Medicine – Athens Science Observer

A bug-eat-bug world: why hyperparasites could be the future of disease control

Benjamin Phipps — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 16:02:38 +0000

Our guts are home to hundreds of microbial species (collectively called the gut microbiota) that are essential for normal digestion and immunity. What species are present and in what proportions can impact our ability to fight off pathogens, as well as our risk for obesity, metabolic disorders, and allergies. In fact, certain bacteria that can …

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Structuring the Next Generation of Vaccines

Kaito Nagashima — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 20:33:22 +0000

COVID-19. Flu. AIDS. Pathogens like these have had a profound impact on our lives, whether it’s prolonging quarantine or causing annual pandemics that kill thousands of people every year. In response, we’ve developed vaccines against them. Still, how do modern vaccines work? And what’s next in the pipeline? A history of vaccines Vaccines have been …

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The Disconnect Between Traditional Chinese Medicine and Conservation, and How We Resolve It

Ben Long — Thu, 12 May 2022 19:00:23 +0000

Picture this: you find yourself strolling into a small, crowded shop in downtown Hong Kong. As you cross the threshold, a barrage of strange sights and smells attacks your nose and vision. As you turn your gaze to the walls, you notice shelves upon shelves of animal parts, mysterious fungi, and dubious bunches of dried …

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Turmeric: The Root of Skincare

Sayani Roy Chowdhury — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 18:49:22 +0000

When I scroll through Instagram or TikTok, I have a major sense of FOMO. People have wonderful travel visuals with perfect glassy skin all the while having their finances in order. However, to me, nothing seems as important as the absolute urge to get my particular skincare routine right this very instant. Browsing the internet …

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An ode to herbalism, seeking help outside of disparities

Chazz Jordan — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 19:00:00 +0000

A brief history of herbalism Herbalism began to grow its roots many years ago through African and Indigenous American culture and practices. It seeks to combine the knowledge of plants and plant extracts for healing purposes, whether that is mental, physical, or spiritual healing. Specific herbs are utilized for their ability to treat specific ailments. …

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A botanical and medicinal history of Echinacea, a native plant of the Southeast

Chazz Jordan — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 21:03:40 +0000

In Native American culture, the purple coneflower was used to treat poisonous bites and stings, toothaches, reduce inflammation, sore throat, colds, and so much more. In a way, this botanical miracle was used as a cure-all and was used to treat ailments more than any other medicinal plant. The purple coneflower, also known scientifically as …

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Pandemic Preparedness Requires a Macroecological Perspective

Daniel Suh — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Prior to the emergence of COVID-19, there already was a movement to understand infectious disease emergence at the global scale. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, this information has only become more relevant. The macroecology of infectious diseases is an important area of research with great promise for our ability to predict and prepare …

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Universal Flu Vaccines: Beyond the Seasonal Jab

Kaito Nagashima — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Sore throat? Stuffy nose? Influenza, or flu, is a nuisance for many every year, causing unwelcome respiratory discomfort that goes away after a few days for most. In some, it can cause more severe disease and even death. Every year, we can get a seasonal flu vaccine to protect ourselves against the virus. But there …

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Science of the Fifth Sense

Taiwo Akinyemi — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Imagine my frustration while trying to bottle-feed breast milk to my 4-week-old baby. The little guy was not happy taking his nature-made meal from a bottle, even if they had different-styled nipples. He would only take the breast milk directly from his mom. As a result, I wasted no time raising this concern with his …

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Microsporidia: tiny parasites with big impacts

Benjamin Phipps — Thu, 06 May 2021 04:23:35 +0000

A vessel is harpooned and infiltrated by an enemy, then robbed of its precious cargo â€“ this imagery may call to mind Long John Silver or other fictional marauders, but these events happen every day, all around us, on a scale so small we cannot see it. I'm referring to microsporidia, a group of real-life, …

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Toxicology and Poisons: a Cat and Mouse Game

Corinne Sweeny — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 14:51:56 +0000

Murder is as old as mankind. Or so the saying goes. Every culture has a history of poisons, from the ironically named â€œelixirs of lifeâ€ eagerly sought after by early Chinese emperors and nobles, to the Poison Damsels (Visha Kanya) of ancient Indian mythology that could kill you with just a drop of the deadly …

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The Future of CRISPR Therapy

