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Next Generation
The Spring 2018 semester theme is Next Generation. This futuristic issue covers a variety of topics including personal genetics, cybersecurity, the #MeToo movement, and life on Mars.
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Why is it So Hard to Change Somebody’s Mind?
by Whitney Li If you’ve been on the internet for the past 20 years, you have probably seen a comment about a political or social opinion that you thought was absurd. You probably thought, “How could any rational mind think this way? What has our society come to?” Maybe you replied in a rage, telling…
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A Parallel Universe with Life
by Susana Torres-Londono Over time, physicists have been working towards painting a clearer and more precise portrait of our universe. In their research, they have found the four “fundamental forces”. Up until recently, it was well established that our universe– at least life in our universe– would not be possible without these forces. Even though…
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Will Artificial Intelligence Make Doctors Obsolete?
by Sharon Binoy When many of us think of artificial intelligence in healthcare, an image of a distant Black Mirror-esque dystopia comes to mind. However, it is soon becoming a positive presence in many aspects of the medical profession. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is dramatically changing the future landscape of medicine, diagnosing diseases with an accuracy…
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A New Male Birth Control Method is Here
by Cassidy Quilalang In April of this year, clinical trials will begin for a new, non-invasive form of male hormonal birth control. It’s a gel that you rub on your arms. These days, a host of female contraceptives are available on the market and it is fairly common to hear about women being on some form…
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Detecting Gravitational Waves, Was it Worth it?
by Susana Torres-Londono If you’re a scientist who hopes to dedicate the rest of your life to developing and proving a revolutionary scientific theory, there’s a good chance you’ll never get to see your work’s eventual success. We all know of Rosalind Franklin, the female powerhouse who helped unravel the secrets of the human genome…
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A Guessing Game with Some of the Highest Stakes
by Isabelle Boatright After scientists and infectious disease experts collect data on what’s making people sick every year, they gather at one of five main World Health Organization collaboration centers to argue over upcoming flus. Most people in the United States get annual flu shots to avoid the many nasty consequences that come with seasonal…
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Curing Mortality
by Isabelle Boatright Despite popular science fiction, we still can’t transport instantly, travel back in time, or do anything beyond slowing down the process of ageing. Modern medicine can do more than we ever imagined just a century ago and it’s constantly improving. As we learn more about human biology and the human genome, people…
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A New Cure-All for Alzheimer’s?
by Kevin Zhang Alzheimer’s Disease is known for being impossible to fully treat or cure, mostly due to its multi-faceted nature. However, a new study has been proposed that would combine known treatments for individual issues for a more effective treatment. So then…why was this not thought of sooner? Perhaps because it is too good…
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Catch of the day? PLASTIC!
By Vicky Fong Seafood consumers are advised of the risks of mercury intake, but recent studies show that they should also be aware that their meals might come with a side order of plastic. So how does plastic end up in the oceans, get eaten by the fish, and make its way into our bodies?…