Author: Shuhan Yu Editors: Linzi Yeung, Chloe Qian Artist: Francesca Huang Think about the last time you ate a meal; did you notice your body breaking down food into energy? Probably not. This process, known as digestion, depends entirely on enzymes–the tiny proteins that make life possible. Moreover, enzymes are specific proteins; they act as catalysts, accelerating chemical reactions without being consumed in the process. Some enzymes break down food, thus allowing your bo

Author: Elaine Guo Editors: Fiona Cheng, Sophia Chen Artist: Becky Li Experiencing scarcity, a state of having a shortage of supplies, shrinks your cognitive bandwidth, making it harder to plan ahead, make decisions, and see the bigger picture in different situations. This shrinks cognitive capacity as individuals focus on what they lack because the brain is constantly consumed by immediate needs, decreasing mental bandwidth. On the other hand, abundance, the belief that opp

Author: Simone Maimon Editors: Serena Tsao, Suri Liu Artist: Coco Zhou The second most prevalent skin disease, second to acne, is eczema, commonly recognized for a persistent, irritating scratch. Around 10% of the world experiences some form of dry red skin, sometimes pain, and sleep deprivation. Usually, these symptoms manifest in crevices or extremities, including hands, elbows, feet, etc. But, what exactly causes eczema? Currently, scientists don’t have an exact answer.

Writer: Kevin Lin Editors: Suri Liu, Faye Lin Artist: Alvina Zheng Imagine walking into a new clinic to choose the traits of your children artificially. What would it look like, and what restrictions would be placed on the technology? In recent years, this reality has become even more plausible with the development of new gene editing technologies such as CRISPR, achieving successful clinical results. Genetic editing in unborn children presents an ethically and morally preca

Author: Alex Yang Editors: Linzi Yeung, Justin Tai Artist: Caitland So One of the most imposing features of the human mind is memory. It molds everything from personality to deep-seated fears, and even affects every-day choices. Considering how prominent memory is in our lives, the idea of erasing or implanting them has been a staple of science fiction. However, recent scientific research proves that this concept is not necessarily fictional. Scientists are beginning to accu

Author: Joshua Payne Editors: Hwi-On Lee, Ethan Tai, Serena Tsao Artist: Helen Gong Algal blooms—rapid growths of algae and/or cyanobacteria in water—are crucial parts of ecosystems. They occur in all types of natural bodies of water, including freshwater, saltwater, and brackish environments. Specifically, they are prominent in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ponds, bays, and coastal waters. Several factors can contribute to the growth of algal blooms. For example, algal bloom

Author: Vincent Guo Editors: Ethan Tai, Jonathan Chen Artist: Yahe Song Many people have questioned whether artificial intelligence (AI) is a reliable source to use for your health related concerns and if it is trustworthy enough to ask questions like “What could these types of symptoms be?” or “How can I treat this illness?” Well, the short answer is yes and no. You could use AI in some scenarios, but you shouldn’t rely on it exclusively. There are benefits to using AI, but

Author: Lillian Dong Editor: Oscar Chen Artist: Helen Gong From towering mammoth fossils to delicately pinned butterflies, natural history museums offer diverse and interesting exhibits of biology from across the globe and time itself, but how does it all come together? The answer is research museums, where flashy presentations are replaced with shelves upon shelves of carefully preserved biological specimens. In this article, we will examine the process of preservation and

Author: Ella Chen Editor: Hwi-On Lee Artist: Felicia Chen When you think of snakes and spiders, the first emotion that pops up is probably fear. This is the case for most people, as these creatures inspire fear in many. For an American woman known as SM, however, these creatures aren’t scary at all. In fact, not even the scariest haunted house in the world induces any fear in her. SM doesn’t experience any fear, nor does she know what fear even feels like. Through extensiv

Author: Shuhan Yu Editors: Serena Tsao, Miriam Heikal Artist: Becky Li Water is often not given a lot of thought, but it's ubiquitous and keeps things going. We drink it, we cook with it, our bodies are mostly made up of it, and the planet is mostly covered in it. What makes water remarkable, however, isn’t just how much of it exists- it’s the unusual properties it possesses. Features like cohesion, adhesion, heat capacity, being able to dissolve so many substances, and even

