STEMATIX Magazine | Issue 8

STEMATIX

DESIGN YOUR FUTURE

ISSUE 8: MAY 2020

WHEN THE WORLD STOPS SPINNING

Dear Reader,

It is an honor to introduce this issue of STEMATIX magazine. As one of the teachers/mentors in the 49-ers STEM Leadership Institute, I am excited for you to read through this issue. The topic could not be more relevant to our lives currently COVID-19. As the students’ Biology teacher, working on this magazine with them was fascinating. I learned so much about the virus, its transmission, and its effects on our lives in so many ways. The best thing about this magazine is that its content is entirely student-driven. They really did it all; they chose the topics for coverage, designed the artwork, developed the stories, organized the graphics, and edited the articles. This publication is a testament to the students’ collective curiosity, initiative, determination, collaboration, and innovation. As you read, I hope you not only learn more about this novel coronavirus than you did before, but that you are awe-struck at the passion these students have shown as they strive to make sense of their world.

Sincerely, Suzanne Miller-Moody Biology Teacher 49ers STEM Leadership Institute @ Santa Clara High School

Suzanne Miller-Moody Biology Teacher

1

● Note from Suzanne Mrs. Miller-Moody

STEMATIX Magazine

Dear Reader,

My name is Tony Sebastian, and I'm an Emergency Medicine Consultant working at Whipps Cross University Hospital in London.

I experienced this pandemic from both sides: as the doctor and

the patient. In the Emergency department, we see patients coming in with various conditions. Within four hours, we have to see them, make a diagnosis, and start treatment as in the UK, our performance is based on time. Due to this law, we have to go through a significant number of patients during our shift. Our department did provide personal protective equipment, but even then, a few of us got COVID-19.

Contrary to general belief,

I actually enjoyed being a doctor during the pandemic. I used this as

a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn about a new disease, introduce new working patterns, and adapt to them. I enjoyed reading new materials about COVID and changing our management plans regularly. I had to educate the staff who had rigid working patterns to be flexible and was successful in doing that. This opened avenues to meet a lot of people who I would not typically meet under normal circumstances, such as the estates team, security team, and senior management team.

I had to design a new emergency department within one week! Where else would a doctor be able to do that other than in a pandemic?

Once I had COVID, I had only mild symptoms. I was still able to attend meetings via Zoom and be part of the team making decisions for the hospital. Therefore, I was never really not working. I was unwell for a total of three weeks. The first week was okay with minimal symptoms. Then the coughing started and lasted for two weeks. I self quarantined for three weeks in the loft room, so my wife and kids were safe. So far, they are fine. Self-quarantine was the most challenging part I would say, even though I had Netflix and Amazon Prime. I watched the entire Tiger King during self-quarantine.

My advice to high schoolers is that

you can only prepare for the future. Be ready for changes. In

the future, everything changes. I am not practicing the medicine that I learned. Travel and get to know other cultures. Live with them and learn their values. You can pick up a few good things.

Have

an open mind. Do some lateral thinking, and don’t believe everything you hear. All you hear is someone’s interpretation of the event.

Sincerely, Dr. Tony Sebastian Emergency Medicine Consultant Whipps Cross University Hospital

Dr. Tony Sebastian Emergency Medicine Consultant

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2

STEMATIX TEAM The noted

people

behind

contributors

EDITOR

LITERATURE

Saurav Gandhi

Ryan Liu Aminah Hedges Sindhu Saggeri

LAYOUT Ein Hong Akshita Ponnuru Vivek Atmuri Rhea Jain Tyler Louie Frank Hui Saurav Gandhi Jessica Wang Sindhu Saggeri Sanjna Jain Sahana Moogi Javeria Ahmed Nabiha Jawad

Cover Design Tyler Louie

around

Omar Montoya

Risha Koparde Kaushik Salem Alondra Rodriguez Dana Choi James Pham

Neha Agrawal

Othón González

Rohan Malyala

Regina Hernández

Curtis Leung

David Medina

Luke Huang

Juan Alejandro Pulido

Arnav Dayal

John Rodríguez

Aayush Sugali

José Juan Rodríguez

Will Zhou

Avishai D'Souza

Alberto Camacho

Kavi Rajesh

Israel Rangel

Raiyaan Mulla

Andrés Martínez

Avaneesh Aruva

Jose Dominguez

Mokshi Dhamotharan

Ignacio Genovese

Sohan Nannra

Fillipi Vianna

Frederico Salas

Rhea Jain

Vaneza Caycho Ñuflo

Serena Gandhi

W.J.A Kernkampweg

Austin Wu Anwar Mujeeb

Angel Rala

Stella Uzochukw Denis

Tjeerd Zijlstra

Mindi Lam

Naomi Jung Gina Choi

Amanda Kay

Jeevan Navudu

Kaitlyn Nguyen

Maisha Thomas

Ethan Buriel

Saurav Gandhi

Joshua Antony Adreema Ahsan

Carlos Junio

Achouak Abdelkrim

Aleena Bosky

Tyler Louie

Kenzo Abiko

Sofia Porras

Grace Muresan

Daniel Janusz

Joana Mineiro

Thomas Mathew

Suparn Posina

Sydney Chou

Aristarco Cortés Carlos Araya

Isha Puri

Tiffany Lam Jasmine Kelly-Tanti

Johana Contreras

Nirathi Cherukuri

Hemanth Dinesh Stephanie Samame

Samuel Salas

Neha Mandava

Xavier Cairel

Shreya Handa

Joaquín Salas

Shim Valui

Alexis Houle

Josh Bayog

Maria Ivone Paniagua

Raúl Rodea

Rhea Nair

Rhea Nair

Daniel Martinez

Dagoberto Pulido

Jackson Moody

Naomi Jung Darshna Kulkarni

Israel Cruz

Regan Schmidt

Sherif Abdou

Aleena Bosky Tyler Louie

Mayra Candido

Nikhil Somanchi

Aryo Nabyzadeh

world

ART

Jessica Wang Sahana Moogi

Kaitlyn Butcher Tanisha Grover

the

PHOTOS & DIY Daniela Basurto

James Thornton

B

issue

Alyssa Boutouchent

Quoc Bui

Department Director

from

this

Curtis Leung Kavi Rajesh Kaitlyn Liu Brian Sawaya

Kerensa Strijker

Anh Quoc Nguyen

Dahon Helios Bert Heijenga MS Raynsford Robert Lou Ma Angela Flores Sofia Fabrega Martín Escalona Cristian Ríos Vicente Paredes

3

● STEMATIX Team

STEMATIX Magazine

TURNING THE TIDE DEAR READER,

Although

Dear Reader,

eradicating

we

have

been

diseases

like

quite

successful

smallpox

and

in

polio

with mass vaccination programs, scientists now When

I

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India a

last

small,

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local

my

father

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worry that if there is a vaccine developed for COVID,

anti-vaxxers

packed with around a hundred people - many

implement

hanging out of the bus, gripping onto the sides

change?

it

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sabotage

successfully.

When

efforts

will

we

to

ever

of the door. At that moment, all I could worry about was the possibility of a commuter falling

In

off

methodically

the

bus.

Times

have

perspective has shifted.

changed;

my

I think back to that

the

next

pandemic

two

issues

cover in

of

the

five

STEMATIX,

lifecycle

sections:

of

we this

outbreak,

have

transmission, response, protection, and culture.

provided a perfect environment for a COVID

This "double issue" offers an encyclopedic array

outbreak.

of

moment

on

the

We,

bus

as

station

-

humans,

it

would

need

a

lot

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articles, our

interviews,

network

of

art,

and

infographics

over

200

youth

STEM

Despite

these

convincing to change. I see things differently

from

now - but only because I'm forced to by this

journalists

global pandemic.

uncertain times, our network of contributors has

around

the

world.

come together to produce a thought-provoking Unlike are

humans,

always

in

characteristics

microbes the

that

process

allow

cause

of

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change.

microbes

to

These

adapt

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and insightful double issue. No matter what the future brings, we hope that STEMATIX continues to

evolve

into

changing environments rapidly and make them

voices

the

community.

perfect

diseases.

candidate

Contact

for

between

perpetuating

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youth global

and Fever

The STEMATIX team would like to dedicate this

outbreak in the 1600s. SARS was the result of

issue to all the doctors, nurses, and frontline

cross-species contamination in unsanitary wet

workers who work day and night to fight the

markets. Coronavirus seems to have a similar

battle

story. We have to change how we interact with

sacrifice,

animals

humanity

nonhuman

primates

to

caused

prevent

more

the

Yellow

pandemics

from

happening in the future. Clearly, we have not

battling

changed enough.

that

against

life

and

they

can

move

COVID is

continuously In recent years, humankind has understood that if we work together with science, we can make progress by embracing change. Edward Jenner created Smallpox

a

smallpox

was

vaccination

declared

in

eradicated

in

1796.

1980.

Jonas Salk created the vaccine that helped end the over

polio the

epidemic. decades,

Despite science

these has

successes,

struggled

defeat superstition and irrational fears.

www.stematix.org

to

COVID-19. keep

They

on

working

forward.

relies

change evolving.

upon

and

Our our

that

Stay

risk, so

that

success

in

acceptance

we

safe

they

must

and

be

happy

reading!

SINCERELY,

Saurav Gandhi

Founder, Editor-in-Chief STEMATIX Magazine www.stematix.org

4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. OUTBREAK How do Viruses Start?

7

Pandemics Throughout History

9

Prehuman Hosts of the Deadliest Pandemics

11

The Life Cycle of a SARS-COV-2 Virus

12

The Corona Controversy

15

Zootonic Viruses

16

II. TRANSMISSION The Spread of COVID-19

18

How Long does COVID-19 Last on Surfaces?

