Technology

The sub-two hour marathon: An optimized storm of science and grit

Biology, Technology / /

Four minutes and thirty four seconds. That was Eliud Kipchoge’s mile time…for 26.2 miles. On October 12, 2019, the acclaimed Kenyan distance runner broke a barrier that was once thought to spell certain death: a sub-two hour marathon. While rules on pacing and fluid allowance and concerns surrounding equipment engineering prevented his run from being […]

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Materials that mimic the lotus effect: Lotus leaves inspire self-cleaning surfaces

Biology, Technology / /

The study of preexisting designs is a common practice for guidance in problem solving. Innovators can turn to structures around them for inspiration, and what’s a more complex and functioning system than nature? In terms of hydrophobic properties, or water-repellant behavior, scientists strive to mimic the lotus effect. This effect is named after the leaves

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Hidden Markov Models for biochemical applications

Biology, Technology / /

As the amount of data in the biological field expands exponentially as a result of more efficient biological processes, such as Next Gen Sequencing, machine learning has become a tool to leverage this data for contributions to the drug development and medicinal fields. One of the most widely utilized machine learning models is the Hidden

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Storing memory with light: How 50 years of research and innovation have brought us closer to efficient and dynamic information storage

Technology / /

What comes to mind when one thinks of physics and what comes to mind when one thinks of biology seem quite distinct. But over time, the two fields continue intersecting, especially as scientists try to replicate biological systems using electrical circuits. This is an enormous challenge because biologists first need to map and understand the

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Dendritic polymers for dermal drug delivery

Health, Technology / /

Dendrimers, or chemistry’s snowflake, are complex polymers that have the potential for many drug delivery applications. Starting with a singular atom at its core, dendrimers are formed through the connection of layer upon layer of additional functional groups until a spherical macromolecule is created. Polymers are materials that are made of many repeating units, also

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A sight to behold: Supernovae through the eyes of an artificial intelligence

Space, Technology / /

Only 0.1 percent. Without artificial intelligence (AI), cutting-edge astral observatories around the world may be able to comprehensively classify only 0.1 percent of the approximately 1 million supernovae observed yearly. Ashley Villar of Columbia University, along with many other experts, is aware of the limitations of data collection using human techniques. In response, these experts

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Mush-room for improvement: Harnessing the powers of fungi and technology

Environment, Technology / /

Our world is embracing smart technology, especially those available to consumers like a Fitbit or an Apple Watch. Smart wearables are everywhere, and most people have or know of someone who has at least one form of them. Although smart wearables are at the forefront of everyone’s minds, what if we thought about them in

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Microbe memory: How biofilms can store information

Biology, Technology / /

Can microbes form memories? Earlier this year, researchers at the University of California San Diego demonstrated that, yes, certain bacteria can remember complex patterns. After exposing a biofilm of Bacillus subtilis to blue light stimulation, researchers observed intermembrane potassium ion channels change shape. This change caused potassium ions to be released from the cell, leaving

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Using quantum computing to make a ‘virtually’ unhackable internet

Technology / /

The world has become increasingly reliant on the internet, whether it’s social media, classrooms with online assignments, or research, depending on virtual simulations. Technology is becoming increasingly powerful and with that follows more powerful hackers. While the appearance of hackers is inevitable, the United States and China are leading the race to develop a system

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