Issue #3: The Psychology Within

Explore ISSUE 3 | MAY 2021

In this issue: TH E W OR L D TH AT L I ES W ITH IN Learn about lucid dreaming and how it can help you uncover a whole new world.

C AR TO ON : A SA TI RE ON T ECH NO LOG Y Read Tino Explore's first ever cartoon on how technology has reshaped our lives.

The brain is weird.

This cover is, too.

Learn how to hijack your inner psychology.

Contents 4

Changes in the Sahara

14

The huge changes to the Sahara desert have happened in a relatively short amount of time, an instance of abrupt climate change that has shocked many scientists. Explore how we can assess and prevent this in the future.

6

Forensic Psychology

The world continues to evolve through various technological advancements and AI is one of those technological advancements that fuels constant debate. Learn about the ethics behind artificial intelligence in this article.

16

Forensic psychology is a broad field of psychology that combines psychology and law. Forensic psychologists typically work in criminal and civil law areas. Learn more about it in this piece.

8

Lucid Dreaming

18

Animals in the Extreme Upset about 80°F weather outside?

Then, you're in for a surprise. Learn about animals that survive in animals that live in conditions so extreme that you wouldn't even think life is possible.

Neuroscience and AI Living in the modern world has the benefit of ever-continuous technology development and its broad applications. One such area that is steadily gaining more attention is the seamless connection between neurology and AI.

20

COVER CONTENTS EDITORS' NOTE

COVID Vaccine Rollout This past year has been a storm of unprecedented circumstances, but after various COVID-19 vaccines were announced, there seems to be a glimmer of hope. Explore the details of the vaccine rollout around the world.

Have you ever wished you could control your dreams? Lucid dreaming is the phenomenon in which one is able to recognize that they are dreaming and can influence their dream content by will. Learn more about lucid dreams!

10

The Ethics of AI

Cartoon: Satire on Tech Technology related topics are very contentious and over-covered to an extent, but through this comic, you'll make fun of our growing reliance on technology, specifically through a parental perspective.

ON THE COVER An upside-down version of an image of Tokyo, Japan. See how much a small change to an image can throw you off? That's the magic of perception.

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!

Your brain's perception of the world can be easily warped. You might feel a little strange just reading this page, all because of an upside-down image of a living room. Perception is everything, and learning to control how your brain sees things can be a boon in your day-to-day life. In this issue, we'll explore psychology and an assortment of other interesting STEAM topics!

V A R DH A N A G R A W A L EDITOR- IN- CHIEF

EDITORS' N OTE Studies have shown that between online school, the pandemic, and a fear of the virus, our brains have changed—for better or for worse. In Issue 2, looked at technology alongside other topics including species endangerment and sibling rivalry. In Issue 3, we'll wrap up the year with an assortment of interesting topics, many related to hijacking your own brain!

VA RD HAN , SELI NA , AS H W I KA IF Y OU RE AD TH IS , C OM E T O OU R NE X T ME E TIN G. WE NE E D S T A FF ME MB E RS W I TH A K EE N E Y E L I K E Y OU! ALS O, TE L L US Y OU S AW T H IS .

Changes in the Sahara Desert Rishik Buneti | Amartya Raybo Ghosh | Shreyas Sriram Gosakan

When you think about the Sahara region, you would probably think scorching heat and numbing cold temperatures, however this is a fairly recent change. Around five to eleven thousand years ago, the Sahara and Sahel regions changed from having giraffes, hippos, monkeys, elephants, and other animals roaming around to what it is today. It is an instance of abrupt climate change that has shocked many scientists.

This sudden change is caused by the Earth’s tilt changes from time to time because of the position of the moon and other large entities in our solar system. The tilt changed from 24.1 degrees to the current 23.5 degrees, over the last few centuries. The start of the “African Humid Period” began as a result of this phenomenon. This difference increased the amount of solar radiation which the Sahara and Sahel region received. Additionally, it extended and amplified the rain season in the region which gave room for much more vegetation in the terrain. The vegetation attracted animals throughout the year which resulted in a stable ecosystem developing in the area.

