Posts

Why does the Binturong smell like Popcorn?

I recall being taken to the zoo when I was younger and approaching an enclosure where the smell of freshly popped popcorn emanated. This was the binturong (Arctictis binturong) enclosure, also commonly known as the “bearcat”. This name is misleading, as this animal is not a bear or a cat, but a part of the civet family, a family made up of long-bodied, short-legged carnivorous mammalian species. They live in the rainforests of Southeast Asia and are solitary animals. And the best part: they smell like movie-theatre popcorn! This fact was very interesting to learn about when I was younger, but now I am curious on the science behind what really causes this smell. The binturong’s popcorn scent comes from their urine. More specifically, a chemical compound in their urine. This compound is 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (also known as 2-AP), a compound that is responsible for the major aroma in toasted bread and cooked rice. Scientists using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry recognized 29 chemical...
3 comments
Read more

The Covid Vaccine Forced Bronny James to Quit Basketball

This past summer, Bronny James, son of NBA superstar Lebron James, suffered a cardiac arrest during a preseason practice. The incident gained the attention of many basketball fans internationally because his college debut was so highly anticipated. Although many people wished Bronny well as his future in basketball was still up in the air, others used it as an opportunity to support the anti-vax movement. During the peak of the coronavirus pandemic when the COVID-19 vaccine was being developed, the safety of the vaccine was a highly contested topic around the world. This vaccine was perhaps more highly scrutinized than others because of the gravity of the situation at the time which was compounded with the many pressures doctors and researchers were dealing with. At first, when the vaccine came out people were hesitant to take it and it quickly became a political talking point in the approaching 2020 presidential election. Instead of educating the public on the facts about the vaccine,...
3 comments
Read more

Brain ‘Zaps’ for Parkinson’s

Over the past 15 years or so, the usage of deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson’s Disease has become increasingly popular and the procedure is accessible to a broad range of patients with varying symptoms. Parkinson’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that hinders motor control and mobility, as well as other neural signaling issues. Deep brain stimulation entails a surgical procedure that places thin wires or electrodes into specific regions of the brain which are calibrated to a device that is also intravenously implanted, called a neurostimulator, that directs message transmission through the electrodes to the brain. In this article, the author hones in on how DBS can be tweaked and customized to the severity of patients’ symptoms. Several weeks following the procedure, DBS specialists can program the neurostimulator device to alter its effects such as frequency of electrical messages being sent to the brain. With this being said, the article disclaims that DBS sho...
5 comments
Read more

Fact check: Bill Gates is not planning to microchip the world through a COVID-19 vaccine

With the recent waves of new Covid-19 variants on the rise, there has been an upsurgence of weariness and speculation when it comes to vaccination of the virus. This weariness can be warranted with any new medical development when it comes to questioning the safety and concerns of a new product created to treat a relatively new disease. However, speculation can go to the extremes when questioning the validity, safety, and security of the Covid-19 vaccines. The article in question goes about discussing the concerns that some citizens have regarding the use of microchips within the Covid-19 vaccine. This is clearly an example of bad science. The article describes how the Gates Foundation, by founder of Microsoft: Bill Gates, has subsidized over 1.6 billion dollars in immunizations for lower income countries. While many see this as a positive financial investment in the name of improving public health, Gates has met backlash from a smaller vocal minority regarding the legitimacy of the va...
7 comments
Read more

Fainting: The Link Between the Heart and Brain

For some, fainting can be a daily struggle, an anticipation of the next bout of lost consciousness. Scientists have begun to recognize that there appears to be a connection between the brain and heart that leads to fainting spells and there seems to be an added genetic component for theformation of the heart. The Bezold-Jarisch reflex (BJR) is when cardiac inhibitor receptors are activated leading to dilations of blood vessels, hypotension, a slow heart rate, and eventually syncope or fainting. This reflex was found to occur due to activation of the specific type of vagal sensory neurons called NPY2R. Lovelace et al. did a study on mice, where they discovered a connection between vagal neurons, vNAS stalled heartbeats, and BJR. In order to discover this connection they manipulated the specific neurons, NPY2R. By manipulating these neurons, the mice went from their normal activities to immediately fainting. However, when these neurons were removed, the mice stopped fainting all together...
6 comments
Read more

Gut Feelings and New Treatment Opportunities for Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety rates are at an all-time high, with an estimated 31.1% of adults in the United States experiencing an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. However, there is new hope on the horizon in the realm of treatment and it comes from within. Inside every one of us is another world full of trillions of microorganisms known as our gut microbiome. These microorganisms, known as microbiota, have a wide variety of functions within us such as supporting our immune system and metabolism and overall keeping us running smoothly. But can these microbes pave the way for a healthier, calmer life? A systematic review run by Dr. Jinghong Chen looked at over 3000 articles and 21 studies to compile evidence for the influence of our gut microbiome on our general mental health. The studies varied, with some treating their experimental group with probiotic supplements and others using non-probiotic strategies to influence balances in the microbiome. Over half of these studies concluded that ther...
10 comments
Read more

Why are Sharks Sensationalized by the Media?

The human attention span is naturally drawn towards sensational stories. When flipping through a newspaper, “firefighter saves cat from tree” is far less likely to grab our attention than “deadly explosion kills six people.” News media outlets do their best to capitalize on out-of-the- ordinary stories in order to get as many clicks for views as possible. Although this is a smart tactic from a business success standpoint, it often results in misinformation, as facts are left out to play up the drama of a story. There might be no better example of this than sharks. Shark attacks are heavily dramatized events, and have inspired movies like Jaws for decades. However, the reality of sharks is far less frightening than our perception of them. Sharks kill fewer people per year than car accidents, lightning strikes, cows, and falling coconuts. Our perception of reality is altered by the media we consume, and a shark attack is a far more compelling story than someone getting hit on the head wi...
8 comments
Read more