By: Liv Miller

The earth is filled with millions of different beautiful species of animals. No matter where you are in the world, you are exposed to many different unique and amazing animals. There is one huge problem facing these animals today, extinction.

First let’s talk about extinction itself, what it is and how it happens. Extinction is the dying out, or extermination of a single species of animal. There can be many reasons or causes of this happening. Extinction can occur when species are negatively affected due to environmental forces. Some examples of these environmental forces are natural disasters, global change, or overexploitation of species for human use.

Another cause of extinction can be due to evolutionary changes, this includes poor reproduction, genetic inbreeding, or decline in population numbers.

No matter how or where it happens, extinction is a growing issue putting many different beloved species at risk.

The first species I found that was at risk of extinction was the loggerhead sea turtle. The reason why many species who mainly live near, or in water, like the loggerhead turtles are in danger, is because according to Biologicaldiversity.org a huge percentage of the world’s population live within at least 150 miles of the coast. This puts a lot of pressure on species trying to find space to live and reproduce among all of the people and crowds. This causes more problems that are contributing to the extinction of this animal. For example; destruction of their nesting habitat, harassment while nesting, over harvesting of its eggs, ect.

Another species I want to talk about is the Florida panther. A great population of this animal used to live across all of the southeastern parts of the United States, but now is confined to just a small area in Florida. The reason this animal is facing extinction is because of the destruction of their habitat. Urban expansion is a huge threat to wildlife, and is causing not just the Florida panther, but many other species to become extinct. According to Biologicaldiversity.org, large numbers of panthers died due to the growing network of roads connecting Florida’s growing human population spread throughout the state. As of 2011, there were only 100-120 panthers left.

These are just two of the close to a million species in which their population is declining and facing extinction. Many causes of this issue are unavoidable, but I do believe that there can be something done to save at least some of these beautiful animals.

By: Ava Bleifuss

Diabetes is a long lasting health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. How does your body turn food into energy? The food that you eat is broken down into glucose/sugar and released into your bloodstream for your body to use. When your blood sugar gets too high, there is a signal that goes to your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin is a lot like a key and in this case it lets the blood sugar into the body’s cells to use as energy. When someone has diabetes, this process does not work.

There are two types of diabetes that a person can have; the first kind is type 1 diabetes. Studies have shown that type 1 diabetes occurs by an autoimmune reaction, which is when the body attacks itself by mistake. That autoimmune reaction stops your pancreas from producing insulin. Without insulin blood sugar is not able to get into cells and it can cause many buildups in the bloodstream.

Type 1 diabetes can also be passed on from parents. If a parent has diabetes then it is possible the child also has the gene, and is more likely to develop it. Type 1 diabetes is less common than type 2 and is often diagnosed in the younger years of a person’s life. 

The second type of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. Type 2 and type 1 diabetes often get mixed up because type 2 is just where your body doesn’t use insulin properly. People with type 2 diabetes, their bodies can not control the blood sugar enough to keep it at a normal level. This long term condition causes too much sugar circulating in a person’s bloodstream, and the cells do not respond normally to insulin.

Most people who have diabetes have type 2, and it develops over many years. Normally, it is diagnosed during adulthood, but children and teens are able to get type 2 diabetes. There is no said cure for this type, but it can be managed and controlled by losing weight, eating well, exercising, and drinking plenty of water. 

Managing diabetes can be difficult. People with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes have to take insulin shots or can use an insulin pump to manage their blood sugar levels. They have to check their blood sugar regularly to make sure it is in the appropriate range. If it is too low, people with diabetes will have to take in more glucose, and if it is too high, they will have to take in more insulin. Having a lot of stress can cause managing diabetes to be more challenging, but doing regular physical activity, getting enough sleep, and having relaxation exercises can help. 

