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

In the last six months, I became the proud owner of a sourdough starter gifted to me over the winter holidays. While I did not anticipate going on a “sourdough journey”, it has been fun to not only learn how to make sourdough bread, but also the science and health benefits of sourdough!

Continue reading “Sinking Your Teeth into Sourdough: The Science Behind Its Health Benefits”

By Alexian Heynez, C2ST Intern, Waubonsee Community College

Cancer is definitely one of the scariest diagnoses someone can hear from their doctor. One of the major contributors to the fear around cancer treatment is our reliance on treatments like chemotherapy and invasive surgeries to treat tumor development, with no guarantee that it won’t come back. These procedures weigh heavily on our bodies because of their more general and indiscriminate approach, which is necessary due to the uniqueness of everyone’s cancer. 

Continue reading “Your Own Personal Cancer Vaccine”

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

As someone who is lucky enough to have multiple tiny humans in their life, I am always on high alert when it comes to baby products and their safety. In the second half of 2025, notifications about infant formula contaminations and recalls had me messaging families with infants to be sure they heard the news. Surprisingly, this is not the only instance of formula contamination in recent years. In fact, multiple issues with formulas led to the launch of Operation Stork Speed in March 2025. This program focuses on increasing the safety and supply of infant formulas in the United States, with a particular focus on testing for contaminations. But what got us to the point of needing a new program to provide safe formula for babies? Let’s talk about recent contaminations, formula shortages, and feeding practices that led to the development of Operation Stork Speed. 

Continue reading “Bugs and babies: Safety Concerns for Formula-Fed Infants”

By Stephanie Sorich, C2ST Correspondent

We’ve all woken up to remember a strange dream. Maybe you were performing a concert at Madison Square Garden, and then given an award by your third grade teacher— but wait, that wasn’t your third grade teacher, it was Jennifer Lopez. And that wasn’t Madison Square Garden, it was the break room at your first ever job. 

Continue reading “Science of Everything: Lucid Dreaming”

By Lindsey Ramirez, PhD, C2ST Correspondent

Electricity is essential to everyday life, yet, the process of how it works still baffles most of us. Dr. Brian Campbell Deem, full-time physics lecturer at Loyola University, explains how electricity starts with atoms.

Continue reading “The Science of Everything: Electricity”

By Donnisa Edmonds, C2ST Intern, University of Chicago

Keith Johnson, Ph.D., Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, studies how language and the brain interact. For the past few years, Dr. Johnson has been working with a research group at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) on phonetic neuroscience. I recently sat down with Dr. Johnson to discuss this topic.

Continue reading “Bridging Language and the Brain: An Interview with Keith Johnson, Ph.D.”