Trailblazer Issue 12 2024

Letter from the Editors

It’s fall 2024 as we officially take over as editors! We bring almost five years of combined experience with Trailblazers to the role, and we are proud to continue the tradition of Trailblazers as a student-led publication.

This year, we decided on a STEM theme so we could invite new voices and viewpoints. In this issue, we will explore STEM topics that are relevant to us as young people and reflect what is interesting about our changing world.

The Trailblazers Team remains dedicated to amplifying the voices of young learners, and we are eager to see how future editors interpret the mission!

Thanks for reading!

The editors and the Trailblazers team

Letter from the Founders

It is time for education to be transformed. Schools were first created during the Industrial Revolution with the purpose of preparing students for factory work. However, we are no longer living in that time period; it’s the 21st century where information can be looked up in a matter of seconds, and businesses are looking to hire creative problem solvers rather than mindless factory workers.

With the progression of time, there should be a change in the purpose of school. In the transformed education model the purpose of school should be to: make the world a better place by engaging young learners in opportunities to be active change makers in society.

Over the past decade there has been a worldwide movement amongst certain educators to redesign the education system.

This community has been creating a new “school,” where students get to pursue passions, work with experts in different fields, and create real impact.

We are a few of these educators whose voices aren’t always heard. We are the “students,” though a more appropriate term may be, “young learners,” because we believe everyone is always a learner.

Education is being redesigned, and like any good design challenge, the designers must talk to the users in order to create impact.

Letter from the Founders

Trailblazers, was founded with the intent of sharing the work and opinions of young learners who are marking new paths in education.

We founded this magazine at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School in Atlanta, GA, in collaboration with the Mount Vernon Institute for Innovation.

We are members of the Innovation Diploma, a program that meets 5.5 hours a week to explore various ventures where we work alongside members of the community, business leaders, and entrepreneurs to create innovations.

Our primary goals are to build muscle and capacity as innovators, blur the line between “school” and

the “real world,” and leave the world better than we found it.

Because of our passion to transform all of education, not just our school, we created Trailblazers, a platform for young learners around the world to share their voices.

From, Abigail Emerson, Anya Smith Roman, and Kaylyn Winters Note from Issue 12 Editors: This letter has introduced readers to Trailblazers since 2017. We thank the founders for their guiding vision and for continuing to advise the team.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Meet the Trailblazers Team

6

Demystifying the Metaverse

7-8

Art-natomy

9

The Hidden Role of Red Blood Cells in the Immune System

10-12

Brain-Computer Interphases

13-15

How-to-Internship

16-18

About Us

Liu i y

Se

Jia

MEET THE TEAM Co-Editor Jiayi is a senior at Farmington High School and participates in various activities ranging including debate, crew, and playing the clarinet. She hopes to become an engineer as she enjoys hands-on activities. While she has an avid interest in STEM, Jiayi’s guilty pleasure is watching history animation videos on YouTube.

Shi a lin

Co-Editor Selina is a senior at Farmington High School with a wide range of interests. From her passion for digital design to her interest in neuroscience, she loves to explore diverse fields of study. In her free time, Selina volunteers in the art community and enjoys unwinding with action-packed video games.

DEMYSTIFYING THE METAVERSE A term that’s been bouncing around lately is the Metaverse. It may not be a common term that comes up in conversation, but ever since Facebook announced it was rebranding to Meta, the term has become more common.

But what is the Metaverse? A basic definition is that it is an interoperable, immersive, 3D virtual space where humans can experience life in ways they could not do in the physical world. However, this is an idealistic interpretation of the Metaverse. In addition, the definition of the Metaverse seems like it is just describing a video game or virtual reality. In reality, the Metaverse has distinct characteristics that set it apart from other forms of virtual reality. These characteristics not only have been the source of hype over the years, but also why many people dislike the Metaverse.

The definition of the Metaverse remains ambiguous and is commonly interchanged with the terms, virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR).

However, defining the Metaverse as VR or AR is the equivalent of defining the internet as Google. Rather than a specific piece of technology, the Metaverse is a broad and often speculative term that defines a shift in how we interact with technology.

When a company refers to the Metaverse, it can mean a variety of things.

Demystifying the Metaverse

They can refer to VR, and AR, but also spaces that are not exclusively accessible via VR or AR. Virtual worlds in video games have even started referring to themselves as the Metaverse. An idealistic version of the Metaverse is interoperable, allowing you to take virtual items from one platform to another. Companies like Nvadia, Unity, Roblox and Snap have all begun creating virtual worlds that mimic the physical world.

