Issue 53: Odyssey – Page 4

Back to Basics: A Bird’s Preference for Native Species over Their Invasive Counterparts

Biology, Environment / Jeffrey Pan / December 8, 2022

As food availability in the Northern Hemisphere decrease in the fall, many birds travel southward. This seasonal trend of mass travel is known as migration. To prepare for a large migration, birds often stock up on fruits and other food sources. But with invasive plant species overtaking their native counterparts, birds are struggling to obtain […]

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The Drake Passage: The final barrier to Antarctica

Environment, World / Anna Ducroiset / December 8, 2022

This past summer, I worked at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), a marine science research institute with a variety of labs and facilities. In the middle of the summer, a lab I was involved with found out that some members would be taking a trip to Antarctica to collect samples. One of my good friends

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When monsters under the bed come to life

Biology, Health / Ipek Ozcan / December 8, 2022

Sleep is the one time many feel like they are completely relaxed. However, when monsters start to crawl from under your bed and you find yourself frozen: All you can do is lay there and wait for them to attack. As you panic, your breathing gets harder; the figure gets closer; your panic increases; and

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A fluorescent cry for help: How corals use “sunscreen” to stay cool

Chemistry, Environment / Sophie Donner / December 8, 2022

Glow sticks are part of a happy childhood memory for many. Beneath your fingertips, you snap the plastic stick in half, revealing a beautiful vibrant color show in the dark. While glowing colors may remind us of nostalgic times, fluorescing corals are a sign of a last-ditch effort to survive bleaching in the battle against

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NASA’s plan to return to the moon and land on Mars

Space, Technology / Ananya Jain / December 8, 2022

Painted in his chariot ascending towards the light, the Greek god Apollo has long been known to represent archery, prophecy, and above all else, the sun. His twin, Artemis, is most famously the goddess of the hunt, nature, and the moon. Greek mythology follows us wherever we roam, from the constellations over our heads to

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Sending humans to Mars: Outlook, barriers, and timeline

Biology, Space / Julie Ratliff / December 8, 2022

The United States has landed nine payloads on Mars — the fourth planet from the sun, with a reddish-brown coloration — dating all the way back to 1976. And yet, no human has ever set foot on Mars. Although Earth’s and Mars’ days are approximately equivalent lengths, many stark differences exist between the two celestial

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Long, lost COVID

Health / Lily Garrett / December 8, 2022

The long crusade of the coronavirus pandemic began in late 2019. Fast forward to present time, and we are approaching three years since the premier cases of the virus. During these long and “apocalyptic” years, COVID-19 has taken a tragic toll on the lives of people globally. Millions of exposures and deaths have inevitably occurred

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One in a 158 trillion: How Alan Turing cracked the Enigma

Technology / Curie Cha / December 8, 2022

The logical basis of all computers can be traced back to the ingeniousness of one man: Alan Turing. Turing, born on June 23, 1912, grew up with a keen interest in using mathematics and logic to explain the world around him. He went on to study mathematics at King’s College and eventually joined the Government

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Secrets of the endurance athlete and how to become one

Biology, Health / Amanda Bell / December 8, 2022

People often perceive endurance as an ability that takes significant time and patience to develop or something limited only to those with “good” genetics. While both can be true, anyone can become a solid endurance athlete with the right training. Performance training that targets metrics that scientists use to assess fitness is one place to

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