By Lindsey Ramirez, PhD, C2ST Correspondent

It’s been on your mind all day — that leftover pasta that’s waiting for you in the fridge. You get home right as your stomach starts rumbling. It’s dinner time. But wait, all your plates are in the dishwasher, and you can’t wait until the cycle finishes; you’re hungry now. You can microwave your food in the takeout container, right? What’s the worst that could happen?

Continue reading “Science of Everything: Microwavable Plastics”

By Stephanie Sorich, C2ST Correspondent

You’re watching a scary movie. All of a sudden, you notice the eerie, tense silence that can only precede a jump scare. Every muscle is taut, you cover your eyes (to varying degrees of success), and then you feel the hairs on the back of your neck and all over your body raise in anticipation.

R.L. Stein, you’ve done it again.

Continue reading “Science of Everything: Goosebumps”

By Alexian Heynez, C2ST Intern, Waubonsee Community College

According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), an estimated 12 million people over the age of 40 are victims of uncorrectable vision loss. Nearly 1 million Americans are blind. This figure is only predicted to increase in the coming years, alongside the increase in diabetes and other diseases that affect the elderly population. There are a few options other than learning how to live life without the information we all receive from our eyes for those with severe vision loss. Or are there? Join me in an exploration of a developing technology called BrainPort, which uses an electric lollipop to help blind people see!

Continue reading “Brainport: Eyes on Your Tongue”

By Lindsey Ramirez, PhD, C2ST Correspondent

There’s nothing worse than an unwanted houseguest who eats your food and takes over your living space. Plants experience a similar invasion of their environment. 

Invasive plants are commonly non-native to a region and force out native species or have a negative impact on the functioning of that ecosystem. At first, the new species may provide food, a habitat for animals, and improve the soil quality. But what starts off as a symbiotic relationship can quickly change. Sometimes the new species has traits that are better suited for that environment, so it flourishes and eventually becomes invasive.

Continue reading “Science of Everything: Invasive Species”

By Lauren Chan, PhD, RD, C2ST Intern, University of Chicago

At the beginning of the year, I always hear about friends or family doing “Dry January”, or choosing not to drink alcohol for the month of January. This trend does not stop with January, also spanning to “Sober October” or other months. Some people are even exploring the Sober Curious movement and experimenting with abstaining from alcohol entirely. But are people actually changing their drinking habits, and how does alcohol intake impact health? 

Continue reading “Sober Curious: How Alcohol Impacts Your Health”

By Stephanie Sorich, C2ST Correspondent

Nervous laughter, or laughing when we feel uncomfortable, is likely not a behavior you think of when you think of successful socialization. It often slips out without us realizing it, a half-hearted “heh” disguised as social agreeability that we later shake our heads at on the drive home. So why do we do it?

Dr. Esther Yoon— or just Esther, as she prefers— is a licensed clinical psychologist at Northwestern Medicine who specializes in behavioral medicine. When asked about nervous laughter, she was quick to emphasize just how normal it actually is.

Continue reading “Science of Everything: Nervous Laughter”