The earth’s axial tilt follows a cycle that lasts for approximately 40,000 years.

Another change that was brought due to the Earth’s tilt was lower amounts of solar radiation, which made the region drier due to less vegetation. The dryness and the location of the region made it perfect for a desert to form.

Some proof that scientists have found regarding a green Sahara is evidence from sediments and plenty of rock art in the region. An abrupt increase in sediments in the Atlantic ocean proves that the land became drier over time.

The current cycle was proven to be much faster and impactful than previous cycles.

Therefore, it can be claimed that the sand in the Sahara and Sahel region was a recent development. Rock art serves as evidence of the fact that the region was once home to many species of plants and animals. Throughout the region, there are accurate drawings of plains, elephants, cows, farmland and more. Since the civilizations there weren’t very developed, it is extremely unlikely that the drawings were copied from faraway lands. They would need a nearby animal or landscape in order to produce art of such detail and quantity.

Archeologist David Wright suggests that this is one of the first occurrences of man-made climate change.

Overgrazing by the nearby civilization might have left the soil dry even before the start of the cycle causing it to be more impactful.

Another explanation is that the civilization at that time period might have used fire to burn crops and help fertilize the soil. This combined with the change in axial tilt might have caused the change to be more abrupt.

Understanding more about what caused these changes could help us predict and be more prepared for the future.

Divya Basu, Navyaa Gupta, Archana Krishnan Forensic psychology is a broad field of psychology that combines psychology and law. Forensic psychologists typically work in criminal and civil law areas.

Forensic psychology was officially recognized as a speciality area of psychology by the American Psychology Association in 2001. Philosophers and scientists have long tried to understand the reason behind why criminals are pushed to commit crimes and why they behave the way they do.

This branch of forensic psychology involves developing psychological tests or questionnaires that are meant to assess the likelihood of an offender recommitting a crime. It also involves research on the development of psychopathy. Specialists in this area use these test results to develop strategies in order to prevent psychopathy from a young age.

Another category of Forensic Psychology is legal psychology.

This branch includes child custody evaluations to minimize harm to children by the legal system and to check that they are not being psychologically impacted. Additionally, legal psychologists assist in jury selection. This helps the court conduct fair trials with an unbiased jury.

Lastly, legal psychologists evaluate a defendant’s competency to stand trial. Defendants who have a mental disorder or developmental disability that results in the inability for them to understand legal proceedings are concluded to be incompetent to stand trial.

Specialists in this area develop screening procedures for hiring correctional officers, to ensure that they have good intentions and high levels of integrity and professionalism.

This field also involves creating assessments for the mental health of inmates and creating treatment for them.

Police psychologists work to ensure optimal shift schedules for police officers, and work at counseling services for officers with trauma or second hand trauma. Families of police officers that have experienced or witnessed trauma are also supported by police psychologists.

Another aspect in which police psychologists contribute to law enforcement is by creating psychological profiles of serial killers. These profiles can reduce the size of the suspect pool and help aid police to determine if a suspect is competent enough to commit the crimes they are accused of.

Victimology is by far the largest form of forensic psychology. Victimology is the study of people who have been victims of actual or threatened physical, psychological, social, or financial harm.

Victimologists perform various tasks such as evaluating and treating victims and witnesses of crimes including car accidents, discrimination, medical negligence, and sexual harassment. They also assess and counsel law enforcement responsible for providing death notification services.

Both types of dreams tend to occur during REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep, which occurs approximately 90 minutes after falling asleep. This phase is characterized by the sleeper’s eyes rapidly moving side to side while the eyelids are closed.

THE WORLD THAT LIES WITHIN

Stephanie Chou, Tiffany Ho, Keya Zambare

H

ave you ever wished you could control your dreams? Lucid dreaming is the phenomenon in which one is able to recognize that they are dreaming, while they are dreaming. As a result, dreamers can influence their dream content by will. In other words, lucid dreaming represents the hybrid state between waking and dreaming, a connection between the conscious and subconscious mind.