For more information, please visit:

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-1-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20353011
• https://www.lifelinescreening.com/health-education/diabetes/type-1-type-2-diabetes?sourcecd=WNAT003
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193

By: Reed Morris

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), is the flagship observatory for NASA’s next generation of space telescopes. The project has been in progress for years and has cost around 10 billion dollars to complete. Many people refer to it as “The new Hubble”; while this is partially true, Hubble and the JWST have very different missions, and operational capabilities.

The two most important differences between the two observatories are their mirror sizes, and the imaging equipment on board. The size of the mirrors are very important as the image quality and range capabilities of telescopes directly rely on the size of their mirrors. Hubble is equipped with a mirror 2.4 meters or 7.8’ in diameter, whereas the JWST has a mirror diameter of 6.5 meters or 21.3’, a massive leap forward for space telescope capabilities.

The other main difference between the two is their individual operation capabilities. Hubble has cameras that focus mostly on the visible light range with minimal ultraviolet and infrared capabilities. The JWST however has extreme infrared capabilities. This is where the time machine nickname comes from. Infrared imaging in space exploration is extremely important because of the way that the expansion of the universe affects light. The farther away an object is from an observer, the greater the expansion and stretching of the universe affect the wavelength of light. As space stretches, so does the wavelength of light, redshifting the waves from visible light onto the infrared spectrum. Having high infrared capabilities is necessary to image events that took place an incomprehensible amount of time in the past, over similarly incomprehensible distances.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a monumental step forward in astronomy. It will let us peer billions of years into the past to witness the formation of the first galaxies. It will also be used to search for exoplanets that could harbor life, and get beautiful images of the vast expanses of space. The galaxy formations that the JWST will be observing are events that took place possibly only 100 million years after the creation of the universe, the Big Bang. While Hubble was, and still is a hugely important tool for space exploration, the JWST ushers in a new era of deep space imaging, and is a launching pad for humanity’s better understanding of the creation of galaxies and the universe as a whole.

By: Liibaan Yusuf

To begin, schizoaffective disorder is a mental disorder not always easily identifiable. However, the core symptoms are usually very noticeable though they can be mistaken for other mental illnesses. Unstable mood, irregular thought processes, and depression are usually the main callers for attention, however, schizoaffective disorder can sometimes be an afterthought diagnosis especially if the patient has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and any other mood disorder beforehand.

There are two main types of schizoaffective disorder. One is the bipolar type; where the patient shows episodes of mixed emotions and mania. The other is the depressive type; patients diagnosed with this have been known to be misdiagnosed with depression and/or bipolar disorder.

What do mental abnormalities have to do with your diet? Instead ask this, what does your diet do to influence mental abnormalities? Although schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are still being studied, and are thought to have no known causes, it’s widely assumed that they are genetic and worsened by outside factors. Researchers at the Seoul Women’s University conducted a study with shocking findings. Researchers found that diets lacking anti-inflammatory foods are likely to worsen issues and problems caused by schizoaffective disorder.

Doctors and specialists recommend an anti-inflammatory rich diet (think foods like dragonfruit) to work against schizoaffective disorder. Although it cannot be prevented entirely, nor worked against, it is merely a slow down effect. Foods rich in Omega-3’s such as seafood, nuts, and legumes should be a staple in the diets of patients as well. Studies show that those who struggle with schizoaffective disorder also are missing concerning amounts of vitamins D and B which are described as ‘therapeutic’ in reversing negative aspects of the disorder.

A study conducted in Bahrain had examined the links between schizophrenia, a close cousin to schizoaffective disorder, and its links to diet. The Bahraini researchers found that the gut plays a big part in this whole case. Since the gut is responsible for the digestion and absorption of nutrients, any issues with the intake of nutrients will have notable effects on the mind.

More specifically, two missing gut enzymes, Succinivibrio and Corynebacterium, are common bacteria found in all people throughout the world, although those with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are missing both. Scientists are still not sure what causes this and how and if it links with schizophrenia, but it is concerning nonetheless.

