Explore ISSUE 2 | MARCH 2021
In this issue: A NA IL -B IT IN G MI SSION TO MA RS Learn how close humans truly are to landing on Mars and how a global effort can bring us closer.
I S R EP R O G RA MM I N G A B AB Y EV E N ET H IC AL ? Learn about the ethics behind germline editing and how parents are trying to recode their kids.
Technology has redefined almost every aspect of our lives. Learn how tech affects us more than we think.
Contents 4
Mission to Mars
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Are humans finally going to make an appearance on Mars? This article covers the ins-and-outs of space exploration on the Red Planet, exploring the possibility of humanity becoming a spacefaring species.
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Robots For The Elderly
Image being unable to imagine. Losing all the memories you've ever had. Researchers are working to prevent this by developing a method to store thousands of brain synapses into a single chip.
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New technologies are under development to help provide support to the elderly. This piece highlights the evolution of technologies used as companions for elderly populations.
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Cancer Treatment
Sibling Rivalry
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Immortal Animals Is it even possible to live forever? Check out this article to learn about some of the incredible species in the animal kingdom that are immortal.
No Longer Endangered Giant Pandas, Singing Dogs, and Louisiana Black Bears - all making their way back from extinction. This article shares some of the intriguing stories of how these endangered species made a comeback.
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Nearly everyone has gotten into a fight with their sibling at one point or another. Curious about why sibling rivalry is such a common occurrence? This article will take you through the psychological origins, history, and causes of sibling competition.
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Tech Takeover In today's modern world, technology is engrained in nearly every aspect of our lives. Take a step into the world of smart technology to learn how the devices we use in our everyday lives came to be.
Do you know how people with cancer are medically treated? Read this piece to learn how surgery, radiation therapy, and stem cell therapy, a few of the multiple cancer treatments are being developed.
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Memory Microchips
Designer Babies Build-a-baby. Sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, right? This article dives deep into the technology, longlasting moral conflicts, and applications of designer babies and germline gene editing.
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Effects of PTSD How does suffering a traumatic event affect your memory? Learn about the science behind memory distortion in those with PTSD.
COVER CONTENTS EDITORS' NOTE
ON THE COVER A food-dispensing robot at a classic robot cafe in Shinjuku, Japan. The image represents how this issue brings together technology, society, and ethics.
Interested in joining our staff? Email tinoexplore@gmail.com or reach out to one of our existing staff members for more information. We'd love to have you!
As the landscape of technology expands, we need to start questioning its place in society. While we must embrace rapid technological evolution, examining its effects and societal impact will be invaluable as we place more trust in technology. This issue explores topics ranging from biomedical technology to smart speakers, all while covering important issues in psychology and species endangerment. Read on! V A R DH A N A G R A W A L EDITOR- IN- CHIEF
EDITORS' N OTE The COVID-19 pandemic, more than anything, has shown us what a double-edged sword technology can be. In Issue 1, we explored the effects of this pandemic at a deeper level. In Issue 2, we'll be looking at technology alongside other topics including species endangerment and sibling rivalry. You're in for a good one!
VA RD HAN , SELI NA , AS H W I KA
THE THING IS, ALL MEMORY IS FICTION. YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT. OF COURSE, THERE ARE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY, CERTIFIABLY HAPPENED, THINGS YOU CAN PINPOINT THE DAY, THE HOUR, THE MINUTE. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THOUGH, THOSE THINGS, MOSTLY SEEM TO HAPPEN TO OTHER PEOPLE. ROBERT GOOLRICK
MEMORY MICROCHIPS Shreyas Gosakan, Rishik Buneti, Raybo Ghosh
Imagine not being able to imagine. Losing all the memories you have ever had. The fun times you had with your family and friends; all gone. Pretty depressing isn’t it? Fortunately, scientists have recently made a significant step towards preventing tragedies like these, by developing a way to store tens of thousands of brain synapses into a single chip.