The promise of digitizing everything from the physical world into a concept called the Metaverse is the source of all the hype for the Metaverse in the past few years. This hype is appropriate, because, if the Metaverse becomes a reality, everyone will be affected by it. Satya Nadella from Microsoft has said, “The metaverse is here, and it’s not only transforming how we see the world but how we participate in it – from the factory floor to the meeting room.”

Of course, the Metaverse is not the solution to everything. People dislike the idea of a Metaverse for several reasons. One of these reasons is cyber harassment and assault. In 2021, Chanelle Siggens was using her Oculus headset to play a shooter game, Population One. Another player’s avatar approached her and simulated groping and ejaculating on her avatar. When Siggens asked the player to stop, she said he responded, “He shrugged as if to say: ‘I don’t know what to tell you. It’s the metaverse — I’ll do what I want.’”

The Metaverse is a fresh concept that could be the future of technology.

Although it is new and exciting, it is also highly theoretical. No single company can succeed in making the Metaverse a reality.

Art-natomy

ART-NATOMY The mouth is more than just a feature of human anatomy—it’s a gateway to the body and a symbol of expression.

This piece, Art-natomy, explores the intricate relationship between art and science, blending the precision of anatomical study with the creativity of artistic interpretation.

The sketch captures the delicate structures of the mouth—chin, lips, and muscles—while highlighting their functional significance in speech, nutrition, and emotion. By bridging STEM and art, this illustration serves as a visual reminder of how scientific knowledge can inspire creative exploration and how art can make complex anatomy accessible to all.

THE HIDDEN ROLE OF RED BLOOD CELLS IN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Have you ever wondered what's going on inside your body when you catch a cold or the flu? It's all thanks to your incredible immune system - a highly sophisticated network of cells, tissues, and organs working around the clock to keep you healthy. Imagine your body is a castle, and the immune system is the army tasked with defending it against invading enemies. There are two main strategies your immune system uses: Innate Immunity: This is your body's first line of defense, like the castle's moat and drawbridge. It includes physical barriers like your skin and mucus membranes, as well as specialized immune cells that can quickly identify and eliminate threats.

The Hidden Role of Red Blood Cells in the Immune System Adaptive Immunity: This is the elite troops that develop over time. When your body encounters a new pathogen, it creates custom-made antibodies and memory cells to remember that specific enemy. That way, if it tries to attack again, your body is ready!

One of the key players in this immune battle are phagocytes - immune cells that act like the castle's cleanup crew. Through a process called phagocytosis, they gobble up harmful microbes and cellular debris, helping your body develop a more targeted defense.

But here's where things get really interesting: recent studies have uncovered that red blood cells (RBCs) and their parent cells, called erythroid precursor cells (EPCs), may actually have the ability to suppress your immune system.

This is surprising, since RBCs are best known for their oxygen-carrying duties.

Scientists are now racing to uncover the secrets behind this strange discovery. How exactly do RBCs and EPCs influence your immune defenses?

The answers could lead to groundbreaking new treatments and a deeper understanding of how your body protects itself. To investigate this phenomenon, researchers conducted an experiment that involved several steps.

1. They extracted bone marrow from a mouse to grow immune cells called dendritic cells.

2. They isolated RBCs and EPCs from the mouse's blood and bone marrow, respectively.

3. The scientists added the RBCs and EPCs to the dendritic cell cultures, along with a fluorescent substance called zymosan. Zymosan is recognized as a "foreign" component by the immune cells, triggering a response from the phagocytes.

The Hidden Role of Red Blood Cells in the Immune System By using flow cytometry and other advanced imaging techniques, the researchers were able to observe how the presence of RBCs and EPCs affected the dendritic cells' ability to engulf and digest the zymosan particles. Their findings revealed that both RBCs and EPCs had a suppressive effect on the immune cells' phagocytic activity.

This groundbreaking experiment has opened up new avenues of research, as scientists work to uncover the specific mechanisms behind this surprising interaction between blood cells and the immune system. The implications of this discovery could lead to the development of novel therapies for a wide range of diseases, from autoimmune disorders to cancer.

So the next time you feel under the weather, remember - your immune system is working hard to keep you safe, even if it has a few unexpected tricks up its sleeve. The more we learn about this incredible network, the better we can harness its power to stay healthy and strong.

WHAT ARE BRAIN COMPUTER INTERPHASES Imagine being able to operate gadgets and carry out tasks using just your thoughts, without needing to move your body. Though it might sound like science fiction, improvements in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are making this possibility a reality. Innovative technology known as BCIs capture brain impulses, evaluates them and then translates them into commands that communicate with other devices. BCIs have the potential to transform how we connect with technology, improve our capabilities, and potentially reshape the nature of employment as they develop. But how exactly do BCIs work, and what implications do they have for the workplace?

