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The Careful Chaos of Metamorphosis

Imagine for a moment that you have just welcomed a beautiful baby into the world. Over the next fourteen days your baby multiplies 3,000 times in size to that of an elephant, climbs up a tree, tears off its skin, and 10 days later flies away as a pterodactyl. This probably sounds like a ridiculously

Every map you know is wrong (but some are useful)

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but your concept of the world's layout is (probably) wrong. It's not your fault; you've just been misled all your life by the maps you see most often. There's an industry saying among mathematical modelers along the lines of “every model is wrong, but

The nature of matter

Pick an arbitrary person on the street and ask them how many senses we have, and without  a moment’s thought they will say, “five”, thanks to Aristotle. But ask a neuroscientist and the answer will certainly be above 20. After all, why can't a sense of balance be an addition or proprioception : the sense

Cuddly Coral: The Story of the Crochet Coral Reef

The sudden ubiquity of pumpkin spice flavoring makes it official: Fall is upon us. It's the perfect time to wrap up in a comfy blanket, find a rocking chair, and knit yourself something soft.

If you're short on ideas, here's a little inspiration:

Hey Doc, U up?

Ever since the new iPhones were announced, millions of people have been pondering one of life's most important questions: to upgrade or not to upgrade? For me, the newly improved camera could take my Instagram game to a whole new level. For others, retinal scanning could help secure important business emails. Whether you use your phone to post pictures of your vacation, respond to important emails, or stalk an ex-boyfriend, there's no denying that phones have become integral parts of our lives. For people without access to healthcare, cell phones can help save their lives. Even in Africa, 93% of people have access to cell phone service. This has spurred scientists to find ways to make diagnosing, treating, or tracking diseases as easy as using an app on your phone.

The Scary Reality of Infant Mortality: Could the Artificial Placenta be the Answer?

The month of October is in full swing, bringing with it festive fall decor, cooler weather (unless you're here in Georgia), and also plenty of opportunities to get involved with health advocacy. In addition to spooky Halloween costumes, you may see many people walking around sporting pink in support of breast cancer awareness. But did

For Some, Halloween Comes Five Times a Year

With most people, Halloween tradition mandates two things: sweets and costumes. It is the one time of year the average Joe drops their ‘people suit' and spends the night dressed in a mask or fluttering cape. For one night, you're expected to be something you're not. One group of people, however, spend a large amount

The Bunny Invasion

Australia is trying to kill all the bunnies that have invaded it, and all for environmental conservation. This seems counterintuitive, but ever since rabbits were introduced more than 150 years ago, they have been wreaking havoc.

DNA Isn't Exclusive to Genetics Anymore

The shape of DNA is one of those high school biology facts that is drilled into all student's heads. Two strands with complementary base pairs will interact to form the long, winding shape of a helix. However, when there isn't the second strand to form a helix with, single-stranded DNA will fold up in unique

Computers Detecting Sarcasm? Great!

Ahh sarcasm. Whether you love it or hate it, sarcastic comments have become quite common on the Internet. This is especially true on sites where people are more likely to express their opinions, such as blog posts, product reviews, social media, message boards, etc. By its very nature, sarcasm can be pretty ambiguous which makes

Designer Babies: Science Fiction or Reality?

What if you could design your future baby? They could be free of genetic disorders, predisposition to future disease, or even have a longer life span. In 1997, the movie GATTACA introduced us to this world of  â€œdesigner babies”, where genetic manipulation allowed for the creation of the “perfect” human. But what if this science fiction is not so far-fetched?  In the past three years, we have seen the genetic manipulation of human embryos, termed germline engineering, become a reality.

Influenza: The MacGyver Virus

Flu season is coming in hot, folks! What better way to prepare than by brushing up on your knowledge? First let's recall the important features of influenza viruses. There are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C, and D. As we saw in the previous influenza blog installment featuring canine influenza, the emergence of

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