Pub Date : 2024-01-25DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1284284
Noa Segev, Avi Wigderson
Many things in our lives are designed to solve problems. Whether it is an app on our cellphones, the construction of a new building, or the development of a new drug, solving problems is a big motivator. Did you know that there is a fascinating type of mathematics behind many of the complex problems we face in our daily lives? This mathematics is called computational complexity theory, and it is a field of computer science. This is an active, constantly developing field that is attracting many talented young people—like you! In this article, we will describe computational complexity theory and the kinds of problems it is designed to help with. We hope that by the time you finish reading this article, you will be convinced that computational complexity theory is one of the most exciting fields of science.
{"title":"Easy Or Hard? Basic Questions in Computational Complexity Theory","authors":"Noa Segev, Avi Wigderson","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1284284","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1284284","url":null,"abstract":"Many things in our lives are designed to solve problems. Whether it is an app on our cellphones, the construction of a new building, or the development of a new drug, solving problems is a big motivator. Did you know that there is a fascinating type of mathematics behind many of the complex problems we face in our daily lives? This mathematics is called computational complexity theory, and it is a field of computer science. This is an active, constantly developing field that is attracting many talented young people—like you! In this article, we will describe computational complexity theory and the kinds of problems it is designed to help with. We hope that by the time you finish reading this article, you will be convinced that computational complexity theory is one of the most exciting fields of science.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139598422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-25DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1178327
L. Cassarino, Rebecca A. Pickering, Zhouling Zhang, Bianca Liguori
The element silicon is everywhere! In fact, silicon is the second most abundant element in Earth’s crust. Silicon in rocks and minerals breaks down and is transported from rivers and streams into the world’s oceans. Many marine organisms need silicon as it is a crucial nutrient to build their skeletons. Silicon eventually reaches the seafloor, but its journey into the abyss is not straightforward due to biological, physical, and chemical processes. All these processes transport and transform silicon, creating a cycle that we call the marine silicon cycle. The silicon cycle is directly connected to the carbon cycle, making silicon a key player in the regulation of Earth’s climate. In this article, we discuss why we need to understand the marine silicon cycle, explain the steps that happen in the ocean, and demonstrate how the marine silicon cycle affects humans.
{"title":"The Silicon Cycle in the Ocean","authors":"L. Cassarino, Rebecca A. Pickering, Zhouling Zhang, Bianca Liguori","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1178327","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1178327","url":null,"abstract":"The element silicon is everywhere! In fact, silicon is the second most abundant element in Earth’s crust. Silicon in rocks and minerals breaks down and is transported from rivers and streams into the world’s oceans. Many marine organisms need silicon as it is a crucial nutrient to build their skeletons. Silicon eventually reaches the seafloor, but its journey into the abyss is not straightforward due to biological, physical, and chemical processes. All these processes transport and transform silicon, creating a cycle that we call the marine silicon cycle. The silicon cycle is directly connected to the carbon cycle, making silicon a key player in the regulation of Earth’s climate. In this article, we discuss why we need to understand the marine silicon cycle, explain the steps that happen in the ocean, and demonstrate how the marine silicon cycle affects humans.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139598316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-24DOI: 10.3389/frym.2024.1122119
Elsa B Girard, Willem Renema
Lots of creatures live in coral reefs, including some tiny ones you might never have heard of. In this article, we will tell you about the importance of Foraminifera (also called forams), unicellular organisms with shells, that contribute to coral reefs in many ways. Just like corals, some forams living on the seafloor live closely together with microalgae. Some forams also thrive in similar environmental conditions (sunlight, temperature, salt) as corals. For this reason, forams can be used as reef “sensors”, to keep track of the overall health of coral reefs. They can even help to detect poor environmental conditions that might harm coral growth in the future. In this article, we will look at a study of an Indonesian reef ecosystem in which the foram communities living on the seafloor were monitored between 1997 and 2018.