This new state of consciousness is not to be confused with regular dreaming, in which dreamers are not aware of their state of dreaming. The average lucid dream lasts approximately 14 minutes long, but can range anywhere from a few seconds to an entire hour. The average person, on the other hand, typically experiences 3-7 regular dreams in a night, spending a total of 2 hours dreaming each night.

During REM sleep, weak activation of the prefrontal cortex (region of the brain in frontal lobes responsible for regulating social behavior, personality, emotions, and decision making) causes dreamers to lose their ability to think rationally and make thoughtful decisions. Dreamers are instead intensely engaged in their vivid, immersive, and emotionally investing dreams, which are quickly forgotten afterward. Scientists theorize this occurs because the brain does not form many memories while sleeping, and has limited capacity to store information about the dream after it has ended.

Researchers used a variety of methods to confirm the existence of lucid dreaming, including fMRI scans, electrostimulation, EEG (electrode cap placed on scalp), and volitional eye movements. In lucid dreaming, increased activation of gamma activity (a type of brain activity) was found in the frontal lobes, the brain region primarily involved with self-reflection and metacognition (thinking about thinking).

Lucid dreaming typically begins spontaneously in early adolescence. The frequency of lucid dreaming is high in young children, but drops significantly at the age of 16. The likelihood continues to dwindle in adulthood, becoming especially infrequent after age 25. This finding has led scientists to believe there is a link between brain maturation and lucid dreaming. A 2017 study found that about 51% of adults have experienced at least one lucid dream in their lifetime, while 20% experience them at least once per month.

dreaming. It has been How does this training work?

Dreamers may take a passive The robot was well-received by many of "Similarly, AI has played a The first step is keeping a role and explore the dream considered as a treatment the elderly that werejournal there. 84-year-old dream to track daily to reduce nightmare as it occurs, or have a plan significant role in driving robots frequency, alleviate PTSD Yamada dreams, to help recognize of actions to accomplish Kazuko said that “these robots patterns and improve dream symptoms, and relieve throughout the dream.

Many to take on the caretaker or are wonderful” and that “more people recollection. For example, one anxiety. Studies have dreamers take advantage live alone these days, and a robot can companion role while still might find that many of their of their lucidity to attempt found that lucid dreaming beand a conversation partner them”. dreams take for place at a park, can improve motor the impossible, performing encouraging an independent problem-solving skills, andthat will seniors learn toare associate tasks such as flying or time being the These messages park with lucidity.

Performing enhance emotional traveling.

In fact, a 2012 left about their interactions with the lifestyle" reality checks often, such as control, build selfsurvey found that 81% of robots emphasize the importance of counting fingers or checking lucid dreamers use their confidence, and increase promoting increased behavior Onefor ofenjoyment the prominent that Consequently, the time,social are also important to lucidity andcompanies creativity. establish a habit to distinguish lucid dreaming can also entertainment with aging people and how developers have stayedpurposes, true to providing the elderly dreams from reality.

64% with to turn intoto livecause should consider the distresses of In reality, thenightmares necessary tools that sleep paralysis, the dreamer will count 5 hallucinations, and the more pleasant dreams, 30% seniors whenfingers; continuing to evolve this particular lifestyle is ElliQ. Thisinability robot to distinguish however, counting for problem-solving, and 21% kind of technology. includes many features that allow usersfrom reality, while dreaming may result in dreams for practicing particular skills, distortions such as 6 fingers. leading to a disconnection suchto asinteract piano or kickboxing. with it in a “natural and Thisbecome serves as a test tocore tell from one’s surroundings However, dreamers cannot AI and IoT have two of the From health effortless” manner. whether one is dreaming or or self. Despite these always remember or components not. of the technology that has reminders to morning motivation, ElliQ concerns, scientists deem successfully perform these beensafe. developed to help seniors over the utilizes AIdue to provide seniors with thethe practice generally tasks, usually to waking dreaming has led to up ortechnological hindrances in dream their selflast couple ofLucid decades.

