Throughout history until the present day, diamonds have been a symbol of worth and value. Whenever one thinks of a diamond, highly priced jewelry is the forefront thought. However, the emergence of the lab-grown version established a wider range of benefits to humans and even to the evolution of science. The first synthetic diamond was Read the full article…
The United Nations, along with 70 other countries, has adopted a net zero carbon emissions commitment which is expected to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions (GGHGE) by 76% (United Nations, 2022). Simultaneously, one of the largest sectors contributing to GGHGE, the apparel industry, is experiencing an unprecedented rise in popularity, bringing its expected global revenue Read the full article…
As the world has gained more insight into the disastrous effects lead can have on the human body, a large push has been made towards water quality testing. Perhaps most importantly, its links to neurological impairment have shed light on the importance of ensuring safe drinking water for all. Although it is well-known that lead Read the full article…
Have you ever wondered why larger musical instruments, like cellos, have a lower pitch than smaller instruments, like violins? This size-pitch relationship is caused by resonance, which refers to an object’s ability to oscillate with larger amplitudes at certain frequencies (National Science Foundation, 2023). Each object has its own resonant frequency: the frequency at which Read the full article…
Beyond a supervillain in a DC comic, Toxicodendron radicans (Gillis, 1971), better known as poison ivy, acts as the infamous culprit behind many hives, redness, and rashes. Commonly found along heavily wooded forests and wetlands, this distinguishable plant is considered “early successional”, which means it prospers in areas with activity and thrives in disturbance opposed Read the full article…
Some of the most revolutionary scientific discoveries have occurred accidentally; luck is sometimes the most important factor leading to new discoveries (Donald, 2013). Conductive polymers were an accidental finding by scientists Shirakawa, MacDiarmid and Heeger in 1977 (Guo and Facchetti, 2020). These organic polymers were found to have high conductive properties typically associated with metals. Read the full article…
There are a lot of blues connected to Kentucky: bluegrass music, “Blue Moon over Kentucky”, and even the blue people of Kentucky. You heard that right, Kentucky has its own population of smurf-like humans (Roos, 2023)! In the 1820s, Martin Fugate immigrated from France to Kentucky, settling along the banks of Troublesome Creek (Phillips, Vatanchi Read the full article…
The placenta is a fascinating organ: not only is it temporary, but it has also enabled animals to give birth to live offspring. In fact, it is the first organ to form in mammalian development, and its ancestral form developed approximately 130 million years ago (Chuong, 2018). The evolution of the placenta brought about the Read the full article…
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after a traumatic event, with its impacts originating at the subcellular level (Girgenti, et al., 2017; Yehuda and Seckl, 2011). The pathophysiology of PTSD at this scale is characterized by a disruption of glucocorticoid (GC) hormone signaling, which has implications for other cellular processes related to stress regulation. Cortisol, Read the full article…
In a world where whiskers and purrs captivate the heart, cat allergies hide in the shadows, eager to pounce. Approximately 10–30% of the population is sensitive to cat dander, saliva, and urine, with sneezing, coughing, and itchiness being common symptoms. The primary allergen produced by cats is a globular protein called Fel d1 (Bonnet, et Read the full article…