For more information, please visit:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7644368/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31898212/

By: Abigail Hernandez Castillo & Thalia Pliego

As the world changes everyday, science changes and evolves everyday as well. There have been advances in all areas of science and regrowing limbs in adult frogs is one of them. According to CBS News, scientists at Tufts University and Harvard University’s Wyss Institute have been able to regrow amputated limbs. A study that was published in Science Advances shows how the researchers used a chemical cocktail to induce this growth on the frogs’ limbs. Currently, “The ability to regrow limbs is limited to ‘salamanders and superheroes,'” the team said in a press release. Science Advances further explains that, “For the study, scientists began by applying the five-drug chemical cocktail infused with silk protein gel to the African clawed frogs stump and they covered it with a silicone dome,” called the BioDome. 

Both frogs and humans share a similarity, they both cannot regrow limbs. According to Live Science, based on a new study, researchers had successfully been able to get African clawed frogs to grow new replacement limbs in 18 months which was followed by a treatment that lasted 24 hours. Humans are able to close open wounds and use stem cells to regrow parts of the liver, similar to animals like salamanders who can regrow entire limbs. However, as of right now both frogs and humans cannot fully regrow limbs. “The cells of the frog already know how to make frog legs, our goal is to figure out how to convince them to do it again.” says Micheal Levin, a biologist at Tufts University.

According to Science News, Michael Levin and his team amputated the back legs of 115 adult African clawed frogs. ⅓ of these frogs received BioDomes, which are silicone sleeves that cover the wound on the legs. Researchers attached BioDomes holding a gel that contained 5 chemicals which included a nerve growth promoter, an anti-inflammatory substance, and a growth hormone to another third of the frogs. The last ⅓ of the frogs had not received any treatments before being placed into their tanks. The BioDomes had stayed on the African clawed frogs for 24 hours. So why use BioDomes? According to David Kaplan, a professor of engineering at Tufts University, “Using the BioDome cap in the first 24 hours helps mimic an amniotic-like environment, which, along with the right drugs, allows the rebuilding process to proceed without the interference of scar tissue”. 

According to Science News, Over the next 18 months, frogs had grown new limbs after amputation. The ⅓ of the frogs that didn’t receive treatments grew a spiky stump. The ⅓ of the frogs that received BioDome devices and drugs grew the longest limbs with the greatest bone density and more blood vessels and nerves. According to CBS News, the new limbs had bones and several “toes” that grew at the end of the limbs, however, the toes did not have bones. The frogs were able to feel when the limb was brushed over with stiff fiber and could also use the new limb to swim through the water. 

This new study could be beneficial to humans in the long run. It increases life quality. According to Fast Company, traumatic injury is one of the leading causes of death and disability in Americans. The most lifelong disability is limb loss from severe injury. These injuries are often caused by car accidents, athletic injuries, side effects of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, and even battlefield injuries. The treatment is far from being ready to be used in humans, but it is known that it only works immediately after injury. Uncovering and understanding his process is a start to a new beginning in regenerative medicine. 

We interviewed a senior at Highland High for their input on this article. “I think this is a good discovery because if we know how to make frogs regrow limbs, hopefully in the future we can figure out how to make humans regrow limbs so that if a person has to get amputated, it will be less traumatizing because they will possibly be able to regrow it and have it like nothing ever happened.” 

By: Fatima Mohamud & Sumaya Noor

What exactly is air pollution?

Air pollution refers to pollutants being let out into the atmosphere. It’s often talked about in the news but not taken as seriously as it should be. It can affect people of all ages, animals and the earth itself. About. 4.2 million people die per year because of outdoor air pollution, and about 3.8 million die from inside polluted substances according to the World Health Organization. 9 out of 10 people breathe air that is very unhealthy per day, and it’s become so normalized that it’s hard to tell, and our bodies have adjusted to it.

Air pollution can also get into our systems other ways than breathing. Air pollutants can enter you through your skin. Gaseous pollutants can deeply penetrate the respiratory system and absorb wet tissue. Some countries are more prone to air pollution such as Japan, South Korea, and others. When the air becomes too unsafe to breathe in, these countries usually take precautions and mandate you wear a mask to protect yourself.