20

COVID 101

21

How a Tiger Caught COVID-19

23

COVID-19 and the Human Body

25

The Impact of COVID-19 on Childern

27

Countries Most Affected by COVID-19

28

Psychological Effects of COVID-19

29 31

Bioterrorism

33

Respiratory Droplets: COVID-19 Carriers

III. COVID + CULTURE Coronavirus Outbreak: Not an Excuse to be a Bully

35

Math Happens: The Adventures of Princess Bobo

37

Philanthropy & COVID-19

42

Four Walls: Animal Captivity & COVID-19

45

The Challenges of Mars Exploration (Spanish)

48

China Bans the Dog Meat Trade

52

Interview with Andrea Gung, Duo Duo Project Founder

53

Pets At Home Comic

55

Stanford Science Penpals: A Scientist Like Me

56

Role of AI, Data Science, and Technology to Track and

60

Fight the COVID-19 Pandemic

5

● Table of Contents

STEMATIX Magazine

Outbreak Where and how did the virus originate?

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6

?

HOW DO VIRUSES START?

BY AMINAH HEDGES Viruses are a type of microscopic parasites. While viruses share features, their structure and replication strategies are diverse.

Some viruses have single-stranded genomes, like the influenza virus.

Others, like smallpox, have doublestranded genomes. Most viruses are quite small, with a diameter of less than 200 nanometers. No known virus contains ribosomes, macromolecular machines, found in all living cells, that perform protein synthesis for the organism.

Due to limitations in their structure, viruses can only replicate inside of a living host cell. Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites and, according to a strict definition of life, are nonliving. The virus's primary goal is to place its DNA or RNA genome inside a host cell. The genome can then be expressed (transcribed and translated) by the host cell. This is necessary because viruses do not carry out metabolic processes, cannot generate ATP, and do not possess the essential machinery for translation. Without ribosomes, they cannot independently form proteins from molecules of messenger RNA.

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VIRUS HUNTERS DISEASE DETECTIVES

VIRUS HUNTERS IDENTIFY, CATALOG AND TRACK EVOLVING STRAINS OF VIRUSES

Tracing the origins of viruses is a difficult task. Because of the way they copy themselves, viruses do not leave behind fossils. Some viruses even have the ability to stitch their genes into those of the cells they infect. Studying their ancestry requires untangling it from the ancestry of their hosts. One way of tracing the origin of a virus is by comparing its structure. Some viruses that infect humans share features with viruses that infect bacteria. This points towards a

â—? How do Viruses Start?

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

common origin, dating back several billion years. Most modern viruses are a patchwork of information from different sources, a kind of "mix and match" approach to building an organism.

Some viruses are only found in a limited number of species, suggesting that those viruses are relatively new. Ebola and Marburg viruses, as well as the distantly related viruses that cause measles and rabies, are "new" viruses that likely originated in insects many million years ago that at some point in evolution developed the ability to infect other species.

VIROLOGISTS Virologists are both medical doctors and scientists. As medical doctors, they oversee the diagnosis, management, and prevention of infection. As scientists, they drive research on various aspects of viruses.

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There are a few viruses with genomes so large that scientists can not tell what part of the cell they would have come from. The largestever virus discovered is the mimivirus. It has a genome 50 times larger than that of HIV and even larger than that of some bacteria.

The largest known viruses infect simple organisms, such as Amoebas and simple marine algae. These viruses may have an ancient origin, possibly as parasitic life-forms that adapted to life as a virus. Some scientists believe that viruses might have triggered the evolutionary change in more complex types of organisms.

Humans can become infected with just a small number of virus particles; by inhaling particles expelled when another person coughs. We become sick several days later as the viruses replicate inside our bodies. Viruses evolve over time. A new flu vaccine needs to be developed every year as the influenza virus changes or evolves.

As per Ed Rybicki, a virologist at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, "At the end of the day, however, despite all of their common features and unique abilities to copy and spread their genomes, the origins of most viruses may remain forever obscure."

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Pandemics Throughout History

By Kaitlyn Butcher Throughout history, as more people founded civilizations, built cities, forged trade routes, and waged wars, the more frequent pandemics occurred. Below is a timeline of some of the worst pandemics faced by humanity that changed the course of human history.

541 A.D. Bubonic Plague In 541 A.D. the Plague of Justinian began spreading across the Byzantine Empire and Mediterranean port cities. Despite the name, the proper identification was the bubonic plague, a cause of future pandemics, such as the Black Death. The pandemic got its name from Justinian, the ruler of the Byzantine Empire at the time, whose handling of the crisis was perceived as its own form of infection. Scientists believe the Plague of Justinian spread through fleas. Studies indicate the plague may have originated in China or India and was transported to Egypt along trade routes. It is estimated that the number of people affected increased by 5,000 per day, totaling over 30 million as the plague dialed down in 542 A.D.

A Bubonic Plague Virus

1600 A.D. Smallpox One of the first destructive pandemics in the United States was smallpox, brought over by European settlers. Smallpox came to North America in the 1600s. People experienced symptoms of high fever, chills, severe back pain, and rashes. Starting in the Northeast, smallpox wiped out Native American tribes whose immune systems had never been exposed to such diseases prior to the European settlement. Over half of the Native American population was killed, not just due to smallpox but other diseases Europeans carried as well.

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1347 A.D. Black Death Unfortunately, the bubonic plague became prevalent once again, this time during the outbreak of the Black Death. The plague arrived in Europe in October 1347, after 12 ships from the Black Sea docked in Messina. As families gathered at the docks to greet the passengers, they didn’t just receive their loved ones, but were exposed to the disease the sailors suffered from. Most sailors aboard the ships were dead, and the few still alive were severely ill and covered in black boils that oozed blood and pus. This disease is spread by a bacillus called Yersinia pestis.

Bacillus travels from person to person through the air, as well as through bites of infected fleas and rats.

These pests were found throughout medieval Europe, particularly on ships—which traveled from port to port across Europe, spreading the disease.

Fortunately, by the early 1350s, the Black Death was over as a result of quarantining. The estimated number of people killed by the Black Death was over 75 million people.

A Smallpox Virus

● Pandemics Throughout History

STEMATIX Magazine

1918 A.D. Influenza An Influenza Virus

Those were some of the life-altering pandemics of the past. The pandemic that is haunting all of us today is the Coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus began late in 2019, in Wuhan, China.

Scientific research demonstrates that the virus originated in a seafood market in Wuhan, where some of the animals contracted the disease and spread it to humans. Several scientists believe it originated in bats, who passed it to other animals. However, as of now, the CDC has yet to confirm the exact source of Coronavirus. There are several reasons why the virus spread so severely. We live in a global economy where frequent domestic and international travel is every day, which facilitates the easy transmission of the virus. Another component that aided the spread was how symptoms appear; symptoms may appear two to fourteen days after exposure to the virus, but one becomes contagious 48 to 72 hours before experiencing symptoms.

Besides, the virus not only transmits through uncovered sneeze or cough but also transmits through surfaces. Covid-19 can be detected for 24 hours on cardboard, three to seven days on plastic and stainless steel, and up to four days on paper, copper, or glass. The CDC reports as of the first of May, 1.06 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S.; worldwide, there are over 3.28 million cases and 234 thousand deaths. Although these numbers seem large, gradually, as time progresses, the number of those still

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The next pandemic was the flu of 1918. The flu of 1918 was first observed in Europe, the United States, and parts of Asia before it spread across the globe. This flu was known as the Spanish flu, as Spain was hit the hardest by the disease. Spain's king, Alfonso XIII, reportedly contracted the flu. Thousands of soldiers fighting in WWI died from the flu, which was more than the number of soldiers killed at war. Forty percent of the U.S. Navy was hit with the flu, while thirty-six percent of the army became infected. The largest cause of the virus spread was troop movement. The estimated death toll was 20 to 50 million victims worldwide, while other estimates run as high as 100 million victims— the equivalent to 3 percent of the world’s population.

affected is continuing to drop immensely, compared to the rate in March and April. This drop is primarily due to the shelter-in-place order issued by cities and countries around the world.

The projected end date is continually changing; however, the "end' will be once the daily death rate drops below 0.3 per million.

Regrettably, in addition to the pandemics described in this article, numerous others have wiped out large populations. Although many will hope to never go through another pandemic, they will likely happen again, and the best we can do is learn from them. Countries and states can act faster to stop future virus spreads, as well as always be prepared for the worst-case scenario, because as the saying goes, "it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."

With this pandemic, we learned that it is always advisable for countries to stock up on personal protective equipment (PPE), as it is not easy to get them when the whole world is in crisis mode.

People have also learned that generosity is alive and well in the darkest of times because citizens and small business owners have switched to helping those in the frontlines by offering free food, transportation, PPE, and in many instances, free lodging. The lessons we have learned from this pandemic should help us build a great future and create a better world.

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BY EIN HONG AND ROHAN MALYALA

PREHUMAN HOSTS OF THE DEADLIEST PANDEMICS 1347: BLACK DEATH Type: Bacterium Yersinia pestisleas Prehuman Host: fleas on infected rodents

1520: SMALLPOX Type: Variola major virus Prehuman Host: N/A

2012: SPANISH FLU Type: H1N1 virus Prehuman Host: Pigs

1981-PRESENT: HIV/AIDS Type: Virus Prehuman Host: Chimpanzees

2019-PRESENT: COVID-19 Type: Coronavirus Prehuman Host: Unknown (possibly pangolins) Source: CDC, WHO, BBC, Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, John Hopkins University

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● Deadliest Pandemic Throughout History

STEMATIX Magazine

THE LIFE CYCLE OF A SARS-COV-2 VIRUS

BY RISHA KOPARDE

The 2 Cycles of Virus Reproduction

COVID-19 is a pandemic that has

the people who contract this virus

caused

recover, but they tend to end with

thousands

of

deaths.

COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-

reduced

2,

Wuhan,

understanding the cycle of the

China, and is speculated to have

corona, a possible solution could

come from bats. SARS stands for

come to light amidst these dark

severe acute respiratory syndrome.

times. The life cycle of the virus is

It spreads quickly, has no current

a

cure, and is extremely dangerous

stages.

which

originated

in

complex

lung

capacity.

system

with

By

many

to older people. The majority of

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12

Attachment COVID-19 is circular, with crowns, proteins (S, E, and M), a single-strand RNA, and a lipid bilayer. The virus interacts with the body by entering and heading into the lungs.

