"Sticky Gels Turn Insect-sized Drones into Artificial Pollinators"

Alyssa Lee

Mr. Ippolito

Biology 10H

28 February 2017

Cell Press. "Sticky Gels Turn Insect-sized Drones into Artificial Pollinators."ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 Feb. 2017. Web. 28 Feb. 2017. <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170209133506.htm>.

The article I read, “Sticky Gels Turn Insect-sized Drones into Artificial Pollinators” by Cell Press concerned the development of small, bee-sized drones that could be used to pollinate flowers rather than having to use bees. One may wonder why such an invention would be in development if there are already bees who can pollinate these flowers, and the answer to that is a fact that surprised me greatly- bees are close to being classified as an endangered animal species. The reason for this, as explained by the article, is that the stress put on bees by the beekeepers for commercial use is shortening the bees’ lifespans over a period of several years. As a result of an failed experiment to attempt to create a electrically conductive liquid, chemist Eijiro Miyako at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology had found this gel years after his experiment in a storage cabinet, and saw that it had still retained its viscous properties and remained virtually unchanged despite the time that passed. This discovery inspired Miyako to investigate the substance further to see if it could be used to alleviate the bee situation. First, Miyako slathered some of the substance onto an experimental group of ants. He also used a control group of ants without the gel, and sent both groups into a bed of tulips. The ants with the gel were found to attract a markedly larger amount of pollen than the control group, so Miyako determined that the gel had a higher attraction for the pollen. Next, Miyako conducted an experiment with houseflies- surprisingly, the gel had a camouflaging effect on the flies which could be used to “help artificial pollinators avoid predation”. After confirming the gel’s utility, Miyako worked to create a small, insect-sized drone that could accommodate their needs. However, this and the gel alone were not enough to attract the amounts of pollen necessary to aid the bees in their strenuous work; Miyako and his other co workers then began the search to find out what could be added to the drone to increase its adhesive property, and found the answer that they had been searching for in horse hair, which had a similar consistency to bee hair. They then flew out the drones over Japanese lilies, and saw that they had collected a significant amount of pollen, then delivering that pollen to another flower, successfully pollinating them. This could mean that bees could be relieved the stress of pollination and instead focus on creating honey, a unique ability that no other insects or animals can do.

Miyako’s work with the drones has a chance of hugely impacting nature, especially concerning the bees. Seeing as bees are becoming endangered to due to human negligence, this would certainly alleviate some of their burden, seeing as they must pollinate and create honey. This is extremely taxing for the bee population, and if we even have a slight chance of saving them, then it would be a welcome choice to attempt to do so, as they provide so much to mankind. The extinction of the bee race would also impact the flowers that need to be pollinated in the spring, as bees make up the vast majority of animals that have the ability to pollinate, posing a threat to the plants’ lives as well, perhaps even decreasing the population of the plants to the point where it begins to threaten mankind’s existence, as we require oxygen from those plants to breathe- the decrease or even the extinction of plants could cause an overflow of carbon dioxide and lack of sufficient levels of oxygen on Earth for mankind to survive. Although it may seem extremely far-fetched to claim that flowers will go completely extinct, the extinction of the bee population would certainly cause a direct significant decrease in the plant population. As bees are an essential component of our ecosystem and a species existing in our world, we have a responsibility to care for them at least in return for the things that they bring to us.

This article was very well-written. The most impressive aspect of the article was the way in which it explained the experiments conducted by Miyako and his team, especially when they explained the building of the drone and the tests with the gel. The explanations were somewhat lengthy, but the detail encapsulated within them provided a clear understanding to the reader so that we could understand the thought process of the scientists involved. Another aspect that was well-done was the wording used in the article; although some concepts were difficult to grasp, the colloquial terms utilized made understanding the experimental process far easier. For example, when the article explains what special properties the gel had to make it a candidate for this set of experiments, it is understandable despite the fact that some readers may not know the definitions of “ionic” or “viscous”. We are able to infer from the context what the article is trying to convey. There were, however, some problems with the article as well- to name one, the article did not specify what chemicals caused the gel to retain its viscous properties after long periods of time, and it had left me curious the entire time as I was reading the article. Another problem was the article’s explanation as to why pollination is detrimental to the bee race. Although we can deduce that the pollination is taxing for the bees, why is it affecting them now rather than in years before? The article did not answer either of these questions, and I believe that to fix these problems, the author could skip over less of the process and go into further detail, especially concerning the areas like those mentioned above that are essential to the basic understanding of the significance of the experiment.

