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Blog

Blog / Tea Leaves and Test Tubes: When Traditional Plant Remedies Stand Up to Research

May 5, 2025 / Luvna Dhawka /

From willow bark to Nobel Prize-winning malaria treatments, ancient plant remedies that have withstood scientific scrutiny continue to fuel breakthrough medical discoveries in the modern world. When my dermatologist suggested…

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artemisinin aspirin drug discovery ethnobotany herbal medicine medicinal plants Nobel Prize plant-based remedies traditional medicine

Blog / The New Normal in a Changing Hydroclimate

April 29, 2025May 5, 2025 / Marissa Hughes /

As the climate continues to reshape our planet, water is becoming increasingly unpredictable. From shrinking lakes to stronger storms, this article explores how a shifting hydroclimate is transforming societies, ecosystems, and establishing a new normal.

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Climate global hazards hydroclimate hydrology resources society water

Blog / In Pursuit of Meaningful Questions

April 27, 2025May 5, 2025 / Runfan Yang /

Research grants often emphasize significance and innovation to highlight the importance of the proposed project. But what if a project falls outside these established guidelines?

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innovation Katalin Karikó Katia Krafft Maurice Krafft merits of research mRNA significance Volcano

Blog / Cloud computing has earthly consequences: The environmental burden of AI

April 8, 2025May 5, 2025 / Erin McNell /

Did you know that every time a ChatGPT bot writes a 100-word email, it consumes an entire bottle of water?

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AI energy environment Technology

Blog / The Infectious Disease That Never Was

April 3, 2025May 5, 2025 / Elizabeth Abrash /

In 1914, Dr. Joseph Goldberger was asked to investigate an epidemic that was sweeping across the southern United States. Despite the politics of the time, his research laid the groundwork for the eradication of the disease.

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diet disease epidemics Science history

Blog / The Ins and Outs of Quantum Computing

March 11, 2025May 5, 2025 / Syed Masood /

The history, the current breakthroughs, and potential future of quantum computing.

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computational science computer science electricity electronics microchip quantum computing Quantum Mechanics Qubits

Blog / When Practice Makes Perfect: The Neurons Behind Skilled Movement

March 6, 2025 / Rachel Sharp /

Meet the UNC graduate student uncovering the mysteries behind how our brains control movement. Her work studying a rare type of neuron reveals surprising evidence that stimulating these cells not only improves precise movements, but could potentially help restore motor skills after injury.

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brain Neuroscience Scientists UNC-CH Research

Blog / The myth of biological race

February 27, 2025March 6, 2025 / Micah Reed Hysong /

This article aims to educate the general population about how race is not based in biology.

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ancestry continuum Genetics race Racism

Blog / First non-opioid pain reliever is FDA-approved

February 19, 2025February 17, 2025 / Amie Solosky /

The FDA just approved, for the first time, a non-opioid pain reliever and this is how it works.

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opioids pain medicine pharma

Blog / Invisible Athletes: Sex Disparities in ACL Injuries

January 27, 2025 / Shea Ricketts /

ACL tears are far more common in female athletes compared to men. Yet, there is too little research done to understand why.

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ACL injury sports medicine women's health

Blog / Paddington’s Perfect Sandwich: A Nutritional Exploration of the Andean Bear’s Diet

January 17, 2025January 27, 2025 / Runfan Yang /

Just one sandwich contains all the vitamins and minerals an Andean bear needs for the whole day.

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Andean Bear Animal Nutrition Bear Habit Paddington Wildlife Nutrition

Blog / Drug Pollution: Ecosystem-Level Off-Target Effects

January 8, 2025January 27, 2025 / Kaeli Welsh /

Drug pollution can have wide-ranging and complex effects on ecosystems. International organizations and scientists are working to understand how drug pollution impacts wildlife and find ways to contain these wayward pharmaceuticals.

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Drug Pollution Environmental Science Medicine

Blog / Like a Vulture: The Role of Scavengers in Mitigating Climate Change

November 19, 2024January 27, 2025 / Sumaya Addish /

Scavenger animals contribute to reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by removing decomposing organic material. As the climate changes and human populations grow, scavenger animals are having to quickly adapt to their changing environment.

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Blog / Astrocytes: the unsung heroes of the brain

October 31, 2024January 27, 2025 / Maya Bluitt /

Throughout much of neuroscience’s history, neurons have been the star of the show. These are the cells which send electrical signals to communicate with one another, giving rise to the…

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astrocytes Biology brain Neurons Neuroscience Unsung Heroes

Blog / A New Horizon for Endometriosis Research

October 29, 2024January 27, 2025 / Molly Parrish /

Although 1 in 10 women suffer from endometriosis, research and clinical efforts have been historically lacking; however, recent medical advances mark a new chapter of endometriosis research.

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endometriosis Healthcare research advances women's health

Blog / The Skin-Peeling Truth – When Arctic Diets Go Awry

October 23, 2024October 24, 2024 / Elizabeth Abrash /

The dangers of the arctic go beyond wild animals and biting cold. Sometimes you eat the wrong thing, and your skin starts to peel off. 

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arctic exploration polar bear vitamin A Weird Science

Blog / Fighting Bacteria with Viruses

October 17, 2024October 21, 2024 / Quinn Eberhard /

Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to public health. What drives this crisis, and how can we address it?

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antibiotic antibiotic resistance antibiotics bacteria bacteriophage Drug Resistant Bacteria Health Medicine Microbiology public health virus

Blog / Hurricane Season: The Mold Days are Here

October 16, 2024October 21, 2024 / Sophia J. Kennedy /

Where does mold even come from?

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air quality autumn Mold spores Storms

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