STORIES & ARTICLES

Selected writings on science, health, and AI — exploring innovation, discovery, and real-world impact.

SCIENCE

A Smarter Stethoscope Improves Diagnostics in a Noisy World With support from the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Mounya Elhilali is developing a smart digital stethoscope aimed at revolutionizing pulmonary diagnostics—particularly pediatric diagnostics that would help prevent the more than two million childhood deaths each year caused by acute lower respiratory infections, the leading cause of childhood mortality worldwide. [Read more]

When cells crack under pressure, these molecular machines step in Cells are remarkable multitaskers, constantly tuning in to their surroundings. While chemical signals often grab the spotlight, physical forces—from stretching and compression to the pressure of blood flow—help keep cells balanced, mobile, and capable of repair. Scientists have long sought to understand how cells detect and respond to these forces, a process that would explain how our bodies adapt and heal. [Read more]

Listen up, oysters. Your new home is calling Chesapeake Bay oysters are more than a favorite seafood delicacy: These vital filter feeders help maintain water quality and their reefs also serve as critical habitats for crabs, fish, and other organisms. However, pollution, overharvesting, and disease have caused the destruction of oyster reefs over the last century. [Read more]

HEALTH

Sharper, Safer, More Inclusive Medical Imaging Backed by NIH funding, Dr. Muyinatu 'Bisi' Bell's innovative work is enhancing diagnostic accuracy, improving surgical precision, and ensuring equitable health care for all patients. [Read more]

What is PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops in some people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic or frightening event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident or assault, a terrorist act or military combat, or those who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or injury. This is one of a series of factsheets produced by WHO to give the general public information about mental disorders and how they can be treated. [Read more]

Student Design Sparks Hope for Migraine Relief Electrical engineering undergraduates are developing a noninvasive, wearable, and reusable device designed to address the root cause of chronic migraines. [Read more]

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI with a Heart As video content continues to expand across digital platforms, understanding viewers' emotional responses has become increasingly important among its stakeholders, from content creators and marketers to mental health experts and researchers. This insight can improve human-computer interaction and personalized services, and even support mental health initiatives. But predicting viewers' emotions remains a challenge, owing to the wide variety of video genres and emotional triggers involved. [Read more]

Engineers Collaborate with Chatgpt4 to Design Brain-Inspired Chips Johns Hopkins electrical and computer engineers are pioneering a new approach to creating neural network chips—neuromorphic accelerators that could power energy-efficient, real-time machine intelligence for next-generation embodied systems like autonomous vehicles and robots. [Read more]

Beyond Assistants: How AI Could Enable Surgical Robots to Think and Act Autonomously Surgical robots have long been valuable tools in the operating room, assisting surgeons with precision tasks like suturing, holding instruments, or stabilizing organs. However, these systems still depend heavily on direct human control or pre-programmed instructions. [Read more]