Kaito Nagashima — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Although rewriting the code of life seems like a daunting task, scientists have managed to do just that. You've probably heard of CRISPR technology, a burgeoning genetic tool that has seen use in a multitude of applications, from treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy in mice to making crops more sustainable. The technology offers a method of …

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The Fault in Our Epigenome: The science behind aging

Megan Tomamichel — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 22:20:57 +0000

From the Yoruba tradition of throwing cowrie shells, to the Roma fortune tellers peering at palms, people throughout history have wondered if there was some sort of physical or external way to map out the path of our lives. Modern day scientists are still pondering how to predict the future, but instead of looking up …

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What your mama (mostly) gave you

Jen McFaline-Figueroa — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 16:03:21 +0000

Anyone who knows me knows that mitochondria are pretty much my life. My Ph.D. focuses on making these little cellular power plants more efficient at producing energy so that they can help muscles heal faster after traumatic injury. More than that, though, I want to teach people that mitochondria are more than just â€œthe powerhouse …

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Diving into the Homo-Delphinus connection

Sarada Sripada — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 18:46:42 +0000

Humans have shared a special bond with a certain animal since the time of Aristotle. Artworks as early as 1500 BC depicted interactions with this fascinating creature. Members of this species have assisted the US Navy, and have also been used as therapy animals for patients with Down syndrome and autism. These amiable beings are …

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Psychedelics: from poison to antidote

Sahana Parker — Wed, 13 May 2020 16:45:40 +0000

The term psychedelics, or hallucinogens, describes a class of drugs that produce significantly altered perception when ingested. Due to their ability to cause lasting effects on a user's mood and thought, some researchers believe they have therapeutic potential for treating difficult mental illnesses like depression, addiction, PTSD, and Alzheimer's, though only a few institutions currently …

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The False Promise of Animal Testing Part 2: Human Organs, Simplified

athenssciencecafe — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 14:13:14 +0000

If we accept the idea that animal models are holding back drug development due to a potential inability to predict safety and efficacy in humans, what can be done to fix it? Increasingly, scientists are using human cells cultured in vitro to assess the safety and efficacy of new drug compounds. While in vitro cell …

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A Tough Nut to Crack: Navigating Severe Food Allergies and the Search for an Effective Treatment

athenssciencecafe — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 18:27:27 +0000

You walk into the lunchroom, and all sorts of alarms go off in your head. While reaching for utensils you think â€œWhat if the last person used this for peanut butter and didn't wash it well.â€ You sit down at the table thinking â€œSomeone ate nuts here last week, was the table cleaned since then?â€ …

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The False Promise of Animal Testing: Safety and Efficacy

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 15:24:23 +0000

One fact that was drilled into my head while studying biomedical science was how few experimental drugs ever make it past clinical trials. A failure rate of 90% is reported. This struck me as odd, but I chalked it up as an example of how difficult drug development is and didn't ask why. That changed …

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Rethinking Anorexia: Making the Biopsychosocial Connection

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 18:01:56 +0000

With only 50% of patients recovering fully in the long-term, anorexia is the deadliest psychiatric disorder. Typically associated with poor body-image and unhealthy eating habits, anorexia has captivated and bewildered the minds of laymen and scientists alike. While not every person suffering from anorexia is underweight, there is still a general misunderstanding of what is …

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A not so familiar face: How a transferrable cancer could be the end for an Australian mammal

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 25 Nov 2019 02:05:44 +0000

Cancer, a complex disease caused by an accumulation of mutations in our DNA, affects millions of individuals each year. Cancer poses a very serious threat, but is it contagious? The short answer is â€œnoâ€, at least for us humans. In humans, the only way to truly transfer cancer from one person to the next is …

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The Wonders of Human Milk!

athenssciencecafe — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 00:52:54 +0000

It's a girl (or boy)! Your bundle of joy is finally here. Stepping into parenthood, life is magical. But it is not all sunshine and roses either with the constant cleaning, frequent feedings and sleepless nights. The baby falling sick on top of it, is your worst fear. No wonder you find yourself paranoid, sterilizing …

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The science behind high insulin prices

