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Flu season can be stressful, especially if you’re afraid of needles. But what if you could receive your flu shot as a nasal spray instead? Research shows this noninvasive, intranasal delivery method may be possible in the near future but there are difficulties.

In recent years, stem cell therapy has garnered a significant amount of attention. Are stem cell based-therapies for regenerative medicine the answer to an aging and ailing population? First, we should discuss what stem cells are, and why researchers want to use them in medicine. Then how could stem cells be used in the future, and what major step the healthcare industry, as a whole, will need to take to use stem cells for therapeutic solutions on a mass scale. 

Electronic cigarettes’ popularity has sky-rocketed in the last few years. Often called e-cigs or vapes, these devices hold liquid that is vaporized and inhaled. They simulate the experience of smoking real cigarettes or can be used as a cessation device to help people stop smoking. Whether vaping presents a major health risk is a hotly debated subject. Many people fear that vaping poses just as large of a health concern as smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes. Others argue that vaping is a casual hobby with little to no health risk. 

We invited alumni to talk about their careers, experiences, and answer our questions about science communication for our 2019 end-of-the-year event.

In the final section of the book, Zimmer wraps up his narrative but leaves us with many of our own questions. The development of the genetic technology CRISPR and the implications of the technology are revisited. One of the first applied uses of CRISPR was to enhance and alter crops quickly. From there, the use of CRISPR expanded to multiple cell types and species, raising many ethical questions along the way.

Part IV of SHHML takes us away from traditional methods of heritability into the weird world of DNA-less information transmission. "You, My Friend Are a Wonderland" starts off with a fascinating tale of a glowing fish that doesn’t actually glow. It turns out this clever fish has formed a mutually beneficial relationship with a special glowing bacteria that has infected each newly hatched fish for thousands (at least) of generations. Zimmer points out this phenomenon can be found throughout the animal kingdom from fish, clams, and all the way to our own cells.

“Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can…”

Since the early 1960s, Spider-Man has had some technical upgrades — think the Iron Spider featured in the Tom Holland movies — but scientifically speaking, how does Spider-Man’s biology chalk up to spiders?

As the world population has grown to 7.7 billion people, and is increasing every day, there are several challenges our global society faces. At our current rate of consumption, we will run out of numerous natural resources. Overpopulation is a problem for the world at large, not just because our quality of life could be affected by running out of resources such as fossil fuels, but due to the lack of the very basic necessities needed for survival.

When discussing the most desired advancements in healthcare, a common phrase thrown around is “finding a cure for cancer.” However, it is unlikely there will be a single miracle drug developed to be a global cure-all for such a deadly and ubiquitous disease. Cancer is multi-faceted and varies widely from person-to-person, where in the body it affects the patient, and when it is detected. While there won’t be one solution to “cure cancer” there are several things that the healthcare industry can improve on in order to bring the dream of “curing cancer” closer to a reality.