You’re playing a game of pool. You line up your cue stick behind the cue ball. You practice your stroke…one…two…three… On the fourth stroke, you follow through and the cue stick makes contact. If we could stop time in this moment, we could predict with reasonable …
Read moreLast week, my mother called from the other side of the Pacific Ocean. After chatting about the weather in Chicago and what I had for dinner recently, she turned to my work. “Can you tell me again what you do for research? Do you observe the stars every night?” …
Read moreWhen then Senator Barack Obama visited Google in 2008, one of the questions he was asked was “what is the best algorithm to sort a million different numbers”? Obama, being up to speed on all the programming jargon, promptly replied …
Read moreEstablished pillars were under attack across the Western world. It was the late 1700s, and the United States had just declared independence. France was rapidly heading towards a bloody revolution. Industrialization was beginning to reshape society. And, amidst the chaos …
Read moreI sit in the pitch-black room, twisting the knobs on the control pad of the electron microscope. I’m using this device to hunt for cells. Looking through the eyepiece, I work to bring the shadowy mass into focus. Various shapes and lines within the mass become bolder …
Read moreThe discovery of fire was a turning point in human history for many reasons. Fire offered portable warmth, light, protection, and a new way of preparing food. It was also one of mankind’s most successful attempts to harness energy. Other major efforts include …
Read moreThe 2016 Summer Olympic Games were a chance to celebrate the world’s greatest athletes, who strive to constantly push the boundaries of what the human body is capable. As a biomedical engineer, I can fully appreciate the pinnacle of fitness these athletes have …
Read moreI grew up in a rural town in the middle of Missouri, where the most interesting thing to do at night was to go to the local park and watch the stars. One night as a teenager, on my way back home, I noticed a police car and truck stopped by the side of the road …
Read moreAfter a divisive election, many of us are expecting a big helping of awkward family conversation with our holiday meals this year. Talking about the weather isn’t even safe territory anymore, given what your uncle may think about climate change. As climate …
Read moreIf you watch television at all, you’ve seen advertisements suggesting that some new medicine is the best remedy for a particular disease. In stark contrast to a montage of agile women practicing yoga in a field of flowers and a pain-free granddad tossing a football to …
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