To put it simply, rather than allowing electrons to take their own path to their destination, these scientists found a way to guide and control these particles on their own. Initially, engineers would use silver in memristors because of its high levels of conductivity. However, Kim’s team made use of Copper’s elemental properties, because it has the ability to bond with both silver and silicon. By utilizing the properties of each individual element they were able to create something completely different. This discovery was significant since it could potentially lead to extreme breakthroughs in several fields. This technology could cure Alzheimers by storing memories of a patient. It could lead to fair judgement in court with memories as their undeniable evidence. Memristors could potentially even create identical clones of an individual human being, dead or alive, by copying their DNA and memories. The possibilities are endless….
MEMORY MICROCHIPS
Engineers at MIT found a way to create neuromorphic devices that process information similarly to the brain’s neural system. Memory transmitters, known as memristors, play a key role in neuromorphic technology. Memristors would be able to ‘remember’ signals and data passed on to them, acting as a brain synapse. Eventually, this could lead to the transfer of electrical information that doesn’t rely on the internet, but currently, technology for memristors is limited. Due to the fact that electrons wander from their groups when transmitting data, capturing data between memristors proves quite the challenge.
The technique to make this creative invention work was borrowed from metallurgy, a branch of science that studies physical and chemical behaviors between metallic elements. Jeehwan Kim, the associate professor of mechanical engineering from MIT, says, “Traditionally, metallurgists try to add different atoms into a bulk matrix to strengthen materials, and we thought, why not tweak the atomic interactions in our memristor, and add some alloying element to control the movement of ions in our medium. “
ASHWIN BIJU PILLAI, HYUNJUN KIM, NALIN CHOPRA, RISHI KHARE
Over the last couple of decades, technology has consistently been rising to the forefront of modern-day innovations. From the automation of cars to the creation of artificial intelligence (AI), technology has simplified and enhanced the lives of people all around the world. One demographic that has significantly benefited from the creation of such technology is the elderly. A study published in the Health Science Journal concluded that “the use of new technologies by the elderly population significantly contributes to a better quality of life, improving parameters of daily living such as transportation facilitation, communication, and participation in social life.” Although the study primarily focused on the technological literacy of the elderly, the focal point of this article is embedded in technology’s ability to aid the elderly and the evolution of that aid over time.
When developing technology that aims to aid the elderly, it is essential to recognize that the elderly want to continue living independent lives. In the study “Technology to Support Aging in Place: Older Adults’ Perspectives,” the researchers emphasized the importance of an independent lifestyle and the prevalent consequences of that lifestyle if that lifestyle is not maintained. They stressed the decline in aging people's mental health and how that will ultimately increase the cost of care that will need to be provided. Two of the major categories of technology that has played a crucial role in aiding the elderly are IoT and AI. When living independently, one of the most common tasks on everyone’s to-do list is grocery shopping. With increasing age comes increasing difficulty in performing routine tasks earlier in life; to assist the elderly, smart speakers like Amazon Echo, Sonos One, and Google Nest Mini are incorporated with the ability to perform tasks like ordering groceries or obtaining medication through voice command features facilitated by IoT technology.
"Similarly, AI has played a significant role in driving robots to take on the caretaker or companion role while still encouraging an independent lifestyle" One of the prominent companies that have stayed true to providing the elderly with the necessary tools to live that particular lifestyle is ElliQ. This robot includes many features that allow users to interact with it in a “natural and effortless” manner. From health reminders to morning motivation, ElliQ utilizes AI to provide seniors with the technological aid to maintain their selfsufficient lifestyle.
With the introduction and implementation of this technology into many companies around the world, they must look to make further advancements in this area of innovation to focus their attention on the feedback of the users. When analyzing the testimonies of the users of the BETA version of ElliQ, many of the users stated that the companion-like aspect of the robot provided them with the support and encouragement needed to perform their daily routines.