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 00:09:28 +0000

You probably know or love someone who suffers from diabetes mellitus. In fact, recent CDC reports estimate that nearly 10% of Americans have diabetes, and as many as a third of Americans are pre-diabetic and undiagnosed. So, there is a reason the cost of healthcareâ€”and in particular, insulin, the lifesaving drug used to treat diabetesâ€”has …

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Shining some light on the science of vampires

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 23:14:15 +0000

This Halloween, as you see kids dressed up as zombies or witches, threatening neighbors into giving them candy it's easy to forget that these terrifying creatures once had a less sugary purpose: in the absence of modern science, our ancestors needed a supernatural technique to explain the plagues and diseases that reason couldn't. One of …

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Scouting for the Next Top Model (Organism)

athenssciencecafe — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 23:17:47 +0000

Here's a valid question: if it's a human condition or disease we're interested in, why do we study flies, plants or bacteria? It's a question that researchers often have to answer: whether it be for grant funding or to their in-laws over Thanksgiving dinner. Certainly, no one wants to hearâ€”or vote forâ€” tax dollars aimlessly …

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From Social Stigma to Health Sensor: Scientific Tattooing

athenssciencecafe — Sun, 06 Oct 2019 18:03:15 +0000

Tattoos, the artistic insertion of pigment into the skin as a form of body modification, has been around for quite a while, with the earliest preserved example from around 3300 BC. These tattoos comes from Ã–tzi the Iceman, a preserved human found in the Alps between Austria and Italy in 1991. The tattoos were of …

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Malaria: From Miasma to Elimination

Max Barnhart — Sun, 22 Sep 2019 11:43:13 +0000

Life on Earth is full of dynamic and complex interactions between organisms. Some of these interactions are mutualistic, where all parties benefit from the relationship. Others are commensalistic, where one organism benefits and the other isn't really affected. Then there are the parasites, organisms that live and prey on others causing them harm. Parasites are …

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Preventing the Next Epidemic: Scientists Take a Closer Look at Rift Valley Fever

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 23:09:02 +0000

In 2015, Zika virus resulted in a global public health emergency. The epidemic caused severe brain defects in thousands of Brazilian newborns after the virus was transmitted to pregnant mothers via infected mosquitoes. The rapid emergence of disease caught everyone by surprise, and with little understanding of the virus pathogenesis it left scientists unprepared to …

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Science Behind Bars: A Bioethics Case Study

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 12:29:44 +0000

The “salt wars” have been raging for decades, with medical science still embroiled over whether there is a direct link between sodium consumption and heart disease. Last year, a group of researchers published an editorial in an American Heart Association journal proposing a way to finally get to the bottom of this; in the process, …

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Cancer and Us – Are You Safe?

athenssciencecafe — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 20:51:16 +0000

On February 4th, we celebrated World Cancer Day to remember those affected by cancer, standing by them in their fight against it. Known as the big â€œC,â€ cancer is a dreaded disease. There were 18.1 million new cases worldwide in 2018, of which 9.6 million were fatal. Being a leading cause of mortality, it has …

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Emerging Diseases and Wildlife: How Small Changes Can Have Big Consequences

Megan Tomamichel — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 12:34:00 +0000

On my walk home from work, I almost always encounter what I affectionately call â€œtrash creaturesâ€: squirrels that pop out of dumpsters carrying slices of pizza or crows pulling apart garbage bags to get at the tasty morsels inside. While undoubtedly amusing, these incidents may have more cryptic, and sinister, consequences to the health of …

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The Tiny Wiggly Molecular World of Medicine

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 13:00:07 +0000

Medicine has been important to humans since our earliest days, but for the majority of our history, we've had very little idea of how medicine works. We used to attribute medicinal effects to magic or to balancing the fluids of the body (bloodletting, anyone?), but thankfully we've come a long way since then. With the …

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The Cold Truth About Cryopreservation

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 01:05:17 +0000

Recently, I was in the lab doing some routine work with cells. In order to start growing my own stock of cells I took a small vial out of a tank of liquid nitrogen, where it is stored at around -150°C (-238°F). Then I quickly thawed it to body temperature (37°C, or 98.6°F) and transferred …

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Cystic Fibrosis and Your Genes

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 13:00:26 +0000

Disease alters lives in permanent and often heartbreaking ways. Most people have a story about how they have been affected by disease, either firsthand, through a family member, or looking from the outside in on another person's life. In a world where tragedy is at the forefront of our personal lives via news stories, gofundme …

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Building Strength from the â€œFloorâ€ Up

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 18:19:48 +0000

Better posture. Better sex. Better poop? If these happen to be part of your New Year's resolutions (and if they aren't, they should be), did you realize that working on your pelvic floor can help improve all three of these areas? If your answer is no, or if you're wondering what the heck is my …

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Algal Nutraceuticals: When Seaweed takes the lead!

