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!
On Thursday, May 21 the Chicago Council on Science and Technology will hold our largest fundraising event of 2020: Science in the City. The evening supports C2ST’s mission and the full spectrum of our programming. Your support is critical to our mission.
Continue reading “Save the Date for the 2020 Science in the City Gala”
By Robert J. Kriss, C2ST Editor
In a notable line from the 1967 movie, “The Graduate,” a savvy businessman takes a recent college graduate played by Dustin Hoffman into a quiet room at a party to give him a hot tip for his future. The businessman says he has a single word for the graduate — “plastics.” Today, the word might be “batteries.” Continue reading “Chicago “Hard-Tech” Tackles Global Warming”
Comment by Robert Kriss, C2ST, Editor
In a collaboration with Google, Northwestern researchers are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to develop machine learning programs that identify cancer with better accuracy than a radiologist in some cases. Other research is using powerful new microscopy techniques to examine changes in cells at the nanoscale level. These breakthroughs promise to detect cancer at very early stages when the chances of successful treatment are highest. The innovative techniques will also reduce false positives and negatives — incorrect diagnoses — and thereby target treatment better. With these advances, scientists hope to detect a range of cancers, including breast, colon, pancreatic, ovarian, and lung. Learn more about this pioneering research being performed in Chicago by visiting these sites here and here.
Comment by Robert Kriss, C2ST, Editor
Happy New Year to all our readers. Consider starting the New Year off right with a healthy-eating resolution that’s scientifically backed. Chocolate, strawberries, (chocolate covered strawberries!), blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, cauliflower, oats, peanuts and tea – simple, tasty treats that can make a big difference in preventing catastrophic diseases. This article from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) explains how these foods substantially lower your risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. No fads, no highly-processed “health” foods. You don’t have to suffer eating bland food to stay healthy. You can enjoy some of the tastiest treats and improve your health at the same time. There’s solid science to guide your choices. When you understand the basics of what causes these diseases and how the chemicals in certain foods can prevent them, the case for making theses dietary choices becomes compelling. Check out “The Dietary Choices That Boost Prevention” to learn more.
Comment by Robert Kriss, C2ST, Editor
In this article, Chicago-based Institute of Food Technologists (“IFT”) tells us about research and development work underway to produce protein-rich products from plants and animal cells that will taste as good as a burger but will be healthier and more environmentally sustainable. See what you may be feasting on in the future here.” IFT is a professional membership association that promotes the development of healthy, safe, and sustainable food products by providing a forum for science of food professionals to share how science and innovation makes food better. In the organization’s own words: “As a scientific community grounded in purpose, IFT feeds the minds that feed the world.”
Head over to our blog to read other great articles like this!
Comment by Robert Kriss, C2ST, Editor
Continue reading “A Fountain of Youth Is In The Works At The Illinois Institute of Technology”
