Flasks on top of a graduation cap. Creative Commons License. ‘Tis the season of senior theses. You can’t walk past a TV or bulletin board in Ford without seeing an ad for lunchtime thesis talks. Maybe you’re a first-year student who’s just forayed into the STEM world, or maybe you’re a lab rat junior with senior year looming. Either way, if you’re interested in research, the idea of doing a senior thesis can feel at once completely exciting and completely intimidating. It’s a

“All of astronomy started with naked eye observations at nighttime of the planets and the stars and the sun and the moon moving and people scratching their heads… Astronomers, since time immemorial, have had this incredible gift of nature, the dark night sky, and access to seeing with our own eyes how the heavens work and how the universe works.” For Smith Astronomy Professor James Lowenthal, a love of observing the night sky sparked an acute awareness of light pollution at a

Image from Freepik Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a type of pancreatic cancer, has a five-year survival rate of less than ten percent. Often diagnosed in later stages, it is one of the most lethal diseases. Pancreatic cancer is on the path to becoming the second-leading cause of cancer death by 2030, with diagnoses rising each year. Current treatments include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, but do not improve clinical outcomes. A recent study published in the

To many people, it may seem unconventional to have an organic molecule or a neuron tattooed on their body. However, after completing a difficult STEM course, memorializing these concepts as a tattoo can serve as a reminder of not just the difficult material, but also the connection made between classmates and the pride felt after completing the course. These courses are not only major requirements, but also a stepping stone in your academic journey to discover what you love.

As Smith students headed home in late December, an ethereal visitor took up residence in Hampshire County: the Snowy Owl. The arrival of these rare owls brought enthusiastic crowds to Northampton and Hadley, along with questions about how to best appreciate birds without harming them. Snowy Owls are an irruptive species in Hampshire County, meaning they are irregular visitors based on their unpredictable migratory patterns. They breed in remote areas in the Arctic and occasio

“Do you want someone else to live your life for you?” That question, posed by Senior Laboratory Instructor Joe Yeager of the Chemistry Department, reflects the heart of the discussions surrounding AI use in the classroom. When does AI go from being a tool to replacing the learning and living that should be done by students? As faculty attempt to draw this line in the sand through personal and departmental policies, students are left to navigate a shifting sea of expectations