Sound as a surprisingly silent killer? — In my college physics class, one of the many topics that we covered was resonant frequencies. According to my notes, resonant frequencies occur when an object vibrates at its preferred or natural frequency, maximizing the strength or amplitude of its vibration. Consider a child on a moving playground swing. If…

My data science journey + building a dataset from scratch — Entering the world of data science Kode with Klossy Early this summer, I was offered a scholarship to attend a virtual camp by Kode with Klossy. Kode with Klossy, abbreviated as KWK, is a 501(c)(3) organization for girls and non-binary students who are interested in computer science. KWK offers three different curricula for scholarship students: web development, mobile app…

One instrument in an interstellar orchestra — When you hear the word “wave,” what do you think of? Maybe you think of water waves in the ocean, or if you’re more mathematically inclined, you might think of a sinusoidal graph. In physics, a wave is defined as a disturbance in space and time. Water waves fit this…

Mass extinction by 100 billion billion Suns — Gamma Ray Bursts, or GRBs, are the brightest explosions known to mankind, with peak luminosities rivaling that of 100 billion billion Suns. GRBs are also extremely energetic outbursts, as their energy is emitted via gamma rays. …

Dormancy versus death through “cryosleep” technology — In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a defining plot point occurs when Captain America, also known as Steve Rogers, crashes his plane into the chilly waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The frozen super soldier quickly falls into a 66 year-long hibernation, before waking up and rejoining society. Marvel’s official explanation for…

Changing the *culture* of the fashion industry through bioengineering — Every year, the fashion industry cranks out over two billion tons of carbon dioxide. This colossal carbon footprint is largely due to the fashion industry’s reliance on synthetic materials, such as polyester and acrylic fibers. …

Natural and artificial instances of the Golden Ratio — The Fibonacci Sequence is one of the most famous formulas in the realm of number theory. Even if you are not a mathematics hobbyist, it is likely that you have heard of Fibonacci numbers or the “Golden Ratio” at some point in your life. The Fibonacci sequence takes top billing…

Is it possible to predict volcanic activity below sea level? — On Saturday, January 15th, the island nation of Tonga was disrupted with an explosion 600 times as powerful as the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. So far, at least five people have died due to the explosive event. …

Looking into our universe with a fresh pair of “eyes” — Modern day engineers have progressed tremendously from Galileo Galilei’s original refracting telescope. Since then, thanks to key contributions from Isaac Newton, engineers have been able to develop reliable reflecting telescopes which can be deployed into outer space. The Hubble Space Telescope is one such telescope, sent into the Earth’s orbit…