{"title":"Watching Out for Coral Reefs With Forams","authors":"Elsa B Girard, Willem Renema","doi":"10.3389/frym.2024.1122119","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1122119","url":null,"abstract":"Lots of creatures live in coral reefs, including some tiny ones you might never have heard of. In this article, we will tell you about the importance of Foraminifera (also called forams), unicellular organisms with shells, that contribute to coral reefs in many ways. Just like corals, some forams living on the seafloor live closely together with microalgae. Some forams also thrive in similar environmental conditions (sunlight, temperature, salt) as corals. For this reason, forams can be used as reef “sensors”, to keep track of the overall health of coral reefs. They can even help to detect poor environmental conditions that might harm coral growth in the future. In this article, we will look at a study of an Indonesian reef ecosystem in which the foram communities living on the seafloor were monitored between 1997 and 2018.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139601157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-24DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1219051
G. Radocchia, S. Schippa, F. Pantanella
Antibiotics were a huge advance for the field of medicine because they decreased the risk of people getting sick due to harmful bacteria. However, bacteria quickly learned to “fight back” against these powerful medicines. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, increasingly frequent nowadays, cannot be killed by antibiotics, making infections with these organisms very dangerous. Some common infections have become extremely difficult or even impossible to cure, leading to an alarming public health problem. In this article, we will discuss how helpful “predator bacteria” might be useful in fighting antibiotic-resistant infections. The bacterium we chose to study is called Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, it lives in the healthy human gut and is capable of preying on other bacteria. In the future, might this bacterium be an effective treatment for dangerous bacterial infections? We think so!
{"title":"Can Tiny Helpful Bacteria Help Us Fight Dangerous Bacteria?","authors":"G. Radocchia, S. Schippa, F. Pantanella","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1219051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1219051","url":null,"abstract":"Antibiotics were a huge advance for the field of medicine because they decreased the risk of people getting sick due to harmful bacteria. However, bacteria quickly learned to “fight back” against these powerful medicines. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, increasingly frequent nowadays, cannot be killed by antibiotics, making infections with these organisms very dangerous. Some common infections have become extremely difficult or even impossible to cure, leading to an alarming public health problem. In this article, we will discuss how helpful “predator bacteria” might be useful in fighting antibiotic-resistant infections. The bacterium we chose to study is called Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, it lives in the healthy human gut and is capable of preying on other bacteria. In the future, might this bacterium be an effective treatment for dangerous bacterial infections? We think so!","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139600773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-24DOI: 10.3389/frym.2024.1257801
Ümmügülsüm Yıldız-Altay, David S. Pilson, Jillian M. Richmond, Maryanne Senna
Alopecia is a medical term for hair-loss disorders. Hair is important for us because it impacts our appearance and how we feel about ourselves, and losing hair can be tough for our mental health. In this article, we will explain the different types of alopecia, what can cause them, and how they are treated.
{"title":"What is Alopecia?","authors":"Ümmügülsüm Yıldız-Altay, David S. Pilson, Jillian M. Richmond, Maryanne Senna","doi":"10.3389/frym.2024.1257801","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1257801","url":null,"abstract":"Alopecia is a medical term for hair-loss disorders. Hair is important for us because it impacts our appearance and how we feel about ourselves, and losing hair can be tough for our mental health. In this article, we will explain the different types of alopecia, what can cause them, and how they are treated.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139601633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-24DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1210462
D. Frigerio, Sonia Kleindorfer, Julia Krejci, Richard Schuster, Kurt Kotrschal, Matthias-Claudio Loretto, Verena Puehringer-Sturmayr
With only 700 individuals left in the wild, the northern bald ibis is considered to have a moderate risk of going extinct. What does it take to prevent a species from going extinct? Aside from ensuring there is adequate habitat and making sure the species is safe, knowledge about an animal’s behavior is key for conservation management. Which sites do these birds use for foraging and roosting? Do they move alone or in groups, and are there recurring patterns to their movements? These are just some of the questions we tried to answer in our study. We monitored the movements of 32 free-flying northern bald ibises over 4 years, by equipping the birds with GPS transmitters. We found that our birds are pretty predictable in their habits and that they preferably fly along valleys. Being aware of such preferences is important when planning to reintroduce new colonies into the wild.