Many seniors aidthe to maintain other avenues for research as 20-30% of people are environment. desire to continue an independent sufficient lifestyle. well. A 2021 study found that naturally born with the lifestyle, and many organizations such ability to lucid dream, while lucid dreamers are able to There are many benefits as ElliQ are making that theirwithout key communicate waking others train themselves. associated with lucid up. In fact,technology participants With the introduction and incentive to advancing were able to solve math implementation of this models. problems and answer yes technology into many or no questions—all while companies around the world, However, with that independent dreaming.

Researchers described the two-way they must look to make lifestyle comes a sense of loneliness. communication further advancements in this Robots such unconscious as ElliQ and Pepper have as similar to communicating area of innovation to focus acquired companion-like characteristics with an astronaut in another their attention on the that help generate and world world;conversation in this case, the being “entirely fabricated feedback of the users. When develop connections with their users. on theitbasis of memories stored analyzing the testimonies of Looking ahead, is important to in the brain.” This finding has the opinions and the users of the BETA continue to consider led scientists to pose further ideas of the elderly because creating version of ElliQ, many of the questions: Are the states of “sleep” and more uncomplicated and “wakefulness” more effective two users stated that the distinct events?

Or possibly, forms of technology that can enhance companion-like aspect of the are they part of a spectrum? the lives of senior citizens can be crucial robot provided them with the Scientists still have much to for maintaining the level of social support and encouragement discover about sleeping and dreaming…Perhaps lucid needed to perform their daily interactions that drive human behavior. dreaming is the key to this routines. puzzle.

Animal Life in Extreme Conditions By: Maisha, Riya, & Suhani

Pompeii Worm In 1997, marine biologist Craig Cary identified the most heat-tolerant animal on our planet, the Pompeii worm (Alvinella pompejana). Initially discovered by French researchers in the early 1980s, this creature can grow up to 5 inches long in length and is pale gray with red tentacle-like gills on the heads. The gills are colored red by hemoglobin. These deep-sea polychaetas live in paper-like tube colonies in hydrothermal vents on the seafloor.

Hydrothermal vents are located in the Earth’s crust and are created when the Earth’s crustal plates move apart. The Pompeii worm pokes its anterior end (head) out of the vent where the water temperature is much cooler, while its posterior end (tail) stays in the hot tubes.

Water in the tubes can reach as high as 176 degrees Fahrenheit while the water outside the tubes is usually around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The primary reason the worm’s head sticks out is to feed. These worms generally feed on microscopic bacteria that grow along deep-ocean trenches.

Though scientists haven’t found the precise reason as to how the Pompeii worm can survive in such severe conditions, they believe the bacteria on their bodies may play a role. When looking at a Pompeii worm, a viewer may notice grey colored fleece or hair on the worms back. That is a layer of bacteria that lives and feeds on the mucous that tiny glands on the worm’s skin secretes. This layer can be up to 1 cm thick and is thought to have special enzymes to help it operate in high pressure and extremely hot environments. The enzyme in question is called, “eurythermal enzymes.” This protein provides protection against various temperatures and may provide thermal insulation. Scientists also guess this bacteria may protect the worms by detoxifying the water in the vents which generally contains high concentrations of chemicals. If what these scientists predict is true and the bacteria does have eurythermal enzymes, it would be a great discovery. These special proteins could not only be protecting the worms but could also help us humans in many ways. The enzymes could support industrial processes by speeding up chemical reactions, for example, converting cornstarch to sugar and processing food and drugs.

Red Flat Bark Beetle

The Red Flat Bark Beetle is part of the superfamily of beetles called “Cucujoides", generally found in forested habitats in North America. In the larvae stage, these creatures resemble segmented worms and are around 1 inch long. They are amber in color and don’t have eyes so they are required to use chemical and tactile sensory systems to sense the environment around them. Adults have segmented bodies that are in the color of teak and are slightly shorter in length compared to the larvae. Averaging about 0.5 inches in length, the adults have flattened bodies that are bright red in color. Their heads are triangular shaped and their antennae and leg segments are black. Bodies of this species of beetles are specifically shaped to help them move easily in the tiny crevices under the bark of trees. In the moist area under the bark of freshly cut or living trees is usually where adult Red Flat Bark beetles can be found. Occasionally they may show up in old logs or leaf litters around fallen or cute trees. These beetles are beneficial to the survival and health of their host trees as they feed on a vast array of potentially tree damaging invertebrates.

