{"id":4824,"date":"2022-12-19T08:26:34","date_gmt":"2022-12-19T13:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ciss\/?p=4824"},"modified":"2022-12-19T08:26:34","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T13:26:34","slug":"bu-social-scientists-featured-in-the-brinks-top-10-amazing-discoveries-for-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ciss\/2022\/12\/19\/bu-social-scientists-featured-in-the-brinks-top-10-amazing-discoveries-for-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"BU Social Scientists Featured in The Brink’s Top 10 Amazing Discoveries for 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

Congratulations to CISS affiliates John Marston<\/a> (CAS\/anthropology and archaeology) and Christine Slaughter<\/a> (CAS\/political science), and CAS historian Andrew Robichaud,<\/a> whose research has been included among the “Top 10 Amazing Discoveries and Mind-Blowing Facts” reported by The Brink<\/a><\/em> in 2022!<\/p>\n

This article, by Andrew Thurston<\/a>, originally appeared in The Brink <\/a>on December 12, 2022.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Over its 183 years, Boston University has helped pioneer a staggering number of scientific and scholarly breakthroughs. From\u00a0<\/span>the telephone in 1876<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>to a\u00a0<\/span>bionic pancreas<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>some 140 years later, its researchers have a long and storied history as prolific inventors, designers, authors, and innovators. BU scientists and scholars are on track to produce more than 6,500 publications in 2022 alone, whether academic journal articles or\u00a0<\/span>best-selling books<\/a>\u2014not to mention those who filed\u00a0<\/span>patents<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and launched\u00a0<\/span>spin-off companies<\/a>.At\u00a0<\/span>The Brink<\/em><\/a>, BU\u2019s research news site, we bring you a small slice of that work, showcasing some of the University\u2019s latest contributions to improving our understanding of the world\u2014and making it better for all of us. As 2022 draws to a close, we\u2019re sharing 10 of our favorite facts and discoveries from another remarkable year of BU research stories.<\/p>\n
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Photo by Stephanie Grella<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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1<\/h2>\n
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You can\u00a0<\/span>see<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>memories<\/a><\/h3>\n

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Neuroscientists can now watch a memory firing, pinpoint where it lives in the brain\u2014and even tell if it\u2019s a good or bad one. In the\u00a0<\/span>Ramirez Lab<\/a>, researchers found that\u00a0<\/span>emotional memories are physically distinct from other types of brain cells<\/a>\u2014and distinct from each other. Positive and negative memories are stored in different parts of the hippocampus, communicate differently, and have distinct molecular machinery. The lab\u2019s team also discovered it\u2019s possible to rewrite negative memories by artificially activating happier ones. They hope their work will eventually lay the foundations for new treatments for mental health disorders like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo by iStock\/CraigStocks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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2<\/h2>\n
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Trees at the edge of forests grow faster than those in the middle<\/a><\/h3>\n

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With sidewalks cramping them and cars throwing fumes their way, you\u2019d imagine trees at the outskirts of forests would have a tough time. But BU researchers found\u00a0<\/span>edge trees grow twice as fast as those tucked away<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>deep in the woods\u2014likely because they get more light. The good news for us? The bigger a tree gets, the more carbon dioxide it takes in.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo by Jackie Ricciardi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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3<\/h2>\n
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Researchers have made a miniature beating heart\u2014the size of a computer chip<\/a><\/h3>\n

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It\u2019s only the size of a postage stamp, but\u00a0<\/span>a tiny replica of a living heart chamber<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>could have a powerful impact on heart disease treatment. The device\u2014nicknamed miniPUMP\u2014is a combination of nanoengineered parts and human heart tissue grown from stem cells, and it beats just like the real thing. Researchers hope to use it to get a close-up view of heart disease, studying its progression and testing potential new individualized treatments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo by Marcus Lindstrom\/iStock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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4<\/h2>\n
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Green spaces could give you a brain boost\u2014and reduce your dementia risk<\/a><\/h3>\n

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A study<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>of nearly 14,000 women with an average age of 61 found that those who had greater exposure to green spaces had higher cognitive function and better mental processing speed and attention. Cognitive function in middle age has been tied to dementia risk. How does living near lots of green spaces keep our gray matter in good shape? According to researchers, it may be because a splash of nature helps us recover from stress and encourages us to socialize\u2014boosting overall mental health.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Closeup
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5<\/h2>\n
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Mosquitoes have a funky sense of smell\u2014which might be why they find us so delicious<\/a><\/h3>\n

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When you sniff something, cells in your nose, called olfactory sensory neurons, pick up the scent and send a coded message to your brain, which translates the signal into a distinctive smell, whether fresh apple pie, newly cut grass\u2014or rotting garbage.\u00a0<\/span>Mosquitoes are wired differently<\/a>. Their olfactory neurons each pack multiple sensory receptors, potentially giving them a stronger sense of smell\u2014and a better chance of tracking you down.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Daderot<\/a>, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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6<\/h2>\n
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Boston was once home to the \u201cIce King\u201d who invented the ice trade\u2014and died with a fortune equivalent to $200 million<\/a><\/h3>\n