What are Brain Computer Interphases BCIs are intended to replace or recover functional function for those with disabilities brought on by illnesses like ALS, cerebral palsy, stroke, or spinal cord injury. BCIs give users the ability to directly control wheelchairs, robotic arms, prosthetic limbs, cursors, and more by directly accessing the electrical activity of the brain.

They give people who have had strokes hope for recovery and help doctors conduct intricate treatments more effectively. BCIs allow people to act in the world without the constraints of their muscles by using brain impulses. However, it's essential to note that BCIs are not mind-reading devices—they interpret brain signals to facilitate communication and control.

BCIs function by harnessing the way our brains operate. The neurons that make up our brains are individual nerve cells connected to one another by dendrites and axons. Our neurons are actively involved whenever we move, feel, think, or recall something.

These processes produce brief electric signals that move quickly— up to 250 mph—from one neuron to the next. These signals result from changes in the electric potential conveyed by the ions on the membrane of each neuron. A material called myelin insulates the signal pathways, but some electric signals still manage to escape.

These signals are detectable and comprehensible by scientists, who can then use them to command remote objects. Furthermore, the procedure can be turned around. For instance, scientists have been able to interpret the information that the optic nerve sends to the brain when a person sees the color red. It is possible for a blind person to "see" the color red without using their eyes if a device like a camera is developed that mimics and sends these exact signals into the brain anytime it detects red.

What are Brain Computer Interphases BCIs can be classified into different types based on their invasiveness. Invasive BCIs require surgery to implant electrodes directly into the brain, providing highly accurate readings. While they provide the finest signal resolution, they also carry a risk of adverse reactions, the development of scar tissue, and significant health issues.

On the other hand, semiinvasive BCIs entail implanting gadgets inside the skull but outside the brain. Compared to non-invasive BCIs, they provide better signal precision and resolution and provide a lesser risk of brain scar tissue formation.

Most existing BCIs are non-invasive, utilizing techniques like electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor brain activity. These noninvasive BCIs, such as wearable headbands and earbuds, have found applications in assistive devices, orthoses, robotics, and prosthetics. They are also being explored for neurofeedback training to enhance cognitive performance and corporate wellness programs. Moreover, BCIs show promise in predicting user preferences at professional events and enable personalized experiences.

HOW-TO-INTERNSHIP Finding an internship in high school may sound overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Internships are a great way to explore your interests, gain valuable experience, and strengthen your resume.

Whether or not your school has current internship resources and connections, this guide will help you break the process into manageable steps that you can take to independently take advantage of internship opportunities!

Step #1: Identify Your Interests Start by asking yourself what excites you. Do you enjoy building things, working with people, or solving problems? If you’re unsure, think about your favorite school subjects or hobbies. For example, if you love biology, look for internships in labs or hospitals. If you’re into writing, consider local newspapers or magazines.

Step #2: Ask for Guidance Teachers, counselors, and even family members can be valuable resources. THey may know about internship opportunities or can connect you with someone in your field of interest. If you have a club advisor or mentor, ask them for recommendations.

How-to-Internship Step #2.5: Search Online If there aren’t many resources available near you, many organizations post internships specifically for high school students online. Use search terms like: “High school internships near me” “Internships for teens in [your field of interest]” “Summer programs for high school students” LinkedIn is also a great resource to connect not only with job opportunities but with your peers and alumni as well

Step #3: Reach Out If you find an organization that you’d like to intern with but don’t see any listings, reach out directly. Write a short, polite email introducing yourself, explaining your interest in their work, and asking if they have opportunities for high school students. Use these email tips: Make sure your email is free of typos Keep it concise and to the point Add a resume, even if it’s just listing your school activities and skills Be specific in your email---It shouldn’t look like you just copied and pasted it to a bunch of professors

How-to-Internship Step #4: Explore Local Opportunities Sometimes the best internships are right in your community. Look for opportunities at: Local businesses: many small businesses are open to teaching motivated high school students Nonprofits: organizations often welcome extra help in exchange for valuable learning experiences College or universities: some have programs/summer programs or research labs open to high school students Step #5: Be Persistent Finding the right internship takes time. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back immediately or if the first few applications don’t work out. Follow up politely (but not excessively) if you haven’t received a response after a week or two. (Keep a record of where you’ve applied and when you followed up to stay organized) Step #6: Make the Most of Your Internship Once you land an internship, show up on time, ask thoughtful questions, and be proactive. Even if you’re assigned simple tasks at first, completing them with care can build trust and lead to bigger responsibilities.

Finding an internship in high school is about showing interest, being resourceful, and staying motivated. Start small, ask for help, and take the time to research opportunities that excite you. Good luck!