Lungs contain multiple alveoli that exchange gas, taking in oxygen, and expelling carbon dioxide. They are made up of cells called alveolar cells, and they produce surfactant. Surfactant is a substance that reduces surface tension. This coats the inside of the alveoli to keep it open and allow the oxygen and carbon dioxide gases to flow through. The virus invades these cells, which leads to severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS.

Mutarotation & Lysis The virus has an incubation period ranging from two to fourteen days. Between the time they contract the virus and the appearance of symptoms, the virus is growing.

It spreads rapidly from one cell to another, then from one alveolus to another. The virus typically develops in your lower respiratory tract, but it can also develop in the upper. This includes the nose, throat, and windpipe.

Some examples of upper respiratory viruses are the common cold, sinusitis, and laryngitis. Some symptoms are similar and some are different from lower respiratory corona. The COVID-19 reproduction rate is one of the reasons it is such a big situation. It is able to be transferred quickly and through simple person to person contact. The life cycle of the virus is complex which makes it understandable that scientists have been unable to come up with a solution. The best thing to do during this epidemic is to stay inside, prevent contact with others, and stay safe.

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â—? The Life Cycle of a SARS-COV-2 Virus

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

Penetration Once in the lungs, the virus targets cells and binds onto Ace2. Ace2 is a receptor and an enzyme. The proteins in the virus bind with the receptor, allowing the virus to enter the cell by endocytosis. The virus’ genome is able to enter the cytoplasm and release the single RNA strand. The strand is able to reproduce by attaching themselves to ribosomes. These ribosomes undo the pseudoknot structure in the RNA. They then begin translation to produce proteins for RNA polymerase. The polymerase finds the previous strand of RNA, reads it, then creates a negative RNA strand. This negative strand is used multiple times in transcription to create new positive strands. These strands are moved to the endoplasmic reticulum where they are read again by ribosomes. The reticulum then moves the instructions for the proteins into the Golgi apparatus. Here, the proteins are put together with the positive RNA strand. This forms a new virus. The new virus is then released back out through the cell by exocytosis.

Biosynthesis Now that the virus is incorporated in the cells, it can replicate faster in the alveoli. While replicating, the virus damages the walls of the alveoli. When the cells realize this, they begin an inflammatory response to attack the virus. They release interferons, cytokines, and DAMPs. This prepares cells to protect themselves from infection.

The microfibers on the alveoli can seek out cell injury. They do this by either responding to released cytokines or the DAMPs (damaged associated molecular pathogens). Then the fibers release some cytokines. The cytokines are known as TNF alpha, interleukin1, 6, and 8, etc. The release of the cytokines causes nerve endings to react and trigger a cough reflex in the host body. Some of these cytokines also cause a fever which is a primary symptom of the coronavirus. There is also a decrease in oxygen intake from hypoxemia. This causes chemoreceptors to go off in the heart and brain. The brain tells the host’s body to breathe harder and the heart begins to pump faster. That is another symptom that appears. One symptom is acute respiratory distress syndrome. This tends to be fatal in patients and causes all the mortality rates we have been seeing. Sometimes none of these symptoms show up in patients because of their immune system. It all depends on the host body and how it reacts to the virus.

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THE CORONA CONTROVERSY

By Alyssa Boutouchent

In the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic and the panic brought along with it, there were bound to be many speculations and controversies about what exactly started the disease. Some speculate it was brought by someone in China, who decided to eat a bat, and many others believe it had to do with contaminated meat. But is there a known source linked to this virus?

According to the article “Scientists ‘strongly condemn’ rumors and conspiracy theories about the origin of coronavirus outbreak” by John Cohen for Science Magazine, twenty-seven scientists have pushed back claims that a laboratory located in Wuhan, China originated the virus. This claim has even brought streams of conspiracies, along with scientific papers. However, many, including Senator Tom Cotton, stated on Fox News that there is currently no evidence to conclude that the disease originated in China. He also added, however, that because of China’s “dishonesty,” there is reason to question if COVID-19 did originate there.

Others, such as authors from The Lancet, have other claims. “Scientists from several countries who have studied SARS-CoV-2 overwhelmingly conclude that this coronavirus originated in wildlife’’. They go on to say, “Conspiracy theories do nothing but create fear, rumors, and prejudice that jeopardize our global collaboration in the fight against this virus."

No matter where the virus originated from, it is essential that everyone sticks together in times like these. Racism is not an option! It will only divide the global population and might create dangerous dynamics between the world superpowers.

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● The Corona Controversy

STEMATIX Magazine

top 4

ZOONOTIC DISEASES

By Rhea Jain

salmonellosis

A common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract. It sheds through feces and people become infected mostly through contaminated water or food

An infectious disease spread through mosquitoes. People who get WNV usually have no symptoms or mild symptoms including feverÂ

Plague

West nile virus

The bubonic plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. It can spread through contact with infected fleas. Symptoms include swollen nodes.

A type of common virus that infects humans, typically leading to an respiratory infection.

Symptoms can include cough and fever.

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Coronaviruses 16

Transmission How did the virus spread throughout the globe?

17

● Transmission

STEMATIX Magazine

BY ALONDRA RODRIGUEZ FLORES

THE SPREAD OF COVID-19

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has had a drastic impact on the way we live our everyday life. As the number of cases rises, containing the spread of Covid-19 is the number one priority to make sure everyone is safe.

COVID-19 is an RNA virus that originated in China. It is classified as a virus due to the protein spikes that cover the capsid. The coronavirus disease is caused by a virus known as SARS-CoV-2. MERS, SARS, and COVID-19 are all respiratory illnesses that are caused by the family of viruses called coronavirus.

Social distancing is the most secure way of making sure one is Covid-19 clear.

Anyone can become infected by being in close contact with someone who has this virus. Humans should always make sure to be at least six feet away from each other, as the virus can be spread through respiratory droplets. These droplets are produced when an infected person either coughs, sneezes, or talks.

Respiratory droplets can land in the noses or mouths of anyone in close contact, as well as surfaces. COVID-19 can stay for hours and days, depending on the type of surface it landed on.

Maintaining good hygiene during these tough times can also help prevent acquiring the coronavirus disease. If a person touched an infected surface and then proceeded to touch the face area, they now potentially have the virus. The

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20-second rule is very crucial when washing the hands. Everyone should wash their hands with soap and water, making sure to cover all parts of the hands. Using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer can also help fight the virus if soap and water are not available. Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces is also crucial, especially if one is going in the public often. These surfaces can include doorknobs, light switches, countertops, phones, handles, keyboards, and other household objects.

Weather can affect how quickly the virus may spread. According to researchers at Harvard University, it was found that higher temperatures are associated with lower disease incidence. However, Covid-19 hasn’t lasted long enough for there to be enough data and information to understand the coronavirus. Even though seasonality has potential in flattening the curve of the spread, we shouldn’t rely on it because it won’t be close in resolving the outbreak.

To stop the spread, everyone should remain indoors unless it’s an emergency. When coming in contact with others, everyone should wear either a face mask or cloth to protect the nose and mouth area. The fabric is meant to protect the people around you in case you are affected by the virus or when you may come in contact with someone infected.

Symptoms of the virus may include; cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, headache, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, and muscle pain.

Some people show symptoms of having the virus while others don’t. If you believe you have been in contact with someone who may have had the virus, make sure to stay home and stay away from others to avoid spreading the virus. It is recommended to stay home for fourteen days and self-monitor yourself by checking your temperature twice a day and watching out for any more symptoms.

COVID-19 has spread throughout the world, and anyone can obtain it. For most people, the risk of becoming seriously ill from the virus is low. However, those with a severe underlying medical condition or are older, are at higher risk for more serious complications from COVID-19. To lower the cases of people infected with the coronavirus and to stop the spread of this disease, everyone should practice social distancing and have careful hygiene.

"To stop the spread, everyone should practice social distancing and have careful hygiene."

19

● The Spread of COVID-19

STEMATIX Magazine

By Ein Hong and Curtis Leung

How Long Does COVID19 Last On Surfaces?

paper: up to 7 days plastic: 3-7 days

stainless steel: 3-7 days glass: up to 4 days

wood: up to 2 days

www.stematix.org

20

COVID 101 OVERVIEW, SYMPTOMS, EFFECTS, RISKS, AND TREATMENT

BY JAMES PHAM

During these months of world-wide

Coronavirus is a respiratory disease

citizens around the globe still lack

Sneezes and coughs form droplets

panic spurred by COVID-19, many knowledge about the effects and

signs of Coronavirus. This absence

of knowledge can be critical, as what one may think to be a simple cold or flu may be more complicated.

People may overlook the severity of their sickness and infect others due to not self-isolating. To prevent

further viral contamination, here are some observed causes and indications of COVID-19.

21

spread mainly through the air.

with this virus. These droplets are

exposed to others through human

contact, especially within six-feet of distance. Even if one may not be directly exposed to someone

infected with Coronavirus, droplets with the disease may last from

several hours to days on certain

surfaces, thus becoming the source

of infection. Symptoms of COVID-19 may take up to two to fourteen days

â—? COVID 101

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

to appear, as well. These are the reasons why it is essential to

sanitize one’s hands at frequent intervals. Once the virus has

entered the body through places

like the eyes, nose, and mouth, the virus creates copies of itself, by

placing proteins on healthy cell receptors.

The effects of COVID-19 are

different for each individual: they can range from minor respiratory symptoms to severe permanent lung damage. Usually, signs of

Coronavirus are similar to that of the flu, including fevers, cough,

body aches, or a temporary loss of a sense of smell or taste. COVID-19 can also create complications

leading to cases of pneumonia.

Since this virus is mainly respiratory and targets the lungs, infected air sacs within the lungs may fill up with pus or liquid and cause difficulty breathing.

Different types of people may be more at risk of Coronavirus

infection. Since this disease mainly targets the respiratory system and the lungs, older people, as well as those with asthma, have a higher

chance of fatality. Other groups that are also at risk include those with diabetes or underlying diseases, HIV, or pregnancy.