After Earth's Worst Mass Extinction, Life Rebounded Rapidly, Fossils Suggest

Alisa Fominykh

Mr. Ippolito

Biology 10H D Odd

February 17, 2017

Fleur, Nicholas St. “After Earth's Worst Mass Extinction, Life Rebounded Rapidly, Fossils Suggest.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Feb. 2017, <www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/science/great-dying-permian-extinction-fossils.html> Accessed 16 Feb. 2017.

This article, published by The New York Times, states about how recent discoveries of particular fossils have allowed for scientists to come to the conclusion that life rebounded quickly following a mass extinction. The investigation into this began when L. J. Krumenacker found seven or eight fossilized shark teeth in southeastern Idaho. After studying the fossils scientists dated them to be roughly 250 million years old, setting the creature to be alive shortly after the largest mass extinction on Earth which occurred 252 million years ago. This extinction was more destructive than the one which caused the extinction of dinosaurs 70 million years later, giving it the name “the Great Dying”. During this period 90% of species became extinct which states how difficult it would have been for life to be restored to the planet. By dating the shark teeth, shrimp, fish and squid fossils along with rocks found at the site, researchers determined the region used to be an underwater ecosystem 250 million years ago, making it 1.3 million years after the Great Dying. This contradicted the previous belief that ecosystems took 10 to 20 million years to flourish once more.

Although this occurred millions of years ago it helps scientists better understand how an ecosystem recovers after a mass extinction. This is especially beneficial to us now, since statistics suggest the Earth is due for another mass extinction.

This article did a good job explaining the findings on a level that would be understandable to an everyday person and was not too long in length that it bored the reader. However, it failed to explain the reasons that had previously suggested to scientists that a recovery from a mass extinction took much longer. Additionally, it would have been useful if the author had explained more about mass extinctions and how frequently they occurred, since I had to research this for myself to connect the dots as to why this scientific discovery would impact me if it related to something which occurred hundreds of millions of years ago. Overall, some more background information regarding mass extinctions would have been useful.

"Ancient Jars Hold Clues About Earth's Fluctuating Magnetic Fields"

Sarah Goodell

Mr. Ippolito

Core Bio: Current Event #3

13 February, 2017

Chang, Kenneth. "Ancient Jars Hold Clues About Earth’s Fluctuating Magnetic Fields."New York

    Times 14 Feb. 2017: n. pag. Print.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/science/magnetic-field-earth-jars.html

A recent article by Kenneth Chang from the New York Times, titled “Ancient Jars Hold Clues About Earth’s Fluctuating Magnetic Fields,” describes how jars from the ancient civilization of Judah dating between the eighth and second centuries can give clues into how the Earth’s magnetic field has fluctuated in the past and what that can tell us about our future on Earth. As the author writes, “Volcanic rocks record the strength and direction of the magnetic field as they cool and harden.” Because scientists are unable to date volcanic rocks precisely, these ancient jars are used to record “Earth’s magnetic field when they are fired in kilns and then cooled.” At the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, scientists took small chips from the ancient jars, then heated and cooled them “in a magnetic field to deduce the strength of the field when the jars were first made.” In the oldest jars, from the late-eighth century, scientists discovered that the magnetic field at that time was very strong, confirming prior theories. However, that spike of field strength has dissipated and declined by a third in under 30 years.

