In the 1790s, smallpox infection was a serious threat to public health. Many died, and those who survived were frequently disfigured with body-covering scars. As the public threat grew, doctors experimented with transferring scab material from a person with a …
Read moreI woke freezing like a popsicle inside my 20ºF sleeping bag. Yes, it is typically cold at high altitude, but usually this bag keeps me a bit too toasty. Now, the moist air chilled my bones, so I curled myself up to conserve body heat. Why was it so cold and what was …
Read moreMy father’s voice faltered as my family sat around the kitchen table. He was young for such a diagnosis. No one expected prostate cancer. I was speechless. At first, time seemed to slow down while I tried to process the news. As a daughter, my heart …
Read moreHave you ever tried drinking out of a straw after a mouth-numbing trip to the dentist? Hilarity can ensue. Or maybe you have slept in an awkward position and awoken with a dead arm, which you then flail about in order to revive? (Occasionally to the detriment of your …
Read moreFor years, Jenny Wilson set her alarm clock for 4:11 a.m. She rose before the sun so she could be in the pool by 4:45 a.m., a routine that started in the sixth grade. When she started swimming for Northwestern University in 2008, she was out of bed by 5:21 a.m. …
Read morePlants are all around us. It is easy to become accustomed to their presence. But, imagine a world without lush green grasses and trees – a planet blanketed in desert. Could we survive? Plants are an integral part of our environment, and provide …
Read moreAfter striking an iceberg 375 miles south of Newfoundland, it took less than three hours for the legendary Titanic to sink 100 years ago this Sunday. On April 15, 1912, Titanic plummeted to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, taking hundreds of passengers …
Read moreThose tiny little piercings can trigger big consequences that include allergic reactions, infection and hepatitis, according to a new research review by Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. The American Journal of Clinical Dermatology published their …
Read moreSuperconductors—special metals that can conduct electrical current with no loss of energy—could one day have a monumental impact on the efficient transmission of power in the United States and around the world. They could also lead to great innovations in medical …
Read moreWhether you are for or against genetically modified (GM) food, it’s likely inevitable that you’ll consume it. Why? Soybean and corn seeds that have been genetically modified make up 90% and 80% respectively of the total seeds on the market! Large percentages of sugar …
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