Dr. Phyllis Zee, Chief of the Sleep Medicine at Northwestern Hospital, warned the audience at Horner Park on Wednesday, August 15, that we cheat sleep at our peril. Dr. Zee’s excellent presentation was the first instance of C2ST’s collaboration with the Chicago Park District in the “Science in the Parks” series. Watch the video here.
Dr. Zee explained that three scientists recently shared the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work in the early 1980’s identifying the genes and protein molecules that drive our twenty-four-hour biological clocks, often referred to as our “circadian rhythm.” Every cell in our bodies has the clock mechanism, and all these clocks are coordinated by the master clock in our brains. The mechanism interacts with light and dark. It keeps us awake and productive (usually) during the day and early evening, and puts us to sleep at night to rejuvenate our systems for another day.
This is the repository for all things C2ST. You can learn with videos of our past events, read articles concerning cutting-edge research and development in Chicago and elsewhere that will change our lives (generally one new article posted each week), check out C2ST in the news, and more! Use the Filter Media options below to browse C2ST’s content and discover something new!
By Robert J. Kriss, C2ST Editor
We know how to generate electricity with solar and wind, and both have become less expensive than fossil fuel. But until we develop sufficient energy storage capacity to get us through the night and cloudy and windless days, we won’t be able to stop using gas, coal, or nuclear power.
Continue reading “Energy Storage Is The Key To A Greener Future”
By Madeeha Mohiuddin, C2ST Intern, DePaul University
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is powering a variety of systems and consumer products such as self driving cars and smart vacuums. Now, Alexa, which is a popular voice recognition AI technology developed by Amazon, may be utilized in medicine to identify signs of illness.
By Madeeha Mohiuddin, C2ST Intern, DePaul University
The new Thermo Fisher Scientific AerosolSense air sampler has some promising potential for capturing pathogen particles and ultimately preventing and reducing the spread of COVID-19. Although there are several similar air samplers already on the market, this one in particular has been found to yield more promising outcomes.
By Diana Abbasi, C2ST Intern, Rush University
Plastic pollution has become one of the most overwhelming environmental issues of our time. The effects of this type of pollution are wide-ranging, impacting wildlife, climate, and human health. No one wants to see images of sea turtles trapped in fishing nets or read about hazardous plastic byproducts contaminating our land and animals dying from starvation because their stomachs are filled with indigestible plastic, but that’s the current reality we live in.
Continue reading “Can Biorecycling Put An End To The Plastic Crisis?”
By Diana Abbasi, C2ST Intern, Rush University
Sauteur d’Alfort is French for Alfort’s jumpers but interestingly, the breed of rabbits that carry the name don’t jump at all. Most rabbits push off the ground with both their back legs in order to move quickly, however, these unique rabbits send their back legs sky high and walk on their front paws. Now, researchers have identified the specific gene mutation that leads to this atypical limb movement in these rabbits.
Continue reading “Gene Defect Turns Rabbit Hops into Acrobatic Handstands”
By Laura Tran, C2ST Intern, Rush University
Biodegradables won’t solve our plastic crisis. Despite our efforts to recycle, the overall amount of plastic that is recycled is less than 9% in the U.S.¹. Many people do not recycle for several reasons, such as a lack of knowledge for what is recyclable and where to sort it, or they lack access to appropriate and convenient recycling facilities. To combat this issue, today’s biodegradable plastics are advertised as a solution to the world’s increasing plastic pollution problem. However, these materials come with their own challenges.
Continue reading “Now You See It, Now You Don’t: Making Biodegradable Plastics Disappear”
