Tag: College of Arts and Sciences

Experts by Mike Tuberosa
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“New” Family Tree for Neotropical Knifefishes

A great deal goes into not only finding a new fish species, but in confirming that it is, in fact, unknown to science and then placing it on the “tree of life”. The scientific names and classifications of fishes – and all living things – are based on specimens that are collected in the field and preserved in natural history collections like the Academy of Natural Sciences here in Philadelphia. Published literature creates a verifiable chain of custody that ties taxonomic names to their authors, dates, usage and museum specimens.

Science & Technology by Mike Tuberosa
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Q+A: Where Do Thoughts That Seem to Appear Out of Nowhere Actually Come From?

During the course of a day, our attention can easily wander from time to time. Our brain can go from focusing on something around us to involuntary, random thoughts for no apparent reason. This “mind-wandering” describes a common phenomenon in which a wide range of self-generated thoughts emerge spontaneously. Neuroscientists have been studying the brain for years as they try to understand where these spontaneous thoughts come from.

Science & Technology by Mike Tuberosa
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Q&A: What’s Next for IceCube’s Hunt for ‘Ghost Particles?’

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, or IceCube, is a massive cubic-kilometer detector embedded deep in the Antarctic ice at the South Pole that explores fundamental questions in physics and astronomy. For the first time since its inception in 2010, IceCube has just completed an upgrade consisting of adding over 600 new detectors to the existing 5,160 which were installed more than 15 years ago. This upgrade, along with the continued collaboration of Physics faculty and students from Drexel University, should lead to more information on neutrinos, or “ghost particles” as they are sometimes referred to, and pave the way for more cosmic discoveries.

Experts by Mike Tuberosa
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Q+A: Eating Disorders and Body Image: Two Overlooked Problems for Men

The growing popularity of weight-loss medications like GLP-1s has triggered a broad reevaluation of the driving forces behind our relationship with food. As a result, researchers are also taking a fresh look at the neurological and psychological drivers of eating disorders — including binge-spectrum eating disorders, which affect approximately 2.8 million adults in the United States.