Celiac disease is an inflammatory autoimmune condition triggered by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in cereals such as wheat, rye, and barley. This disease causes underlying damage to the mucosal lining of the small intestine, leading to flattening of the villi, the small hairlike projections of the intestine that facilitate nutrient uptake. In the long term, this damage can lead to malabsorption of nutrients. A person with this condition also experiences symptoms li

Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, and anxiety are just a few of the taxing symptoms that come with menopause. These symptoms occur because the ovaries begin producing less estrogen during menopause, which has wide-reaching implications for the entire body. Pharmaceutical scientists at Xinjiang Medical University have developed a compound estrogen-progesterone patch that offers a promising new avenue for managing these symptoms. Transdermal estrogen patches are a common the

From “mewing” to “bone-smashing”, and almost everything in between, the internet has quickly fallen into obsession with unconventional ways to enhance appearances. As multiple online communities emerge in the wake of this, one method seems to be among the most popular: injection of grey-market peptides. Although their spike in fame is recent, peptides have been around for a while. Insulin was first discovered in 1921, and others such as oxytocin and Ozempic have been FDA-app

Smith Cheerleaders Hana Hernandez and Louisa Miller-Out demonstrating a toe touch. Photo by Sadye Prebus. What do cheerleaders and Sir Isaac Newton have in common? A robust understanding of the laws of physics! Based on his observations of the behavior of objects on Earth, Newton wrote three laws of motion. Cheerleaders understand these laws intuitively and apply them in order to execute difficult stunts. Gary Felder, a professor of physics at Smith, helped break down two fou

Collage by Louisa Miller-Out, including pages from Frankenstein. In the dark and stormy summer of 1816, a monster was born on the banks of Lake Geneva. Mary Shelley breathed life into a creature cobbled from inanimate parts, a creature who has lived in our collective imagination for over two centuries. Frankenstein is an enduring and compelling narrative because it raises questions that remain unanswered, questions that are especially relevant in the age of artificial intelli

Lilly Butler, Sandra Li, Hannh Macpherson, Amelia Charland (left to right) presenting their research at Collaborations. Photo Courtesy of Kevin Shea From Mountain Day to Cromwell Day to Rally Day, one of the most beloved aspects of Smith is the unique days we have off classes. These days invite students to celebrate, to reflect, and to be in community with each other. They are concrete manifestations of the values that Smith holds as an institution. It is time to add Celebrat

Have you ever meticulously mixed different ratios of household materials, hoping they would combine to form the delightful slippery substance we call slime? You may not have realized it in the moment, but you could consider yourself an amateur chemist! If you successfully created slime as a kid, you were doing more than just contributing to the 2016-era craze; you were forming a non-Newtonian fluid. These fluids don’t follow Isaac’s law of viscosity; their “thickness” changes

HBO Max’s The Pitt is a medical drama that has taken television by storm. Each season of the Emmy-winning show follows a day in a Pittsburgh emergency room, with each episode comprising an hour of one shift. The Pitt has received lots of praise for its realistic portrayal of emergency medicine and for highlighting the nuanced issues American healthcare faces in a post COVID-19 world. Is this praise warranted? John Wiesenfarth, MD, is an attending physician with the Hawaii Pe