This article allows insight into how scientists are investigating Earth’s magnetic field in depth and how it is still impossible for us to fully understand that field. Although we are gaining more information and performing new experiments everyday, we have not been able to fully explain our shifting magnetic field because we lack sufficient historical evidence to prove our theories. These new findings will promote new experiments that can explore the decline in the magnetism of our field. Although scientists have discovered a spike in Earth’s magnetism, “Geophysicists...are [still] unable to explain how such a large spike, even one limited to that region [Judah], could have occurred and disappeared so quickly.” These experiments and findings also question our understanding of the Earth’s interior. As Dr. Livermore, a professor at the University of Leeds in England, said, ‘“It’s simply very difficult to explain...On the flip side, if the spikes really do exist, then they have major implications for how we understand the Earth’s interior.’” Dr. Livermore has also tried to perform experiments replicating the Earth’s interior, focusing on conditions where the core would create such a significant spike as the one that occurred on Earth, however, the majority of these experiments have failed.

The author of this article, Kenneth Chang, has displayed both his strengths and weaknesses in writing this article. Chang did a great job using credible sources that were quoted directly from the most essential experiments regarding this topic. This includes professor Dr. Philip Livermore and archaeologist Dr. Erez Ben-Yosef. Although this is a difficult topic to discuss and write about, Chang described the magnetic field, its process, and how these jars have influenced our previous theories very well. However, Chang was not able to provide sufficient information about where these scientists will go from here. He could have addressed the fact that other artwork or ancient household items can provide similar information from other time periods. Also, Chang could have included a description of the magnetic field to help create a better understanding for his readers. By doing so, Chang would have allowed for a better set-up for the rest of his article. This background foundation would have made it easier for his readers to fully understand Earth’s magnetism. Overall, Chang did a great job writing this article, proving this topic to be very informative and leaving me with many questions about our future regarding the changes in Earth’s magnetic field.

Human Gene Editing Receives Science Panel's Support

Norah Foley

Core Biology // Current event #3

Mr. Ippolito

February 15th, 2017

Article title: Human Gene Editing Receives Science Panel’s Support

This article published by the New York Times science section discusses a previously unthinkable proposition: the modification of human embryos to create genetic traits and to prevent potential diseases or disabilities . The reason this controversial topic is being broadcasted is because an important science advisory group formed by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine recently endorsed the idea. The proposition of such genetic modification has been longley perceived as too controversial for consideration. It has long been feared by scientists that the techniques used to prevent genetic diseases might also be used to provide the babies with unfair advantages such as enhanced intelligence or strength. The article discusses the report the advisory group wrote, and the terms they placed on the new genetic modification. The advisory group chose to only support alterations that are designed to prevent babies from acquiring genes known to cause “serious diseases and disability”. They also suggested it should only be used when there is no “reasonable alternative”. The importance of the report is that until now the government has been avoiding supporting any kind of genetic modification. However, this report has provided such explicit rationale, the government is forced to consider it. A recent invention of a powerful gene-editing tool called Crispr-Cas9 enables researchers to snip, insert, and delete genetic material with increasing precision. The topic still remains highly controversial as some people view it as humanity intervening with its own evolution. Other opponents of human germ line editing argue that if enhancements in intelligence, strength, and beauty are made possible they will create a social divide between those who can afford enhancements and those who can’t. In addition to such social concerns people also question the safety of the editing. While Crispr is precise, it is known to sometimes have “off-target” effects, accidently cutting DNA where it is not supposed to. People fear a child produced through a gene-editing technique could be harmed or disabled in an unintentional way. To refute such concerns the report calls for the prohibiting of any alterations that provide “enhancements”, but it is unclear who will draw those lines and how well they will be enforced.   R. Alta Charo, a bioethicist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a leader of the panel that wrote the report is now encouraging the public “ to discuss whether or how to pursue clinical trials of such applications”.  The article is closed with a quote from Sharon Terry, the president of the Genetic Alliance, a patient advocacy group, patients who may participate in clinical trials must begin a conversation. She said “My hope is that there would be serious considerations about what we are balancing here,”.