The robot was well-received by many of the elderly that were there. 84-year-old Kazuko Yamada said that “these robots are wonderful” and that “more people live alone these days, and a robot can be a conversation partner for them”. These messages that seniors are being left about their interactions with the robots emphasize the importance of promoting increased social behavior with aging people and how developers should consider the distresses of seniors when continuing to evolve this kind of technology. AI and IoT have become two of the core components of the technology that has been developed to help seniors over the last couple of decades. Many seniors desire to continue an independent lifestyle, and many organizations such as ElliQ are making that their key incentive to advancing technology models. However, with that independent lifestyle comes a sense of loneliness. Robots such as ElliQ and Pepper have acquired companion-like characteristics that help generate conversation and develop connections with their users. Looking ahead, it is important to continue to consider the opinions and ideas of the elderly because creating more uncomplicated and more effective forms of technology that can enhance the lives of senior citizens can be crucial for maintaining the level of social interactions that drive human behavior.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Alexa, the voice behind Amazon’s Echo, was taught over 80,000 skills in the US by the end of 2020.
TECH TAKEOVER
How the rise of smart technology took residence in our very own homes. Stephanie Chou, Jessica Xiao, and Keya Zambare
S
mart refrigerators can now post on Twitter, intelligent underwear can monitor health. With hot topics such as artificial intelligence and machine learning ruling the digital realm, it seems that technology has no limits in our lives today. As tech becomes more accessible, we see the rise of “smart homes”, the system of smart devices and gadgets equipped in homes for convenience. This system provides many benefits including saving energy, tighter security, and accessibility. Daily household tasks, such as making coffee or dimming the lights, can be automated. How does this all work? The Internet of Things (IoT) has made it possible for seemingly complex technology to seamlessly coexist with us in our homes. The IoT is a network of wireless, connected devices that communicate across the Internet without any human intervention. Using embedded chips and sensors, devices are able to record and collect data from the environment. This information is wirelessly transmitted to a common platform, which compiles and integrates data from numerous other devices. Analytics are used to sort through the vast amount of information and select important pieces of data, which is then securely shared with applications through wireless networks such as Bluetooth or WiFi. These applications recognize patterns, make recommendations, and detect possible problems before they occur. As a result, users are aided in making better and more efficient decisions through real-time feedback. For example, the Fitbit is a wearable fitness gadget used to monitor health. Accelerometers inside the device can track movement, count steps, and measure sleep quality. This data is transmitted to an online profile, where the user can view and analyze their statistics. The watch uses this information to set fitness goals and make recommendations, helping users lead a healthier lifestyle. In recent years, smart technology has become increasingly popular. In fact, more than 55% of Americans own a smart device, about 120 million
consumers. In particular, voice assistants have been leading the smart home generation. As of 2020, 87.7 million Americans own a smart speaker. 45% of American mobile app users expressed that they would want voice interaction options in apps. This popularity can be attributed to its friendly user experience. Instead of adapting to the technology, voice interaction adapts to us. Previously, we’ve had to learn how to swipe and tap in specific manners to use our smartphones. On the other hand, voice technology doesn’t require prior training: “Alexa, turn on the lights’’ is intuitive to most. Voice control bridges the gap between humans and technology, allowing for natural communication between both parties. We relay our tasks to the voice assistant, which then transmits the information to the IoT systems in our homes. Furthermore, voice assistants offer a more personal and intimate relationship with technology. 41% of voice-activated speaker users report that communicating with their speaker feels like “talking to a friend”. How close are we willing to get with technology? It seems that the line is drawn when children are involved. In 2017, Mattle planned to release Aristotle, a kid-friendly Amazon Echo aimed at teaching and monitoring children. This smart speaker would be capable of soothing crying babies, teaching the alphabet, and reinforcing good manners and behavior. However, Mattel was forced to take it down after security complaints and backlash, including campaigns claiming “Young children should not be guinea pigs for AI experiments”. Senator Ed Markey and Representative Joe Barton wrote “It appears that never before has a device had the capability to so intimately look into the life of a child” in letters to the company. Despite the security and privacy concerns, smart technology provides a variety of benefits to our daily lives. With improvements in energy conservation, security, and convenience, smart technology won’t be leaving our homes anytime soon.