Currently, medical treatment for

Coronavirus is limited to supportive

care to help relieve symptoms. There are no drugs or vaccines available to

prevent or treat COVID-19. However, there are a few things one can do to prevent the contraction of COVID19. Regularly washing hands and keeping up good hygiene is the

primary method to protect against Coronavirus. Staying home and

limiting social contact is another

critical way to guard oneself against

this disease. And if leaving the house is necessary, be sure to wear a mask to reduce the spread of germs through the mouth.

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22

HOW A TIGER AT THE BRONX ZOO CAUGHT COVID-19

By Dana Choi On March 27, a four-year-old Malayan tiger named Nadia, living at the Bronx Zoo, showed symptoms of COVID-19, the first of what experts describe as “human-to-cat transmission.” Her sister Azul, as well as two Amur tigers, are also sick.

While the tigers are not in critical condition and are expected to recover, the threat of Coronavirus passing onto animals poses a high risk for the Bronx Zoo, one of the largest zoos in the United States that is home to about 6,000 animals.

Public health officials believe that the cats caught the disease from an employee. While all zookeepers keep a barrier between themselves and the tigers, they do get close to the animals when feeding and doing enrichment.

23

Neha Mandava

● How a Tiger at the Bronx Zoo Caught COVID-19

STEMATIX Magazine

Paul Calle, the zoo’s chief vet, said on a clip of the Bronx Zoo channel, “This wasn’t supposed to happen to lions and tigers and other big cats, so now we’re writing the book about what happens when a lion or tiger gets infected by

"THE ANIMALS WE CARE FOR RELY ON US FOR EVERYTHING"

coronavirus.” that not enough is known to prove that The more significant issue is the shutting

neither cats nor dogs can pass the virus

down of all businesses deemed

onto people. The World Organization for

“unessential” as part of the New York

Animal Health supports this claim but

state lockdown. Unlike museums or

states that those sick should remain

theaters, zoos cannot be completely shut

cautious around their animals.

down.

Also, the Agriculture Department Animals must still be fed and taken care

recommended that people who have

of. Chicks require help after hatching,

COVID-19 should avoid contact with

and captive wild animals such as grizzly

animals.

bears should not be left on their own.

As for now, the Bronx zoo has been The director of the Bronx Zoo, Jim

prompted to take on new social distancing

Breheny, stated, “The animals that we

procedures to protect the animals from

care for rely on us for everything.”

contracting the virus from humans

While the zoo has been closed to the

Governor Cuomo recently revealed that he

public since March 16, 300 workers of the

would be extending the New York

700+ staff of the Bronx Zoo were titled

lockdown for many parts of the state, as a

“essential workers” and work at the zoo

new study of 7,500 people shows that

to care for the animals. The tigers have

almost 25% of people in New York City

been the only animals tested at the zoo

have tested positive. As a result, the Bronx

because the procedure of testing

Zoo will continue to stay closed until mid-

required general anesthesia.

May or further.

Another potential problem arises when

In New York City, where more than

considering the number of pet-owners in

200,000 people are infected, and over

the world. Can the disease jump from a

16,000 died, these precautions seem

pet to a human? In Belgium, a pet cat

necessary and appropriate.

tested positive for Covid-19. Still, the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical

Until more is proven through research,

Association) said

officials continue to encourage humans to limit contact with all animals.

www.stematix.org

24

How has the COVID19 outbreak affected our susceptibility to other diseases?

BY NIRATHI CHERUKURI

COVID-19, also known as SARS-COV-2, is a

fittest." Only organisms that can withstand and

widespread pandemic that has resulted in

survive the virus will remain on the planet. While

turmoil for a majority of the world. Scientists

this does not directly affect an individual's health,

studying this virus are mostly in agreement

we will evolve to become much healthier as a

that the originating source of COVID-19 is a

population. Evolving into a more robust community

bat. Just like a ripple effect, the disease

will allow us to prevent more global pandemics.

continuously spread from one organism to

However, when a pandemic does hit, we will show

the next. It infected millions of people and

a reduction in the number of affected people. This

has shown few signs of slowing down. It

increase in herd immunity will also lead to fewer

spreads when an affected person coughs or sneezes, releasing infected water droplets, which can be inhaled by other people.

COVID-19 has had certain positive, as well as negative effects on humans' susceptibility to fight

cases of endemics, which are seasonal diseases like the flu. Those who are unable to fight the virus will most likely be wiped out during the first or second outbreak, which will gradually lower the number of cases over time.

diseases in general.

So, what does COVID-19 mean for a person To begin with, according to experts in evolutionary biology, the COVID-19 outbreak is a "battle of the

25

individually, especially when it comes to future diseases?

â—? COVID-19 and our Susceptibility to Other Diseases

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

infection, their body creates "neutralizing antibodies,"

What does COVID-19 do to your body?

which are present in their blood. Their purpose is to

BY KAITLYN LIU

When someone is recovering from a COVID-19

block the virus from breaking into cells. Recently, doctors have been finding high levels of these antibodies in COVID-19 patients. According to Mike Sinner, a virologist from Imperial College, London, "The antibodies created by that response will protect against future infections." This protection will allow

Brain

COVID-19 patients suffer from strokes and seizures.

Many report loosing their sense of smell

humans to be more resistant to future outbreaks and seasonal endemics.

Another part of human health improvement has to do with lifestyle changes. The shelter-in-place and lockdown orders given by most governments have forced millions of people to stay at home. With limited

Lungs

COVID-19 can cause pneumonia which can cause potentially fatal lung damage

access to drug-like substances, fast food, and unhealthy environmental conditions (such as smoke/pollution), general hygiene is improving.

Additionally, with the lockdown orders in place, communication, and socialization with other humans are reducing, limiting the spread of other diseases along with COVID-19. This limited social interaction prevents humans from catching a majority of diseases that typically spreads through contact.

However, recovering from COVID-19 can also have adverse effects on people's health. The disease itself weakens the respiratory system, and in extreme cases, can lead to breathing problems. Besides, stay at home orders can lead to other health complications such as weight gain, mental health issues, depression,

Kidneys

COVID-19 can cause serious kidney damage and require dialysis

Intestines

20% of patients reported diarrhea as an early symptom.

The virus has been found in the lower intestinal tract of some pateints.

and risk of future illnesses.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

www.stematix.org

26

B Y :

E I N

H O N G

A N D

D A N I E L

J A N U S Z

COVID-RELATED INFLAMMATORY DISEASE AFFECTING CHILDREN COVID-19

SYMPTOMS

IS...

It has been reported that children with PMIS experience widespread inflammation throughout the body that is caused by the virus triggering the immune system to overreact. A high fever that lasts four or more days, a rash, very red eyes, abdominal pain, and skin peeling off of hands or feet are some of the symptoms. Experts have drawn resemblance to a rare childhood illness called Kawasaki disease, which can lead to enlargement of blood vessels that may cause heart damage in severe situations.

a virus that attacks healthy cells. The virus attacks mainly the respiratory system and compromises the patient's immune system. While COVID-19 is not very prevalent in children, cases of what's being called pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (PMIS) have been reported with some children experiencing organ failure.

PEDIATRIC

PATIENTS...

with chronic conditions, children with congenital heart disease, children with an immunodeficiency - like those who have undergone chemotherapy are generally at a higher risk. As per the CDC, while only 2% of confirmed cases of COVID-19 have impacted children under 18, we must remain vigilant and address our children's health concerns promptly.

SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HEALTH LAB

27

â—? COVID-Related Pediatric Impacts

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

The world is currently struggling with a global pandemic due to coronavirus. Many countries are handling this pandemic differently, but most are now in lockdown and are implementing social distancing. Many stores are running out of essential food, and many workers are struggling to work from home. All countries are struggling, but some are struggling more than others.

USA 1.7 M

BRASIL 353 K

RUSSIA

COUNTRIES MOST AFFECTED

BY COVID-19

345 K

UK 260 K

SPAIN 234 K

ITALY

By Kaushik Salem

230 K

SOURCE: NCOV2019.LIVE

www.stematix.org

28

PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF COVID-19

BY JOSHUA ANTONY

These

are

undoubtedly

quarantine, I have come to realize

unprecedented times. A couple of

the carelessness of some citizens.

months ago, if you told me that I

Many states and businesses want

wouldn't be able to go outside

to

without wearing some form of

problems, which seemed logical

facial

a

until I saw the actual companies

long shower after I come home, I

that were being reopened. Gyms,

most definitely would have called

bowling alleys, and even beaches

you crazy. If you told me that

are being reopened. But, then

schools

again,

protection

would

and

taking

be

closed

reopen

it's

due

easy

to

for

financial

me

to

be

indefinitely, I would have called

judgemental as my parents are

you crazy. If you said to me that I

one of the few people who were

would get an extremely sloppy

in a situation in which they could

buzz

most

keep their jobs. This realization

barbershops closed down, I would

brings me to my next topic of

have called you crazy. You get the

discussion: unemployment.

cut

because

point. COVID-19 was something no one saw coming. When 2.6

I can only imagine what is going

billion people around the world

through

are trapped in their homes, only

heads right now as they struggle

being

to

able

to

go

out

for

live

millions after

of

their

people's source

of

essentials and only being able to

income has suddenly been taken

talk to anyone outside their home

away.

via video call, it can leave an

paycheck you got will be your last

emotional toll on someone. For

one

me,

thought for many people to take

at

affected

least, my

it

has

definitely

productivity,

Knowing for

a

while

that is

the a

last

difficult

my

in, and rightly so. These people

motivation, and my work ethic.

need to figure out ways to make

It's not just the fact that I can't

ends

go outside and talk to my friends

seems impossible right now.

meet

somehow,

and

it

and have fun. During this

29

â—? Psychological Effects of COVID-19

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

Many

people

have

lost

friends,

family, and loved ones, and coping

MENTAL HEALTH TIPS

with the loss of a person is a tough thing

even

under

normal

circumstances. Now, you can't even comfort yourself by talking or having a good time with your family or friends. There is barely any good news

around

the

world,

and

LIMIT YOUR INTERACTION WITH THE NEWS

the

situation continues getting grimmer EXERCISE

and grimmer by the day. In times like these, it seems like it will never

EAT HEALTHY

get better. It hurts not to be able to go out and have fun and not being able

to

have

physically

the

satisfaction

meeting

with

of

other

human beings.