Sarada Sripada — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 04:07:47 +0000

Algae happen to be one of the most important organisms on our planet, producing about 70-80% of the oxygen we breathe. They are mostly aquatic photosynthetic organisms which grow in all sizes, from microscopic phytoplankton floating in the water, to the giant kelp which can be as large as a tree! More often you can …

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Battle of the sexesâ€¦ for evidence-based healthcare

athenssciencecafe — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 03:45:41 +0000

Ladies, how many times have you rolled your eyes while your male friend languishes on the couch, suffering from a serious case of the â€œman fluâ€ while the rest of us manage to take a decongestant and go about our day? Fellas, does it ever seem like every woman you know is constantly complaining of …

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Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest (or youngest) of them all?

athenssciencecafe — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 01:08:37 +0000

Have you ever been scared of grey hair, skin wrinkles, baldness, or even worse, dementia? Voltaire once remarked, â€œWhat most persons consider as virtue, after the age of 40 is simply a loss of energyâ€. Nothing is as unnerving as the fact that we all have limited time on this beautiful planet. For centuries, humans …

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One Health: Leveraging the connection between humans, animals, and the environment

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 03:14:48 +0000

Don't forget!! One Health Day is coming!! https://t.co/dUmFU7SPOt pic.twitter.com/FWLmKg1taO — OneHealth Commission (@OneHealthCom) October 12, 2018 What is One Health? One Health is an approach that acknowledges the interactions between human and animal health are inextricably linked, and interdependent to the health of the surrounding ecosystem. These interactions offer opportunities for the emergence and spread …

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Raising the Dead: The Science of Frankenstein

Max Barnhart — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 02:30:00 +0000

It's that time of year again. The weather is starting to get a little cooler, the leaves are changing color, and flannel shirts are now socially acceptable to wear. It is finally Fall and Halloween is right around the corner. One of the most iconic stars of Halloween parties and the horror fiction genre is …

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Redeeming Typhoid Mary

Megan Tomamichel — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 18:41:42 +0000

Typhoid Mary â€“ the woman still infamous in our culture for wantonly spreading typhoid fever in the early 1900's. Newspapers of the time painted her as a villain. However, Mary Mallon, the woman behind the headlines, was more the victim of the circumstances of her birth, her biology, and the culture of medical science. The …

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The Biology of Mental Illness

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 02:00:08 +0000

There is a mental health crisis in the STEM graduate community. In this series, â€œMental Wellness,â€ we will highlight not only the mental state of graduate students all over the world, but also the likely causes for these conditions, how to know when what you're feeling is too much, and how to deal with it …

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The Science of Emotions

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 03:45:59 +0000

We've all experienced it â€“ the feeling of having your heart broken by someone you love or experiencing pure rage at someone cutting you off in rush hour traffic. But we've also all experienced the opposite – butterflies when your crush smiles at you or the serenity of crisp fall air with falling leaves. But …

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The Physiological Aftermath of a Heartbreak

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 02:46:59 +0000

Decades back, Willa Cather summed up what we all have felt at some point in time – â€œromantic relationships are tragic necessities of human lifeâ€ – ones that lay bare the fragilities of the human heart. The end of a romantic relationship can be torturous and leave you feeling heartbroken; perhaps this is why it's …

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Antibiotic Resistance.. Let’s Talk About It

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 10:56:55 +0000

You wake up one morning with a sore throat and a runny nose. Let's say this goes on for a couple of days; you go to a doctor and discover you have a bacterial infection. You are prescribed antibiotics and after a couple of days of taking them, you start feeling better. Now imagine another …

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When a â€œsweetâ€ bite has an unsavory end…

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 03:00:14 +0000

How do you like your steak? Preferably not deadly? Well, maybe you should keep an eye out for ticks…yep, ticks. Ticks are quite the pesky problem, especially during the summer months, when they're active and we're more likely to be outside. They're already pretty notorious for spreading diseases like Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, …

