Princeton Insights

March 30, 2023March 30, 2023

RuI3 Like You’ve Never Seen Before: Synthesizing a New Quantum Spin Liquid Candidate

Review written by Mulan Yang (Chemistry, G3) and Brianna Hoff (Chemistry, G3)

One of the main goals of materials science is to develop new materials for fulfilling the various applications we see all around us, from the batteries required to keep our phones running to the plastics we use to store food and drinks. One particular niche is quantum materials science, which focuses on the study and development of materials whose electrons behave differently from how we would expect based on classical models. Quantum materials are especially exciting to study because they have the potential to store information in their electrons more effectively, which is the basis of quantum computing. Finding the perfect material that can be employed in quantum computers would allow tremendous data processing at incredible speeds.

February 27, 2023February 27, 2023

Noncommunicable Diseases and Socioeconomic Status in Turkana, Kenya w/ Grad Student Benjamin Muhoya

In this episode of Brains, Black Holes, and Beyond, Thiago Tarraf Varella sit down with Benjamin Muhoya, a graduate student in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department to learn more about his research. Benjamin discusses his research in hospitals prior to coming to Princeton, his research looking at the evolutionary perspective of the trends noncommunicable diseases among different socioeconomic backgrounds in Turkana, and some exciting research results coming out soon.

This episode of Brains, Black Holes, and Beyond (B cubed) was produced under the 147th board of the Prince in partnership with the Insights newsletter.

For more information about Benjamin's research, check out the original insights article linked below.

RESOURCES:

Original Paper: Socioeconomic status effects on health vary between rural and urban Turkana

Princeton Insights coverage: Socioeconomic status effects on human health have evolved with industrialization

CREDITS:

Written and Hosted by Thiago Tarraf Varella

Edited and Sound Engineered by Senna Aldoubosh

Transcript by Ketevan Shavdia

Produced by Senna Aldoubosh

Original Princeton Insights coverage by Kimberly Sabsay (QCB, G3).

Subscribe to Brains, Black Holes, and Beyond on Spotify, Podcast Addict, or wherever you get your podcasts! And subscribe to the Daily Princetonian to get the latest news at Princeton!

For more from the Daily Princetonian, visit dailyprincetonian.com. For more from Princeton Insights, visit insights.princeton.edu. Please direct all corrections to corrections@dailyprincetonian.com.

January 6, 2023January 6, 2023

Jupiter's Auroras with Dr. Jamey R. Szalay

In this episode of Brains, Black Holes, and Beyond, Thiago Tarraf Varella sits down with Princeton researcher Dr. Jamey R. Szalay to discuss the science behind Jupiter's auroras. Dr. Szalay also discusses exciting NASA breakthroughs being made by the Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE) in learning about Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.

This episode of Brains, Black Holes, and Beyond was produced by Princeton Insights in partnership with the 146th Managing Board of The Daily Princetonian. Insights show host Thiago Tarraf Varella is a graduate student in Department of Psychology at Princeton and can be reached at tvarella@princeton.edu.

To view the transcript for this episode, click “More Info” and then “Full Transcript” in the episode player.

Correction: A previous version of this description referred to the “Stellar Reference Unit” instead of the “Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE) plasma instrument.” The 'Prince' regrets this error.

RESOURCES:

Original Paper: Water-group pickup ions from Europa-genic neutrals orbiting Jupiter

Princeton Insights coverage: Proton Outflow Associated With Jupiter’s Auroral Processes

CREDITS

Written and hosted by Thiago Tarraf Varella
Edited and Sound Engineered by Senna Aldoubosh
Transcript by Ketevan Shavdia
Produced by Senna Aldoubosh

Original Princeton Insights coverage by Cecilia Panfil (CHM, 2022) and Alexandra Libby (PNI, GS)

Subscribe to Brains, Black Holes, and Beyond on Spotify, Podcast Addict, or wherever you get your podcasts! And subscribe to the Daily Princetonian to get the latest news at Princeton!

November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

Understanding the arrow of time across scales and complexity

Review written by Qiwei Yu (G2, Biophysics)

The stream of time flows inevitably forward and stops for no one. This one-way direction defines an “arrow of time”, which we perceive through the lens of irreversible processes that occur in both inanimate and living worlds. Irreversibility is manifested at both microscopic and macroscopic scales, ranging from the dissolution of an ink droplet in water to the concerted flight of large flocks of birds.

