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The Gender Gap: The most pressing structural engineering problem By Julia Hines, Chemical Engineering, 2021 Source: Pixabay In 1950, when Mary Pottle and three other women started the Society of Women Engineers chapter in Boston, gender discrimination in engineering was rampant. Mary Pottle herself was told that her application from MIT was denied because “[her] […]

From Shrooms to Structures By Anushka Biswas, Cell and Molecular Biology, 2023 Source: Pixabay Mycelium (noun): the vegetative part of a fungus consisting of a network of fine white filaments, better known as the future of sustainable architecture. With the state of our environment rapidly declining, experts across fields are searching for alternative methods and

The Story Behind the Strange Hands of a Strange Animal By Dhriti Aiylam, Psychology, 2023 Source: Wikimedia Commons If one were to ask what the strangest animal out there was, the aye-aye is a strong contender. These unique little lemurs, found only on the island of Madagascar, have large yellow eyes, gigantic ears, and extremely long

Night of the Living Parasite By Joseph Valenti, Biology, 2023 Source: Pixabay In recent years, knowledge of the “zombie snail” has become near commonplace. They are known to be small, amber snails infected with a parasite called Leucochloridium, which enters the snail through ingestion of bird feces. Once ingested, the parasite begins to grow in the

Power in Numbers: Unsinkable Raft Made of Fire Ants By Cailey Denoncourt, Bioengineering, 2022 Source: Pixabay In 2017, Hurricane Harvey flooded southeastern Texas. Accompanying the ensuing high water levels, there were alligators floating through the streets, fish in front yards, and fire ants, Solenopsis invicta, gathered on top of the water. After being displaced from their

The Season Switch-Up: Should we redefine seasonal boundaries to match climate change? By Lillie Hoffart, Environmental Science, 2022 Source: Pixabay It is January 12, 2020, and it is a record-breaking 74 degrees Fahrenheit in Boston. This unusually warm weather brings everyone outdoors. Families gather on picnic blankets in the parks, joggers cut through the paths, and

Colored Contacts: Are Costumes Worth the Consequences? By Spurti Vemuri, Behavioral Neuroscience, 2021 Source: Pixabay This article was originally published as part of Issue 34: Color. Although shape-shifting and mind-reading are farfetched characteristics for a human being to have, changing one’s eye color is not so impossible. Invented in the late 1800s, contacts were created

A Fleeting Glimpse: The surprising complexity of hummingbird displays By Rachel Lines, Behavioral Neuroscience, 2023 Source: Pixabay Has a quick flash of color at your bird feeder ever caused you to do a double take? While anyone who has glimpsed the quick movement and fantastic colors of a hummingbird can appreciate their natural beauty, the

Diving Into The Research Pool Of Aquatic Animal Models: Dr. James Monaghan’s Lab By Spurti Vemuri, Behavioral Neuroscience, 2021 Source: Pixabay This article was originally published as part of Issue 33: Water. Although when one thinks of scientific research with animal models one usually thinks of mice or rats, a large branch of animal research