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New year, new resolutions: Misconceptions and tips on switching to healthier lifestyles

The new year can signal a fresh start for some individuals. Yearning to try something new, people might begin looking toward changing something about them. Their quests could range from learning a new skill, like playing the piano, to changing their appearance, by losing weight. Yet in trying to achieve their goals, hindrances would often…

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Harnessing technology: Illegal wildlife trade in the digital age

“We live in the Anthropocene, an era where humans are modifying landscapes at unprecedented rates. We are—because of our demand for land—taking land from nature, transforming natural habitats [of other species] for [our own benefit].”  This was what Dr. Enrico Di Minin, one of the leading scientists from the University of Helsinki in Finland, warned…

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Uneasy and unrest: Ongoing effects of Taal Volcano’s eruption

When hot liquefied rocks called magma emerge out of an opening on the earth’s crust, this phenomenon becomes known as lava as it rises to the surface. Seeping to the outer reaches of the landmass, it cools off into the surrounding area, dries up, and forms a new landmass. The creation of volcanoes belies their…

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Language learning: Not as easy as ABC

The increasingly globalized world has allowed cultures and languages to transcend borders; from Hollywood to K-pop to anime, we consume foreign media often without batting an eye. With more exposure to foreign languages than at any other point in human history, mixed-language contexts are normal scenarios in our everyday lives.  Our exposure to other languages…

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To Science!: The decade-closing 2019 in retrograde

Every year, innovations, breakthroughs, and discoveries are recognized in different fields of Science and Technology. This year has been bountiful in terms of scientific achievements—both at the international and local level—that further bolster our grasp of the world and our ability to solve various problems like world hunger, climate change, and sustainability.  This year marks…

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Looking back on Barretto’s giant Apolaki caldera discovery

A caldera, which means cauldron in Spanish, refers to a hollow volcanic feature formed by the collapse of a volcano’s peak. While a caldera may only be viewed as an aftermath of a volcanic eruption, it has become the topic of widespread research—primarily to determine the possibility for these structures to cause natural disasters like…

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Well-deserved recognition: Remembering the Nobel Prize 2019 scientist awardees

Annually, the scientific community would anticipate the announcement of the newest recipients of the Nobel Prize. First awarded in 1901, the award was established as part of the will of Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist and businessman, and recognized people who made outstanding contributions to the fields of Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, Economics, Literature,…

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Clearing the smoke: Often buried truths about e-cigarette use

November 15 was pivotal—it marked the day when the first case of electronic cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury (EVALI) was recorded in the Philippines. The diagnosed patient, aged 16, was said to only have started using electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in March of this year. This news came amid a slew of 2,290…

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Maximizing GCOE’s potential: What it means to be ABET-certified

Announced last September 11, DLSU now boasts an official certification from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) for all seven of the University’s undergraduate Gokongwei College of Engineering (GCOE) programs: Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering and Management, and Mechanical Engineering.  This accreditation by ABET—a non-profit…

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Exoplanets, exploring extraterrestrial signs of life tackled in Cosmology lectures

The Philippine Astronomical Society, Inc., in partnership with the Physics Society of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), held a set of lectures titled Exoplanets: The Physics and Biochemistry of Searching for the Next Earth at the Claro M. Recto Hall in PUP last November 16.  The event featured advancements in the fields of…