These amazing creatures have been found to be able to survive in temperatures as low as -238 degrees Fahrenheit without freezing.

Todd Stformo, a biologist, cooled some of these beetles in a lab and they didn’t die until -94 degrees Fahrenheit. Most insects who use the same winter survival tactics as this beetle (supercooling) can only survive in temperatures as low as -13 degrees Fahrenheit. Later after being sent to a lab in California, scientists found that that batch of beetles could live in temperatures around -238 degrees Fahrenheit without freezing.

Supercooling is when certain insects begin to produce an antifreeze protein in the middle of fall. When winter gets closer, these insects produce glycerol that lowers their freezing point and they start to lose water in their bodies. Scientists believe the Red Flat Bark Beetle produces different amounts of glycerol, depending on their location, in the larvae stage. The glycerol content in their bodies is what prevents them from freezing.

The protein used to produce different amounts of glycerol is interesting to scientists as it could be an ingredient in an all natural antifreeze liquid. In the future, different versions of the anti-freeze liquid may be able to be used as a non-toxic deicing solution for aircrafts, a concrete that builders can use in the cold, an ingredient that would prevent re-crystallization of ice cream, or a product to cool human organs to preserve them.

Devil Worm Before the Devil Worm was discovered, the lowest living animals lived only dozens of feet underground. The Devil Worm, scientifically known as Halicephalobus mephisto, was found miles down in a South African gold mine in 2008. It was immediately deemed the deepest living animal ever found. Its scientific name comes from the Fraustian devil who presides over hell. This worm had been proved to be living deep in the ground for thousands of years.

Being a roundworm, the Devil Worm feeds on bacteria. Living miles into the ground, these worms live in conditions with high temperatures, little oxygen, and high amounts of methane.

Professor John Bracht, a professor for an American University, and his team researched these worms to find how they could survive in such a harsh environment.

They found that the Devil Worm has a remarkable amount of Hsp70, a “heat shock” protein. This protein is found in smaller amounts in all life forms as it repairs cells damaged from heat. Though all roundworms have the Hsp70 protein, the Devil Worm has a great quantity of the protein. Professor Bracht and his team found that the sequencing of the Devil Worms Hsp70 gene were copies of themselves. This gave the worm multiple copies of the same gene which helps them endure extremely high heat and pressure environments. Research also found that these worms have many copies of the gene called AIG1 that is connected to cellular survival in plants and animals. Prof. Batch said, “when an animal cannot escape intense heat it starts making additional copies of these two genes to survive. The Devil Worm can’t run away; it’s underground. It has no choice but to adapt or die.”

The discovery of these two genes show us that the Devil Worm took a long time to evolve to the point where it could survive in its severe environment. Scientists also believe that we can learn from these worms on how to survive climate change as temperatures and pressure are increasing.

Himalayan Jumping Spider The Himalayan Jumping Spider is a creature that was found living in areas up to 22,000 feet in altitude. Found on Mount Everest, a peak in the Himalayas, this jumping spider is also called Euphrys Omnisuperstes which is Latin for “standing above everything.” When looking at one of these spiders a viewer may notice it is about a quarter inch long with eight eyes and clawed feet. It also has a brown body with whitish hair. The males tend to have a darker appearance than females and have a black abdomen.

Jumping spiders don’t have that name for no reason, they can leap up to 50 times their body length. Living in areas 22,000 feet above sea level gives these spiders the title of the highest known permanent resident on the planet. They are found about 4,000 feet above the highest plant growth and generally can be seen on rocky areas free of ice and snow.

