Lately, I’ve been in awe of Scott H. Young, after reading his book, Ultralearning (which I highly recommend, by the way). He’s finished MIT OCW’s 4-year Computer Science curriculum in a year and has also traveled the world in different regions, reaching a near-fluency level in multiple languages. I get the idea that Scott is…
Evolution of video game graphics: Pixels, Trips to the Uncanny Valley, and to the Future
With the recent release of Toy Story 4, people all over social media have been praising its incredibly detailed teasers, zooming in on the characters’ shirts and hats to find an almost human-like texture. In retrospect, the graphics have improved as a whole not only for animated movies and CGI but vastly so for video…
Book Review: A Close Look At Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’
NOTE: (Exams and college applications have swamped me, but I couldn’t turn down a good read.) Hello, everyone! It’s Tara, and today I’m going to be writing a more personal post that’s slightly different from my typical science and tech-related posts. As the title might suggest, I’m writing a book review. I think it’d be…
Processing Coffee, Bacon, and Sugar with a Newly Found Protein
For years now, we’ve believed that the protein responsible for our brain’s ability to detect bitter, sweet and savory foods depends solely on G protein-coupled receptor signaling with the transient receptor potential melastatin 5 (TRPM5) protein, crowning it as the sole gatekeeper for these flavors and our ability to distinguish and recognize them, often activated…
Breathing Rhythm Found to Affect Memory and Fear
Breathing has never been before linked to anything other than the intake of oxygen, but now it seems to have connections to brain function– specifically, memory and fear. Northwestern Medicine scientists have found for the first time, that breathing rhythm induces electrical activity that enhances both memory recall and emotional judgements. Interestingly, the behaviors depend…
The Link Between Autism, Baby Teeth, and Lead Levels
The reason for the development of autism has been speculated for decades, but no discovery has quite exactly pinpointed to a singular answer. Often times, the causes are said to be genetic and environmental factors, which generally lacks specificity, to our dismay. However, a new study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences…
Introduction to Neuroscience 1: Anatomy of the Brain
It’s about time I posted a new educational post. This will be part of a new series called “Introduction to Neuroscience”. I realize that it’s not the most creative title, but this will do for now. Here’s what to expect in this lesson: A Brief History of the Brain Anatomy of the Brain and the…
The Brain and Facial Recognition
First of all, before I introduce the interesting topic regarding the brain and facial recognition, I want to sincerely apologize that I haven’t been posting much. I plan to make this a weekly thing now, so stay posted for that! So, back to the topic at hand. MIT has finally been able to reproduce how…
Slideshow: Ingestible Origami Robot
Artificial Intelligence is an incredible feat that humans were able to achieve, especially when we consider our short timeline on Earth. And of course MIT, the University of Sheffield, and the Tokyo Institute of Technology were able to create something unimaginable– an ingestible origami robot, built upon previous prototypes and models. The new work, which the…
Insomnia linked to White Matter Abnormalities
Everyone knows that lack of sleep can affect your brain in a negative way. A good night’s sleep is essential to improving memory, learning, and mental health. However, recent studies have discovered that insomnia has been linked to white matter abnormalities. People with insomnia has a different brain structure overall. A team of Chinese researchers…
Dissociative Identity Disorder Study
Imagine being yourself at day, and at night you are a completely different person with another personality – and not knowing what it’s like. This is a real case, and many of us know what this is called. This disorder is displayed in tons of movies, where the most brilliant actors and actresses can personify…
Zika Virus linked to Microcephaly
This is the effect of Microcephaly. As noted in the diagram to the right, the typical head size of a child is much larger compared to a baby with Microcephaly. Microcephaly is defined as “abnormal smallness of the head, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development.” This can lead to rather distinctive facial features. Microcephaly…
Neurologic 