DEVELOPMENTS IN CANCER TREATMENT Sarthaki Agrawal, Serena Chang, Tiffany Ho Cancer is referred to as the uncontrollable division of cells that causes damage to healthy tissues. In 2018 alone, there were over 18 million new cancer cases and nearly 9.5 million cancer-related deaths worldwide. While there have been numerous advances in cancer treatment in recent years, further research maintains a significant role in the treatment of this devastating condition. Current cancer treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy, stem cell therapy, bone marrow transplant, and precision medicine. While these treatments and therapies have proven to be effective and have allowed many to live out the rest of their lives, there are still downfalls to these treatments. Cancer surgery is the physical removal of a tumor and nearby tissues that have been affected by the tumor. While cancer surgery allows for the direct removal of cancer, it poses the risks
and side effects of bleeding, blood clots, drug reactions, damage to nearby tissues and organs, and infections. Although these side effects are generally not lifethreatening, they may require additional lab testing and operations, which cost both time and money to patients.
Radiation therapy uses high levels of radiation in forms including x-rays and gamma rays to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. While the radioactive substance used mostly collects in the area of the tumor, it can still affect nearby cells and tissues responsible for vital human functions. Radiation therapy can also be expensive, as it also requires complex machines and the medical care of many experts.
The objective of chemotherapy is similar to radiation therapy; however, it uses the oral ingestion of drugs with powerful chemicals rather than treatment with radiation. A frequently observed side effect of chemotherapy is damage to other healthy cells in the body that grow and divide quickly, causing hair loss and vomiting. Side effects of other cancer treatments include anemia, loss of appetite, bruising, constipation, delirium, diarrhea, edema, fatigue, neutropenia, insomnia, depression, and many more. Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are among the most common and reliable cancer treatments, and the disadvantages of these therapies show that additional research is necessary to develop the most reliable and cost-effective treatments for different kinds of cancer.
As the field of medicine shifts away from a one-drug-fits-all approach and to personalized healthcare, precision medicine has been applied in the field of cancer treatment. Researchers have identified several potential targets for novel drugs using sophisticated technologies, which are currently undergoing Phase I trials. Several compounds have also been recently approved and are under clinical investigation. Despite limitations to a molecular treatment approach, scientists have continued to research and experiment with the promising field of precision medicine for the treatment of cancer. The possibility of offering a molecular approach in personalized medicine for cancer patients presents even greater possibilities in oncology and drives us closer to finding a cure for cancer.
BACK FROM ENDANGERMENT Divya Basu, Navyaa Gupta, and Archana Krishnan In the last twenty years, hundreds of species have been added to the lengthy list of endangered animals every year. However, several species have been making comebacks, increasing in population size, and on rare occasions, are no longer classified as “endangered." These achievements came with years of organized and on-going effort by wildlife protection groups and various governments. Giant Pandas, Singing Dogs, and the Louisiana Black Bear all have intriguing stories encompassing their comebacks.
Guinea Singing Dogs New Guinea Singing Dogs, previously thought to be extinct, are now making a comeback in the wild after new evidence of their DNA was found in “three wild dogs living at a high altitude in New Guinea” (Mongabay News). These animals are known as “singing dogs'' because of their howl, often described as a mix between a wolf and whale song. Originally, they were not listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (better known as the IUCN), because these dogs were considered to be part of the species of domestic dogs. Scientists have argued however, that the New Guinea singing dogs are genetically and behaviorally different, and thus should be considered its own species. These findings may reveal more about dog domestication in Asia and Oceania. James McIntyre, the president of the New Guinea Highland Wild Dog Foundation, initially looked for this wild dog in the highlands of the island, which is split between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, in 1996. A little more than a decade later, in 2012, an ecotourism guide managed to take a photo of a wild dog in Indonesia's Papua province. This was the first sighting of a New Guinea dog since the 1950s! This fortunate discovery has led many scientists to search for these New Guinea dogs. In 2018, McIntyre went back to Papua and retrieved the DNA from two wild dogs, and after some genetic testing, it was discovered that these dogs were not some village dogs, but were in fact belonging to the ancestral line of singing dogs.
