Biology

The battle between hot and cold: How TRP channels are involved in temperature transduction in human skin

Biology / /

It’s a great wonder how organisms remain at a constant temperature, despite many outside influences like freezing winds or heat waves. Maintaining proper body temperature is key for most organisms. The temperature-controlling systems in mammals are extremely complex and well-designed, ensuring that they maintain homeostasis. For these animals, the environmental temperature can be sensed by […]

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Olive oil compounds as a potential therapy for Neurodegeneration

Biology / /

The Mediterranean diet has long been touted for its ability to decrease one’s risk of suffering from health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Although various studies support these claims, it isn’t always clear how the Mediterranean diet confers these benefits. While olive oil isn’t the only component

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Ice, ice maybe: Impacts of declining sea ice on Arctic predator-prey dynamics

Biology, Environment / /

If current climate trends persist, the Arctic Ocean is predicted to become seasonally ice-free by the 2030s. Sea ice follows a cyclic pattern, partially melting in the summer and re-forming with the cooler temperatures of autumn and winter. However, rising global temperatures have increased the melting rate and decreased the formation rate. During future summers,

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Scientists on substances: Can researchers be open about drug use?

Biology, Psychology / /

Drugs are highly stigmatized in society. Furthermore, there exists a particular stigma regarding drug use for those in the scientific community. Many companies, hospitals, and research facilities include drug testing in their hiring process. In fact, according to the American Addiction Centers, healthcare and hospital-related jobs were the second most common positions to require drug

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Seeing in the dark: Polarized light helps these animals find their way at night

Biology / /

A solitary dung beetle rolls its round cargo across the South African grassland, looking for a suitable place to bury its prize. It quickly distances itself from other beetles at the dung pile and avoids circling back to its original location, all while moving a ball of dung much larger than itself. However, in a

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Pollutant poop: How the south polar skua brings toxic chemicals to Antarctica

Biology / /

Across the barren landscape of Antarctica, a team of scientists spent the months of December 2013 through February 2014 collecting bird poop from seabird nesting regions. After carefully preserving these samples and sections of muscle tissue from seabird carcasses, these researchers transported their data collection to Griffith University in Australia for analysis. Why pick up

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Polar plunge: No pain no gain

Biology / /

In the dead of winter, the Atlantic Ocean can reach a frigid 37 degrees Fahrenheit. Diving into this water would immediately activate the cold receptors beneath your skin, causing you to experience a “cold shock.” This reaction has the potential to be lethal. First, it triggers an involuntary gasp of air, followed by hyperventilation. This

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