It may seem as these high altitude environments would be extremely cold but because there is a thin atmosphere and less cloud coverage, the climate is not extremely cold. The Himalayan Jumping Spider usually stays on the surfaces of the rocks which tend to be warmer than the air temperature.

Researchers also have noted that these spiders stay in the shade under rocks when they're hot and occasionally stay in spun silken cells under rocks when it's extremely cold. As no one has counted, we don’t know yet how large the population of these spiders is or if there are any current threats to its survival. To survive in the high altitude ecosystem, this jumping spider has excellent vision and strong thick legs. It feeds on small animals like springtails and other invertebrates brought up the mountain by wind currents. Their good eyesight helps them hunt as they are opportunistic hunters.

Other than their food, many may believe the low oxygen levels would restrict the Himalayan Jumping Spiders from surviving so high. To put it in perspective, Mt. Everest south base camp is at an elevation of 17,598 feet above sea level. There, the oxygen level is 50% of sea level oxygen. To humans it may seem like an issue but all spiders are built to require way less oxygen than humans. With a source of food and shelter, the Himalayan Jumping Spiders thrive in their environment.

Exploring The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

By Ashwin Biju Pillai, Nalin Chopra, and Rishi Khare

The world continues to evolve through various technological advancements and AI is one of those technological advancements that fuels constant debate. From the immense positive aspects to the various negative ethical issues, there are many questions asked by people interested in this area of study. Before someone can formulate a stance on the ethical nature of AI, it is important to analyze the positive and negative aspects of this form of technology.

Companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are making huge strides in the field of AI, but at the same time many call into question the ethical feasibility of these innovations. First, it is necessary to understand where the world stands at the moment in terms of recent AI discoveries.

Artificial intelligence or AI, is the field of study that is focused on improving current technology and computer machines to perform tasks with human-like intelligence. The four main components or ideas that fuel the idea of AI are creating forms of technology that can think humanly, think rationally, act humanly, and act rationally. With that in mind, it is easy to find many examples of AI that are very familiar to people on a daily basis. Siri and Alexa are forms of technology created by Apple and Amazon respectively that have helped change the field of AI through communication between humans and technology. Even more recently we have seen the development of self-driving cars most notably the work of the company Tesla. In addition to advancements in the field of technology and engineering, there has also been a rise in the development of technology that is capable of looking after the wellbeing of the elderly as well as improving the field of healthcare. All these innovations have strived to improve a few common pillars of life. Those main components include, making life safer, creating widespread healthcare, aiding the aging in place ideal, and coding

Giant Pandas

for disaster response. Many companies make it their mission to target one of these main For categories the past 50 Giant Pandas have or andyears, improve AI based technology new ways to implement technology into beendiscover the symbol of endangered animals, but these However, as AI in the lastparticular decade,industries. the species has been becomes more and more advanced, there making a great comeback, with a whopping becomes a greater necessity for access to the 17%information population increase Why did and data held(WWF). within these devices the regarding Giant Pandas enter endangerment in the the interactions taking place between the user and the device.

This lack of privacy first place? 99% of the Giant Panda diet isin addition to various other issues such as the rise of made up of wild bamboo. This results in unemployment and inequality allows those that theirare state being dependent on against the completely implementation to center their habitat.

Giant Pandas the argument state of their around these very issues.

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 were in great danger because China did not of “Least Concern” (The ranking of nonAlthough there are many perceived benefits to establish their Nature Conservation Protocol endangered species) lies ahead of them. the incorporation of AI into the daily lives of until 1986. In 2017, their status updated This will require great continuous effort people all around the world, the lack of privacy, fromincrease “endangered” to “vulnerable.” by the World Wildlife Fund and the in unemployment and increase in inequality are hindering the further development government of China. of AI. The lack of privacy revolves around the need for greater cybersecurity and data protection regarding the usage of people’s private data. Even though there is still a risk of privacy with the current technology, AI requires Thegreater Louisiana bear a subspecies ofanthe American Black bear, and is named after dataBlack storage and is processing which is risk for many people against themammal. usage of It is generally only found in a few states of the area stateofthat considers it the official The rise ofTexas, unemployment and Mississippi. This animal was listed as an the this US, technology. namely Louisiana, and western inequality stresses the inability for many people endangered animal by the Endangered Species Act in the year 1992, due to the loss of its to lose their jobs to machines and technology habitat agricultural development (National whiletothe increase in inequality focuses on the Geographic). inability for smaller companies to utilize these These live in uplands and lowland newbears formstypically of technology.