Giant Pandas For the past 50 years, Giant Pandas have been the symbol of endangered animals, but in the last decade, the species has been making a great comeback, with a whopping 17% population increase (WWF). Why did the Giant Pandas enter endangerment in the first place? 99% of the Giant Panda diet is made up of wild bamboo. This results in their state being completely dependent on the state of their habitat. Giant Pandas were in great danger because China did not establish their Nature Conservation Protocol until 1986. In 2017, their status updated from “endangered” to “vulnerable.”
However, this success was a result of long lasting effort by the World Wildlife Fund. In collaboration with the Chinese government and DisneyNature, the World Wildlife Fund opened and maintains 67 panda reserves that span across three Chinese provinces, that protect two thirds of the wild Giant Panda population. Although the Giant Pandas have come a long way, a lengthy journey to the status of “Least Concern” (The ranking of nonendangered species) lies ahead of them. This will require great continuous effort by the World Wildlife Fund and the government of China.
Black Bears The Louisiana Black bear is a subspecies of the American Black bear, and is named after the state that considers it the official mammal. It is generally only found in a few states of the US, namely Louisiana, Texas, and western Mississippi. This animal was listed as an endangered animal by the Endangered Species Act in the year 1992, due to the loss of its habitat to agricultural development (National Geographic). These bears typically live in uplands and lowland marshes, and thrive in the hot climate of Louisiana. Floodplain forests provide all these living requirements, in addition to the sources of berries, acorns, insects, and prey. They use the cavities of large trees to provide shelter for their cubs (Envirobrite). Since 1992, efforts have been made to restore this habitat, by government agencies and private landowners. More than 700,000 acres of the bear habitat has been restored, causing the Louisiana Black Bear population to double since its enlistment. This species was removed from the list in the year 2016, with a population of 500 to 750 bears in the wild.
The Psychology Behind Sibling Rivalry Maisha G. and Suhani K.
Have you fought with your sibling over small things like, who gets the bigger slice of cake or who is better at a certain activity? Well, that sense of competition is a daily occurrence for young children all over the world. It is a very predictable and healthy action that most children around the world will show at, at least one point in their lives.
Early Times Sibling rivalry has been around for as long as we as humans have been. Hundreds of years ago, child mortality was high. Children who had close in age siblings and were under the age of five were more likely to die. Sarah Walter, an associate professor of demography at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the co-author of a study on siblings and mortality clustering in 19th-century Belgium, has said, these deaths were, “perhaps more general competition for parental attention.” Though the sibling rivalry is not caused at such severe stakes for most in our world now, the competition between siblings remains. Causes The first sign of sibling rivalry can be seen when a baby is first introduced to an older sibling. Mark Ethan Feinberg, a research professor of health and human development at Pennsylvania State University, has found that, “early and middle childhood are particularly difficult times for sibling aggression.” The older child generally becomes jealous and starts competing for recognition and attention from their parents.
