Madelaine Wendzik – Athens Science Observer

Porn is Changing Your Brain

athenssciencecafe — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 15:21:24 +0000

Porn is changing your brain. Even with occasional use, porn begins to physically and functionally alter your brain, decreasing its volume and normal activity. A Startling Trend: Erectile Dysfunction (ED) In the past decade, there has been a sharp increase in men suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED) during partnered sex. Researchers have also found sharp […]

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Social Insurance: Holes in the Safety Net

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 16:56:31 +0000

This article is part of an opinion editorial series on topics under the umbrella of Social Insurance. Topics have been chosen based on common gaps in knowledge of Social Insurance. Part 1 of this series is on the topic of the social safety net and some groups that fall through its holes. The social safety […]

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Your Latest [Artificial] Intelligence Report

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 13:11:40 +0000

With the technology introduction of the personal assistant Siri and the promise of a completely self-driving car from Tesla soon, artificial intelligence (AI) is radically changing the modern world. AI is an umbrella term to describe advancements that allow machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs, and perform human-like tasks. AI learns and […]

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Double Take of Ban the Bottle: FOR

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 13:01:08 +0000

This piece is part of a “Double Take”, where two parties argue on either side of a premise. A writer does not necessarily share the view they are arguing; instead, this is an exercise to fully flesh out a discussion. The premise: “Single-serve, plastic water bottles should be banned in the United States.” I am […]

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Know Yourself, Know Your Supreme Court Justice Nominee

athenssciencecafe — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 15:36:36 +0000

On June 27th, 2018 current Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy submitted his letter of retirement to President Trump, to go into effect after July 31st. On Monday, July 9th, President Trump announced his 1st nominee for the second Supreme Court seat to be filled during his presidential term: Brett Kavanaugh. In response, many are eagerly […]

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End of Net Neutrality is Inevitable, but Open Access is Not

athenssciencecafe — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 14:14:51 +0000

Whether you’re checking your Gmail or streaming the finale of Handmaid’s Tale, your Internet usage is treated equally by the companies that have built the infrastructure of the internet, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), like Comcast and AT&T. This is broadly called net neutrality. However, net neutrality cannot be preserved in its current form. The Federal […]

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NSF Says #Metoo

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 01:51:45 +0000

Title IX of the Education Amendments was signed into law in 1972, but only recently has begun to achieve its intended purpose: to ensure justice for sexual harassment and assault victims in academia. For decades, institutions have been able to protect their reputation through twisting the use of Title IX to play their own detective, […]

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Right To Try, A Legislative Placebo

athenssciencecafe — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 17:58:58 +0000

On May 30th President Trump signed the “Right to Try Act” into law. This legislation lets terminally ill patients try experimental medications that have completed Phase 1 clinical trial testing but have not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On the surface, this legislation seems like a victory for patients without […]

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