This article is extremely relevant to our current world. We are a very technologically advanced world, everyday we find new ways to make our lives easier through technology. Now there are ways to edit a baby’s genes through technology to prevent genetic diseases and to enhance its strength, brains, and appearance. Reading this article, frankly frightened me a bit. The gene-editing reminded of a science fiction futuristic dystopia. Learning that scientists today posses the power to literally design a baby's genes made me flabbergasted. The idea that genetic diseases such a s Huntington's or certain forms of Cancer could be removed from a baby's genes amazes me. I think if that were to be accomplished it would change the medical world forever. However reading this article also made me very skeptical. I do not think we should be able to provide certain babies with enhancements that will serve as major advantages in their future lives. I agree with the opponents of the genetic-editing when they predict a social divide between those who can and can’t afford enhancements. I believe it would have a horrible impact on society, as intelligence would be able to be bought. It would also interfere with our nation’s ideals that everyone is born equal. Despite reassurance that enhancements would be prohibited, I am not convinced. I don’t think the prohibition would last or be very strong. I think if people have access to those kind of advantages, they would seize them.

This article was very well-written, and extremely captivating. The author did not blatantly choose a side, and gave a voice to both sides of the argument. She provided a sufficient explanation on the terms of the report written regarding the proposition of genetic-editing. She also thoroughly explains the argument of the opposition. She expresses some of the risks involved as well as the positive outcomes. She basically provides an overall summary of the two sides so the reader can decide for themselves which side to choose. Something I think she could improve on is providing a more detailed description of how the genetic editing works. She did explain the tool used to edit, but did not dig into the real science behind how it works. It was hard to imagine how something that sounded so futuristic is actually being conducted today. I think having a more scientific explanation for it may change people’s perspective.

Works Cited:

Harmon, Amy. "Human Gene Editing Receives Science Panel's Support." The New York Times. The New York Times, 14 Feb. 2017. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.

"Exploding Star Yields Its Secrets"

Susie Goodell

Mr. Ippolito

Core Biology

2/17/17

Perkins, Sid. "Exploding Star Yields Its Secrets." Science. N.p., 13 Feb. 2017. Web. 14 Feb. 2017. <http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/02/exploding-star-yields-its-secrets>.

This article, published by Science Magazine, discusses how astronomers were able to see the effects of a supernova that occurred millions of years ago. Located in a galaxy about 160 million years from Earth, this supernova, called SN 2013fs, was detected for the first time on October 6th, 2013. The data collected and the analyses were released on Monday. The scientists concluded the star was a red supergiant that was 8 to 10 times the size of the Sun, according to Ofer Yaron, an astrophysicist who led the team studying the supernova. This team noticed something they had never seen before while studying the supernova. The researchers discovered that a relatively dense shell of gas was shed at the end of the star’s life. Astronomer Derek Fox of Pennsylvania State University in University Park says, “‘The star had substantial weight loss in the last year of its life. That’s new,’” The scientists inferred that the shell was shed during the last five hundred days of its life. The shell of material was swept away within five days of the explosion. Scientists have been given a chance to see what the environment of a supernova looks like before it destroys all of the material around it.

Scientists have struggled to understand what happens in the phase of stellar evolution between when the supernova occurs and stars begin to form again. The findings from this explosion provide astrophysicists with this needed information. The data that was obtained and the results that were inferred from it allowed scientists a glimpse at the phase of stellar evolution.

If another supernova is seen in the explosion, scientists can compare the results with the ones found with SN 2013fs and determine whether or not this was a normal result or just a fluke. With this kind of data, scientists might even be able to spot supernovas before they occur.

