Do you take your coffee with milk? Would you like a slice of pizza? Oh hold on, that pizza will have to wait—someone is calling on the plastic phone on the kitchen wall. Who? Obviously my best friend Phoebe from down the street. Uh oh, now the coffee is cold. I’ll put on a fresh […]
June
07
We Shall not Repeat the Evil: The Destructive Power of the Atomic Bomb
posted by Christian Cazares
A Memorial to Peace Every August 5th at 8:15 A.M., a resonant bell loudly rings throughout Peace Memorial Park to mark the anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing. As the bell rings, thousands of plaintive guests sit and reflect upon the proof of mankind’s inhumanity, and for a minute a siren booms across the healing […]
May
31
The Rise and Fall and Rise of Genetic Memory
posted by James R. Howe VI
We are all products of our past, for better or for worse. At first glance, such a statement seems so obvious it hardly bears mentioning; our earlier experiences, both our successes and our failures, shape our current behavior. But dig just a bit deeper, and it becomes far murkier. What can you call your past? […]
May
24
Baby I Swear it’s Déjà Vu
posted by megkirch
It’s one of the most bizarre sensations in the world: feeling like you’ve entered some sort of time loop and are re-experiencing something that’s already happened before. The rational part of you knows that this is a new experience, and yet, you can’t shake the feeling that you’re somehow reliving a brief moment of your […]
May
17
Stop, You’re Making Me Blush
posted by UCSDNeuro
I want to take you back to the most embarrassing moment of your life. Come on, you know what that was. For some people it was giving a presentation in front of a large audience. For some it involved saying or doing something really stupid, perhaps in front of someone you were attracted to; it […]
May
10
A Bright Idea: Illuminating the Brain with GCaMP
posted by Drew Schreiner
You might’ve read stories about some brain region “lighting up” in response to some stimulus. But what does “lighting up” actually mean? Oftentimes it refers to scientists using a fMRI machine that applies sophisticated technology to translate changes in blood flow into pixels on a computer screen. Sometimes though the brain can literally light up, […]
May
03
The Neurogenesis Saga: Are new neurons born in the adult human brain?
posted by seraphinasolders
One of neuroscience’s most heated debates during the past 50 years has been whether or not new neurons are born (a process called neurogenesis) in the adult mammalian brain. Before the late 1990s, we believed that we were born with all the neurons we would have throughout our lives. However, evidence of adult neurogenesis from […]
April
26
Lymph, glymph, sleep, & sickness
posted by Catie Profaci
Consider the word “lymph.” What comes to mind? To me, “lymph” sounds like a viscous liquid that might ooze out of the orifices of some terrifying wounded creature. Or perhaps your mind jumps to the term “lymph nodes”, conjuring images of little knobs in your neck bulging with infection, sometimes growing so large that […]
April
19
taste of science: a fest to feed your curiosity
posted by Barbara Spencer
I’m a firm believer that science and beer pair well together. Luckily for me, taste of science San Diego highlights the best of both in a week–long festival. As the city coordinator, I’ve worked with an incredible team to create a festival that provides San Diegans a unique opportunity to get a flavor for the […]
April
12
Titrating your trip: Microdosing and mental health
posted by Marley Rossa
DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to promote or condone the purchase, possession, sale, or consumption of any illicit substances. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Your alarm goes off, you hit snooze a few times, then roll over and drag yourself out of bed to make some coffee. It’s just another […]
