Technology
Beyond Silicon: The Evolution of Biological Computing
In 1965, Gordon Moore predicted that processing power should double every eighteen months.1 Traditionally, this rapid growth has been achieved by shrinking distances between transistors and shortening the distance that information needs to pass through.1 However, the miniaturization of processors and transistors will soon reach a physical barrier.2 With this knowledge, researchers have begun searching [...]
The Jurassic Park of Modern Age: Endangered Animals and Stem Cell Technology
Who likes sci-fi movies? Sci-fi movies about awesome technology, giant mutant creatures, characters with extraordinary powers? In the 21st century, one can hardly find a scenario that is more appealing to the general public than that of crazy scientists pushing too far the boundaries of science and suffering the dangerous outcomes of their messing up [...]
Print journal: The Resilience of the Internet
By: Wing Chan, writing for The Science in Society Review The new year was welcomed with fireworks, celebrations and a striking unconventional public protest: a virtual demonstration. A massive demonstration without a physical presence, but instead with crowds of websites, most notably Wikipedia, Wired and Google US, restricting their content as an illustration of what might [...]
Can Facebook Help You Find a Kidney?
Right now, as I write this, 116,324 people are fighting for their lives, waiting in suspense.1 These are the people languishing on the organ donation waiting list, hoping desperately that they can receive a precious organ that will save their lives. With the paltry sum of 3,493 living donor transplants and 13,093 deceased donor transplants [...]
The Rise of the Cyborgs: The Incorporation of Machines into the Human Body
With rapidly evolving technology , it is inevitable that the future of humanity lies in machines. Traditionally, there has been a divide in the type of progress for humans to achieve an advanced state of being. On one hand, there are people who advocate the development of artificial intelligence technologies to imbue human cognitive abilities [...]
A Level Up: Video Games as Educational Resources
In today’s digital society, video games have emerged as an important cultural aspect. Unfortunately, educators and social policy makers alike have often pointed to video games as negative influences, citing exposure to violence and childhood obesity as reasons why video games should be avoided at all costs. However, many researchers are discovering that video games [...]
From Entertainment to Enrichment: The Growth of YouTube’s Online Scientific Content
Every week, major news sites are flooded with articles concerning recent technological advancements, changes in accepted theories, and brand new ideas from every field imaginable. To an individual who has great learning in science, reading a commentary on the Higgs boson is easily understood without the need for much outside research; however, without such a [...]
The Threat of Cybersecurity
Without the wireless networks surrounding us, the local networks of universities and hospitals, the heavily secured military and intelligence networks, and the ever-growing World Wide Web, the life we know would cease to exist. The world is more connected than ever, and although this is crucial to progress, it is this same interconnection that creates [...]
Leaf it to Me: Biomimicry and the Artificial Leaf
The concept of environmentalism is almost inevitably coupled to sacrifice and responsibility. In order to reduce our disruption of nature, we are provided with lists upon lists of things we should not do. We should not take long showers. We should not forget to turn the lights off before we leave a room. It’s as [...]
Our Draining Willpower in the Digital Age?
Quick, say the colors of the following words out loud: BLUE, ORANGE, GREEN, PURPLE, PINK, YELLOW. How many did you get right? And what does this have to do with willpower? Psychologists use this kind of test to measure our current level of willpower.1 The speed and accuracy of your responses reflects your level of [...]
Generation Y: The Internet’s Effects on Cognition and Education
It is difficult for young people today to imagine a time without text messaging and internet surfing. The current generation of college students in particular have literally grown up with the internet, and are often more technologically literate than their parents and professors. Studies have shown that young people’s frequent use of the internet affected [...]
Gaming: Harnessing the Cognitive Surplus
Harnessing the Cognitive Surplus By James Scott-Brown How do you spend your free time? If you were an average American, you would spend 20 hours a week watching television, and another 3 hours playing games [1]. Clay Shirky has written about how, after the Second World War, enormous changes in society occurred, so that “society [...]
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