TALK TO A FRIEND

MEDITATE

The

CDC

has

released

multiple the

regularly doing them will make a

adverse psychological effects of this

significant impact on your mental

pandemic. The first strategy would

health and help you to cope in dark

be to minimize the time you spend

times

hearing

someone

strategies

to

help

about

cope

the

with

pandemic,

as

like

these. who

If

you

know

could

use

these

repeatedly doing so would only do

strategies, please share it with them,

further harm to your mental health.

as it may help make the outbreak

Physical health is also vital in times

less stressful for them. If someone

like these, and to remain healthy,

comes to you with their concerns,

the CDC suggests that you should

share these strategies, and let them

exercise regularly (run, take walks,

know that they are not alone and

do yoga, etc.) to keep your body

that

healthy. You should also eat well-

Everyone should do their part in

balanced

using

stopping this pandemic, whether it

alcohol.

means being on the front lines or

Lastly, the CDC says to take time to

staying at home. This pandemic will

unwind. Do some activities that you

pass, and complying with health and

enjoy, talk to someone you trust, and

safety regulations will help end this

tell them about your concerns and

horrible crisis.

meals

substances

like

and

avoid

drugs

or

this

will

eventually

be

over.

problems. These strategies may not seem extremely helpful at first, but

www.stematix.org

30

BIOTERRORISM

BY NEHA MANDAVA

COVID-19 is a rapidly transmissive coronavirus

The USA had started to develop biological

that has infected around 3.49 million people and

weapons in the 20th century, although they

killed

worldwide.

denied using them in the Korean War. They

According to the Center for Disease Control and

created a testing lab in Fort Detrick and New

Prevention (or CDC), the origin of the virus is not

York to test human vulnerability to pathogens

entirely

have

and released infectious particles into public

originated from a seafood/live animal market in

places like San Francisco and New York City in

Wuhan, China. However, several people still

undercover tests, leading to several infections.

think

about

246,000

confirmed.

that

this

It

people

is

believed

coronavirus

was

to

an

act

of

bioterrorism.

Later on, a Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of

Bioterrorism is defined as the intentional release

Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons

of germs, like viruses or bacteria, to cause

and on Their Destruction (or the BWC) was

sickness or death. The first uses of bioterrorism

created to prevent shipment and creation of

in warfare date back to 600 BC, where troops

toxins in large amounts that weren't used for

would use animal carcasses and other rotten

nonviolent purposes. These prohibitions didn't

items to poison enemy wells and make them

entirely prevent bioterrorism but did lower its

severely ill. This tactic of poisoning the enemy's

activity.

water supply has been used in the Middle Ages

President

and, surprisingly, in the American Civil War.

bioterrorism as an act of warfare and instead

Subsequently, Nixon,

in

decided

1970,

USA,

never

to

under use

made USAMRIID, a research facility to defend Also, when the Black Death struck in the 14th

against biological weapons.

century, troops would launch dead bodies that were

31

their

Bioterrorism has an extremely long history and

opponent's land and purposely put victims of

riddled

with

the

plague

into

is a serious issue that needs to be addressed

the plague onto ships, sailing them to the

continuously. Several aspects of the coronavirus

opposition. Even leaders like Napoleon helped

have led people to believe it is an act of

spread malaria by flooding the lands.

terrorism. Generally, bioterrorists use diseases .

â—? Bioterrorism

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

that are quickly and widely spread with a high mortality rate to achieve maximum damage among the populace.

Genetically engineered pathogens would be the best

option

for

this

because

they

can

be

modified to be lethal and highly transmissive.

Also, since the pathogen would be completely new and unheard of, it will take longer to make a vaccine and identify how it spreads and mutates, therefore infecting many more people in

the

meantime.

To

achieve

this,

many

bioterrorists would utilize a research facility to

Furthermore, this

create a genetically engineered pathogen.

bioterrorism theory has

There are several reasons why a bioterrorist

absolutely no evidence to

would go through all this work to make this happen. One reason could be to take down a rival nation. Still, another would be that a pandemic would be a great way to redistribute wealth, invest, and ultimately make a fortune during the recovery after the spread of the illness.

The

idea

of

bioterrorism

regarding

COVID-19 arose when after the coronavirus

back it up and has just been deemed a conspiracy theory by researchers and scientists. started spreading, a Harvard researcher was arrested for lying about funding he allegedly got from a university in Wuhan and his connections to a government program in China. This arrest led people to believe he was affiliated with a research laboratory in Wuhan that somehow released the virus as an act of bioterrorism. However, this arrest had nothing to do with the coronavirus whatsoever and was just about his funds and affiliations. Furthermore, this bioterrorism theory has no evidence to back it up and has only been deemed a conspiracy theory by researchers and scientists.

Overall, bioterrorism has been occurring for centuries, and it will likely continue for the ones to come. It is an extremely dangerous and serious issue and shouldn't be taken

Jasmine Kelly-Tanti

www.stematix.org

lightly. Although we have several measures to counter it right now, we should always be prepared

against

a

potential

biological

warfare attack.

32

Respiratory Droplets COVID-19 Carriers How is COVID-19 spread?

By Curtis Leung

Spread mainly from person-to-person through close contact Virus is spread through respiratory droplets Droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks Droplets can land in the mouths or noses of those who are close by Virus droplets are also spread through surfaces Droplets stay on surfaces from several hours to days

Stay safe, maintain distance, and wash your hands!

SOURCE: CDC.GOV

33

● Respiratory Droplets

STEMATIX Magazine

COVID+Culture How has our society shifted in response to the virus? www.stematix.org

34

CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK: NOT AN EXCUSE TO BE A BULLY WRITTEN BY GRACE MURESAN

As a middle school student, over and over again I hear about bullying. Kids at school teasing their classmates or friends about their hair, clothes, height, weight, background, any and every little detail that can be exploited for their humiliating or humorous purposes.

Some attempted strategies to contain bullying that work the best is teaching students to respect each other’s differences and teaching them to be upstanders, not bystanders.

35

So this brings us to bullying in the adult world. Racism. Before the coronavirus outbreak, microaggressions were generally the most common form of racism.

Microaggressions are subtle, often unintentional movements that “discriminate” against marginalized groups. Some examples would be pulling your bag closer when you see a person of color or telling your children to quiet down when someone with religious clothing approaches.

● Coronavirus Outbreak: Not an Excuse to Be a Bully

STEMATIX Magazine

Now, coronavirus has become a pandemic. The panic is settling in and countries are going under travel bans and quarantines. As of 3/18/2020, there are 213,557 global cases and almost 9,000 deaths. And while this COVID-19 outbreak did originate in China, this DOES NOT GIVE YOU AN EXCUSE TO BE RACIST TO ASIANS. Back in late January, a girl at my school with Korean heritage caught a cold. She wore a mask to school one day, and she got called “Coronavirus freak” by some kids at school. That isn’t even close to the worst of the racist incidents. Hate crimes against Asians are on the rise, and people who even simply appear Chinese are

getting attacked by people who want someone to blame for the disease.

Our President, Donald Trump, has referred to the pathogen as the “Chinese virus”, and when asked if he thought that it may spark violence against AsianAmericans, he declared: “It’s not racist at all. It comes from China, that’s why.”

The WHO’s executive director said, “Viruses know no borders and they don’t care about your ethnicity or the color of your skin or how much money you have in the bank.” It makes perfect sense that the COVID-

19 pandemic causes global panic, and being afraid of getting sick is okay. We do, however, need to learn to control our reactions.

Racism and targeting bullying in this adult world will not cure coronavirus or prevent you from getting it. Instead, I suggest, we educate ourselves about the disease. Even through desperate times as such, racism will not and will never be tolerated or excused.

At this point, bullying should only be an issue at school, among children who genuinely don’t know better. What would your 5th grade teacher tell you now?

"... while the COVID-19 outbreak did originate in China, this does not give you an excuse to be racist to Asians."

www.stematix.org

36

The Adventures of Princess Bobo

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MATHHAPPENS FOUNDATION

BY MICHELLE TAT

Anh Quoc Nguyen 37

● The Adventures of Princess Bobo

STEMATIX Magazine

THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCESS BOBO

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, the Kingdom of Larkspur flourished in peace under the reign of the beloved King Smith and Queen Holly until the year of 3859 when a little misadventure struck. The greatest joy of the king and queen was their beloved daughter, Princess Bobo. However, the princess was a spoiled brat. The day before the princess's 13th birthday, she was in her chamber, sketching the layout for her grand masquerade ball with her cat in her lap when she suddenly heard a plop on the balcony outside.

Startled, she reflexively poked a hole in her sketchpad as her head swiveled up, and her hazel eyes narrowed, trying to pinpoint the culprit who ruined her drawing.

Much to her surprise, the culprit was a two-foot-tall miniature man dressed in green from head to toe. The princess noticed in amusement the pointy features of this man. He had pointy green shoes, pointy fingernails, a pointy beard that grew down to his chest, and a three-leaf clover stuck behind his pointy left ear. In his right hand, he held onto a small cauldron filled with gold coins. In his left hand, he tightly gripped a sparkly wand with a glowing star on the end. The princess gasped in shock at the sight of this strange creature before bursting out into hilarious laughter.

The little man stomped his foot in indignation and bared his golden teeth in faux menace, which only made the princess laugh harder.

"Stop being disrespectful, or I will not grant your special birthday wish," snapped the little man. The princess gasped in shock as the little man's wand started making crackling noises, and she reluctantly quieted her laughter. "I'm very sorry. Please forgive me," grumbled the princess while kneeling down to poke at the pointy shoes of the little man.