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Is our Privilege Killing us?

athenssciencecafe — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 15:10:30 +0000

Let's check my health privilege: I have no allergies, I'm in possession of my tonsils, appendix, and wisdom teeth, and I have never been hospitalized or so much as broken a bone (*knocks on desk*). Infectious illnesses like malaria, diarrheal diseases and Tuberculosis are among the top killers of people worldwide. But for me, living …

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Fatal Attraction: The Truth Behind Mosquito Bite Preference

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 15:47:34 +0000

For as long as I can remember, they have come for me. They follow me everywhere, stealing a tiny drop of my life force and replacing it with poison before I even know they've been there. I still bear the scars of their attacks on my legs and ankles. I have tried every defenseâ€“ chemical, …

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Take two of what and call you in the morning?

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 23:46:28 +0000

While everyone may not know exactly what antibiotics are or how they work, most people have taken them at some point in their lives. Familiarity with antibiotics stems from the fact that they are prescribed often, and their frequency of misuse has led to a very big problem – antibiotic resistance. So what are we …

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The Science of â€œThe Pillâ€

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 02:15:06 +0000

The story of oral contraception begins in the early twentieth century when Austrian physiologist, Ludwig Haberlandt, found that female rabbits and guinea pigs became temporarily sterile after the transplantation of ovaries from pregnant animals. But what caused this temporary sterilization, and how did it lead to the pill? The secret of the pill is the …

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To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? It's not just about you.

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 15:32:11 +0000

1.5 million. That number can represent many different things: the population of Philadelphia, the number of classified living species, or the number of tweets Taylor Swift's Reputation album received in the first 24 hours of its release. It is also the number of children under 5 years of age that die from vaccine-preventable diseases every …

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New Hopes for a Cancer Diagnosis

athenssciencecafe — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 13:45:38 +0000

â€œYou have cancer.â€ The dreaded three words that no patient wants to hear when they go into the clinic. A cancer diagnosis can be devastating on an emotional and psychological level, and most importantly, it prematurely reminds us of our mortality. According to 2017 Cancer Statistics, over 1.7 million Americans will be diagnosed with some …

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Man's best friend is a hospital superbug's worst enemy

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 23 May 2018 16:18:29 +0000

Dogs can do amazing things from sniffing out bombs to hunting rabbits. But Angus, a 3-year-old English springer spaniel, is a detection dog like no other. In 2016, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) in Canada introduced this four-legged bacteria fighter to help detect Clostridium difficile (C. diff) in their hospitals. According to the Centers for Disease …

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Troubling the Water

athenssciencecafe — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 20:27:54 +0000

On August 31, 1854, an outbreak of cholera occurred along Broad Street (now Broadwick Street) in London. Over the next three days, 127 people living in the area died; the count rose to 500 a week later. Most of the nearby residents fled the area, fearing they would also be infected. Instead of fleeing with them, …

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Detoxifying the mystery of an underrated organ

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 15:59:48 +0000

We're a few months into the new year now, so how's that â€œNew Year, New Youâ€ life plan going? More specifically, how about those detoxes or cleanses? You may have noticed a few detox trends on the covers of magazines while buying organic veggies for your vegan meals (which may or may not have turned …

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The Story of Neglected Tropical Diseases

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 01:00:19 +0000

Warning: There are images within this article that may be disturbing to some. Like many Americans, when I think of the problems associated with living in poverty, the first thing to come to mind are issues of material wealth. Not having access to things like cell phones, the internet, and a car, but being impoverished …

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Modern Day Eugenics

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 22:18:59 +0000

Throughout all of my training as a geneticist, I've never been taught about the original Eugenics Movement. What is Eugenics and why does it sound so familiar? The definition that I've found that best describes Eugenics is by Edward Larson in his book, Sex, Race, and Science: â€œEugenics is that science which studies the inborn …

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My Favorite Allergen

athenssciencecafe — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 22:35:01 +0000

I spent most of my life breathing easy and smelling the roses, then I moved to the state of Georgia. I acquired a feline roommate for the first time and spent lots of time outside inhaling the Georgia pollen.

