During my semester abroad in Seville, Spain, the local cuisine was among the biggest changes I faced. I admit I was a bit apprehensive at first, but my attitude quickly changed to one of excitement and openness. I have been told that trying new things will not you, and, observing that philosophy, I found Spanish food to be delicious and full of flavor. In addition to great taste, Spanish cuisine can be very healthy: multiple studies have found that the diet of the Spanish culture reduces the risk of several diseases, including heart disease and cancer.

Summer destinations.

During a heat stroke, the body loses the ability to regulate body temperature, which can rise up to 106°F or higher!

On its opening night I saw “Limitless,” the latest sci-fi action movie starring Bradley Cooper. The movie revolves around a drug known as NZT, an illegal clear pill that allows a person to retrieve and create long-term memories at an incredible rate by accessing inactive parts of the brain. After taking the drug, Bradley Cooper’s character has the ability to remember the most obscure details of memories formulated years before. He also learns how to play the piano, speak multiple languages, and conquer the stock market within days, thanks to his new best pharmaceutical friend. But is such a drug actually possible? Is the science behind this movie factual or fictional? Reactions from the scientific community are definitely mixed.

A few weeks ago, my mother shared her first energy drink experience with me. She said that after drinking it, she had never before felt so focused to accomplish daily tasks. For my mom, this is a big deal. Although I tend to steer away from energy drinks, I thought, “Wow, this must be a miracle-in-a-can!” The next time I was at the local corner store, I bought one and expected a burst of motivation to rush through me. An hour after I drank it, I felt nothing. So what is the hype with energy drinks? How do they work? I decided to get some answers.

Socially conscious college students are aware of the very serious implications of the rapidly changing climate, yet many are unaware of ways to do something about it. As it turns out, opportunities to make a difference are a lot more accessible than one might think. This week, The Mount Holyoke News sat down with Emma Puka-Beals ’12, one of the four Mount Holyoke coordinators for an event run by the Energy Action Coalition known as Power Shift.

In the midst of recent controversy surrounding the federal funding of stem cell research, the Mount Holyoke community was treated to a visit from one of the United States’ leading scientists in the subject.

In less than two weeks, Mount Holyoke students will experience one of the most anticipated and beloved times of the year: summer break. Before you leave the Valley, be you a senior or a firstie, take some time out of Reading and Exam days to get in touch with all the scientific wonders the area has to offer! The opportunities for students to relax and have fun are infinite. Here are some ways to enjoy yourself and learn some science during your down time:

How might science, health, and medicine be beneficial to both pro-life and pro-choice advocates?

Whether you believe it or not, the idea of positive thinking as a cure for cancer is becoming a widely accepted concept. Or maybe you’ve heard the idea that the environmental crises of the world can be solved by a change in the energy of the universe. These are both controversial solutions to some of the major scientific problems of today – but along with many others, they were topics of major discussion during the “Sages and Scientists: The Merging of a New Future” Symposium held in Carlsbad, CA last month.