How can air pollution affect your health?

Air pollution is responsible for many diseases and life threatening illnesses that happen to thousands of people per year. These consist of: stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, leukemia, asthma attacks etc.

People with breathing problems are very vulnerable to air pollution as it can become difficult for them to breathe. Pollution can severely affect your life and the way your body functions, however distancing yourself from these sources can help.

Air pollution can also affect animals such as your pets, farm animals and almost extinct ones.

It can also affect the way you eat; if you have an appetite or if the food you’re eating is actually healthy.

Where does air pollution come from?

As many people know, air pollution comes from places like factories, essential to society and everywhere in life, it also has its downsides because of health issues. Factories often emit gasses and chemicals such as carbon dioxide, methane, and other particles unsafe to consume.

Cars also let out pollution too, they let out nitrogen dioxide which is extremely unhealthy to breathe although we use our cars everyday. Vehicles are also one of the main reasons air pollution is becoming such a big deal, as they can also affect temperatures and weather.

Air pollution is usually fossil fuels, which fuels our cars, heats our homes, and factories. Taking these all into account, you can imagine how much gas are releasing into the atmosphere.

How does air pollution affect the environment?

The most common pollution to affect the environment are fossil fuels. These are burned and release gasses and chemicals directly into the atmosphere.

Smog is a common pollution that is a mixture of smoke and fog and is most common in less developed large counties or cities.

Air pollutants can also directly contaminate bodies of water, affecting aquatic life and our drinking water.

When pollutants contaminate soil, it can kill crops, young trees and plants. Farmers would deal with stunted growth of their crops.

Another example of how air pollution affects our environment is global warming; a huge issue created by pollution that is rapidly affecting earth. Global warming is the rise of temperatures around the world’s air and oceans. Carbon dioxide is a gas emitted into the air by burning fossil fuels, which powers our cars, planes, and heat our homes. But the excessive use of these fuels is the biggest reason for global warming, and if we don’t stop or find a solution we could be facing a dangerous future for the entire globe.

For more information, please visit:

• https://www.nrdc.org/stories/air-pollution-everything-you-need-know
• https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/air-quality

By: Mila Hart

There are a lot of celestial events in store for us in 2022. Here is a list of the most noteworthy astronomical events that we will be able to see with our own eyes this year.

Starting in mid-February, and going till mid-March, Venus will be at its brightest. If you would like to brave the cold, you could see it a few hours before sunrise in the low southeast sky. It will be the brightest on February 13th.

On March 14th you can expect to see some shooting stars in the Y-Normid Meteor Shower. The only meteor shower in March with up to six meteors per hour.

You can expect another meteor shower on April 22nd called the Lyrid Meteor Shower. Make sure to go somewhere dark, with no light pollution, so that you can see up to eighteen meteors per hour.

On May 1st there will be a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus. Look up at the night sky to see the two brightest planets become a “double star” with Venus passing within 0°14’ of Jupiter. They will be visible in the east at dawn.

Another exciting meteor shower will take place on May 6th called the Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower. You will be able to see bright shooting stars from Halley’s Comet. Expect up to 40 meteors per hour.

On May 16th there will be a total lunar eclipse. This eclipse will be visible from Africa, the Americas, Europe, and French Polynesia.

On June 14th there will be something called the Super Strawberry Moon. This is the first super moon of the year and the moon will appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual.

The second super moon of the year will take place on July 13th. It is called the Buck Moon/Thunder Moon. This is the closest the moon will get to earth in 2022.

You can expect to see up to 25 meteors per hour on July 29-30 during the Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower. The best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight.

On August 12-13 I highly recommend leaving the city to see one of the best meteor showers of the year. The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks at up to 150 meteors per hour under dark skies. Also, on August 12th, you can see the last super moon of the year called the Sturgeon Moon.