This article was very informative and I learned so much about what was discovered concerning the death of a star. The quotes the author chose to include show how credible his sources are, as they came from science researchers and professors from across the world. The author ends the article by describing what research will be done in the future to develop what was found here and what readers can look going forward. The problem with this article, however, is that the author only lists facts and discoveries for the majority of the article. I felt overwhelmed when I read it because all he was doing was stating facts. The author wasn’t taking the time to explain what the results meant for science and the world. This is important for him to fix because the article will have relayed no understanding of the events that occurred to the readers and it will have been a waste of time for them.

A Crack in the Antarctic Shelf has grown 17 Miles in the past month.

Marina Alfano

Mr. Ippolito

D Block Odd

8 February 2017

Current Event 2: A Crack in the Antarctic Shelf has grown 17 Miles in the past month.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/02/07/science/earth/antarctic-crack.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

A crack in Antarctica's fourth-largest ice shelf has been growing rapidly, at a rate of 5 football fields per day and scientists are worried that it is nearing a full break. The crack reaches around 100 miles in length and has 20 miles left until it breaks off and becomes one of the largest recorded icebergs in history. It reaches all the way to the bottom of the ice shelf, a total of ⅓ of a mile deep with a maximum width of 2 miles. The iceberg is likely to break free within the next few months, due to the amount of stress that the crack is placing on the small area of attachment to the mainland. Ice shelves are a result of glacial runoff and they act as a support to the glaciers inland. When the ice shelves break off, it is possible that the glaciers might accelerate towards the ocean. If the ice shelf completely breaks off at the crack, then Larsen C, the ice shelf in which the crack occupies will be the smallest it has ever been. If the crack reaches past the line called the shelfs compressive arch that is critical for structural support, then the whole entire northernmost part of the shelf could break off which would greatly change the shape of the Antarctic peninsula. Scientists are concerned that if Larson C gets thinner and this crack breaks it off, then the stability of the whole ice shelf will be threatened and a rapid retreat could be triggered.

When the  collapse of Larsen A (1995) and Larsen B (2002) occurred, the sea levels didn’t rise significantly because they were already floating above water and the glaciers behind them didn’t contain large amounts of ice. However, if Larsen C were to collapse, initially it wouldn’t attribute to a large rise in sea level but it might start a domino effect and other glaciers melting behind ice shelves could contribute to larger rises in the ocean. Scientists are worried that if Larsen C is collapsing now, then other major ice shelves may be following close behind.  Sea level rising causes multiple issues including coastal devastation. As seawater nears the coastline and travels further inland, it can cause destructive erosion, and soil contamination among many other things. When large storms such as tsunamis hit the coasts, the damage will become greater and more areas will become prone to flooding. Scientist predict that the warming of the planet will continue and is likely to continue at an accelerated rate, also contributing to  the rise in the oceans. As a society, we must reduce the number one cause of global warming which is burning fossil fuels because they increase the emission of CO2 that traps heat instead of letting it leave the earth which ultimately will slowly destroy our planet.

This article was well written, and provided many visuals to help the reader better understand the topic. If I were to change the article, I would possibly make it slightly longer with more quotes from scientists and It would have been nice if they talked more about what caused the crack and what we can do to stop it. Also, I would have liked a real picture of the crack instead of solely animations so that I could have gotten an idea on what the ice shelf looks like. One last thing that could have helped me better understand how fast this crack is advancing would be a timeline of from when the crack started until when it is predicted to break off. Overall, the article was on a very interesting topic and made me want to research more into the effects global warming has on glaciers and I feel it provided a good base of information on glaciers and ice shelves.

ltra-rare Galaxy Could Be 'one of a Kind'

Olivia Doyle

Mr. Ippolito

Core Biology

9 February 2017

Strickland, Ashley. "Ultra-rare Galaxy Could Be 'one of a Kind'." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2017.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/04/us/rare-hoag-galaxy-discovered/index.html

