science news | The Burgundy Zine

April 8, 2020

What if a Natural Disaster Strikes During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The coronavirus pandemic has rattled life as we once knew it, like an earthquake trembling society’s foundation… But if an actual earthquake, a hurricane, a tornado, or a tsunami were to hit right now, what would happen?

Last week, we reached out to various organizations including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, World Health Organization, and American Red Cross to find out what emergency response would look like during a pandemic.

March 9, 2020

Love Thy Doctor: Recent Statistics Say Otherwise

Do you love your doctor, the health care specialist who you’re supposed to entrust with your life and wellbeing?

If you don’t, you’re not alone. A recent Vanguard Communications study shows that doctors are 72 percent more likely to receive a one-star review than lawyers.

Yet, most of the online-complaints against doctors aren’t about the physicians themselves, rather, the practice they work in. But the blame still tends to fall on the doctor.

February 17, 2020

Human Hibernation: The Future of Healing and Space Travel

What do arctic ground squirrels and black bears have in common? They’re both among the many animals that hibernate.

Except, hibernation isn’t just a long nap through the cold, dreary winter months. It’s a highly-regulated form of energy conservation that impacts how the brain and body function, says Kelly Drew, a University of Alaska professor and CEO of Be Cool Pharmaceutics.

So, what can we learn from hibernation and what might happen if we humans were to give it a try?

January 21, 2020

Australian Artist Fights Fire with Passion

Natalia Bennett shares artwork depicting the merciless impact on climate change and its contribution to the 15.6 million acres of fire-damage during Australia’s wildfire season this year.

January 19, 2020

Moonshrooms: How Fungi Could Shape Life on Mars

NASA recently announced they’re exploring new, green ways to sustain human life in outer space through the help of our beloved fungal friends: mushrooms, or rather, their mycelia.

January 7, 2020

NASA’s Big Plans for 2020

NASA’s Launch Services Program is blasting off three missions this year, reaching beyond our atmosphere to study the sun, Mars, and the ocean.

These missions will provide revelations about the centerpiece of our solar system, address questions critical to planning for human expeditions of the Red Planet, and shed insight on the earth’s rising sea levels.

August 24, 2019

Water in Kilauea: The Impact and Potential Aftermath

Water was found in Kilauea, the most active volcano on the island of Hawai’i, on July 25, according to US Geological Survey (USGS)’s most recent report.

Recently, we reached out to Janet Babb and Dr. Carolyn Parcheta, experts with the USGS, via email to learn more about these findings and what they could mean for Kilauea, the island of Hawaii, and its residents.

August 6, 2019

What’s Beneath Greenland May Not Be so Green

Greenland is a vast island adorned in an ice sheet that’s three times the size of Texas, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).

Although Greenland’s ice sheet has withstood the test of time over the last 2.7 million years, its increase in surface melt over the last few years is rapidly chipping away at the island’s 656,000 square mile blanket of ice.

What lies beneath the ice, and what lies in our future if these trends continue, is a future that is far from green (for us, at least).

July 20, 2019

Pistachios: The Super Nut That Repairs DNA

This year, research published by the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) revealed incorporating pistachios into your diet reduces oxidative damage to DNA, increasing healthspan and reversing the metabolic effects of prediabetes.

That sounds great and all, but what exactly does this mean? Could pistachios be the key that unlocks the door to eternal life?