The last noteworthy celestial event of 2022 ends with an exciting show. On November 8th there will be a total eclipse of the moon. This eclipse will mainly be seen from the western half of North America, the Hawaiian Islands, eastern Asia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and the eastern half of Australia. The total eclipse will last around one hour and twenty-five minutes.

By: Mila Hart

Poaching has been defined as the illegal hunting of wild animals. This has been an issue all over the world for hundreds of years. It was in the late middle ages that poaching officially became illegal and a punishable offense.

More than half of the world’s poaching occurs in Africa. This is because Africa is home to a large variety of rare animals. The countries with the most poaching are Zimbabwe and Kenya.

The main animals that are affected by poaching in Sub-Saharan Africa are white and black rhinoceros, African elephants, and lions but the list goes on and on.

Rhinos are poached for their horns. In recent years the poaching for rhino horns has increased because the demand for them has skyrocketed in Vietnam. The Rhino horns are extremely valuable and can be sold on the black market for upwards of half a million US dollars. Rhino horns can be used in medicine but they are mainly purchased as a symbol of wealth.

In 2004, 12 rhinos were poached in South Africa but because of the increase in demand nearly 1,000 rhinos in South Africa were poached in 2013. The population of black rhinos was estimated to be about 100,000 in 1960. Since then there has been a significant decrease and now the population is around 5,000. One of the main causes of this decline is poaching.

Over the years, conservationists have developed methods on how they can help protect rhinos from poachers. When it comes down to it, when the horn is left on the rhino the chances of it being killed are much greater than if the horn is removed. This has led conservationists to safely remove the horns themselves.

Rhino horns are made up of keratin, the same thing your nails and hair are made up of. When poachers cut off the horns they try to get as much of it as possible; to do so they cut off part of the rhino’s face as well. Because of this rhinos are left with dismembered faces and could very easily die if not rescued in time.

The process of safely removing a rhino horn begins by tranquilizing a rhino from a helicopter and tracking it until it is sedated. Once on the ground, the conservationists will cut the rhino’s horn off safely above the growth plate. This leaves a stump that will grow back in two to three years. Because rhinos live with no natural predators, living without the horn would not make them more vulnerable in the wild. Conservationists at Vetpaw say that if they weren’t taking action now then both elephants and rhinos would be extinct in the next ten years.

By: Mila Hart and Liv Miller

TBI stands for traumatic brain injury. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons defines a traumatic brain injury as “A disruption in the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a blow, bump or jolt to the head, the head suddenly and violently hitting an object or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue”. 

The four main types of TBIs include: concussions, contusions, penetrating injuries, and anoxic brain injuries.

• Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries and are caused by a blow to the head.
• Contusions are slightly more severe then concussions. Contusions are a bruise to the brain that causes bleeding and swelling inside of the brain.
• A penetrating brain injury is when an object penetrates the skull and hurts the brain.
• Anoxic brain injuries are the most severe TBIs. They are caused by a complete lack of oxygen to the brain. Anoxic brain injuries are often fatal.

To learn more about the four main types of TBIs visit Dolmanlaw.com.

The symptoms that follow a traumatic brain injury can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the injury. There are a wide variety of effects and symptoms that people who have suffered a TBI may experience. Some symptoms include vomiting, headache, dizziness and balance concerns, breathing problems, confusion, ect., and that is just the beginning.

Although some of these symptoms can be short term and get less severe over time, there is a good chance that someone can experience many long term effects after suffering a traumatic brain injury. These include loss of memory (amnesia), focal neurological deficits such as muscle weakness, loss of vision, change in speech, ect., and an overall weakened mental state.

If someone were to experience a more serious traumatic brain injury, or multiple ones over a short period of time, they might be more likely to go into a vegetative state or even die. The long term effect can get even worse if you experience multiple TBIs. Psychology Today says that if you have suffered three or more concussions you are more likely to have long-term cognitive impairment and emotional struggles. Multiple concussions can cause depression, anger, and memory loss. To learn more about the symptoms for a TBI visit the CDCs website.