They start changing their behavior to try to make themselves seen by their parents. As both children grow older, if their parents don’t balance the needs of each child, their behavior can get really competitive. Rivalry between siblings is not entirely universal or inevitable, but it helps each child find what is unique and special about themselves. Children always want to find a way to be seen as most special by their parents, so they will find something they are the best at and will push for preferential treatment. This also makes it so that siblings will rarely be interested in the same topics. For example, if one child loves to bake, the other child will be less inclined to learn or to take on the hobby of baking. Another example is if two siblings are on a sports team and one of them is a better player, the other child might try to position themselves as the joker on the team. Through various studies researchers continue to uncover more about what our brains process to make us get the idea of competing with our siblings. Researchers have found that sibling conflicts are very common and can occur up to 8 times an hour. Studies have also shown that a pair of sisters are generally closest, while a sibling pair that includes a brother usually has the most conflict. According to Jeanine Vivona, an professor of psychology at the College of New Jersey who had studied sibling rivalry, “competition with siblings is just a fact of life.” Next time you think you and your sibling are complete opposites and will never get along, remember that most children around the world feel the same way. As Jeanine Vivona said, “we, as people with siblings and people with children, can just try to manage it as best as we can.”
ETHICS BEHIND DESIGNER BABIES/ GERMLINE GENE EDITING DELEENA GHOSH RIYA JAIN JINJEONG KIM
What would it be like if you could be born intelligent or choose your eyecolor? Seems fictional? Well, designer babies are a concept that turns fiction into a reality. Since the 1970s, film writers and authors have explored this idea of creating a baby with specific features. Politically, gene modification is a very controversial topic that has been brought up by many presidential committees.
While some people believe the government should not be involved, others think that designer babies should be banned, as it could lead to chaos. In February of 2014, Chinese scientists used CRISPR-Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), a technique to edit parts of a genome by altering or removing the DNA sequence, in monkey embryos.
What is genetic modification? The process of altering genes solely for the purpose of changing the genes in offspring. There are several ways to alter genes, including inserting or deleting genes/DNA sequences in gametes, zygotes or embryos, transferring nuclei in zygotes, or artificial chromosomes. How does CRISPR-Cas9 work? In order to create this genetic mutation, an enzyme called Cas9 acts as “scissors” to cut the two DNA strands, so that parts of the DNA can be added or removed. Guide RNA (gRNA) is a small piece of designed RNA which binds to the DNA and “leads” Cas9 to the genome. gRNA ensures that Cas9 cuts the DNA at the correct place, and cells will repair the damaged DNA.
GENE EDITING IS STILL ILLEGAL IN MOST COUNTRIES. mother was negative. The eggs were taken out from the mother’s body, and the genome-edited embryos were transferred to their uterus. The CCR5 gene allows HIV to infect cells, and it was removed. The CCR5 gene is actually also related to several brain functions. He may have enhanced the twins or created more intelligent human beings with better memory and a high IQ. After he published his research, many scientists condemned the trial. Experiments such as these are not allowed by the international biomedical community, since it poses a lot of risks.
Positive applications? Gene alteration can be a tool to prevent life-threatening diseases such as cancer, high cholesterol, sickle cell anemia, or hepatitis B.
While gene-editing can be used to treat gene-related diseases, the legality and ethics of it can lead to controversy and problems. People may also try to genetically modify their children for cosmetic purposes.
Gene editing is still illegal in most countries. Altering the genes of a healthy baby may actually lead to unwanted mutations or side effects. In December of 2019, a Chinese researcher named Jiankui. He was sentenced to jail for the practice of illegal medicine. The father was HIV positive, while the
The ethics are still questioned. With gene editing, will people ever be able to create a superior human race?
Immortal Animals
Hy
dra
Ge
nu
s
Pragya Natarajan, Hana Jones
Introduction Humans have always pondered ways to achieve immortality. Immortality is impossible, but some creatures have come very close. Tardigrades, Hydra, Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish, and axolotls are among the most prominent we know to this day. None of these live forever due to many causes, but they do live remarkable lives. And studying us will better help humans extend their lifespans as well.