November 3, 2022November 3, 2022

Isolation Disorganizes Typical Social Interaction and Whole-Brain Genetic Expression in the Bumblebee

Review written by Adelaide Minerva (PNI, G4) and Rebekah Rashford (PNI, G5)

Throughout the COVID pandemic, many of us were faced with profound levels of social isolation which took a toll on both our mental and physical health. This has been especially detrimental for children, whose brains and social skills are still developing. Normally, social experience in early life plays a crucial role in guiding this development; but what happens when that guidance is no longer present? Disruptions to the early social environment have been seen to negatively impact other social species besides humans, such as mice, fish, and some insects. Studying how social isolation may disrupt the development of these highly social species can provide insight into the neural mechanisms underlying both typical and aberrant behavior at a level of detail not currently possible in human subjects. Taking advantage of one of these highly social species, Dr. Yan Wang and colleagues in the departments of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and the Center for Biophysics at Princeton used bumblebees to measure the effects of early life social isolation on behavior, gene expression, and whole-brain neuroanatomy.

October 28, 2022October 28, 2022

Using Machine Learning to Better Understand Human Behavior

Review written by Paula Brooks (NEU, G6)

How similar are bears and bulls?

If you ask a biologist, she might say that they are pretty similar, since they are both four-legged mammals found in North America. However, if you ask an economist, he might say they are polar opposites, since they are used to describe distinct stock market conditions. The unique way in which individuals organize their semantic knowledge, or general information gained through life experiences, could cause two people to judge the similarity between two animals in very different ways.

October 20, 2022October 20, 2022

Early life adversity can induce pathological avoidance behaviors in mice, but males with suppressed neurogenesis may step out of their comfort zones

Review written by Amy Ciceu (NEU, 2024)

Early life adversity, ranging from physical and emotional abuse, neglect, and violence, to poverty and unstable home environments, can have an enduring toll on child development. Some children who experience early life adversity may experience detrimental effects in the moment but develop into adults without pathological behavior. On the other hand, for certain children, the impacts of early life adversity increase the likelihood that they will develop neuropsychiatric disorders as adults. For instance, anxiety disorders are more prevalent amongst survivors of early life adversity compared to the general population. Although diverse in the symptoms they present and the treatments they require, anxiety disorders share one feature in common: heightened levels of anxiety. Normally, anxiety helps us steer clear of dangers. However, if ramped up into overdrive, excessive levels of anxiety can fuel a range of maladaptive behaviors.

October 13, 2022October 13, 2022

Socioeconomic status effects on human health have evolved with industrialization

Review written by Kimberly Sabsay (QCB, G3)

Socioeconomic status (SES), often simplified as absolute material wealth, is often linked to a variety of human health metrics. At a fundamental level, it makes sense that higher SES likely corresponds with access to better medical services, and in turn, better overall health. Studies have shown that, indeed, higher SES is associated with better human health, but the majority of this data comes from high-income countries (HICs). Despite the growing amount of scientific evidence for the apparent gradients in disease risk and survival explained by access to medical care and other health-related lifestyle factors, we cannot be certain that these trends are universal. Understanding the relationship between SES and health is crucial for policy design and to ensure we make economic decisions that do not negatively impact overall human health. Ultimately, the relationships between SES and health can be used to motivate positive change that benefits all of humanity.

July 5, 2022July 5, 2022

The Termite Wars: How tiny insect engineers shape the African savanna

Review written by Jarome Ali (EEB, G5)

Music by Three Music

On the savannas of Kenya, a battle has been waged for centuries. The landscape hints at how this battle has shaped the entire ecosystem, but it must be viewed from far above. From just a few meters above ground level, the telltale signs are still invisible. However, from the vantage point offered by drone photography or satellite imagery, a clear pattern emerges. Patches of vegetation are spotted across the savanna, in a regular hexagonal layout. This kind of order in the natural world fascinates biologists and begs for an explanation. Researchers at Princeton have been investigating how warring termite colonies (or insect colonies in general), and the underlying resource distribution can drive the emergence of order in the savanna landscape.

April 7, 2022April 7, 2022

Bacteria in the human microbiome can inactivate the antidiabetic drug acarbose

Review written by Abigail Stanton (MOL, G2)

Even in the microscopic world, survival of the fittest can make for relentless, and creative, competition. With a limited amount of resources to go around, some bacteria will play dirty to make sure they get their fair share. Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110, a bacterium that lives in the soil, has developed a strategy to fight off competitors: by producing a specialized sugar called acarbose, it can block proteins responsible for sugar uptake and metabolism in its microbial neighbors. This inhibits the growth of other bacteria, leaving more food for Actinoplanes to enjoy.