Health

Opinion: Weight loss drugs highlight the flaws of the US healthcare system

Culture, Health, Opinion, World / /

In recent years, the production of weight loss drugs has exploded across the United States. Though these drugs have promising potential in combating the obesity epidemic in the United States, I worry these drugs will widen healthcare inequities for the very patients who need access to weight management care the most.  In clinical studies, injection-based […]

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Function of dreaming in humans from an evolutionary perspective

Health, Psychology / /

Sometime around 2500 BCE, the earliest recorded dream in history was documented. This was Sumerian king Dumuzi’s dream, from the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia, and was recorded in cuneiform. In this vision, the king sees subjects moving before him with various objects in their hands and on their heads, which was a perplexing story to

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Navigating the shadows of black-box systems

Health, Technology / /

Don’t look. Or, more accurately, you can’t look. You wouldn’t be able to see anything if you tried.  A few banalities to start us off: Artificial intelligence (AI), specifically machine learning systems, is increasingly being used to make high-stakes medical decisions. This includes decisions regarding diagnoses, surgical outcome predictions, technical skill evaluation, and disease risk

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Using AI to predict diseases

Health, Technology / /

Although still a relatively new field, the applications and possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly expanding. AI technology has been utilized in virtual assistants and chatbots in customer service, fraud detection and risk assessment in finance, surveillance and threat detection in law enforcement, and much more. Especially in this past year, AI has made

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The Ikigai of the cell: Unveiling the mitochondrial theory of aging

Biology, Health, World / /

Imagine the sun-kissed shores of Okinawa, where residents embrace the Ikigai philosophy — a lifelong pursuit of purpose intertwined with passion, skill, and societal contribution. This idyllic island serves as a testament to the potential for extended, vibrant lives. Now, let’s embark on a journey, into the microscopic realm of cells, where the mitochondrial theory

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The whale that lives forever: Cancer prevention mechanisms in the bowhead whale

Biology, Health / /

Theoretically, the more cells an organism has, the higher the incidence of malignant transformation. If this were true, humans should be considerably more cancer-prone than something as small as a mouse; however, this is not the case. “Peto’s paradox” describes the phenomenon that, despite the increase in cell number, instances of cancer don’t increase in

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Could inhalable nanosensors become the future of cancer research?

Health / /

Researchers at MIT have developed a novel approach that has the potential to increase the accuracy and efficiency of early lung cancer detection. The new diagnostic test is based on nanosensors, capable of entering the body via an inhaler or nebulizer, and a strip-based paper urine test that can identify DNA barcodes associated with particular

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The circadian rhythm and Parkinson’s: How major sleep deficits could worsen neurodegeneration

Health / /

Parkinson’s disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disease, is characterized by the gradual loss of dopaminergic (dopamine-producing) neurons, leading to motor symptoms including stiffness, slowness of movements, and involuntary tremors. Parkinson’s can also present nonmotor symptoms such as digestive issues and sleep deficits. Unfortunately, there is currently no effective therapy that can delay or stop

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