It is estimated that around 1.6 to 3.8 million sports related traumatic brain injuries occur every year, and recreational activities contribute to about 21 percent of all TBIs among American children and adolescents. The reason why sports often contribute to traumatic brain injuries is because more aggressive sports, like football, soccer, rugby, lacrosse, etc. involve a lot of person to person contact often resulting in blows to the head.

There also may be a high underestimate of traumatic brain injuries reported due to many people failing to seek medical help after sustaining their injury. Many people, especially adolescents, are likely to assume they have just a mild concussion and fail to go to the doctor. This is not good because it can result in their condition getting worse, and put them at a higher risk of sustaining serious long term injuries.

There are several ways to treat a TBI. Some include rest, medication, and surgery. The treatment will vary depending on how severe the injury is. The medication often used to treat a TBI is called Diuretic. Diuretic helps remove all extra water from the body and treats high blood pressure.

The type of surgery needed to treat a severe TBI is called a decompressive craniectomy. This surgery removes part of the skull so that an injured brain can swell without being squeezed.

Although these are very effective treatments, there is still a likely possibility a patient can end up paralyzed or dead. So, it is very important to seek help right away if you were to sustain a TBI. No matter how serious it seems at the moment it is better to be safe than sorry.

For more information, please visit:

• https://www.dolmanlaw.com/4-types-brain-injuries-3-levels-severity/
• https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/concussion/symptoms.html
• https://www.aans.org/en/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Traumatic-Brain-Injury

By: Grace Blumer-Lamotte

Nicotine is an addictive substance that can alter your mind and actions. It can also cause permanent brain damage. According to Drug Watch, “Nicotine can disrupt the part of the brain that controls attention, learning, moods and impulse control. People under the age of 25 are also more susceptible to becoming addicted to nicotine before the brain fully develops.” 

With nicotine, there are both short and long term effects. 

The short term effects are a reduced sense of taste and smell, bad breath, a decrease in energy, withdrawals, and fatigue. 

The long term effects and risks are the addiction aspect of it; it can lead to mood disorders, respiratory issues, lower life expectancy, and it permanently lowers your impulse control.

There are also effects of second-hand smoking. It can affect the health and well-being of anyone that’s exposed to it. According to Quebec Advice and Prevention, “These people are at high risk of developing health issues such as: heart problems, respiratory or lung problems, such as asthma or excessive coughing, and lung cancer.” Second hand smoke is one of the most dangerous environments to be around. To learn more about “The Effects of Smoking and Second-Hand Smoke” visit the website below.

I asked a freshman, a junior, and a senior these questions about nicotine and vaping. Have you ever vaped, and why did or didn’t you do it? What do you know about the effects of nicotine on the brain? If given the opportunity, would you wanna learn more about the effects of nicotine?

The freshman responded to the first question saying, “I have not vaped because I know it’s bad for me and I am not stupid.”

The second question they responded saying, “Doesn’t it have withdrawal-like symptoms? It also disrupts your attention span I have heard. Maybe you really want something and that could affect your brain the same way when you want nicotine.”

The third question they responded with, “Yes.”

The junior responded to the first question saying, “I have vaped before and I did it because I thought it would help my mental illness. But it ended up with me being addicted.”

The second question they responded saying, “I’ve first hand experience with withdrawal symptoms and let me tell you… it is not fun.”

The third question they responded with, “Yes, I would be open to learning more about how it was affecting my brain.”

The senior responded to the first question saying, “Yes, I have due to curiosity and peer pressure.”

The second question they responded saying, “Little to none.”

The third question they responded saying, “Oh for sure.”

For more information, please visit:

• https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/advice-and-prevention/healthy-lifestyle-habits/smoke-free-lifestyle/the-effects-of-smoking-and-second-hand-smoke-on-health