By Hayden Frishman (‘27) Image courtesy of The NASA Earth Conservatory Chocolate is usually in candy bars, ice creams, and almost anything you can think of. Chocolate also has many different varieties, such as dark chocolate, white chocolate, and milk chocolate, and can be mixed with different extracts to bring out a unique flavor. But where does this delicious chocolate come from? Cacao beans originate … Continue reading Chocolate: Its Roots and Impact
By Opal Frazier Johnson (‘28) The Hubble Space Telescope celebrated its 35th anniversary this year, and it has had countless contributions to science in that time. The telescope was named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble. Hubble was born in 1889 in Marshfield, Missouri. He studied at the University of Chicago and the Universities at Oxford and Cambridge, and gained a master’s degree. Edwin Hubble … Continue reading Hubble Telescope 35th Anniversary and the Eagle Nebula Star Cluster
By Opal Frazier Johnson (‘28) The flat Earth conspiracy theory is a fairly popular one among pseudoscientists, and its roots trace back to before 5th century B.C, when the Greek philosopher Aristotle discovered that the Earth was round when he observed lunar eclipses. He realized that the Earth had to be a sphere in order for a circular shadow to be cast on the moon. … Continue reading Top Three Scientific Conspiracy Theories(And Why They’re Wrong)
by Isabella Blakeley (‘26) In the film Gattaca, starring Ethan Hawk and Uma Thurman, an imperfect man attempts to reach perfection. The protagonist, Vincent, wishes to travel to space but because of his ‘genetic imperfections’ is denied this opportunity. Throughout the movie, he imitates another genetically perfect man, Jerome, to achieve his dream. He is presented with challenge after challenge; not only to prove his … Continue reading The Gattaca Dilemma: Is Embryo Engineering Ethical
By Diya Ramesh (‘23) Precision medicine allows for patient-specific treatments and prevention options, and genes are one of the factors that are taken into consideration for this customized healthcare Previously seen on the PrecisionMedicine Show: From reduced side effects, to a better focus in healthcare, and the opportunity to save many lives, there are countless benefits to precision medicine. Episode 3: So, now you might … Continue reading PrecisionMedicine: Episode 3 – Climax Time
By Diya Ramesh (‘23) Precision medicine is a healthcare strategy in which treatment/prevention options are tailored to each individual. Essentially, it involves customizing healthcare to each patient based on various factors, including genetics. Episode 2: You’re on the edge of your seat, wondering what happens next in the thrilling tale of precision medicine. You wonder, “Why bother with precision medicine? What does it actually do? … Continue reading Precision Medicine: Episode 2 – Get to Know the Star of the Show
By Tasawwar Rahman (‘22) International Academy senior, Vivian Yee (‘21), places ninth and wins 50k at the Regeneron Science Talent Search. The competition, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high schoolers, draws nearly 2,000 entrants per year. Vivian’s project, entitled “A Novel Epidemiological Approach to Exploring the Implications of Social Determinants of Health on COVID-19 Spread: A Call to Action … Continue reading IA Senior Wins Big at National Science Competition
By Diya Ramesh (‘23) If you love WandaVision, enjoy the references made to it throughout this series. If not, pretend they’re not there! BEEP, BEEP, BEEP! As usual, you wonder why alarm clocks haven’t yet been declared a form of cruel and unusual punishment. All the same, you slide out of bed, albeit very reluctantly. Bleary-eyed and half-asleep, you stumble into the bathroom to brush … Continue reading The Precision Medicine Show: Episode 1 – TV’s Next Big Hit
By Aadit Jain (’23) Over the past few months, new variants of the coronavirus, such as the Brazil variant (known as P.1), the UK variant (known as B.1.1.7), and the South Africa variant (known as B.1.351), have emerged and spread throughout the world. While these new strains are not expected to be more dangerous, they are more contagious. The UK variant of the coronavirus, for … Continue reading Do the COVID Vaccines Protect Against the New Variants?
By Diya Ramesh (‘23) When we last saw our mighty superhero, the stem cell, it was being questioned on just how powerful it is. Is our great hero a fake? Thankfully, not at all. Just what is it, though, that makes stem cells such heroes? Well, it’s actually the fact that they don’t have set jobs. You heard me right, folks, because unemployment is our … Continue reading Stem Cells: The Superhero Sequel
The Overachiever 