{"title":"Saving Birds From Extinction by Discovering Their Habitats","authors":"D. Frigerio, Sonia Kleindorfer, Julia Krejci, Richard Schuster, Kurt Kotrschal, Matthias-Claudio Loretto, Verena Puehringer-Sturmayr","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1210462","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1210462","url":null,"abstract":"With only 700 individuals left in the wild, the northern bald ibis is considered to have a moderate risk of going extinct. What does it take to prevent a species from going extinct? Aside from ensuring there is adequate habitat and making sure the species is safe, knowledge about an animal’s behavior is key for conservation management. Which sites do these birds use for foraging and roosting? Do they move alone or in groups, and are there recurring patterns to their movements? These are just some of the questions we tried to answer in our study. We monitored the movements of 32 free-flying northern bald ibises over 4 years, by equipping the birds with GPS transmitters. We found that our birds are pretty predictable in their habits and that they preferably fly along valleys. Being aware of such preferences is important when planning to reintroduce new colonies into the wild.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139602057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-23DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1201556
Kevin A. Ryan, Douglas A. Burns
Water is essential for life. The particles and dissolved chemicals found in rivers, lakes, and oceans are constantly changing with weather, seasons, and human activities. The substances found in water can be helpful or harmful to humans and other organisms. New technologies allow scientists to use waterproof computers (called sensors) to record the quality of water as it changes throughout the day or night. Many sensors use the interaction of water with light, or other energy forms, to learn about what is in it. Through observing what happens to light energy in water, scientists can reveal the sources and movements of harmful pollutants or essential nutrients for plants, animals, and bacteria. Networks containing many sensors work together to provide continuous information about the ever-changing conditions that affect all living organisms that depend on water.
{"title":"Underwater Flashlights: What Light Can Tell Us About Water Quality","authors":"Kevin A. Ryan, Douglas A. Burns","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1201556","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1201556","url":null,"abstract":"Water is essential for life. The particles and dissolved chemicals found in rivers, lakes, and oceans are constantly changing with weather, seasons, and human activities. The substances found in water can be helpful or harmful to humans and other organisms. New technologies allow scientists to use waterproof computers (called sensors) to record the quality of water as it changes throughout the day or night. Many sensors use the interaction of water with light, or other energy forms, to learn about what is in it. Through observing what happens to light energy in water, scientists can reveal the sources and movements of harmful pollutants or essential nutrients for plants, animals, and bacteria. Networks containing many sensors work together to provide continuous information about the ever-changing conditions that affect all living organisms that depend on water.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139605413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-22DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1208907
Megha Bhatia, Sasha Kadamba, Rose Angeline De Guia, Hiba Ansari, Nico Osier
Have you ever seen a small baby with yellow skin or eyes? These babies have a skin condition called jaundice and it is actually pretty common. Jaundice occurs when too much of a waste substance called bilirubin stays in the blood for too long. Bilirubin is produced when red blood cells naturally break down and, in high amounts, it can cause damage to the body. The most common way doctors identify jaundice is the finger test: gently touching the baby’s skin with their finger to look for any yellowing. If the baby does have jaundice, there are two main treatments: ultraviolet (UV) light therapy and exchange transfusion therapy. Both work by bringing bilirubin in the blood down to normal levels.