Black Bears

marshes, and thrive in the hot climate of Louisiana.

Even with the many positive AI, there Floodplain forests provide allaspects these of living requirements, are an immense amount of negative aspects that in addition to the sources of berries, acorns, insects, and follow as a result. Many companies are still prey.

They use cavities of largetotrees to provide continuing tothe revise their approach AI and shelter for their cubs that (Envirobrite).

Since improving the areas are necessary to 1992, efforts betterto usage of thisthis newhabitat, form of by government havepromote been made restore technology. 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.

srija potluri, meghana vinjamury, jessica xiao This past year has been a storm of unprecedented circumstances, but after various COVID-19 vaccines were announced, there seems to be a glimmer of hope among people all around the world.

Following his inauguration, President Biden set a goal of administering 100 million vaccines by his 100th day in office. That goal has long been met, and the new goal is that 200 million vaccines can be administered by his 100th day in office.

According to the CDC, over 66.2 million people have been fully vaccinated with either the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine and the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech two dose vaccines. However, it is clear that the vaccine administration still has a long way to go as it is believed that 70 to 90 percent of US residents, including both adults and children, must be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity.

The government has created vaccine eligibility plans in stages.

States started vaccinating elderly people and those who were most vulnerable to COVID-19. By April 19, adults in every state will be eligible for the vaccine.

These studies have found lower infection rates and an alleviation of symptoms similar to how controlled trials predicted the vaccine would be like. Even though the vaccine is promising, most experts still agree that it is far too soon to tell how effective the vaccine is. Hopefully, future significant decreases in the death toll can be attributed to the vaccine, but it is simply too soon to tell.

Because of the severity of the pandemic, both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech were given emergency clearance to start vaccinations. Now, researchers are conducting unofficial studies to see how vaccine recipients are facing the pandemic.

With this new goal and the fact that some states have already opened up vaccine eligibility for anyone 16 and older, experts hope to see some progress towards herd immunity. However, communities that have been most vulnerable to the pandemic still have a lower vaccination rate than other communities, so it is important to make sure that the vaccine is delivered equitably.

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 3!

A LOOK

INSIDE YOUR BRAIN

We hope you've enjoyed reading Issue 3 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.

Sources.

Cherry, K. (2020, May 5). A Brief Overview of the Field of Forensic Psychology. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/an-overview-offorensic-psychology-2794901 Forensic Psychology - IResearchNet. (2017, September 24). Psychology. http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/forensic-psychology/ Psychology.org. (2021, April 19). How to Become a Forensic Psychologist | Psychology.org. Psychology.Org | Psychology’s Comprehensive Online Resource. https://www.psychology.org/careers/forensic-psychologist/ SagePub (Ed.). (2007). Forensic Psychology [E-book]. In Forensic Psychology (pp. 2–32). SagePub. https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upmbinaries/39927_1.pdf Ward, J. T. (2013, August). What is forensic psychology? American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psn/2013/09/forensic-psychology Burt, I., Emilyfolk, Common, J., & Veronica. (2016, June 08). The Spider On Top Of The World. Retrieved from http://wildlifearticles.co.uk/the-spideron-top-of-the-world/ Carne, N. (2020, August 07). An in-depth look at the Devil Worm. Retrieved from https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/an-in-depth-look-at-thedevil-worm/ Cotroneo, C. (n.d.). This May Be Why the 'Devil Worm' Can Live Where No Other Animal Can. Retrieved from https://www.treehugger.com/devilworm-genome-sequencing-4860841 Deep-Sea Vents Harbor Earth's Hottest Animal. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www1.udel.edu/PR/Messenger/01/3/deep.html#:~:text=The Pompeii worm%2https://www.bionity.com/en/encyclopedia/Pompeii_worm.html Flat Bark Beetle. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dept.psu.edu/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/flat_bark_beetle.html Fox-Skelly, J. (2015, May 05). Earth - How high above the ground can life endure? Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150428secrets-of-living-high-in-the-sky Mosher, D. (2021, February 10). New "Devil Worm" Is Deepest-Living Animal. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/110601-deepest-worm-earth-devil-science-animals-life Pompeii Worm. (2021, April 27). Retrieved from https://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/marinesymbiosis/pompeii.html Ponder, N. T. (2019, July 05). Himalayan Jumping Spider. Retrieved from https://notestoponder.wordpress.com/tag/himalayan-jumping-spider/ Worlds Most Heat-Tolerant Creature Suggests Enzymes For Drugs Or Industry, UD Prof Says. (1998, February 10). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/02/980210071300.htm “How Can Neuroscience Contribute to the Development of General Artificial Intelligence?” Frontiers, www.frontiersin.org/researchtopics/10658/how-can-neuroscience-contribute-to-the-development-of-general-artificial-intelligence.

