Category: syn·op·sis beta

Venus, Mars, and Earth were all born from the same solar system, and yet today they are vastly different. Earth is a water and life-rich planet; Mars is a dry, windy, and cold desert, while Venus is a scorching planet in a smothering atmosphere (Patrick. 2025). These differences can be seen in Figure 1. This…

When talking about explosions, most people talk about man-made devices such as grenades, remote explosives, or even nuclear warheads. These creations are what we tend to base our perspectives on when it comes to violent releases of energy. But the scale of explosions goes much further than human-made devices, ranging from massive celestial bodies to…

Disease outbreaks have destroyed civilizations since the beginning of time. In the past, diseases have spread, but not as rapidly as they are travelling today. As climate change worsens, new deadly viruses will have greater opportunities to form, grow, and infect populations. One of the main issues associated with changing weather patterns is their effect…

The medicinal use of bee products, known as apitherapy, has existed for thousands of years. In Ancient Greece, Egypt, and China dating back 3000-5000 years, honey was applied to cuts and sores to prevent infection, and prescribed for coughs and illness (Khalil et al. 2021). Documented by Greek and Roman physicians, Hippocrates and Galen, the…

One of the most prolific predators on earth, the orca is both iconic and beloved. Since the 1960s, humans have become captivated by their strength, their intelligence, and most importantly, their seemingly docile demeanor towards humans. That’s not to say they aren’t incredibly prolific hunters, they absolutely are, but there have been zero confirmed deaths…

Good things don’t last, and neither does the bright green colour of your guacamole in the fridge. After buying avocados and preparing a batch, it is incredibly frustrating to hesitate over a brown surface. Still, that hesitation is understandable, as it makes the avocado less visually appealing and may discourage consumption (Soliva-Fortuny et al. 2002).…

“A glass of red wine a day is good for your heart.” This has been a common saying most people have heard, most of the time while someone is pouring themselves a second glass. Physicians from Hippocrates to Galen prescribed wine as medicine. As much as some of us would like to believe this claim,…

The origins of life on Earth are a highly debated topic among experts in the field. The prevailing hypothesis is abiogenesis, a chemical process in which the building blocks of life – nucleotides, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and amino acids – were made from abiotic material (Pross and Pascal 2013). These basic elements then went on…

Nothing tastes as good as ice cream on a sweltering, hot day–excluding the diarrhea that follows after it, of course. Although a treat worth suffering for, ice cream is one of the many foods that can trigger undesirable gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals who are lactose intolerant (LI). Lactose intolerance is a clinical syndrome that is…