

Polyester is the most commonly used synthetic fiber in the world and represented over 50% of global fiber production volume in 2019. Polyester has gained wide popularity, but is also a major health and environmental hazard. Investigating how polyester affects health and why moving to natural fibers is an important and necessary step towards a more sustainable and

Why We Should Move from Synthetic to Natural Fibers Read More »

From ruins to research: How an ancient brain survived to help understand Alzheimer’s

Neuroscience / /

The immense capability of the human brain quickly disappears after death. A once–thriving organ built of intricate framework becomes pure mush, leaving behind an empty skull. Decomposition, marked by two processes, primarily affects soft tissues, the material from which organs are built. Within hours postmortem, autolysis causes the leakage of cellular enzymes into surrounding tissues,

From ruins to research: How an ancient brain survived to help understand Alzheimer’s Read More »

All in your head

Culture, Psychology / /

In today’s world, it is common to religiously watch each live stream of your favorite gamer, closely follow the main character of your favorite show, or consistently keep up with your favorite music artist without missing a beat. Everyone wants to be connected with the people they admire, especially the famous ones. In the age

All in your head Read More »

Why rock music rocks

Culture, Psychology / /

Rock music is often associated with images of headbanging and screaming people. It’s a high energy genre often associated with negative emotions — anger, sadness, loneliness, etc. But, a lot of people, including this author, actually find joy listening to rock music. People even find the genre of music invigorating; they feel more motivated to

Why rock music rocks Read More »

Aligning the stars: How stars are categorized

Space / /

Stars have always filled people with wonder. The Egyptians incorporated the sun as a big part of their religion. The ancient Greeks named the constellations. The sky was a mysterious place with strange objects scattered throughout it. As technology evolved, the ability to answer people’s curiosity improved. It became possible to figure out the nature

Aligning the stars: How stars are categorized Read More »

The immune system in pregnancy: A unique complexity

Health / /

Every second of the day, the body fights a battle using a remarkable defense mechanism, neutralizing harmful invaders to ensure health and well-being. The human immune system is a powerful defense mechanism used to protect the host from pathogens or foreign invaders. During pregnancy, the woman’s decidua, the layer of tissue in the uterus supporting

The immune system in pregnancy: A unique complexity Read More »

Fight or flight: The potential co-evolution of powered flight and disease resistance in bats

Biology, Environment / /

In the wake of COVID-19, bats have swooped into the spotlight due to their ecological role as natural reservoirs for viruses. Some of these viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, can cross into different species, becoming zoonotic viruses. But despite the cocktails of viruses existing in bats across over a thousand species, they remain mostly asymptomatic when

Fight or flight: The potential co-evolution of powered flight and disease resistance in bats Read More »