csl7956, Author at Helix

THE MILLION DOLLAR PROBLEM: THE SEARCH FOR ONE ALGORITHM TO SOLVE THEM ALL

When then Senator Barack Obama visited Google in 2008, one of the questions he was asked was “what is the best algorithm to sort a

THE BACTERIA THAT EAT METHANE

What do cows, landfills, and petroleum extraction all have in common? Each produces methane, one of the greenhouse gases trapping heat in our atmosphere and

STARTING FROM SCRATCH: HOW THE BRAIN PROCESSES ITCH

Tent, sleeping bags, raingear: check. Flashlight, S’mores, clean water: check. Sunscreen, toothpaste: check. Finally loaded up for the last camping trip of the summer, you

THE EXPERIMENT THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD

Established pillars were under attack across the Western world. It was the late 1700s, and the United States had just declared independence. France was rapidly

THE ELECTRON MICROSCOPE: A WINDOW INTO THE NANOSCOPIC UNIVERSE

I sit in the pitch-black room, twisting the knobs on the control pad of the electron microscope. I’m using this device to hunt for cells.

THERMOELECTRICS: HARVESTING ENERGY FROM HEAT

The discovery of fire was a turning point in human history for many reasons. Fire offered portable warmth, light, protection, and a new way of

HOW IT WORKS: MICROWAVE OVENS

When an oven bakes you can feel the heat, and on a stovetop you can see the flames emanating from the surface. A microwave oven,

THE CYBATHLON: THE OLYMPICS OF RESTORING DAILY TASKS

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games were a chance to celebrate the world’s greatest athletes, who strive to constantly push the boundaries of what the human