Gettysburg welcomes first-ever STEM Scholars cohort
By Kayla Britt, MS&T Editor Gettysburg College recently welcomed the first group of STEM Scholars, an initiative funded by both the National Science Foundation and Gettysburg College. The grant was part of Gettysburg’s initiative to improve diversity and inclusion on campus. “My personal interest in this kind of program came after seeing statistics that [despite] the impressive rate of URM students graduating from the college, the...
The science behind Olympic records
By Kayla Britt, MS&T Editor Every four years, millions of people tune in to watch highly-skilled and well-trained athletes compete in high-stake competitions. The Olympic Games, which have ties to ancient Greece, were expanded in the 1980s to include professional athletes. They are arguably the most prominent sports competitions in the world today. The Olympics are an opportunity for athletes to shatter stereotypes surrounding...
Could Olympians bring home Zika virus with their medals?
By Sam Siomko, Staff Writer As the United States continues to wipe the floor in the medal count at the Rio Olympics this year, concerns surrounding conditions on and off the playing fields are still an issue. The whole Australian team had been robbed, and then there was that time the diving pool turned green. But before the Olympic torch was even lit, Zika was all over the news. Zika is a virus that is spread through mosquito bites....
Research from the land down under: Conducting research on Australia’s whale sharks
By Natalie Pitman, Contributing Writer Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of marine biology research and conservation. It was this passion that fueled my ambition to study biology at Gettysburg College, and what led me to travel thousands of miles to “the land down under” to conduct research in Australia this past spring semester. I became interested in the ocean at a young age and have followed my passion in many ways: joining the...
Bacteria could be the newest way to make car fuel
By Kayla Britt, MS&T Editor Yesterday, researchers published results from a study that found that bacteria could be used to produce methane (car fuel) from carbon dioxide, which is abundant in the atmosphere. The enzyme nitrogenase enables the conversion. Nitrogenase is also involved in nitrogen fixation, generally a process done by soil bacteria. Scientists genetically engineered a strain of bacteria to produce large quantities...
Does your native language influence your perspective?
By Erin Stackowitz, Staff Writer Language is a powerful tool and central to modern existence. It can be used to express a variety of emotions, articulate thought, and is one vital aspect that separates humans from any other species. Although there is a myriad of languages spoken, most assume that through accurate translation the core meaning remains intact. However, psycholinguist Panos Athanasopoulos of Lancaster University in the...