“Neuroscience Innovation Report.” SpringWise, 2018.

Savage, Neil. “How AI and Neuroscience Drive Each Other Forwards.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 24 July 2019, www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02212-4.

Six, Ory. “Artificial Intelligence in Neurology: Promising Research and Proven Applications.” Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare & Radiology, 11 May 2020, www.quantib.com/blog/artificial-intelligence-neurology-promising-research-and-proven-application. staff, E&T editorial. “AI Can Detect Human Emotions with Wireless Signals.” RSS, 4 Feb. 2021, eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2021/02/ai-candetect-human-emotions-with-wirelesssignals/#:~:text=According%20to%20researchers%20from%20Queen,cues%2C%20such%20as%20facial%20expressions. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-cdc-idUSKBN2BR0LV https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/is-the-us-covid-19-vaccine-rollout-working-were-not-sure-yet/ar-BB1fqRbz Daley, Sam. “23 Examples of Artificial Intelligence Shaking Up Business as Usual.” Built In, builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/examples-ai-in-industry.

Julia Bossmann, Alumni. “Top 9 Ethical Issues in Artificial Intelligence.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/top-10-ethicalissues-in-artificial-intelligence/.

Newman, Daniel. “Why We Need To Focus On The Positives Of AI.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 Feb. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2020/02/06/why-we-need-to-focus-on-the-positives-of-ai/?sh=11f9f92175ae.

“What Is Artificial Intelligence? How Does AI Work?: Built In.” What Is Artificial Intelligence? How Does AI Work? | Built In, builtin.com/artificialintelligence Cohut, M. (2019, September 27). Lucid dreams: Their role, and how they register in the brain. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326496#What-happens-in-the-brain?

Graves, D. (2021, February 19). Communicating with a dreaming person is possible. NOVA Next. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/luciddreaming-communication/.

Larson, J., & Dasgupta R. (2020, February 10). How Long Do Dreams Last? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-do-dreams-last.

Nunez, K., & Weatherspoon, D. (2019, May 15). 5 Techniques to Try for Lucid Dreaming. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/healthysleep/how-to-lucid-dream#how-to-lucid-dream.

Stumbrys, T., Erlacher, D., Johnson, M., & Schredl, M. (2014). The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey. The American Journal of Psychology, 127(2), 191-204. https://doi.org/10.5406/amerjpsyc.127.2.0191 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2019, August 13). Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/patient-caregiver-education/understanding-sleep.

Voss, U., D’Agostino, A., Kolibius, L., Klimke, A., Scarone, S., & Hobson, J. A. (2018, October 22). Insight and dissociation in lucid dreaming and psychosis. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02164 https://www.livescience.com/will-sahara-desert-turn-green.html https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Milankovitch/milankovitch_2.php https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-really-turned-sahara-desert-green-oasis-wasteland-180962668/