"You don't sound very sincere. Prove your sincerity or else suffer the consequences," warned the little man.

www.stematix.org

38

THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCESS BOBO

Now it was the princess' turn to become agitated. As the sole heir to her kingdom's throne, her parents had spoiled her by giving her everything she asked for while growing up in the castle. The lack of discipline from her parents had led the princess to believe that it was her birthright as royalty to receive everything she demanded. Not many had dared defy the princess for fear of incurring her notorious tantrums.

Thus, believing she deserved a magical wish for her upcoming birthday, she knocked the cauldron of gold out of the little man's hand and grabbed for his wand while pulling at his beard. Desperate to salvage his beard that took 14 years to grow, the little man pushed the princess a little too hard, causing her to trip over a birdbath, roll over the railing of the balcony, and plunge to her doom towards the lily pads floating on the castle moat below.

Watching this scene unfold from the highest tower of the castle, the court magician chuckled mischievously and waved his left hand. Spectacularly, a burst of sparkles popped out of the water and caught the princess, enveloping her in a rainbow cocoon of light. The rainbow cocoon slowly solidified into a chrysalis and dropped into the moat, yet it remained afloat with the princess frozen inside. By this time, a sizable crowd of royal guards and servants have stopped their work and gathered around the moat to witness this commotion.

The head of the royal guard dispatched a messenger to get the king and queen while several castle guards used sticks and nets to draw the chrysalis ashore, and everyone erupted into incredulous chatter. "I knew that one day the princess would get what she deserved!" cried the royal gardener. He had a personal distaste for the princess ever since she stomped on all his roses, his pride, and joy, in one of her temper tantrums.

39

â—? The Adventures of Princess Bobo

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCESS BOBO

Upon the king and queen's arrival, the crowd immediately hushed, and all eyes turned gazes of pity upon the royal family. Although not many of the castle workers liked the princess, they were fond of their kingdom's rulers, who governed with a golden heart rather than an iron fist. This same golden heart allowed the princess to grow into an impertinent brat. The king asked for the royal guards to carefully break open the chrysalis, and each guard started chipping away at chrysalis shards using kitchen knives.

After 86 hours, the guards had finally chipped a hole big enough for a maid to climb into the chrysalis and carry the unconscious princess out. There was a collective gasp among the guards and spectators as the maid emerged carrying the little princess. Once out of her rainbow prison, the princess yawned and slowly blinked open her eyes, but the looks of surprise and horror remained on everyone's faces. The princess had shrunk to the size of the little man, her teeth had turned the color of gold, and her prominent facial features had become pointy. She had a three-leaf clover in her hair, two pointy ears, and one pointy nose. Other than her physical transformation, the princess was completely healthy.

The royal guards searched every inch of the castle, but the little man was nowhere to be found. After that incident, the princess' impetuous attitude mellowed, and she eventually became one of the luckiest queens to reign over the kingdom of Larkspur.

THE END www.stematix.org

40

CHALLENGE QUESTIONS

1. In the fictional story's world, the year is 3859. In the real world, what is the year? How far away is 3859, and what do you think the real world will look like by then?

2. When was the princess born?

3. The leprechaun is 2 feet tall. How much taller/shorter are you than the leprechaun? Where would the tip of the leprechaun's head reach on your body?

4. The leprechaun has a cauldron of gold coins. Aside from counting individually, what is another way you can measure the number of coins he has?

5. When did the leprechaun first start growing his beard?

6. It took 86 hours to chip a hole in the chrysalis to free the princess. How many days is 86 hours?

7. Since it took 86 hours to chip the hole, if the guards started chipping at 9:00 in the morning and continued nonstop, what time was it when they finally rescued the princess from the chrysalis? .M.P 11 .8 sruoh 41 dna syad 3 .7 5483 = 41-9583 .6 snioc fo rebmun = nioc eno fo thgiew / snioc lla fo thgiew :alumroF .5 .nioc eno fo thgiew eht yb snioc eht lla fo thgiew eht edivid ,evah uoy snioc ynam woh etamitse oT .denibmoc snioc eht lla fo thgiew eht erusaem dna nordluac eht ytpme neht ,nioc dlog eno fo thgiew eht erusaem nac uoy ,elpmaxe roF .noitanigami evitaerc ruoy esU .4 .cte ,kcen ,tsehc ,seenk :selpmaxE .era uoy llat woh no sdneped rewsna dnoceS .teef 2 dna thgieh ruoy neewteb ecnereffid eht si rewsnA .3 6483 = 31-9583 .2 .rewsna dnoces rof noitanigami evitaerc ruoy esU .1 rewsna = raey tnerruc-9583 .1

SREWSNA

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â—? The Adventures of Princess Bobo

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

Philanthropy & COVID-19

By Xavier Cairel COVID-19 is a dangerous virus that has devastated many communities across the globe. However, amid this global disaster, there are positive leaders in the world who are investing lots of time and resources in combating the virus.

However, amid this global disaster, there are positive leaders in the world who are investing lots of time and resources in combating the virus.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have pledged one hundred million dollars to help contain the outbreak.

The foundation said that its funds would be used to help find a vaccine for the virus, limit its spread, and improve the detection and treatment of patients. They will also direct twenty million dollars to groups like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the World Health Organization. Another twenty million dollars will be sent to the regions of South Asia and Africa. These areas are of higher risk of contamination due to the lack of proper good health care. In 2010, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates committed ten billion dollars to vaccine research. They also started an initiative with Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, called "Giving Pledge," which tried to motivate other billionaires to donate to charity.

Philanthropists across the world have been donating enormous sums of money to help support people who have been affected by the coronavirus.

Business leaders, Hollywood celebrities, and famous sports stars have donated over one billion dollars combined to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Several billionaires, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, have donated large sums of money to help unfold this crisis.

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Jeff Bezos announced that he had given one hundred million dollars to Feeding America for the COVID-19 Response Fund, which supports work carried out by 200 food banks. Bezos wrote in an Instagram post, "Even in ordinary times, food insecurity in American households is an important problem, and unfortunately COVID-19 is amplifying that stress significantly. Nonprofit food banks and food pantries rely in large part on surplus food from a range of food businesses, but during this time of social distancing, restaurants are closed, and many other normal channels of excess food have also shut down. To make matters worse, as supply is dwindling, demand for foodbank services is going up." The CEO of Feeding America, Claire BabineauxFontenot, in a statement, said that the gift would allow the organization to serve millions of people in need.

Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg declared a forty million dollar commitment for "instant action" to fight the spread of COVID-19 in low and middle-income countries around the world, like Africa. Bloomberg partnered with the World Health Organization and Vital Strategies, a significant public health

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organization that often partners with the city and local governments. He is also working with the former commissioner of the NYC Health Department and former CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden, who served during Bloomberg's term of mayor. Bloomberg said in a statement, "Millions of lives depend on getting the coronavirus response right – and so does the economic and social health of communities around the world. We need to slow transmission of the virus and minimize the impact of the outbreak in all countries."

In early April, ten million dollars of Oprah Winfrey's funds were given to coronavirus relief efforts. One million dollars of that money would go toward America's Food Fund.

Though donations from the rich have been substantial, experts in philanthropy say it's too early to make any definitive statements about the size of the response and its ultimate impact.

However, many organizations are in need of funds to support communities during COVID. You don't need a million dollars to contribute to a good cause. Even a small amount can go a long way.

Philanthropy & COVID-19

BILL & MELINDA GATES

JEFF BEZOS

$250 MILLION TOWARDS CONTAINING THE OUTBREAK

$100 MILLION TOWARDS FEEDING AMERICA

BY: HEMANTH DINESH AND AKSHITA PONNURU

INVESTING IN COVID-19 RELIEF

OPRAH WINFREY

MIKE BLOOMBERG

$40 MILLION TOWARDS CONTAINING THE OUTBREAK

www.stematix.org

$10 MILLION TOWARDS CONTAINING THE OUTBREAK

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FOUR WALLS

WHAT THE CORONAVIRUS HAS TAUGHT US ABOUT ANIMAL CAPTIVITY FOR PROFIT

BY AMANDA KAY If humans cannot deal with the impacts of being confined to a house or an apartment, how do we think it is fair to confine animals to the same fate?

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly provided the internet with cute videos of penguins walking around zoos in lieu of human contact. Still, it has also proven that for-profit zoos or amusement parks that exploit animals are not only cruel—they’re inhabitable.

On April 1st, 2020, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a stayat-home order to the entire state of Texas; however, this did not come without criticism. In addition to not explicitly stating the order—Abbott had to later clarify his statement in different interviews—he also received pressure to reopen the state. By the end of the month, the state went through stages of reopening—despite the growing number of deaths.

Forbes reported on May 1st, 2020, that Texas had recorded its highest three-day death toll right before reopening the state. This situation isn’t just a 45

Texan phenomenon—the New York Times reported that there were rallies scheduled in 10 other states as well. With the growing outrage towards the stayat-home order, it is clear that humans aren’t equipped to stay at home, even for those who have enough money to support themselves through this crisis. In fact, overwhelming support against the stay-at-home order center around the fact that there are certain services that are no longer being provided to them, not the expense of their livelihoods. These people confront the nurses and doctors who risk their lives every day in a hospital room and don’t listen to their advice, despite those on the front-lines witnessing the number of deaths skyrocketing daily.

If humans cannot deal with the impacts of being confined to a house or an apartment, how do we

● Four Walls

STEMATIX Magazine

think it is fair to confine animals to the same fate?

Animals who are kept in for-profit zoos often deal with lack of food, inadequate care, and most of all— lack of space to roam.

Take Netflix’s Tiger King, for example, a show whose popularity reached new heights during the coronavirus pandemic. Although it appears more like a reality TV show, the show highlights disturbing information about the care of tigers, although it often takes a backseat to the drama between its main characters, Joe Exotic and Carol Baskin. Inside a shoddily-run roadside zoo, the tigers and other animals often live in confined, fenced plots without much room to roam. Besides, the financial downturn also leads to underfeeding, resulting in fights and aggressive behavior. Tigers are solitary animals— they depend on their instincts to survive and protect territory. It’s no wonder why they are agitated when in the wild, they are so used to having room to roam.

