Cardiovascular disease and cancer share many parallels in their origins and how they develop. Nanoparticles offer one potential way to effectively treat both with reduced side effects. — By Bryan Smith, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University What would you guess are the two biggest killers in the world? Based on media coverage, maybe you guessed gun violence, accidents or COVID-19. But the top two killers are actually cardiovascular disease and cancer. These two diseases combined…

Medical exploitation is an often overlooked part of Black history and partly explains the mistrust that members of the Black community have for the medical industry. — By Deion Scott Hawkins, Assistant Professor of Argumentation & Advocacy, Emerson College In a case that revealed the exploitation of a Black woman beginning in the 1950s and extending for 70 years, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. settled a lawsuit that the estate of Henrietta Lacks had filed against the biotech…

Remorse and sorrow from a bad choice can haunt you for years, even decades. But there are evidence-based ways to move past regret. — By J. Kim Penberthy, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia A friend of mine — we will call him “Jay” — was working for IBM in New York City in the early ’90s. He was a computer programmer and made a good salary. Occasionally, competitors and startups…

The late Christopher Alexander’s groundbreaking work on patterns has informed the development of technology for decades, but it’s the architect’s later work that holds the key to a healthier digital life. — By Tim Gorichanaz, Assistant Teaching Professor of Information Studies, Drexel University My first Apple laptop felt like a piece of magic made just for me — almost a part of myself. The rounded corners, the lively shading, the delightful animations. I had been using Windows my whole life, starting on…

The two leading causes of US deaths share many parallels in their origins and how they develop. Nanoparticles offer one potential way to effectively treat both with reduced side effects. — By Bryan Smith, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University What would you guess are the two biggest killers in the world? Based on media coverage, maybe you guessed gun violence, accidents or COVID-19. But the top two killers are actually cardiovascular disease and cancer. …

Children with difficulty singing can be labelled as ‘nonmusical’ by parents, teachers and pop culture. This toxic idea of ‘talent’ can deprive people of music’s benefits for the rest of their lives. — By Steven M. Demorest, Professor of Music Education, Northwestern University A Hungarian film titled “Sing” won the 2017 Oscar for best short film. “Sing” tells the story of young Zsófi, who joins a renowned children’s choir at her elementary school where “everyone is welcome.”

A psychiatrist explains the neuroscience and physiology of fear — By Arash Javanbakht, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Wayne State University Heart in your throat. Butterflies in your stomach. Bad gut feeling. These are all phrases many people use to describe fear and anxiety. You have likely felt anxiety inside your chest or stomach, and your brain usually doesn’t hurt when…

Iranian artists are showing renewed determination to promote freedom as a cultural necessity in Iran, even in the face of a government crackdown. — By Pouya Afshar, Associate Professor of Art & Design, UMass Lowell A recent rise in activism in Iran has added a new chapter to the country’s long-standing history of murals and other public art. But as the sentiments being expressed in those works have changed, the government’s view of them…

In physics, entropy is the process of a system losing energy and dissolving into chaos. This applies to social systems in everyday life, too. Limiting energy loss can make social systems run better. — By Alison Carr-Chellman, Dean, School of Education and Health Sciences, University of Dayton Life is full of small decisions: Should I pick up that sock on the floor? Should I do the dishes before bed? What about fixing the leaky faucet in the bathroom?