The article entitled “Ultra-rare Galaxy Could be ‘one of a kind’”, discusses the uniqueness of a small galaxy known as PGC 1000714 that was recently observed by scientists. Although it had been on the list of the catalog of galaxies, there was no description included. Recently, an astrophysicist at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences named Patrick Treuthardt took images of this galaxy. To do so, he and his team used “multi-waveband images from a large-diameter telescope to determine the age of its features.” Upon seeing these images, Burcin Mutlu-Pakdil deduced that this galaxy was a rare type that resembled something known as Hoag’s Object, a “non-typical ring galaxy with a round core and perfect, detached outer ring with no signs of a hidden substructure.” When analyzing the galaxy, the rings of it seemed to be the most shocking element to scientists. The two rings appear to be different colors and ages, and thus means that “the galaxy could have experienced two periods of formation and growth. Another possibility is that the outer ring was acquired as the galaxy included parts of a neighboring galaxy, according to the study.” However, scientists say that more data would have to be acquired in order to fully understand how the rings formed and what its inner structure looks like.

Because this article discusses such a rare type of galaxy, much can be learned from observing how it formed. What makes the galaxy so rare is the fact that is has two outer rings, rather than one circular ring surrounding the core. Usually, rings are symmetrical and galaxies have a “visible disk structure that shows how the core and its rings are connected.” However, this galaxy reportedly challenges these theories. These Hoag-type galaxies likely make up less than 0.1 % of observable galaxies. Treuthardt says, “”You could be more likely to be dealt four of a kind in a hand of five-card poker. This galaxy may be one of a kind.”” In learning more about this galaxy, Treuthardt says, “...it helps us better understand galaxy formation and evolution in general.” In doing so, we would be able to learn more about solar system evolution, and even more about the development of our solar system and planet.

This article was very well structured, and provided good background information on the topic. It explained the type of galaxy very well, so that anyone who picked up the article could understand easily. I liked how the author included quotes from each scientist’s point of view on their results as it allowed the reader to understand the process of analyzing this galaxy. The author provided adequate evidence for their claim that this galaxy was “one of a kind”. For example, she talked about the two outer rings in this galaxy, which are not commonly found in Hoag-type galaxies. The author concluded with a quote that caused the reader to think about the effect that this discovery has on humanity, and that opened up the discussion for discoveries of other types of galaxies similar to this one. In addition, the use of pictures was very helpful as it allowed the reader to gain a better understanding of what this galaxy looks like.

Although this article was very well-written and informative, there were some problems with it. For one, I would have liked a more in-depth description of what the galaxy is and how scientists have been able to photograph it. Also, although the part about the rings was suitable evidence for why the galaxy was so rare, I think there needed to be more evidence and information about Hoag-type galaxies in order for the reader to understand what an incredible discovery this really was. The author talked about how there is not enough data yet to learn how the rings formed, and that scientists will need infrared images and spectroscopic data to do so. I think the author should have expanded on this point more, and talked about where scientists will go with this in the future.

Deep sea mining could imperil rare, ghostlike octopus

Catherine Faville

Mr. Ippolito

Core Biology Honors

February 7, 2017

The recent article, “Deep sea mining could imperil rare, ghostlike octopus” by Sharon Oosthoek discusses the endangered, newly discovered clear octopus and the safety of their eggs. Researchers and scientists investigated that where miners are looking for valuable metals was the same area in which these ghost octopuses, also know as Caspers, lay their eggs. The miners in particular are interested in nodules on the seafloor, containing within them metals that are used for electronics. If the miners pursue the nodules they will disrupt the surrounding environment of the Casper octopuses.  The marine biologist, Autun Purser, and his research team decided to send a swimming robot to the seafloor to learn more about the surrounding area and the creatures living there. From the many pictures the robot took it was discovered that the octopuses lay their eggs on the dead stock of sea sponges that the octopus then wraps itself around as they try to protect their precious eggs. Unfortunately, these stocks are on top of the desired nodules.