On Baskin’s end, it’s not much better: several of the smaller cats are given insufficient space to roam.

The effects of long-term stimulation deprivation have not been studied but have already shown to be linked to changes in temperament, activity, and, ultimately, health.

JOE EXOTIC

Netflix’s Tiger King

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TILIKUM CNN's Blackfish

However, one of the most notorious cases of animal abuse in the entertainment industry is not from Tiger King but from another documentary, Blackfish.

Displaying the treatment of orcas taken from the wild, it deals with the abuse of these animals in SeaWorld and other parks similar. Orcas are taken from the wild where they are used to swimming 100 miles or more a day in the open ocean and then lifted to a concrete cage 350 feet long. The more significant issue is the orca’s ability to dive: in the open sea, orcas can dive up to 1,000 feet, impossible in a 35 feet deep tank.

Like humans, orcas are social animals; they live in pods, speak their own languages. Lifting orcas from a variety of pods is equivalent to sticking random people from over the country, taken from their loved ones, and sticking them into one bedroom. It’s no wonder why they often turn on each other, orca on orca violence being especially prevalent in these types of situations.

The documentary focuses on one whale in particular —Tilikum, a male orca captured from the wild waters of Iceland as a child. Brought to the Sealand of the Pacific in unlivable conditions, Tilikum endured constant fighting and had to spend most of his daily life in small tanks without light. It is no wonder why his behavior shifted, killing Keltie Byrne, a part-time trainer who slipped and fell into the tank.

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SeaWorld Corporate already knew Tilikum was dangerous, confining him for most of his life, only letting him out to do the final splash in a show. His role was more of a sperm donor than anything; he was a valuable asset for the reproduction of captive orcas, many of which were taken from their mothers to be sold. Living life in a tank, being scraped and gouged by the females, wounded and alone, his life as an apex predator was over before it started. This would take an emotional toll on him, and it’s no wonder that he would come to kill again, this time an experienced trainer who had done everything right— Dawn Brancheau. Scalping her and biting off her arm and swallowing it, SeaWorld still insisted that it was Dawn’s fault, despite Tilikum’s already marred track record.

The thing about orcas is that they are no less smart than humans, even more so in some cases. Humans pride themselves on emotional sensibility; that is why we don’t respond well to being held in one place.

Compared to the common dolphin, another animal regarded as intelligent, postmortem MRI’s on orcas show their brains are almost 3.5-6.5 the size of these animals. Like human brains, orcas have extensive cortical folding in their brains, indicating a high level of cortical processing.

ORCA

HUMAN

47

INSULAR CORTEX Compared to humans, there are some places that are enlarged in an orca’s brain, stated by the Grey Matters Journal as the “insular cortex, its surrounding operculum, and the limbic lobe.” The first two are thought to be the reason for the orca’s complex communication system, but the limbic lobe is often associated with memories, behavior, and emotions. In fact, the cells in this part of the brain, the spindle cells, are associated with complex emotional behavior and greater empathy. Despite being thought of as unique to the great apes, orcas are proven to have a larger relative number of these cells compared to the amount humans have.

These creatures with such high emotional intelligence are forced to spend their lives in small tanks, having their children wrenched from them, and being forced to exhibit behaviors that are not natural to them in the wild. These are creatures who feel grief so strongly, restlessly searching for their children, calling out to them in fruitless cries. It is no wonder why these orcas live so short in captivity— although SeaWorld once claimed they lived longer under their care—but the fact is that orcas have similar life spans to humans, female orcas living up to 80-100 years old. This is unlike SeaWorld, where many orcas have died after just 15 years.

Staying at home may make a difference in the lives of humans, but keeping animals for entertainment does not do anything but perpetuate lies. The difficulty we face staying at home should be a warning message of whether it is right to degrade animals into a shadow of their former selves, locked in an endless cycle of abuse and neglect, four walls growing ever higher.

● Four Walls

STEMATIX Magazine

JÓVENES VIVEN LOS DESAFÍOS DE LA EXPLORACIÓN DE MARTE

BY ANGELA FLORES, SOFIA FABREGA, MARTÍN ESCALONA, CRISTIAN RÍOS, AND VICENTE PAREDES

La empresa Technolab Spa que se define como una MAKER SCHOOL, es un conjunto de emprendedores regionales, que llevan más de 5 años creando experiencias educativas únicas, a través del uso de tecnologías disruptivas, para el desarrollo temprano de talentos en el Norte de Chile.

Challenge, para jóvenes de 1ero Medio de las comunas de Taltal, Calama y Antofagasta y que se realizan los días sábados con jornadas que muchas veces se extendían por más de 7 horas de aprendizajes complejos, pero muy divertidos, gracias a la metodología utilizada por Technolab con alto

Con el apoyo de CORFO, han realizado con mucho éxito, los Campamentos Tecnológicos con misiones Nasa App

www.stematix.org

componentes de gamificación y desarrollo de una lúdica de una misión en el espacio.

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Los jóvenes conformaron más de 10 equipos, en donde debieron aprender a trabajar y colaborar con sus compañeros, que eran de otras ciudades, asumiendo en cada misión roles distintos como son Diseñadores, Ingenieros, Gestores y Maker para el desarrollo de sus prototipos, que debían cumplir con las misiones, para así poder avanzar al campamento siguiente, con el objetivo de aprender de las tecnologías utilizadas para la exploración de Marte.

Luego de 6 campamentos en donde 6 quipos quedaron eliminados, los 3 equipos finalistas comenzaron la fase final de 4 campamentos con la misión de replicar el sistema de comunicación y transmisión de datos para manipular un rover a distancia. Para ello, debieron en el primer campamento construir un sistema de antenas que simulaban la transmisión desde la tierra, luego en un segundo campamento diseñar un sistema de recepción y repetición para un globo meteorológico que se elevó a 30 metros simulando que era un satélite, para finalmente en los últimos 2 campamentos, construir una replica del Mar Rover que recibiera las instrucciones desde la Tierra y cumpliera el circuito de exploración con las restricciones de velocidad y con una ruta a escala.

"Barbarita Lara valoró la iniciativa e incentivo a los jóvenes a asumir su rol de cambio en nuestra sociedad y destaco la innovación que se realiza en regiones y el impacto global que esta alcanzando."

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Según el equipo Ganador de la competencia, nada se compara con la emoción y tensión de probar que el sistemas de comunicación (comandos) que tenían un delay de 5 segundos, que hacía más difícil la misión del rover, envió la información y siguiera la ruta en el desierto de Atacama….. fue lo máximo…. Este equipo esta integrado por Angela Flores, Sofía Fabrega, Martín Escalona, Cristian Ríos y Vicente Paredes, recibió las felicitaciones en una ceremonia virtual que contó con la presencia de CORFO, los Mentores y Monitores de Technolab y la destacada ingeniería chilena Barbarita Lara como speaker invitada, quien valoró la iniciativa e incentivo a los jóvenes a asumir su rol de cambio en nuestra sociedad y destaco la innovación que se realiza en regiones y el impacto global que esta alcanzando.

● Chile Mars Exploration

STEMATIX Magazine

YOUNG PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE CHALLENGES OF MARS EXPLORATION

BY ANGELA FLORES, SOFIA FABREGA, MARTÍN ESCALONA, CRISTIAN RÍOS, AND VICENTE PAREDES

The company Technolab Spa, which is defined as a MAKER SCHOOL, is a group of regional entrepreneurs who have been creating unique educational experiences for more than 5 years through the use of disruptive technologies for the early development of talents in northern Chile.

With the support of CORFO (Chilean Development Agency), the Technology

www.stematix.org

Camps with Nasa App Challenge Missions have been carried out with great success for young people from High School of the communes of Taltal, Calama, and Antofagasta. They often include more than 7 hours of complex learning, but it is very fun thanks to the methodology used

by Technolab, with activities such as learning about gamification and developing a mission play in space.

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The students formed more than 10 teams and had to learn to work and collaborate with their colleagues from other cities. In each mission, they assumed different roles such as Designers, Engineers, Managers and Makers and had to develop a prototype that could complete the missions, in order to advance to the next camp. The aim was to learn about the technologies used for the exploration of Mars.

After 6 camps where 6 teams were eliminated, the 3 finalist teams began the last phase of 4 camps with the mission of replicating the communication and data transmission system to manipulate a rover at a distance. To do this, they had to build a system of antennas that simulated transmission from the ground in the first camp. Then, in a second camp, they had to design a reception and repetition system for a meteorological balloon that rose to 30 meters, simulating that it was a satellite. Finally, in the last 2 camps, they had to build a replica of the Sea Rover that received instructions from Earth and complied with the exploration circuit with speed restrictions and a route to scale.

According to the winning team, nothing compared to the excitement and tension of proving that the communication systems (commands) that

"She valued the initiative of young people assuming their role of change in society and highlighted the innovation being realized in regions as well as the global impact it has been achieving."

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had a 5-second delay, which made the rover's mission more difficult, sent the information and followed the route in the Atacama desert.

This team is made up of Angela Flores, Sofia Fabrega, Martín Escalona, Cristian Ríos and Vicente Paredes. They received congratulations in a virtual ceremony that was attended by CORFO, the Mentors and Monitors of Technolab, and the outstanding Chilean engineering Barbarita Lara as a guest speaker. She valued the initiative of young people assuming their role of change in society and highlighted the innovation being realized in regions as well as the global impact that it has been achieving.

● Chile Mars Exploration

STEMATIX Magazine

CHINA MOVES TO END THE DOG MEAT TRADE

By James Thornton China has allowed the consumption of dog meat for years now; however, this practice may finally be coming to an end. Due to the global pandemic caused by COVID19, a few cities in China are passing laws to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat permanently. Instead, these cities will now look to these animals entirely as pets and end any breeding, trading, or consumption of wildlife. So far, only a few cities, such as Shenzhen, have passed the law; it is likely others are to follow.

