EEE in Massachusetts: South Hadley community at high risk level
Pollinator protection efforts grow on campus
In an effort to recoup pollinator populations, the Miller Worley Center for the Environment (MWCE) has declared Mandelle Hill a “no mow zone.”
Since late spring, Facilities Management has ceased mowing Mandelle Hill, though it still maintains a path up the slope to Prospect Hill. This will allow pollinator-friendly meadow grasses to grow, creating a “pollinator garden.”
First picture of a black hole developed by MIT Ph.D student
BY NADIA BABAR ’19
For years, black holes have only ever been visible via artistic interpretations and the imaginations of science fiction authors. But on April 10, jaws dropped as the world saw the first ever image of a black hole. MIT PhD student Katie Bouman is credited with developing the algorithm that allowed the data from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) to be pieced together and interpreted, according to Science News.
Methane gas found on Mars, hopes for new discoveries in 2020
BY FIONA HINDS ’21
In the summer of 2013, the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter detected methane emissions in the Gale crater, a large depression near the Martian equator, according to the New York Times. Their findings were later replicated by NASA’s Curiosity rover, which measured levels of methane in the air that lasted for about two months. Methane on Earth is usually produced by living things, so this finding is both exciting and bewildering for scientists, who believe it could potentially indicate alien life.
Carbon monoxide detectors not required in public housing units
BY THEA BURKE ’20
It has long been understood by the general public that carbon monoxide is severely detrimental, if not a direct threat, to human health. A high enough exposure to the gas can kill a person within several minutes. Although HUD requires buildings to follow state laws, about half of the states in the U.S. do not require detectors, leaving many homes unprotected from the noxious gas.
New research changes views on aging brain and Alzheimer’s disease
BY VIVIAN LIVESAY ’21
A team of scientists in Spain have conducted a study that suggests that the human brain can continue to produce new neurons into the ninth decade of life, far longer than previously believed. This finding has the potential to influence the field of neuroscience, though it is important not to overstate the implications of these findings as it is debated how this information can be put to practical use.
“Period. End of Sentence” wins Oscar, ignites change
BY THEA BURKE ’20
“A period should end a sentence, not a girl’s education.” This is the tagline for the short documentary, “Period. End of Sentence”, that won the Oscar for best short documentary at the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 24. The documentary was born from the passion project of high school students at Oakwood School in the LA area of California.