Soâ€¦ I Got Herpes

athenssciencecafe — Sat, 03 Mar 2018 17:44:21 +0000

Well, maybe I should clarify. I did get infected with a virus, but it's probably not the one that comes to mind when one hears the term â€œherpes.â€ There are actually eight different herpes viruses that commonly infect humans, and only two of them are categorized as sexually transmitted diseases. I caught one of the …

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Building a better bottle: How researchers are trying to sweeten the deal for bottle-fed babies

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 20:14:20 +0000

It's safe to say that parents want what's best for their children. But determining what exactly is best isn't always black and white. One of the first things a new parent has to provide for their newborn baby is nutrients. An increasing number of studies are showing evidence of the benefits of breast milk for …

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Future Fixes for a Broken Heart

athenssciencecafe — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 01:54:38 +0000

My heart skips a beat everytime I read about new technologies that could have saved my brother's life. My brother passed away last year due to complications from congestive heart failure. A heart transplant could have possibly saved his life, but it's well known that the demand for organ transplants in this country far outweighs …

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Disaster Strikes and Disease Follows

athenssciencecafe — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 20:17:11 +0000

When disasters strike we see images of destroyed buildings, injured individuals, and the far-reaching devastation that accompanies the forces of Mother Nature. The media covers the aftermath for a few weeks, but then coverage slowly dissipates and people watching from afar forget about the struggle still facing those affected. But for these individuals, devastation and …

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The United Nations Declares War on Superbugs

athenssciencecafe — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 18:13:37 +0000

With the constant news of terror attacks, devastating civil wars, or even just political debates, our world seems irreconcilably divided. So when there is a problem so large that 193 countries agree to fight it together, you know it must be bad. The giant problem the UN General Assembly addressed this year at a High-Level …

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Colorblindness: It's not all black and white

athenssciencecafe — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 12:00:19 +0000

Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz sang of trees of green. Or where they red? If you're colorblind, you may not be sure. When we imagine how a color-blind person sees the world, we may picture something like the dusty Kansas landscapes before Dorothy travels over the rainbow to the colorful world that houses the …

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That all you got?

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 15:22:37 +0000

Preparing for the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974, George Foreman only considered whether he should be â€œmerciful or notâ€ to the aged Muhammad Ali. Younger and renowned for his unbelievable raw power, Foreman knew Ali would be down early â€“ â€œjust one more knockout victim.â€ But, come the seventh round, Ali was still up …

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A New Therapy for PTSD: Virtual Reality

athenssciencecafe — Sat, 03 Sep 2016 21:05:58 +0000

â€œThe body remembers. Stuffed until an event, a sound, a sight, a touch, a word, or a person awakens themâ€. The body remembers pain, domestic abuse, and the horrors of war. Unfortunately these memories become a burden on a person's mind and body. This debilitating and stressful illness is commonly known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, …

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The Science of Blacking Out

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 12:32:18 +0000

In today's society, the words college and drinking have almost become synonymous. College drinking is incredibly prevalent, with four out of five college students admitting to drinking. Obviously there are many risks associated with drinking alcohol, but one of the more common ones among college students is called â€œblacking out.â€ One study at Duke University …

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The forgotten organ

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 02:51:13 +0000

In the womb, a fetus's digestive system is squeaky clean. After birth, a baby is exposed to microbes which quickly colonize its gut. After only one year of age, a baby has already attained a complex community of intestinal flora comparable to that of a full-grown adult. A long-standing relationship Research in recent years has …

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Test tube babies: freaky fiction or possible future?

athenssciencecafe — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 18:03:05 +0000

Imagine a future where procreation happens in a laboratory, and not in the bedroom. Scientists derive embryos from a simple skin sample. Children are screened prenatally for any number of traits that their parents deem desirable. Things as simple as eye color and hair color could be discovered before parents even decide on a name. …

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Drug Bugs Could Replace Sniffer Dogs in the Detection of Illegal Drugs

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 17:16:09 +0000

While waiting in line at TSA a few weeks ago, I was sniffed by a drug dog and his handler (well, the handler didn't sniff me, but you know what I mean). Resisting the urge to get on the floor and roll around with the absolutely adorable black lab, I stood patiently in line as …

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Big Things Come in Small Packages

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 11:59:27 +0000

Some of the most powerful things are quite small: a microscopic virus can defeat an elephant; Giant Redwoods grow from tiny seeds; a computer chip the size of your fingernail can send us to Jupiter and back; and just one minuscule sperm cell can fertilize an egg and start new life. In most animals, sperm …

