Science & Technology Archives

Global rainwater is now contaminated with ‘forever chemicals.’ What can we do about it?

“The best thing we can be doing is cutting it off at the source,” says Phil Brown, distinguished professor of sociology and health sciences and director of the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute at Northeastern.

by Tanner Stening August 10, 2022

hand wearing blue glove holds small clear tube

How deep learning is transforming the way we treat cancer patients

A team of Northeastern researchers recently received a grant to build an “end-to-end autoML pipeline” to predict which patients would best respond to specific cancer immunotherapies.

by Tanner Stening August 9, 2022

woman with her arm around a child staring at her property

The death toll in the Kentucky floods is climbing. Could this have been prevented?

Kentucky's disastrous flooding illuminates the increased risk of extreme weather conditions due to climate change, and what we're doing—and not doing—to prepare, Northeastern experts say.

by Jessica Taylor Price August 3, 2022

man wearing blue suit and tie gestures with left hand

What’s in ‘the biggest piece of climate legislation’ in US history?

Aimed at cutting energy costs for households, the new agreement aims to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. The legislation, which is part of the Inflation Reduction Act, is likely “the last chance to adopt significant climate policy,” says Laura Kuhl, Northeastern professor of public policy and urban affairs.

by Cody Mello-Klein August 2, 2022

Does Taylor Swift deserve criticism over her private jet habits?

A small number of companies produce most of the carbon gas emissions that contribute to climate change. But experts say it's a mistake to assume that our flying habits—and those of the rich and famous—don't matter.

by Jessica Taylor Price August 2, 2022

Northeastern's Life Sciences Testing Center is helping Boston biotech develop best practices for monkeypox testing

Jared Auclair’s lab is gearing up to help protect the U.S. from emerging pathogens with a new focus on biosurveillance. The likely first step? Testing samples collected at airports and other places of entry for monkeypox.

by Cynthia McCormick Hibbert July 27, 2022

Researchers discover promising new catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells

In new interdisciplinary research published in American Chemical Society Publications, Northeastern scientists have identified a novel class of catalysts that, because of their particular non-noble-metal nature, could replace the platinum-based standard that has prevented hydrogen from advancing in the fuel sector.

by Tanner Stening July 22, 2022

Nano research

A researcher, photographed through an orange window, works in lab space in the Egan Engineering/Science Research Center. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

by Matthew Modoono July 22, 2022

beach crowded with people using beach umbrellas

Can infrastructure and tourism endure triple-digit temperatures, extreme weather during ‘danger season’?

“We’re going to keep breaking records.” In a world where Londoners bake with no AC and floods close a national park, what do we need to pull us through a summer of heat waves, droughts, heavy rains and wildfires?

by Cynthia McCormick Hibbert July 21, 2022

person wearing mask and head covering for research

Can listening to the Beatles improve your memory? New research says music just might stir the brain

Recently published research from Psyche Loui, director of Northeastern’s Music Imaging and Neural Dynamics lab, provides insight into how music changes the connective pathways in the brain. The findings hold promise for improving memory and cognition among older adults.

by Cody Mello-Klein July 18, 2022

Science & Technology