Author: Alex Yang Editors: Sophia Chen, Hwi-On Lee, Faye Lin Artist: Francesca Huang What if one of the most powerful weapons for boosting a nation's economy wasn’t advanced infrastructure or technology, but something that most kids fear? A vaccine is a shot that helps the body build protection against certain diseases, and it has long been known for its health benefits, with its most notable advantage being the ability to strengthen the immune system. However, its financial

Author: Kayla Otoo Editors: Joshua Payne, Elizabeth Li Artist: Caitland So A delusion from the truth. An odd hallucination. A monotone voice that lacks substance or emotion. These factors are all symptoms associated with schizophrenia. However, what is the basis of this chronic brain disorder affecting 1 percent of people worldwide? For the past several years, geneticists have examined various factors to identify the sole contributor to the disorder. Multiple genes, such as

Author: Bryan Lin Editors: Miriam Heikal, Linzi Yeung Artist: Becky Li In approximately 4% of the population, the brain's sensory wiring operates differently, creating a world where sounds have colors and words somehow have flavor. This is a neurological phenomenon, known as synesthesia, and it comes in many different forms. Synesthesia occurs when signals between sensory regions of the brain cross in unusual ways. What exactly is synesthesia? What causes this cross-wiring?

Author: Sophie Jin Editors: Eason Gao, Justin Tai Artist: Helen Gong If you’ve ever worn a rain jacket, gone skiing, or walked through puddles without getting your feet wet, you’re probably familiar with waterproof clothing. But have you ever wondered how they’re made? The process involves using different types of materials, multiple layers of fabric, and special techniques to ensure that you stay warm and dry. There are two main goals of all waterproof clothing: To block p

Author: Vincent Guo Editors: Ethan Tai, Jonathan Chen Artist: Alicia Chen Typically, one might think that health is all about biology and genetics, but health inequalities and social determinants of health also play a huge role. Health inequalities are issues that result from social, economic, and environmental conditions. They are systematic and are avoidable health differences between different groups of people. One example is that areas with low income have higher rates o

Author: Elaine Guo Editors: Fiona Cheng, Hwi-On Lee, Serena Tsao Artist: Stanley Zhao Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that forms in the mesothelium, a tissue that surrounds and protects many internal organs. There are many different types of mesothelioma, including pleural, pericardial, and testicular. Specifically, pleural mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that most commonly appears in the lining of your lungs, accounting for approximately 85% of cases. Still, it can a

Author: Lillian Dong Editors: Joshua Payne, Oscar Chen Artist: Christina Chen A human’s world is composed of five senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. Many people believe that these senses encompass everything there is to be experienced, but have you ever thought of “seeing” which direction points north? Or “feeling” the electrical field around a friend? Trying to imagine senses that humans do not possess is like trying to see out of your elbow, so in this articl

Author: Sophie Jin Editors: Fiona Cheng, Eason Gao, Hwi-On Lee Artist: Caitland So Have you ever wondered how detectives use voice recordings to identify speakers, collect evidence, and link suspects to crime? The technique they rely on is voice recognition, a powerful tool that can connect voices to people and provide valuable evidence in criminal investigations. By comparing an unknown recording to a known sample, experts can use special tools to determine if the voicepri

Author: Alex Yang Editors: Jonathan Chen, Justin Tai Artist: Becky Li The global paradigm shift to focusing on renewable energy has created opportunities and challenges in electricity consumption and storage. Solar and wind are considered the cleanest forms of energy, and yet, they are intermittent. The sun is not always present, and the wind is inconsistent; therefore, these sources do not have the capacity to constantly supply power. This demand-supply synchronization dete

Author: Joshua Payne Editors: Ethan Tai & Eason Gao Artist: Helen Gong In the dead of night, a gloved hand reaches into a pocket, producing a lockpick. Silent and precise, it unlocks the door. The gloved hand returns the pick to the cargo pants pocket and turns the knob without resistance. The intruder enters, moving deftly and quickly. One gloved hand slides open a drawer, rifling through it for cash and tucking the wads deep into his pocket. The other presses against the w