syn·op·sis

Category: syn·op·sis beta

Welcome to syn·op·sis beta, the section of the site dedicated to iSci student authors. To get writing, click on the “+New – Post” icon in the upper right. Otherwise, feel free to read, comment, and polish the work of other students.

  • You Can’t Just Walk Off a Gunshot, Nathan

    Published by

    Aaliya

    on

    in

    The grand majority of us have likely played a video game at least once in our lives, whether it be the likes of Jetpack Joy Ride or a more technically demanding game like Tomb Raider. One thing’s for sure, science doesn’t really mean much to our man, Nathan Drake, from the Uncharted Series. In Uncharted 2:…

  • Evolution and Mental Health: Exploring the Genetic Origins of Mental Illness

    Published by

    Tvara Parikh

    on

    in

    From the smallest bacteria to the blue whale every organism on earth has evolved. Evolution shapes our reality today, allowing humans to adapt, innovate, and thrive in a constantly changing environment. It is the driving force behind the diversity of life, influencing not only physical traits but also behaviors, survival strategies, and societal structures. Evolution…

  • Holy Cow! Cockroach Milk and the Future of Food

    Published by

    Hassan Rasheed

    on

    in

    Would you drink cockroach milk if scientists called it a superfood? Imagine walking into a supermarket and seeing it beside regular milk. Although it may sound a bit absurd, one species of cockroach produces exactly that: Cockroach milk! This embryonic milk has drawn the attention of experts due to its strange nutritional structure. Rather than…

  • Can electricity read your mind?: Electrodermal Activity

    Published by

    Ann Philip

    on

    in

    No matter how great your poker face might be, your skin can’t keep a secret. A window into the human mind through physiology exists beyond crystal balls, witches, or horrific psychological control. The very electricity that we associate with changing brain activity in horror movies can serve as a hidden gateway into your mind.  Electrodermal activity…

  • The Carnivore Diet: Were Our Ancestors Onto Something?

    Published by

    Kimi Wong

    on

    in

    You may have seen many influencers on social media promoting a carnivore diet, trying to convince as many people as possible that reverting to the diets similar to that of our distant ancestors will grant you life altering effects, and that the consumption of highly processed foods is tearing away at your health. Commonly referred…

  • (Artificially) Imaginary Friends

    (Artificially) Imaginary Friends

    Published by

    Nica Dimaandal

    on

    in

    “ChatGPT, write my English essay on Hamlet.”“Meta, design a poster for my ice cream truck.”“CHAI… I feel like you’re the only one who understands me.” While most people associate AI with plagiarism or generative images, one use is often overlooked: AI companions. Platforms such as CHAI, Character.AI and Nomi simulate human interaction through casual conversation,…

  • Is Measles Making a Comeback? The Impact of Vaccine Hesitancy Across Canada

    Published by

    Maria Konstantinovski

    on

    in

    Vaccine hesitancy has been present far earlier than what was seen a few years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the creation of the first vaccine in the 1800s, members of the public have protested the use of vaccines (Jacobson et al. 2015). When Edward Jenner began to promote vaccination with cowpox against smallpox, people…

  • Is Earth worth saving?

    Published by

    Laura Forgrave

    on

    in

    Humans living on other planets has long been a topic of discussion, but one almost exclusively reserved for hard science fiction novels, beginning with the publication of Lucian’s Verae Historiae (“True Histories”), which is considered the first science fiction novel, in the second century (Georgiadou and Larmour 1998; Doody 1996, 26). As technology has progressed…

  • The Answers To The Universe: Dark Matter and Dark Energy

    Published by

    Swetha Subramanian

    on

    in

    How did the universe form? This is one of the most pressing questions in the scientific community. Despite technological advances, the nature of our existence remains a mystery. Researchers are now saying that normal matter makes up only 4% of the universe, whereas the other 96% may be dark matter and dark energy(Agency 2022). Dark…

  • Can A Forest Remember? How the Past Shapes What Grows Back

    Published by

    Nastaho Mohamed

    on

    in

    Imagine walking through a forest right after a wildfire. The trees are burnt, the ground is covered in ash, and almost everything that made the forest feel alive seems to be gone. Looking at it, you might assume that whatever grows next has to start completely from scratch. Surprisingly, that is not really what happens.…