Science, History, and Ideas That Shaped the Modern World

Reading Time: 4 minutes3-6. Addition of Velocities Learning Objectives Apply principles of vector addition to determine relative velocity. Explain the significance of the observer in the measurement of velocity. Relative Velocity If a person rows a boat across a rapidly flowing river and tries to head directly for the other shore, the boat instead moves diagonally relative to […]

Reading Time: 4 minutesThe image above comes from Gulliver’s Travels — the moment when the giant Gulliver awakens to find himself tied down by hundreds of tiny ropes, captured by the miniature people of Lilliput. Though it belongs to the world of fiction, the scene offers a surprisingly powerful metaphor for how small genetic changes can shape — […]

Reading Time: 2 minutesMost people think of hereditary cancers as running in families — passed down from one generation to the next. But not all genetic changes are inherited. Sometimes, a completely new mutation appears for the first time in a person, even though their parents don’t carry it. These are known as de novo mutations. A de […]

Reading Time: 12 minutesEvery cell in the human body carries a vast instruction manual—its genome. Within those three billion letters of DNA lie the directions for how a cell grows, divides, repairs itself, and eventually dies. Cancer genomics studies what happens when parts of that manual are misprinted, missing, or rearranged. These genetic changes can transform healthy cells […]

Reading Time: 10 minutesEstrogen is often called the body’s “architect of balance.” From the first stirrings of puberty to the steady rhythm of adulthood, this hormone quietly shapes bones, skin, heart, and brain. It is produced mainly by the ovaries, but also by the adrenal glands and, later in life, by fat tissue that keeps a gentle baseline […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes5-3-4. Lipid Metabolism Learning Objectives Explain how energy can be derived from fat Explain the purpose and process of ketogenesis Describe the process of ketone body oxidation Explain the purpose and the process of lipogenesis Fats (or triglycerides) within the body are ingested as food or synthesized by adipocytes or hepatocytes from carbohydrate precursors (Figure […]

Reading Time: 3 minutesFor many, mathematics seems like the purest form of logic — detached, objective, and cold. Yet behind every theorem, equation, and algorithm lies a deeply human story. Curiosity, frustration, creativity, and even empathy drive mathematical discovery. The real beauty of math is not only in its precision, but in how it connects minds across time, […]

Reading Time: 4 minutesWhen the steam engine roared to life and factory whistles echoed across cities, the Industrial Age did more than transform economies—it transformed human experience. The memoirs of this era became the living archive of change, capturing voices of inventors, workers, reformers, and writers who witnessed the birth of modernity firsthand. From soot-covered mills in Manchester […]

Reading Time: 4 minutesWhen we talk about modern technology, the spotlight often shines on a handful of famous names — Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Thomas Edison, or Alexander Graham Bell. Yet behind every breakthrough stands a chain of minds whose contributions have been forgotten or overshadowed. These are the invisible architects of progress — the inventors who built […]

Reading Time: 5 minutesThe 19th century was more than an age of invention — it was a century of imagination made tangible. It was the moment when art and engineering ceased to exist as separate domains and began shaping each other. Factories became cathedrals of iron and glass, while artists learned to paint smoke, speed, and steel. Together, […]