Tardigrada One of the most infamous is the tardigrade (Tardigrada). Tardigrades can stay alive by lowering their metabolism when encountering harsh climates. This state of halted metabolism is called cryptobiosis. Tardigrades go into a formation called a tun, where they roll into a ball and produce trehalose, a protective sugar that serves as a water substitute and lowers their metabolism to 0.01% of their normal metabolism. They can survive temperatures from -328 degrees Fahrenheit to 304 degrees Fahrenheit in this state and come out alive after staying in a tun position for over a hundred years, helping them survive extreme environments, including the vacuum of space. Learning about the tardigrade can help our understanding of ways humans can withstand the environmental conditions in space.
Hydra genus
Tardigrada
Next, organisms of the Hydra genus behave similarly to their namesake. In Greek Mythology, a hydra is a monster that grows two heads where one head is slashed off. Similarly, an organism of the hydra genus in our world can create copies of itself from cut-up pieces of its body. Hydras are freshwater invertebrates of the hydrozoan family, and despite being discovered in 1758, there’s still a lot we don’t know about them. What we do know is that when kept in lab conditions, they are biologically immortal. When cutting a hydra into different pieces, a new hydra grows out of each piece, and when blending a hydra instead of cutting it, the cells are still alive and grow a new hydra when put through a centrifuge. A hydra can grow new tissue by producing new stem cells, and its cells never age. In 2019, researchers analyzed RNA and found that a hydra has three types of stem cells, each of which can grow to have more than one different function. This discovery provides a clue to how the Hydra can regenerate itself with ease. Studying the Hydra can help researchers learn how to regenerate human tissue.
Turritopsis Dohrnii Jellyfish It all started with an accident for the Turritopsis Dohrnii jellyfish. Christian Sommer and Giorgio Bavestrello did tests on these jellyfish in the 1980s and found something peculiar, which they thought was impossible. Hydrozoans, the family of animals these jellyfish are in, follow for the most part a specific lifecycle. Matured Medusae, matured jellyfish, sexually produce a fertilized egg called a planula and then die. The planula attaches to a base such as a rock and develops into a polyp. These polyps replicate and create a hydroid colony, which is the name for immature hydrozoan colonies of polyps. Once they grow enough, a polyp will become an immature medusa that will eventually mature, reproduce and die. However, the scientists found that new polyps were forming without the deaths of mature medusae. After conducting more tests, they realized that immature medusae turn into a lump of flesh and go back to the polyp state when agitated. They can age backward! The Turritopsis Dohrnii jellyfish is nicknamed the “immortal jellyfish" because its ability to age backward makes it biologically immortal. Studying this jellyfish can also help humans learn how to repair damaged tissue.
Turritopiis Dohrnii
Ambystoma mexicanum And finally, the most adorable on our list is the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum). Teacup-sized, endangered salamanders who can also be household pets, axolotls are undergoing rigorous scientific study due to their remarkable regenerative abilities. Due to the destruction of their habitat, they are kept predominantly in labs. Axolotls are clearly not immortal, as can be seen by their endangered status. But they can regenerate their limbs, lungs, heart, jaw, spines, parts of their brain, and more without leaving a scar. They are also 1000 times more resistant to cancer than mammals. Researching these characteristics of the axolotl can help humans with regrowing tissue, finding cancer drugs, and more.
Ambystoma Mexicanun
Conclusion
As you can see, the tardigrade, Hydra, Turritopsis Dohrnii jellyfish, and axolotl are animals that very nearly reach immortality with their astonishing bodily functions and capabilities. Their qualities have made them indispensable in biological research and can help us with everything from healing muscle damage cleanly to helping cure cancer. Immortality is a fictitious dream, but great advances in medicine can come to fruition by studying these incredible creatures.
Can PTSD cause memory distortion? JENNA LEE, MEGHANA VINJAMURI, SRIJA POTLURI
Trauma: an emotional response that almost 70% of people
70 PERCENT of adult experience at
experience at least once at some
least one traumatic
point in their life.
event in their lifetime.
