Archived articles

Science+Technology

A collage depicts a historical photo of geologist Florence Bascom alongside broken rocks
She dared to dig
Published Summer 2024
Trailblazing geologist Florence Bascom's stony path to becoming the first woman to receive her PhD from Johns Hopkins / Johns Hopkins Magazine
Illustration depicts two bacteria sitting at a restaurant table with drinks in front of them
Bacteria are talking
Published Summer 2024
Molecular biologist Bonnie Bassler, A&S '90 (PhD), discovered that bacteria communicate using a complex chemical language. / Johns Hopkins Magazine
Dinosaurs illo
Paleontology
Cracking open the fossil record
Published Summer 2024
Jasmina Wiemann's PaLEO Lab looks at fossils for new clues about how life evolved and how it will persist—or not—during the sixth mass extinction / Johns Hopkins Magazine
Susan Courtney
In memoriam
Visionary cognitive neuroscientist Susan Courtney dies at 57
Published June 13, 2024
Courtney's research focused on understanding the neural basis of higher cognitive function, and she was especially interested in how brain structure was affected by aging or disease
Blue skies with bright white clouds, looking up toward the Gilman Hall clock tower
Art + Mind
Baltimore writers to help scientists learn how brain processes stories
Published June 12, 2024
Winners of a new Baltimore writing contest will help Johns Hopkins University neuroscientists learn what happens in the brain when people read stories; deadline extended to July 31
Hot-Lava World Illustration
Planetary science
Laser tests reveal new insights into key mineral for super-Earths
Published June 12, 2024
High-energy laser experiments led by Johns Hopkins researchers suggest the compound could be the earliest mineral to solidify out of magma oceans in forming "super-Earth" exoplanets
Black and white illustration of three smoke stacks
Environmental health
Surprisingly high levels of toxic gas found in Louisiana
Published June 11, 2024
The toxic gas ethylene oxide, at levels a thousand times higher than what is considered safe, was detected across parts of Louisiana with a cutting-edge mobile air-testing lab
Artist’s conception of the view towards the young star Beta Pictoris from the outer edge of its disk.
Astrophysics
Webb telescope reveals asteroid collision in neighboring star system
Published June 10, 2024
The observations spotlight the volatile processes that shape star systems like our own, offering a unique glimpse into the primordial stages of planetary formation
Artist’s concept of newly found planet TIC365102760 b, nicknamed Phoenix, shows the puffy gas planet in various shades of red, orange, and brown up close facing a red giant star emitting light and a starry backround.
Exoplanets
'Weird' planet endures nearby star's relentless radiation
Published June 5, 2024
Newly discovered 'Phoenix,' nicknamed for its ability to survive extreme conditions near red giant star, offers novel insights into how planets evolve
Illustration of the Earth in a bright blue sky, with images of man-made construction on the surface
Science visualization
A visualization of everything on Earth
Published June 5, 2024
A new interactive visual depicts everything on the planet Earth, showing, with scientific precision and breathtaking profundity, how man-made things now outweigh all forms of natural life