By Frances Clinite, C2ST Intern, Loyola University

Homes on fire while submerged in water, businesses swept away, mudslides dragging cars down streets, pets separated from families, widespread power outages affecting millions, National Guard helicopters rescuing people, and tornadoes forming over the ocean. You may recall these vivid scenes from Hurricanes Helene and Milton that wreaked havoc in late September and early October. Leaving behind a path of destruction and problems along the southeastern coast, we have no doubt about the scientific importance and seriousness of studying hurricanes. Among all the devastation, however, one topic continues to dominate headlines: climate change. Scientists and media outlets are pleading for serious attention to the threat of tropical storms and hurricanes under a worsening climate. So, what do scientists actually know about the relationship between hurricanes and climate change? How does climate change explain what we’re witnessing? 

By Vaneshi Ramdhony, Illinois Institute of Technology, Project guided by Dr. Nik Sultana

We live in a world where the internet connects everything from global economies to smart homes. Just like how people travel from one place to another by different modes of transport and across different streets, data also travels from one point to another through different containers and takes different routes. Engineers use network analysis to learn more about all this digital traffic. Network analysis gives experimenters the type of network traffic, how much traffic, and many more inputs that engineers can use to know what the network needs. For example; does the network need expansion, security, speed, or all three?  Networks are complex, and making sense of the massive amounts of traffic is no small task. This is where GraphBLAS, a powerful tool for network analysis, comes into play.

By Mackenzie Smith, C2ST Intern, Loyola University

What comes to mind when you think of schizophrenia? Movies and TV shows paint a picture of uncontrollable and disturbing visions, or even threatening thoughts and actions. The reality is that these are misconceptions – the vast majority of people who are diagnosed with schizophrenia are not violent and deal with challenges in socialization and cognition. Currently, there are nearly 3 million people in the United States living with schizophrenia and struggling to find medications that allow them to live stable lives. However, new hope is just around the corner. In September, a new antipsychotic treatment was approved by the FDA for the first time in decades. Why the rollout of a new therapeutic took so long gives us a peek into the difficulties of developing ways to treat any illness, and why mental illness is often left behind.

Continue reading “The Decades-Long Search for a Better Way to Treat Schizophrenia”

By Rowan Dunbar, C2ST Intern, University of Illinois Chicago

With the coming of fall, my head is often filled with images of beloved seasonal activities like carving pumpkins, buying apple cider, and celebrating Halloween. These images also come with pictures of ghosts around corners, witches on broomsticks, and scientists creating monsters. I love spooky festivities as much as the next person, but as a biomedical engineering student*, I also wonder why science is often portrayed as scary. Where did the mad scientist narrative originate? How does this factor into the amount of people, especially folks of color, I hear say that they are hesitant to receive new medical treatments? As it turns out, these questions lead back to the story of one particular Halloween monster – Frankenstein’s monster.  

By Erin Scheg, C2ST Intern, Loyola University

Like billions of people across the globe, I watched countless hours of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. While tuning in to the much anticipated event, I was amazed to learn about the advancing technology implemented into every aspect of the Games. Technology has played a large role in improving the experiences of the viewer and athlete alike. From improving the safety, health, and performance of the athletes to offering perspectives that remote viewers could never have imagined, technology has radically changed the Olympic experience.

Continue reading “How is Advanced Technology Improving the Olympics?”

By Ella Coley, C2ST Intern, Waubonsee Community College

The United States throws away nearly 60 million tons of food each year. We produce more food waste than any other country in the world, equaling 325 pounds of garbage per person. It’s like everyone in America throws 6 and a half large packed suitcases directly into a landfill. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, when food and other organic materials break down and decompose in an environment that lacks a flow of oxygen, the bacteria that break down the food begin to emit greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, and chlorofluorocarbons, all of which contribute to global warming. Wasted food in landfills across the United States emits greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from 37 million cars, according to the  World Wildlife Federation. One solution that can help reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions is composting.