Out of almost 223.4 million people experiencing trauma, 33% of those
1 IN 13 PEOPLE
people have Post Traumatic Stress
will develop
Disorder (PTSD), which is a very severe
PTSD at some
reaction to traumatic events.
point in their life
The most common events that trigger
20 PERCENT of
this reaction are in women, sexual
people who
assault and child sexual abuse, and in
experience a
men, accidents, physical assault, combat,
traumatic even will
disaster, or to witness death or injury.
develop PTSD
A common misconception is that traumatic memories are a separate category and that they are protected from any kind of memory distortion. Studies performed on soldiers who developed PTSD after war and sexual assault survivors show quite the opposite. Almost 88% of the test subjects changed at least one of the events that they had initially recalled and 61% changed more than one event.
Another reason for these errors could be because people do not store the details of an experience in their memory by using labels specifying their origins. Instead, they use heuristics, such as how familiar and
"It's a war within yourself that never goes away." All memories are malleable and prone to distortion, but trauma memories are more prone. Memory distortion follows a particular pattern. After a traumatic experience, intentional remembering, or effortful retrieval, and unintentional remembering, or intrusive mental imagery, can introduce new details that assimilate into a person’s memory for the event causing them to remember more trauma than they experienced. This happens because we tend to piece together separate details and make inferences to fill in any gaps to create a coherent scenario in our heads. Although these inferences are usually very accurate, they are susceptible to warping because of our biases, stereotypes, and expectations.
event feels, to figure out whether they really experienced it or if it sprouted from their imagination. Post-event processing, such as imagining new details or experiencing unwanted intrusive thoughts, can increase the familiarity of new details enough that people may claim those new details as genuine memory traces, causing memory distortion. No one can recall traumatic memories perfectly and exactly as they happened, in fact these memories are more susceptible to distortion compared to regular, everyday memories. This is because these types of memories are encoded into your brain through a different process. This phenomenon is most common in individuals with PTSD or people who experience trauma at a young age. The longer these individuals have the memory, the more warped it becomes everytime they recall it.
administration EDITOR-IN-CHIEF + PRES / VARDHAN AGRAWAL CO VICE-PRES / SELINA JUANG CO VICE-PRES / ASHWIKA AGRAWAL ADVISOR / MS. JOHNSON CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT
MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER
/ / / / /
SRIJA POTLURI NALIN CHOPRA RIYA JAIN JENNA LEE ASHWIN BIJU PILLAI
WEBMASTER / RISHIK BUNETI WEBMASTER / HYUNJUN KIM SECRETARY / RISHI KHARE TREASURER / PARTH RAMOLIA HISTORIAN / MEGHANA VINJAMURY HIS TORIAN / NAVYAA GUPTA COMMUNITY RELATIONS / SHREYAS GOSAKAN COMMUNITY RELATIONS / KEYA ZAMBARE PUBLIC RELATIONS / JESSICA XIAO
staff Sara Agrawal, Divya Basu, Rishik Buneti, Ashwin Biju Pillai, Serena Chang, Nalin Chopra, Stephanie Chou, Swapnil Das, Krupa Dhruva, Deleena Ghosh, Raybo Ghosh, Shreyas Gosakan, Maisha Gupta, Navyaa Gupta, Tiffany Ho, Cecilia Huang, Riya Jain, Hana Jones, Rishi Khare, Gina Kim, Jun Kim, Jinjeong Kim, Archana Krishnan, Suhani Khanna, Jenna Lee, Pragya Natarajan, Shan Patel, Srija Potluri, Parth Ram olia, Joan Thyagarajan, Meghana Vinjamury, Jessica Xiao, Keya Zambare
T HA NK YO U FO R RE ADI NG ISS UE 2!
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TECH We hope you've enjoyed reading Issue 2 of the Tino Explore Magazine. If you find any typos or errors, or if you have suggestions for future issues, email us at tinoexplore@gmail.com. Interested in joining our staff? We're always looking for writers, editors, and designers, so hop in on Fridays at lunch at tinyurl.com/exploremeetings to get information on becoming a staff member.
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