Blog Post

Using Cancer Treatments To Fight Lupus

By Veronica Villanueva, C2ST Intern, Rush University

Systemic lupus erythematosus (commonly referred to as lupus) is an autoimmune disease that causes a person’s own immune system to attack their body. Like many autoimmune diseases, there is no cure. Consequently, most lupus treatments focus on reducing symptoms and improving patients’ quality of life. The quest for a cure is ongoing. However scientists recently found promising results in an unexpected place: cancer treatments. 

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Blog Post

The Dangers Of Fast Fashion

By Alana Liriano, C2ST Intern, Loyola University

Fast fashion is a manufacturing and marketing method used to rapidly produce high volumes of clothing with a focus on replicating trends and keeping prices inexpensive with low-quality synthetic materials. At first glance, fast fashion stores may seem appealing with their racks of cheap and trendy clothes and the newest pop music playing. Online-only fast fashion stores are also popular and may seem even more attractive by allowing you to casually scroll through hundreds of pages of clothes from your home. 

Source: https://www.thelovepost.global/protection/articles/fast-fashion-loose-ethics-human-and-environmental-cost-cheap-clothing-and-what

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Blog Post

A Weapon Or A Source of Energy? The True Potential of Nuclear Power

By Ryan Lei, C2ST Intern, Neuqua Valley High School

How does a productive, powerful, and zero-emission source of energy sound? Introducing: Nuclear power plants!

In order to understand the awesome power behind these structures, it’s important to understand the force that lets these power plants create energy: nuclear fission. Fission occurs when a nucleus (the center) of an uranium atom splits into two, which produces heat. When this splitting process occurs, each half is then able to split again. This causes a chain reaction responsible for the explosive power of a modern day nuclear weapon. However, when this chain reaction process is executed in a controlled environment, it produces massive amounts of energy that is not only extremely effective, but more importantly, very sustainable and environmentally-friendly. 

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Blog Post

The Chemistry of Catnip–Intoxicating & Effective Bug Repellant

By Laura Tran, C2ST Intern, Rush University

Cats and catnip have a strange, age-old relationship. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a plant from the mint family and roughly two-thirds of catsٰٰٰ¹ are intensely attracted to this seemingly innocuous plant. Just the smell of it makes them go paw-sitively wild! They start rubbing against everything, rolling and flipping around, and even zooming around the house before it wears off within a half-hour. On the other hand, ingesting catnip seems to have the opposite effect and mellows out cats. So what gives? What kind of power does chemistry have on our feline friends?


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