Now, what exactly are the positives of passing said law?

First, this leaves less opportunity for another virus to sprout from one of China's wet markets. For many people, it is simply more ethical to end their consumption. As most Chinese don't eat dogs, almost everyone can agree, this was a step in the right direction.

This turn of events isn't the first time that China has banned its more exotic food items. Back in 2003, China placed a temporary ban on civets and snakes for being suspected of transferring SARS to humans. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these bans may resurface and become permanent as well.

What does this mean for China's food industry? We will likely see a transformation in China's wet markets where a lot of viruses have the chance to mutate and become transferable to humans. Wet markets can vary from the more westerner notion of farmer markets to a place where animals generally kept in cages within proximity are killed on the spot during the point of sale. These places have all the right set up for viruses to breakout, and some speculate this to be how the Coronavirus came into fruition. Hopefully, within the future, we will see better regulations surrounding these markets to reduce the risk of zoonotic transmission.

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CHINAS'S PET MEAT TRADE

BY THE NUMBERS By: AvI D. & Akshita P.

4 MILLION CATS DIE EACH YEAR

10 MILLION DOGS DIE EACH YEAR 1039 REPORTED PET MEAT RESTAURANTS

TAKE ACTION! VISIT DUODUOPROJECT.ORG

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Meet

ANDREA GUNG Founder & Executive Director of the Duo Duo Project

HUMANITY

AGAINST THE DOG MEAT TRADE

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Andrea Gung. I am the founder and executive director of Duo Duo Project, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the dog meat trade worldwide.

Why did you decide to start the Duo Duo Project?

Ever since I was a child, I have always loved dogs. In 2013, when I learned about the cruelty of the illegal dog meat trade, that dogs are shipped in a jam-packed truck for three days with no water and no food, and that they were beaten to death in a filthy slaughterhouse, I knew I had to do something to end the dog meat trade and close the slaughterhouses. That "something" was the Duo Duo Project. I have always been an activist, and I try to live my life using this quote from Dr. King: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

How does the Duo Duo Project combat the dog meat trade?

We have three major campaigns: education, shelter support, and spay and neuter. We believe that changing the young generation's perception of dogs is the key to end this cruel trade. We put on a lot of resources into education and community outreach programs in the dog eating regions in China to help people to see dogs as family and not food.

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â—? Duo Duo Project Interview

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

How has COVID-19 shaped the Chinese government's perspective on the dog meat trade?

The Chinese government always wanted to take new measures to end the dog meat trade embarrassment as it taints China's international image. However, the government was worried about the pushback they might face from the trade if they were to crack down on the trade. However, in light of COVID-19, the wet markets needed to be banned. As a result, China's Department of Agriculture moved to classify dogs and cats as "companion animals" rather than livestock. Because of COVID-19, there was limited pushback from the trade.

Will this new classification end the trade?

No, it will not. While the Chinese government did classify dogs and cats as companion animals, they did not create any legislation to support this change. However, this is a significant victory for animal activists as it now gives them legal backing to call the government if restaurants are selling dog meat. However, just because the government has a law, it doesn't mean people will follow them. Like a drug, an underground market will emerge, and the dog meat trade will find a way to continue.

What does this mean for the future of the Duo Duo Project?

We genuinely feel that the only way to eradicate the dog meat trade would be to educate the new generation. We will continue to invest in compassion education in places where dog meat is exceptionally prevalent. We will also now invest more resources into building shelters for rescued dogs in China.

What can young people do to get involved with Duo Duo Project?

My advice is to use your skills to drive change in the community and the world. Create videos, PSAs, social media posts, help organize community events, organize fundraising parties, and more. This will help spread awareness about the cruelty of the dog meat trade. If you would like more information on how to get involved, visit www.duoduoproject.org!

Meet

DUO DUO

The

$10 Â dog

who sparked a

global movement

Get involved! www.duoduoproject.org Duo Duo with her Mom, Martha www.stematix.org

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"PETS AT HOME" written and drawn by Brian Sawaya

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● Pets At Home

STEMATIX Magazine

A SCIENTIST LIKE ME Featuring Dr. Jessica N. Stanford University

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH STANFORD SCIENCE PENPALS www.stematix.org

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When you think of a scientist, what is the first image that comes to mind?

When you think of a scientist, what is the first image that comes to mind? Let me guess: Bill Nye the Science Guy, gazing into a beaker of some chemical substance gassingoff white smoke? Or Albert Einstein working out some crazy looking mathematical equation?

scientists are diverse in gender identity (e.g., woman, man, genderqueer), in sexual orientation (e.g., a-, bi-, hetero-, homosexual), in racial or ethnic identity (e.g., Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, etc.). Some are living with physical or learning disabilities.

Others do not speak English as their first language. Some are the first in their family to graduate college.

Others are from low socioeconomic backgrounds. We exhibit a wide range of religions, physical appearances, and personality types.

Likewise, the range of topics that STEM scientists study is so vast that

While there are many scientists that resemble Bill Nye and Albert Einstein in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields overall; the truth is that STEM scientists are in fact wonderfully diverse, and so too is their research! For example, STEM

57

â—? Stanford Science Penpals: A Scientist Like Me

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

is hard to imagine: from effects of climate change, to biodiversity and sustainability, to pathology development/treatment, to chemical/genetic engineering, to cellular biology, to computer sciences, to ecology and evolution, to synthetic materials design...the list seems endless. And the best news is that it keeps growing!

Why is it important for youth to understand the increasingly diverse nature of STEM?

between two households. One household was stable and situated in a small middleclass village; while the other was transient and mostly in low-socioeconomic innercity communities. I was somewhat introverted, and enjoyed being alone in nature, especially a pond on my father’s property. In the summers, day after day, I’d get home from school, walk straight to the pond, drop my back-pack next to the water, grab my net, and collect goldfish and leopard frogs, whirling beetles. I remember being fascinated by their behavior in their natural environment. In college, I realized that I desired to be a scientist (marine biologist); however, I struggled with believing that I was capable. This was because up to that point I had never excelled in school, and in fact underperformed in reading and math. (I still do.) Secondly, I had never met another marine biologist…much less one that was like me. In other words, I had no role

Why is it important for youth to understand the increasingly diverse nature of STEM? The answer is: because youth themselves are diverse; and for many of them, representation of that diversity among role models matters. For some many students, seeing someone who represents your unique identity and research interests successfully leading a STEM career implies that you can do it too.

As proof-of-principle, I’d like to share my own “unlikely” journey into STEM. For starters, I, like many others, bear little resemblance to Bill Nye. For starters, I’m a female. Growing up, I had never known anyone who had a PhD or career in STEM. As a child of divorced parents, I grew up

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model. I came to realize, however, that if I wanted it bad enough (and I did), I would find a way to make it happen one way or another. So, I committed to studying like never before…I had to learn how to learn.

Once I did this, my grades considerably improved. I also sought out a mentor that I felt I could relate to, and who were well progressed into the STEM career that I was interested in. She has been remarkably supportive and invested in helping me identify my career goals, and helping me strategize a plan for how to achieve them.

Today, I am loving my career as a postdoctoral research scientist at Stanford University, who studies how the brain governs social behavior in tropical fishes and beyond.

So, for those of you out there who are interested in a STEM career but believe it is unattainable, here are a few lessons I’ve learned along my journey that might resonate with you: Start by changing your belief. Believe it is possible (because it is), and it is only a matter of how you’ll make it happen. For me, it was hard work, persistence, and surrounding myself with peers and mentors who respected and believed in me. If you do not yet know them, seek them out. You can seek out mentors through formal mentorship programs, or even personally email someone. Potential mentors include undergrads, graduate students, post-docs, independent research scientists, and professors at universities, for example, and you can find our profiles on departmental websites of universities and research institutes all over the world. Seek out experiences like internships (many are paid) within organizations, high school, universities, or research institutes; that give you an opportunity to better experience what you’re interested in. Don’t let failure deter you…in the pursuit of and

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Start by changing your belief. Believe it is possible (because it is), and it is only a matter of how you’ll make it happen. during a STEM career there is LOTS of “failure”. You don’t get the grade, the internship, the college acceptance, the grant, or the project failed—this is all a part of everyday life, and it doesn’t mean that you don’t belong; it means you have to learn from your mistakes and keep trying.

Finally, be kind and respectful—both to yourself and others. Like many aspirations, pursuing a STEM career is challenging, and we rely on each other for support and scientific progress. STEM is beautifully diverse, and there is a place for all of us.

Happy Sciencing, Dr. Jessica N. Ph.D., Stanford University

● Stanford Science Penpals: A Scientist Like Me

STEMATIX Magazine

DO YOUR PART!

NOTES FOR SUPPORT

By Gina & Dana Choi

Notes for Support was created so that anyone can contribute to the Covid-19 crisis. We believe that for frontline healthcare workers and patients who are facing depression and isolation, receiving an encouraging, personal message can mean the world.

3.7k+ Notes Sent 34 Hospitals 12 States visit www.notesforsupport.org to send a note! www.stematix.org

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Role of AI, Data Science, and Technology to Track and Fight the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Team 13217 AstroBruins

Diagnosis 1

Interfvision (Beijing, China) AI-based software, trained on CT scans from first coronavirus patients in China, identifies typical signs or partial signs of COVID 19 infection.

2

Paginemadiche Chatbot (Italy) The digital health-based startup has joined with medical experts to create a chatbot that diagnoses the disease.

Spread Prediction 3

Blue Dot (Canada) Blue Dot uses natural language processing and machine learning to cull data from hundreds of thousands of sources, including statements from official public health organizations, digital media, global airline ticketing data, livestock health reports, and population demographics.

4

SenseTime (China) While certainly a controversial use of technology and AI, China's sophisticated surveillance system used facial recognition technology and temperature detection software from SenseTime to identify people who might have a fever and be more likely to have the virus.

Drug Development 5

Google's DeepMind (USA) Using it's latest AI algorithms has arrived at a guess as to the structure of a handful of proteins associated with COVID-19.

Contact Tracing 6

Apple & