“The body remembers. Stuffed until an event, a sound, a sight, a touch, a word, or a person awakens themâ€. The body remembers pain, domestic abuse, and the horrors of war. Unfortunately these memories become a burden on a person's mind and body. This debilitating and stressful illness is commonly known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,
In today's society, the words college and drinking have almost become synonymous. College drinking is incredibly prevalent, with four out of five college students admitting to drinking. Obviously there are many risks associated with drinking alcohol, but one of the more common ones among college students is called “blacking out.†One study at Duke University
In the womb, a fetus's digestive system is squeaky clean. After birth, a baby is exposed to microbes which quickly colonize its gut. After only one year of age, a baby has already attained a complex community of intestinal flora comparable to that of a full-grown adult. A long-standing relationship Research in recent years has
Imagine a future where procreation happens in a laboratory, and not in the bedroom. Scientists derive embryos from a simple skin sample. Children are screened prenatally for any number of traits that their parents deem desirable. Things as simple as eye color and hair color could be discovered before parents even decide on a name.
While waiting in line at TSA a few weeks ago, I was sniffed by a drug dog and his handler (well, the handler didn't sniff me, but you know what I mean). Resisting the urge to get on the floor and roll around with the absolutely adorable black lab, I stood patiently in line as
Some of the most powerful things are quite small: a microscopic virus can defeat an elephant; Giant Redwoods grow from tiny seeds; a computer chip the size of your fingernail can send us to Jupiter and back; and just one minuscule sperm cell can fertilize an egg and start new life. In most animals, sperm
Victims were pale and frail, blood stained their mouths, and after their death, their family members wasted away too, as if they were being fed upon. In the 18th and 19th centuries, if someone had those symptoms they may have been a vampire… or they may have just been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the
Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin in 1928 has been heralded as one of the most monumental medical discoveries of all time. Amazingly, this discovery was entirely accidental. After returning from a long vacation, Fleming noticed that a culture of Staphylococcus aureus was contaminated with mold. After observing the culture under a microscope, he found that
“Zika virus could be bigger global health threat than Ebola, say health experts†– The Guardian “Zika Virus a Global Health Emergency, W.H.O. Says†– The New York Times “Zika virus raises more questions than answers for pregnant women†– Los Angeles Times Mosquito season is about to swing into full force here in the
Are we a product of our environment or bound to a predetermined fate dictated by our genes? To answer the age old nature versus nurture dilemma, both. It is widely known that the environment can alter our DNA sequence through genetic mutations as a consequence of external factors such as toxins and carcinogens. However, our
Ah, spring! The days are getting longer, temperatures are rising, and the world seems to be waking up from a dreary winter. One lovely morning, you walk into the sunshine and stop in your tracks. Every car, railing, and horizontal surface is coated in a thick layer of yellow dust: pollen. If this sight brings
For most of human history, being able to live long enough to reproduce was somewhat of a hassle. We had natural predators, diseases we could not treat, and hygiene that could have used some more work. The ones who would survive this war against nature would be able to pass down traits that allowed them
