Nidhi Sher

Long before lab tests or X-rays, doctors believed four bodily fluids called the humours controlled your health. If you had a fever, felt sad, or just felt “off”, it was because of your humours, apparently. The idea of the four humours dates back to ancient Greece, around 400 BCE. The father of medicine, Hippocrates, introduced the concept as a way to explain how the body worked. He believed the human body was made up of blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Each humor had specific...

Perfect pitch. Something that 100% of musicians want, but only about 0.01-4% actually have. Perfect pitch has long fascinated musicians and scientists. People with this ability can correctly label a musical note or reproduce a certain pitch without needing a reference note. Perfect pitch isn’t synonymous with musical virtuosity or skill, but it’s certainly a not often-talked about subject surrounded by scientific inquiry. Understanding perfect pitch provides us an insight into how the brain...

One afternoon, you go grocery shopping with Shelby, your new vegan roommate, and you skim the dairy section, instinctively looking for some whole milk-your reliable breakfast staple. But you clearly forgot your vegan friend was right next to you. She was eyeing the familiar faces you’ve never said “Hi” to. Out of curiosity, you read the label on one of the cartons: Oatstanding . “It can’t possibly taste that oatstanding ," you mutter. Shelby remarks, “Hey! That’s my go-to! Maybe you’ll like...