Imagine you’re about to step on stage to give a public presentation. Do you feel tightness in your chest or perhaps unease in your stomach? When you’re running late to an important event, does your heart begin to race? Have you ever wondered why stress impacts you physically, beyond your mental state? Physical symptoms like
Imagine yourself in this scenario: in a village, each person is given a stone to build a pathway for their community. The first stone was set by your ancestors, and their only instructions are to place the next stone, including yours, adjacent to another stone. Each stone has its own shape and size. Some are
The guards are hunting down an invader. The guards have no idea what the invader looks like, but they pick up clues. They take these clues to the Captain of the Guard, who helps determine if the clues were left by an invader or are from residents in the palace. If the Captain determines the
The American Red Cross, which is responsible for nearly half of the U.S. blood donation, has declared an emergency blood shortage as of December 2024. A stocked blood supply is essential, often meaning the difference between life and death for patients undergoing surgeries, suffering traumatic injuries from car accidents, experiencing childbirth complications, or battling chronic
Our guts are home to hundreds of microbial species (collectively called the gut microbiota) that are essential for normal digestion and immunity. What species are present and in what proportions can impact our ability to fight off pathogens, as well as our risk for obesity, metabolic disorders, and allergies. In fact, certain bacteria that can
COVID-19. Flu. AIDS. Pathogens like these have had a profound impact on our lives, whether it’s prolonging quarantine or causing annual pandemics that kill thousands of people every year. In response, we’ve developed vaccines against them. Still, how do modern vaccines work? And what’s next in the pipeline? A history of vaccines Vaccines have been
Picture this: you find yourself strolling into a small, crowded shop in downtown Hong Kong. As you cross the threshold, a barrage of strange sights and smells attacks your nose and vision. As you turn your gaze to the walls, you notice shelves upon shelves of animal parts, mysterious fungi, and dubious bunches of dried
When I scroll through Instagram or TikTok, I have a major sense of FOMO. People have wonderful travel visuals with perfect glassy skin all the while having their finances in order. However, to me, nothing seems as important as the absolute urge to get my particular skincare routine right this very instant. Browsing the internet
A brief history of herbalism Herbalism began to grow its roots many years ago through African and Indigenous American culture and practices. It seeks to combine the knowledge of plants and plant extracts for healing purposes, whether that is mental, physical, or spiritual healing. Specific herbs are utilized for their ability to treat specific ailments.
In Native American culture, the purple coneflower was used to treat poisonous bites and stings, toothaches, reduce inflammation, sore throat, colds, and so much more. In a way, this botanical miracle was used as a cure-all and was used to treat ailments more than any other medicinal plant. The purple coneflower, also known scientifically as
Prior to the emergence of COVID-19, there already was a movement to understand infectious disease emergence at the global scale. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, this information has only become more relevant. The macroecology of infectious diseases is an important area of research with great promise for our ability to predict and prepare
Sore throat? Stuffy nose? Influenza, or flu, is a nuisance for many every year, causing unwelcome respiratory discomfort that goes away after a few days for most. In some, it can cause more severe disease and even death. Every year, we can get a seasonal flu vaccine to protect ourselves against the virus. But there
