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  • The ‘Magic’ of Magic Mushrooms: The Intersection of Psychedelics and Mental Health

    The ‘Magic’ of Magic Mushrooms: The Intersection of Psychedelics and Mental Health

    Since 2019, the spread of a new nondenominational church, known as the Church of Ambrosia, has sparked nationwide controversy. This church has made headlines for using entheogenic (or psychedelic experience-inducing) plants for spiritual and personal improvement. What entheogenic plants are they referring to? Psilocybin, also known as Magic Mushrooms. 

    March 24, 2024
  • Deep Sea Mineral Mining: Impacts on Marine Ecosystems and Climate Change

    Deep Sea Mineral Mining: Impacts on Marine Ecosystems and Climate Change

    Fossil fuels have been the main culprit for causing climate change—electric vehicles have emerged as one of the solutions to mitigate climate change in wealthy countries. The production of their batteries relies heavily on minerals which, if not sourced responsibly, can exacerbate environmental degradation and contribute to the very issue they seek to address.

    March 24, 2024
  • The Feasibility of Radically Translating Alien Language

    The Feasibility of Radically Translating Alien Language

    The degree to which language shapes cognition, thought, and perception is an ongoing debate in the field of linguistics. Some veins of thought appear to believe that the relation between language and perception is so inextricable that they give form to one other.

    March 24, 2024
  • A Glance Beyond Death: The brain’s final symphony in activity

    A Glance Beyond Death: The brain’s final symphony in activity

    Death has inspired countless philosophical, theological, and scientific studies. A strange phenomenon described in a May 2023 study raises questions about whether death should be determined by heart functionality: scientists from the University of Michigan School of Medicine revealed that brain activity surges as a human dies.

    March 24, 2024
  • Protecting Innovation: The Tumultuous History and Uncertain Future of Biotechnology and Patents

    Protecting Innovation: The Tumultuous History and Uncertain Future of Biotechnology and Patents

    As we stand at the cusp of a future enriched with innovations like CRISPR-Cas9, bioprinting, nanomedicine, and brain-computer interfaces, public sentiments oscillate between anticipation and apprehension. Given the transformative nature of these advancements, it’s crucial to delve into the legal framework that will safeguard and guide this technological revolution.

    March 23, 2024
  • The World of Quantum and Computers

    The World of Quantum and Computers

    In the macroscopic world, people, planets, and stars follow a set of physical laws to which all matter abides. However, what happens when such physical laws are observed on a microscopic particle scale? While modern circuitry strives for smaller silicon chips, this begs the question, how small can we go?

    March 23, 2024
  • Mapping Out the Brain: PET Scans and the Structure of the Brain

    Mapping Out the Brain: PET Scans and the Structure of the Brain

    Throughout history, brain function has been a hotly contested subject — Aristotle theorized that it regulates heart temperature, while ancient Egyptians considered it a useless organ. Luckily, modern scanning technology has allowed researchers to resolve some of these century-old debates by precisely mapping out portions of the brain. 

    March 23, 2024
  • Could newly uncovered DNA-elements be key in fighting climate change?

    Could newly uncovered DNA-elements be key in fighting climate change?

    Assimilating genetic information from their hosts, Borgs are here to (potentially) act as our saviors! No, unfortunately, you didn’t just stumble into a really good Star Trek fanfiction.scientists speculate that these Borgs — large, linear sequences of DNA originating in some archaea — may be significant in addressing a global issue: climate change.

    November 27, 2023
  • Captured: How Technology Changes Filmmaking

    Captured: How Technology Changes Filmmaking

    We go to the movies to exist outside of our everyday lives and enjoy ourselves. This is the value of a film we seem to inherently accept. But why is that? How does movie magic work, and how does new film technology add or take away from the marvels of cinema?

    November 27, 2023
  • Mussel-Inspired Science: Sealing the Future of Fetal Surgery

    Mussel-Inspired Science: Sealing the Future of Fetal Surgery

    In the world of medical science, the most innovative ideas often come from the most unexpected sources. From research by UC Berkeley Professor of Bioengineering Dr. Phillip Messersmith, a look into the adhesive properties of mussels provides hope to create a bio-inspired ‘glue’ that can seal delicate fetal membranes post surgery.

    November 27, 2023
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Berkeley Scientific Journal

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