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The Plague that Keeps on Giving: How Tuberculosis Gave us Vampires, Ice Cream Cones, and an International Health Crisis

athenssciencecafe — Sun, 17 Jul 2016 19:25:28 +0000

Victims were pale and frail, blood stained their mouths, and after their death, their family members wasted away too, as if they were being fed upon. In the 18th and 19th centuries, if someone had those symptoms they may have been a vampireâ€¦ or they may have just been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the …

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The Antibiotic Resistance Crisis

athenssciencecafe — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 21:20:57 +0000

Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin in 1928 has been heralded as one of the most monumental medical discoveries of all time. Amazingly, this discovery was entirely accidental. After returning from a long vacation, Fleming noticed that a culture of Staphylococcus aureus was contaminated with mold. After observing the culture under a microscope, he found that …

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Zika Virus: The Deadliest Animals on Earth Strike Again

athenssciencecafe — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 18:08:09 +0000

â€œZika virus could be bigger global health threat than Ebola, say health expertsâ€ – The Guardian â€œZika Virus a Global Health Emergency, W.H.O. Saysâ€ – The New York Times â€œZika virus raises more questions than answers for pregnant womenâ€ – Los Angeles Times Mosquito season is about to swing into full force here in the …

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Genetic Memories: How Diet And Stress Can Affect Your Epigenome

athenssciencecafe — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 20:55:30 +0000

Are we a product of our environment or bound to a predetermined fate dictated by our genes? To answer the age old nature versus nurture dilemma, both. It is widely known that the environment can alter our DNA sequence through genetic mutations as a consequence of external factors such as toxins and carcinogens. However, our …

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Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, and Allergies are Annoying

athenssciencecafe — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 16:47:46 +0000

Ah, spring! The days are getting longer, temperatures are rising, and the world seems to be waking up from a dreary winter. One lovely morning, you walk into the sunshine and stop in your tracks. Every car, railing, and horizontal surface is coated in a thick layer of yellow dust: pollen. If this sight brings …

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Are we still evolving?

athenssciencecafe — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 01:43:36 +0000

For most of human history, being able to live long enough to reproduce was somewhat of a hassle. We had natural predators, diseases we could not treat, and hygiene that could have used some more work. The ones who would survive this war against nature would be able to pass down traits that allowed them …

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A Glass of Red Wine a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

athenssciencecafe — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 16:39:59 +0000

For thousands of years, red wine has been the drink of choice for Egyptian royals and â€œbasicâ€ girls alike. However, there is more to wine than its ability to â€œclass upâ€ a dinner party. Romans and Greeks recognized the medical benefits of grapes and grape products for treating health issues from skin and eye diseases …

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The Most Deadly Animals on Earth

athenssciencecafe — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 16:28:22 +0000

It's almost summer time. That means it's about to be mosquito season! These masters of annoyance happen to be the world's most deadly animal. No other animal species is responsible for as many human deaths as mosquitoes are. Humans murder about 475,000 other people each year. You know those creepy slithering snakes you fear so …

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Thanks Obama! What Obamacare Has Done For Chronic Illnesses

athenssciencecafe — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 03:47:33 +0000

Our current healthcare system is famously inefficient at addressing the problem of chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and being overweight. According to the CDC, 75% of all healthcare expenditures go toward treating mostly preventable chronic diseases. That adds up to a total of $225 billion spent per year. Aware of these huge numbers, our …

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Bionics: Shaping the Future One Body Part at a Time

athenssciencecafe — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 15:39:56 +0000

The loss of limbs, sight, and control of body can lead to a dramatic decrease in the quality of life. But, an emerging field may offer the solutions needed to fix these problems. Join Graham Grable as he discusses some of the emerging technologies from Bionics. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/243071537″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] Link One (Macular Degeneration …

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Calm Down: The Ebola Scare

athenssciencecafe — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 13:28:11 +0000

â€œEbola does in ten days what it take AIDS ten years to doâ€ –Barry and David Zimmerman (Killer Germs) There have been many different stories and fears circling the world since the outbreak of Ebola reached national headlines. Not everything you hear on Fox News and Channel 2 is accurate. While there is cause for …

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