Category: syn·op·sis beta

A fish about the length of your finger hangs just under the surface of a mangrove swamp. Above it, a beetle sits on a leaf. The fish can’t see where the beetle really is, but it fires anyway, and the beetle tumbles into the water. It looks like a physics problem solved on the spot,…

Earthquakes are a scary reality for people living on active plate boundaries. Not only does the initial earthquake cause destruction, the secondary events caused by the seismic activity can lead to the evolution of species through allopatric speciation.  Speciation refers to limiting a population’s gene flow by alternating its environment (Harvey 2026, slide 43). The…

Alzheimer’s is one of the most prevalent and devastating neurodegenerative diseases globally, and affects approximately 35.8% of people over the age of 85 (Alzheimer’s Association 2026). Alzheimer’s disease is primarily attributed to the buildup of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides (plaque) within the brain parenchyma, which occurs when non-functional microglia and astrocytes, both types of glial cells,…

At first glance, being an F1 driver seems easy, especially compared to other high-performance athletes. They aren’t running around a 1.76-acre field for 90 minutes or hitting a ball as hard as they can for five sets. Instead, they sit in the cockpit of a $15 million bucket on wheels and drive around a loop…

Referring to the brain, the center of our nervous system, as one singular, consolidated organ is no longer the full truth. The long-standing model developed decades ago by developmental biologists treated the brain as the product of a common neural ectoderm. Ectoderm refers to the outermost germ layer formed during early animal embryo development that major structures…

Throughout history, eye-witnesses have reported seeing “darts of light”, “rockets”, and “flames” above thunderstorms (Boeck et al. 1998). Were they random acts of nature? Completely made up? No, they were likely Transient Luminous Events (TLEs): lightning-related phenomena that despite their fantastical names, are as real as you and me. Before getting into TLEs themselves we…

When considering wine production, we often picture grapevines, fermentation, and the overall chemistry that is behind it. However, we should also consider the impact of the surrounding vineyard ecosystems and how they directly or indirectly influence wine production. In fact, many wine producers can be seen incorporating beekeeping at their vineyards. This lets us ask,…

If you’ve been on the internet at all recently, it’s difficult to not have heard the word looksmaxxing. This phenomenon impacts primarily young men on the internet and is essentially a trend of “maximizing” one’s appearance, particularly masculine features such as the jawline. Methods of looksmaxxing span from dieting and skincare to steroid use and…

If you’ve ever used an analog television, you’re likely not surprised to hear that the static “snow” you experience when flicking through channels is a result of different electromagnetic waves interfering with the TVs signal. You may, however, be surprised that a portion of those waves, particularly in the microwave spectrum, can be traced all…

Within the population of USA, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) disproportionately affects women a lot more, with 2/3 of the overall cases being women (Association 2016). In fact, through numerous studies, it was found that sex, after age, was the most determining factor in Alzheimer’s risk (Subramaniapillai et al. 2021). This is because women are more impacted negatively by factors that increase their…