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Back in the mid-19th century,\u00a0<\/span>ice was big business in Massachusetts<\/a>. In 1847, 353 vessels sailed from Boston harbor packed with ice\u2014almost 75,000 tons of it\u2014harvested from local ponds and destined for warmer climes in South America and Asia. And king of the trade was Frederic Tudor, a Boston Brahmin who was the first to ship ice from New England around the world, convinced bars to pop ice cubes in drinks, and died with a fortune equivalent to $200 million. The ice harvesting industry \u201creally transforms what people can grow in certain parts of the country, what consumers have access to in other parts of the country,\u201d says\u00a0<\/span>Andrew Robichaud<\/a>, a BU College of Arts & Sciences assistant professor of history.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Image:
Photo courtesy of Steven Russell and Ed Damiano (Caution: The iLet bionic pancreas is an investigational device, limited by federal\u2014or United States\u2014law to investigational use.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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7<\/h2>\n
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A bionic pancreas could help adults and kids with diabetes control their blood glucose levels<\/a><\/h3>\n

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For the nearly two million Americans with type 1 diabetes, managing the chronic disease is a 24\/7 effort. A\u00a0<\/span>new bionic pancreas<\/a>, invented by BU biomedical engineers, may bring some long-awaited relief. The iLet, which can be worn on a belt clip and automatically delivers tailored doses of insulin every five minutes, was recently found to improve glycated hemoglobin (A1C) levels\u2014a measure of blood glucose control\u2014in adults and children. The device is being developed by\u00a0<\/span>Beta Bionics<\/a>, a public benefit corporation cofounded by\u00a0<\/span>Ed Damiano<\/a>, a BU College of Engineering professor of biomedical engineering.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"a
Photo via Popol Vuh Museum\/Alamy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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8<\/h2>\n
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Ancient Maya used water left over from making tamales to flush indoor toilets<\/a><\/h3>\n

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More than a millennium after someone dug two holes into the corner of a home in central Guatemala, archaeologists are sifting through the ancient pits to discover the secrets of the long-dead inhabitants\u2019 lives, including their diet and health. Researchers, including\u00a0<\/span>John M. Marston<\/a>, a CAS associate professor of archaeology and of anthropology, found the pits were full of the microscopic byproducts of a cooking process used to turn corn kernels into tamales. They think those byproducts help show the holes were latrines, with the ancient Maya using the water left over from making the traditional masa dish\u00a0<\/span>to flush indoor toilets<\/a>. The findings are \u201cthe earliest evidence for toilets in the Maya world,\u201d says Marston.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo by Jackie Ricciardi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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9<\/h2>\n
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Whether someone gets really sick with COVID\u2014or doesn\u2019t\u2014might be down to just 11 genes<\/a><\/h3>\n

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In a\u00a0<\/span>study of COVID-infected lungs<\/a>, researchers at BU\u2019s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories found some immune systems put up a more effective antiviral response than others\u2014and it has a lot to do with how hard a set of \u201cprotection-defining genes\u201d are working. Lungs that took a bigger hit tended to have a lack of macrophage (a type of immune cell) diversity, leading to a hyper-inflammatory response and more severe disease. Those that had more macrophage diversity fared better\u2014thanks to that set of 11 genes, which were upregulated, or working harder. Next up for the scientists is figuring out why some people are better equipped to push back against SARS-CoV-2 than others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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10<\/h2>\n
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African American women are more optimistic about the country\u2019s future than many\u2014but least optimistic about their own futures<\/a><\/h3>\n

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Black women voters are full of optimism\u2014just not for themselves.\u00a0<\/span>In a study<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>of how African American women\u2019s optimism or pessimism might shape their political participation,\u00a0<\/span>Christine Slaughter<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>found they were more optimistic than white men, white women, and African American men about the future of the country\u2014and that their optimism was tied to greater political participation, from signing petitions to voting. But despite their upbeat outlook on the nation\u2019s future, Black women were the most skeptical about their own. Slaughter, a CAS assistant professor of political science, aims to dig into the reasons why, but says there\u2019s a lesson for politicians: optimistic messages might mobilize more voters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jessica Colarossi, Amy Laskowski, and Jillian McKoy contributed to this article.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Congratulations to CISS affiliates John Marston (CAS\/anthropology and archaeology) and Christine Slaughter (CAS\/political science), and CAS historian Andrew Robichaud, whose research has been included among the “Top 10 Amazing Discoveries and Mind-Blowing Facts” reported by The Brink in 2022! This article, by Andrew Thurston, originally appeared in The Brink on December 12, 2022. Over its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14414,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ciss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4824"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ciss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ciss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ciss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14414"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ciss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4824"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ciss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4830,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ciss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4824\/revisions\/4830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ciss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ciss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ciss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}