Diet, Gut Bacteria, and Metabolic Disease: Strategies to Promote Healthy Microbial Communities at Geek Bar Beta Chicago’s SCIENCE! Tuesday
The human body is inhabited with trillions of microorganisms, many of which live in the gastrointestinal tract. These microorganisms in the gut are referred to as the gut microbiota and recent research findings indicate that they play a major role in the development of obesity and cardiovascular disease. For example, consumption of “westernized” diets that are typically high in fat is believed to cause microbial dysbiosis, or a disruption of healthy microorganisms in the gut and has been associated with obesity.
As we go about our days, it’s easy to forget the cells, molecules, and organs silently ticking, keeping us alive and hopefully well. One of the most intricate of these biological teams is our immune system.
This video is NOT, NOT, NOT and endorsement of the business practices of ANY multinational corporation, particularly any based in St. Louis, MO. Chicago Council of Science and Technology Artist in Residence Aaron Freeman chats with researcher and entrepreneur Ric Newman about the science of GMOs and what risks, if any, he sees in there presence in our food and farming systems.
Bio-Inspired Climbing Robots at Geek Bar Chicago’s SCIENCE! Tuesday
Like robots? How about robots inspired by nature, robots that can climb surfaces, perch on rails, and do so seemingly undetected? In the robotics community, there is considerable interest in mobile robots that can climb and perch on a wide variety of building surfaces. These robots can be useful for sensor placement and long-term surveillance. The key is the design of controllable attachment mechanisms that can easily turn the adhesion on and off, to allow the robot to move across a surface. There have been numerous solutions for climbing specific wall types (e.g. electromagnets for ferromagnetic walls); however, these robots have limited usefulness in the real world as they tend to be too specialized.