{"title":"Why Is the Baby Sunbathing? An Overview of Jaundice","authors":"Megha Bhatia, Sasha Kadamba, Rose Angeline De Guia, Hiba Ansari, Nico Osier","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1208907","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1208907","url":null,"abstract":"Have you ever seen a small baby with yellow skin or eyes? These babies have a skin condition called jaundice and it is actually pretty common. Jaundice occurs when too much of a waste substance called bilirubin stays in the blood for too long. Bilirubin is produced when red blood cells naturally break down and, in high amounts, it can cause damage to the body. The most common way doctors identify jaundice is the finger test: gently touching the baby’s skin with their finger to look for any yellowing. If the baby does have jaundice, there are two main treatments: ultraviolet (UV) light therapy and exchange transfusion therapy. Both work by bringing bilirubin in the blood down to normal levels.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139609062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-22DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1076771
Michael Kriegl, Sophia Kochalski, Tanja M. Straka, Philipp Gorris, Achim Schlüter, L. C. Kluger
Dive into the incredible world of the ocean, a place full of wonder and beauty! The ocean is like a superhero, providing us with tasty seafood and other vital “services”. But trouble looms: climate change, plastic pollution, and intensive fishing endanger the ocean’s superpowers. Your help is needed to save the day! To keep the ocean healthy, we must understand how it works. Get ready to explore its mysteries through gigantic “webs” of interactions that reveal how we are connected to the ocean, how our actions impact the environment, and how the environment affects us. These webs are called social-ecological networks, and they are like maps that help us solve the ocean’s problems. Together, we can use social-ecological networks to secure a sustainable future for our blue planet. So, put on your diving mask, grab your snorkel, and let us make a splash for the ocean!
{"title":"Our Blue Planet: Connecting Humans and the Ocean","authors":"Michael Kriegl, Sophia Kochalski, Tanja M. Straka, Philipp Gorris, Achim Schlüter, L. C. Kluger","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1076771","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1076771","url":null,"abstract":"Dive into the incredible world of the ocean, a place full of wonder and beauty! The ocean is like a superhero, providing us with tasty seafood and other vital “services”. But trouble looms: climate change, plastic pollution, and intensive fishing endanger the ocean’s superpowers. Your help is needed to save the day! To keep the ocean healthy, we must understand how it works. Get ready to explore its mysteries through gigantic “webs” of interactions that reveal how we are connected to the ocean, how our actions impact the environment, and how the environment affects us. These webs are called social-ecological networks, and they are like maps that help us solve the ocean’s problems. Together, we can use social-ecological networks to secure a sustainable future for our blue planet. So, put on your diving mask, grab your snorkel, and let us make a splash for the ocean!","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139608945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-22DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1172757
E. Rahav, B. Herut, Adina Paytan
Airborne microbes are microorganisms that are suspended in the air. Airborne microbes include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms. Some airborne microbes can cause infectious diseases or other health problems, while others may not be harmful. Therefore, the role of airborne microbes in shaping atmospheric, ocean, and land-based ecosystems is extremely important. Scientists found that airborne microbes can be transported by wind/air for thousands of kilometers away from their place of origin. This atmospheric transport is fast and spreads microbial cells across geographic barriers. It only takes days for them to cross continents and oceans, for example. In this article, we will explain which microbes are found in the air, where they come from, and the atmospheric factors that affect them.
{"title":"Blowing in the Wind: Microbial Transport in the Atmosphere","authors":"E. Rahav, B. Herut, Adina Paytan","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1172757","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1172757","url":null,"abstract":"Airborne microbes are microorganisms that are suspended in the air. Airborne microbes include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms. Some airborne microbes can cause infectious diseases or other health problems, while others may not be harmful. Therefore, the role of airborne microbes in shaping atmospheric, ocean, and land-based ecosystems is extremely important. Scientists found that airborne microbes can be transported by wind/air for thousands of kilometers away from their place of origin. This atmospheric transport is fast and spreads microbial cells across geographic barriers. It only takes days for them to cross continents and oceans, for example. In this article, we will explain which microbes are found in the air, where they come from, and the atmospheric factors that affect them.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139606014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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