A while back, I read a funny biography about an MIT-alum physicist (Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! for anyone who may be wondering. I would highly recommend it to you all). The book helped me realize the real reason why humans are so drawn to science — that is, why scientists do what they do, why science is taught, and why we learn science. It’s all because studying science provides answers to everyday questions and explains many of the things that we once thought couldn’t be explained. It opens windows of opportunity to achieve understanding, whether we are seeking to fathom the basics that we encounter every day (why is the sky blue?), dig deeper into unusual topics of our universe, scrutinize minuscule subatomic particles under the strongest electron microscope or broaden our field of view and wonder what may lie beyond the perceived universe. When we dedicate effort and time to science, we are granted practical explanations to our wonderings in return. And that’s much more satisfying than living by superstitions and assumptions.
With that said, here are a few science-related topics that may pique your interest:
1. For those of you who enjoy astronomy …
Learn more about “The Great American Eclipse” that took place on August 21, 2017! It was the first solar eclipse to be visible from the US mainland since 1979, and Americans from 14 states (stretching from Oregon to South Carolina) purchased special eclipse glasses to experience this spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime event for themselves. Furthermore, the eclipse was a valuable resource that provided scientists with a first-hand opportunity to study the interaction between the Sun, Earth and Moon.
2. For those of you who enjoy even more astronomy …
Research the Cassini spacecraft which terminated its exploration of Saturn on September 15, 2017 when it dove into the planet’s atmosphere and burned shortly thereafter. Cassini was launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in 1997 and reached Saturn in 2004. Since then, it has observed the landmass of Saturn, as well as its rings, magnetosphere, and dozens of icy moons surrounding it, and sent information to NASA on Earth. The farewell to Cassini’s mission is bittersweet, but the Cassini’s contributions are far from obsolete and will keep scientists occupied for years to come.
3. For those of you who are fascinated by psychology (or are just stressed out) …
Check out the experiment that was conducted as part of the ReSource Project to test different methods for reducing chronic stress in society. As high schoolers, many of us are stressed out by schoolwork overloads, extracurriculars, etc., but when people experience severe psychosocial stress, a public health threat – even burden – arises in society. In an effort to find an effective “cure”, scientists hypothesised that practices relevant to the larger scope which highlight empathy/connection between individuals would be more effective in alleviating stress than practices that promote individual mindfulness. This hypothesis was tested on individuals to explore whether promoting the unity of a society can lessen individual psychological stress. Ultimately, the experiment highlighted how detrimental psychosocial stress can be to a society, and also how to cure it.
4. For all you animal lovers …
Did you know that a dog’s brain responds to not only the tone of your voice, but also your words? New studies conducted by Attila Andics, a neuroscientist at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, show that many dogs can identify more than 1,000 words, possibly even attaching meaning to them. They also prove that dogs’ brains sort meaningful words from meaningless words – for instance, while significant phrases such as “good boy!” are heard in a praising tone of voice, phrases such as “as if” are heard in a neutral tone and are not heard as carefully. What’s more, dogs aren’t the only animals that share basic understanding of the human language! Bottlenose dolphins and green-rumped parrotlets create noises that serve as names, and chickens and prairie dogs have different cries that notify the spotting of different predators.
5. For those of you who enjoy biology …
Guess what our tears have in common with egg whites – both can generate electricity, according to a recent study from Ireland. This is a result of lysozyme, an enzyme that both egg whites and our tears have. To what extent this protein can produce electricity has not (yet!) been explored; however, scientists believe that this finding may be beneficial to powering biomedical devices used in peoples’ bodies.