The importance of this article to society is that with the steady increase of mining, sea life is constantly in danger. Mining areas keep growing larger and could soon be the size of small countries. With this expansion companies are obligated to choose safe spots to mine, areas in which there would be minimal effect on the surrounding environment. Also, the excessive amount of mining brings awareness for how people are treating the planet and its animals. If the companies do decide to pull up the nodules from the sea for the metals, the sea sponges wouldn't grow, so then the Casper octopuses wouldn't have anywhere to lay their eggs.

To me the article could have went into more depth about how the nodules can affect other sea creatures, besides the octopuses. The article could have specified if any scientist had conducted any experiments on the Caspers, or if they have just taken pictures of them so far. Also it would have been nice to know exactly why these particular octopuses are attracted to the dead sea sponges as a destination to lay their eggs. The article was very helpful with its expansive details on the dilemma, however it should have given a little more background on the animal, not just the event itself.

Oosthoek, Sharon. "Deep-sea Mining Could Imperil Rare, Ghostlike Octopus." Science News for Students. N.p., 03 Feb. 2017. Web. 08 Feb. 2017.

https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/deep-sea-mining-could-imperil-rare-ghostlike-octopus

Misophonia Sufferers: Scientists May Have Found the Root of Your Pain

Catie Burnell

Mr. Ippolito

Core Biology Honors

February 9, 2017

The article “Misophonia Sufferers: Scientists May Have Found the Root of Your Pain” by Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura gives readers a very interesting insight into psychobiology. The article, published earlier this month, details the findings of a study conducted by neuroscientists at Britain’s Newcastle University. Misophonia, which nearly 200,000 Americans suffer from, is “a mysterious affliction in which seemingly harmless sounds unleash anger, anxiety, and, in some cases, panic attacks in some people.” The study, headed by Dr. Sukhbinder Kumar, produced some fascinating results. Brain scans done on those with misophonia found that sounds that trigger one’s misophonia, such as chewing, put the anterior insular cortex - the part of the brain controlling emotions - into overdrive. Additionally, in sufferers of misophonia, the study showed that the anterior insular cortex was connected to the amygdala and hippocampus - regions of the brain that control memory - differently than in those unaffected by the disorder. Dr. Kumar stated that “We [the research team] think that misophonia may be heavily connected to recalling past memories, because people with misophonia have had very bad experiences… When they hear these sounds, it’s like their attention is completely absorbed by the sounds, and they can’t do anything else… They’re triggering a recall.” To obtain these findings, “the team used an M.R.I. to measure the brain activities of 42 people with and without misophonia while they were listening to a range of noises,” including rain, a baby crying, and eating and drinking sounds. Sounds related to chewing and drinking caused the most anger and anxiety amongst subjects with misophonia. The study, which involved almost 200 research subjects, also found that the average age in which sufferers are first aware of their misophonia is twelve.

The findings detailed in this article may indicate some relief for those suffering with misophonia, such as Olana Tansley-Hancock, a twenty-nine-year-old woman from Kent, England who was interviewed about her struggles with misophonia: “I can only describe it as a feeling of wanting to punch people in the face when I heard the noise of them eating.” The team behind this research hopes that their findings can lead to treatments for misophonia to be found in the future, such as neuro-feedback. Additionally, the findings produced by the study validate misophonia as a mental disorder, which comes as a great relief to its sufferers.

Freytas-Tamura’s article is very well-written and understandable. For someone who is not familiar with misophonia, the author made it very easy for me to understand the terms they used and fully comprehend the article as a whole. However, I think it would have been quite beneficial for the author to have some more details on the findings from this groundbreaking study, as very little research on misophonia has been conducted in the past and I would have liked some more information on the specific effects misophonia may have on a person. Overall, though, this article was comprehensive and fascinating to read.

Freytas-Tamura, Kimiko De. "Misophonia Sufferers: Scientists May Have Found the Root of Your Pain." The New York Times. The New York Times, 3 Feb. 2017. Web. 6 Feb. 2017.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/03/health/sounds-people-hate.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=10&pgtype=sectionfront