These Fish Transformed Their Dorsal Fins Into Taste Buds
“When I turned the jar to look at the specimen, I saw a strange little thing on its head on its blind side,” Presti says. “I thought, ‘Oh, my God, what is that?’”
Katie Cottingham, Ph.D.
I'm a freelance science writer and editor, sharing the latest scientific breakthroughs with the public by turning complex concepts into engaging stories. I cover many areas of science, including biology, medicine, chemistry, and materials science.
‘Fearsome’ Saber-Toothed Cats Needed Their Baby Teeth and Mommies, Too
With long, thin blades protruding from their mouths, saber-toothed cats roamed the Earth during the last ice age, alongside woolly mammoths, giant ground sloths and mastodons. They lived from the Eocene to Pleistocene epochs, which spanned over 50 million to about 11,700 years ago.
Raman spectroscopy for edible oil analysis
Come along with me as I investigate the surprising and confusing world of "fake" oils, and find out how techniques like Raman spectroscopy could help determine whether olive, avocado, and other edible oils are what they purport to be on their labels.
Reprinted from INFORM June 2024, Vol. 35 (6), pg. 8-12, copyright © 2024, with permission granted by AOCS
Reprinted from INFORM June 2024, Vol. 35 (6), pg. 8-12, copyright © 2024, with permission granted by AOCS
Programming Plants
Brophy and Tamborski, along with their collaborators, have developed many modules and tools based on computer programming logic and are using them to
better equip agricultural crops to endure a changing climate and produce hardier biofuel plants that could someday replace traditional fossil fuels.
Reprinted from INFORM April 2024, Vol. 35 (4), pg. 14-16, copyright © 2024, with permission granted by AOCS
better equip agricultural crops to endure a changing climate and produce hardier biofuel plants that could someday replace traditional fossil fuels.
Reprinted from INFORM April 2024, Vol. 35 (4), pg. 14-16, copyright © 2024, with permission granted by AOCS
Solving a 50-Year-Old Mystery Could Lead to Neurodegenerative Disease Treatments
How do you make a fatty molecule that is involved in breaking down other fats in the brain, yet doesn’t get destroyed itself? It’s a question that has wracked scientists’ brains for half a century.
Making AI and cybersecurity more accessible
With two centers focused on AI technology and cybersecurity, Morgan State University (MSU) is poised to level the playing field for students and users of the technology.
Voice-activated assistants turn on our lights, tell us the weather forecast, and remind us of our appointments. Large language models like ChatGPT can algorithmically compose poems and songs with a prompt just a few words long. And self-driving cars are getting closer to the marketplace every day.
But despite these benefits of
Voice-activated assistants turn on our lights, tell us the weather forecast, and remind us of our appointments. Large language models like ChatGPT can algorithmically compose poems and songs with a prompt just a few words long. And self-driving cars are getting closer to the marketplace every day.
But despite these benefits of
Egyptian Eyeliner May Have Warded Off Disease
Clearly, ancient Egyptians didn't get the memo about lead poisoning. Their eye makeup was full of the stuff. Although today we know that lead can cause brain damage and miscarriages, the Egyptians believed that lead-based cosmetics protected against eye diseases. Now, new research suggests that they may have been on to something.
Previous work indicates that the Egyptians added lead to their cosmetics on purpose. When analytical chemist Philippe Walter and colleagues at CNRS and the Louvre Muse
Previous work indicates that the Egyptians added lead to their cosmetics on purpose. When analytical chemist Philippe Walter and colleagues at CNRS and the Louvre Muse
Fact or Fiction: Artificial Reproductive Technologies Make Sick Kids
(PDF available upon request)
Most children conceived via assisted reproductive technology (ART), such as superovulation are fine, although some recent studies are raising doubts about whether these fertility fixes are as safe as promised. The extensive handling of these crucial cells is a concern, and there are mixed reports on the long-term health of these hard-won children, with several studies suggesting increased risks of low birth weight, rare disorders down the line, and even death.
Most children conceived via assisted reproductive technology (ART), such as superovulation are fine, although some recent studies are raising doubts about whether these fertility fixes are as safe as promised. The extensive handling of these crucial cells is a concern, and there are mixed reports on the long-term health of these hard-won children, with several studies suggesting increased risks of low birth weight, rare disorders down the line, and even death.
Immune Cells Digest Alzheimer's Plaques by Spitting Enzymes at Them
Immune cells in the brain called microglia can partially break down large amyloid plaques characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease by latching on to them, forming a sort of external stomach and releasing digestive enzymes into the space, according to a preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The findings could ultimately lead to therapies that boost the ability of microglia to break down amyloid plaques.
Reframing the conversation around education and crime to transform lives
Without a strong foundation, you can’t construct a strong building. And without a good education, a child cannot flourish. “A quality education gives you access to a choice-filled life, and if you have a choice, the last thing I think people want to choose is violence, the juvenile justice system, crime,” says Meria Carstarphen, director of the National Center for the Elimination of Educational Disparities (NCEED) at Morgan State University. “It’s all about giving hope to people who have never been able to break out of this without some lift.”