In the world of music, being able to know when you’re in tune is key. As any musician knows, it takes a good deal of time, skill, and experience to identify tones, and in most cases, one needs a reference tone, having “relative pitch.” However, some have the ability to identify notes without any reference. […]
The question of the perfect-pitch brain: Revealing how we process speech and melody Read More »
Archaea are often described as “the weird organisms.” This is certainly apt, considering that they are a strange hybrid between the domain bacteria and the domain eukarya. Although it is important to note that not all archaea are extremophiles — organisms that live in and can withstand extreme conditions — many live in perfectly “normal”
Archaea, the weird organisms Read More »
Cells, the most basic unit of life, have a remarkable property: resilience. Cells are faced with a multitude of stressful situations that test their ability to survive, thrive, and adapt to new situations. Often, when a cell endures stress, proteins within the cytoplasm begin to unravel. In order to prevent this, ubiquitin molecules are used
If cells can recover from stress, so can you! Read More »
Of the approximately 30,000 different species of formally-identified bacteria, less than one percent of them can make people sick. The vast majority of bacteria species are harmless or even beneficial. However, that dangerous one percent becomes more dangerous each year, killing hundreds of thousands of people around the world. How is it becoming more dangerous?
An impending crisis: Bacteria have developed into superbugs immune to antibiotics Read More »
But, like so many other animals, these six-legged, exoskeleton-clad creatures are facing a crisis at the hands of human activity. Our planet is teeming with bugs. Over 1 million insect species are described, and scientists estimate that another four to 7.5 million have yet to be classified. Insects account for a large proportion of animals
Dropping like flies: Human threats to insects and the desperate need for more data Read More »
Virtual reality (VR) has been an up-and-coming technology in recent years, and much of it is implemented in recreational activities such as video games and computer software. VR’s utility extends far beyond this, though — as one of the most complex ways ever created to mimic reality, VR is a great tool for scientists to
VR, zebrafish, and neuroscience: An unlikely trio Read More »
The beauty of lights can be experienced all around, from the extravagant neon signs of Boston’s Downtown Crossing to the dazzling rows of lights glimmering from Seaport. However, if we take a step back and look to the natural world, we can see that the ocean has its own extravagant light shows. Millions of deep-sea
Lights in the deep ocean Read More »
Life on Earth has been evolving, adapting, and refining itself for over three billion years, leading to the intricate organisms which roam the world today. After such a long time, one would think that cells would have developed ways to ensure high-fidelity during gene replication. After all, cells must replicate their genome to pass down
A balancing act: The consequences of errors in DNA repair and replication Read More »
Pregnancy is an uncertain time for many expectant parents. It’s a daunting experience known for its vast expanse of new territory and potentially risky outcomes. A constant in most pregnancies is the location of the embryo: in the protective, developmentally beneficial environment of the uterus. However, this isn’t always the case. The prevalence of extrauterine
Out-of-place embryos: The rise of undetected ectopic pregnancies Read More »