Ready to see the night sky in a whole new light? As we continue our Science in the Parks series, we are excited to journey across the cosmos with the Chicago Astronomer Crew led by Joe Guzman and–of course–the Chicago Park District to bring astronomy to McKinley Park!
Continue reading “Science in the Parks: Explore the Night Sky at McKinley Park”
By Summer Seligmann, C2ST Intern, Loyola University
If you feel like you waste a lot of food, you’re not alone. In the United States, 30-40% of the food supply goes to waste. We can reduce our waste by consuming less, but some food inevitably goes bad before we can use it. If you want to divert some of that food from the landfill and give your garden some extra love, composting is the way to go.
By Veronica Villanueva, C2ST Intern, Rush University
There is an old fable1–told in more than one country–about the origin of chess. A wise man shows his king a game he developed about the king’s empire. The game depicted the king, his officers, and his foot soldiers battling an enemy army. The king loved the game and wanted to repay the wise man with gold and precious jewels.
Continue reading “In The Game of Chess Humanity Has Finally Met Its Match”
Networking and refreshments in person only from 4 – 5 pm. The live-stream portion of the program will run from 5 – 6 pm.
What is the difference between chronological age and biological age? How is biological age measured? Humans have accepted cognitive decline, heart disease, and some cancers as a necessary part of the aging process for generations, but is this really the case?
By Veronica Villanueva, C2ST Intern, Rush University
When we develop new technologies, we rely on our knowledge of physics, chemistry, biology, and math to produce the best outcomes. Sometimes, it’s easier to take ideas from the world around us instead of having to “reinvent the wheel.” Biomimicry is when we model materials, structures, or systems based on biological processes and entities.
One of the best known examples of biomimicry is velcro(1). In 1941 George de Mestral noticed that burrs were sticking to him and his dog as they walked. When he looked at the burrs under a microscope, he saw they were made of hundreds of tiny hook shapes. These tiny hooks inspired the creation of velcro.
By Veronica Villanueva, C2ST Intern, Rush University
Autoimmune diseases are quite common. Most of us know someone with allergies, diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis, but–despite numerous advancements in the study of autoimmune disorders–there are still many questions left to answer about the causes and origins of these afflictions. Many studies are currently underway. While the individual purposes of these studies vary, the overall goal is the same: to give researchers a better understanding of autoimmune disorders. One detrimental autoimmune disease under study is multiple sclerosis (MS).
MS is an autoimmune disease which impacts the central nervous system. Specifically, the immune system attacks the myelin sheath around nerve fibers. This myelin sheath acts as insulation for neurons and prevents them from taking damage. Without the protection of the myelin sheath neurons are much more susceptible to harm–this can lead to things like impaired vision, loss of motor function, and diminished coordination.
