Picture this: You have gotten sick from COVID-19 before. So much so, your family is worried you will be hospitalized the next time you catch the virus. After consulting your doctor, you find out about a new drug recently approved by the FDA that can mitigate the severe effects of a COVID infection, allowing you […]
Opinion: The underutilization of Paxlovid Read More »
Nobody lies awake at night contemplating the existence of Mickey Mouse. Mickey Mouse is the world’s most famous rodent. His conceptual existence is unquestionably true, and his physical existence is unquestionably false. He is, after all, fictional. Despite his widespread reach, it is generally assumed that no one lets the existence (or inexistence) of Mickey
What would Micky Mouse do?: Mickey Mouse and the origins of devotion Read More »
If you come home from concerts with disheveled hair, a leather jacket, and neck pain, chances are you are a headbanging metalhead. Whether you listen to Led Zeppelin or obscure Turkish death metal, headbanging is a form of musical appreciation common for artists and fans. Can rocking too hard cause brain injury? Crowds are connected
Can your brain handle the beat? Read More »
Living to 100 years old and beyond is no doubt one of the greatest privileges that life can offer. As of 2021, just over half a million people — less than 0.01% of the world’s population — are centenarians, a remarkable figure nonetheless. However, to live to 100 years old and be riddled with the
Blue zones: Lessons from the longest-living people Read More »
Lightning is not uncommon, nor is it particularly subtle. In fact, with approximately 9 million strikes per day, it is one of the loudest, brightest, and most common natural phenomena known to the terrestrial sciences. Most people know lightning as loud arcs of light that sometimes occur during severe storms. Indeed, this is the most
Aerial electricity: Lightning and other poorly-understood phenomena Read More »
Katalin Karikó, the 13th woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, was initially demoted from her position at the University of Pennsylvania for the same research on messenger RNA (mRNA) that won her the achievement in 2023. Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman jointly received the award in October for their chemical
From nowhere to Nobel Read More »
Buried within blooming jungles in northern Guatemala lie ancient Mayan settlements with detailed palaces, monumental pyramids, and even ball courts for competitive sports. Within the archeological community, it had been generally accepted that this area in Northern Guatemala, known as the Mayan lowlands, was sparsely populated throughout history. However, with the help of modern technology,
Unveiling Mayan mysteries: Modern physics revolutionizes archaeology research Read More »
17th century Boston most likely never imagined it would grow into the major urban center it has become 300 years after its founding. The cluster of neighborhoods that make up its landscape developed at their own paces and paved their roads in a manner that suited them. These roads are known historically to have catered
Stuck in Boston traffic? Blame the cows, partially Read More »
It is not every day that a fossil of an entirely new species is found, let alone that of an early human, estimated to be 300,000 years old. This recent discovery adds an entirely new chapter in the story of premodern human history. In 2019, a team of scientists led by Xiu-Jie Wu and Wu
The discovery of a 300,000-year-old fossil, and what it means Read More »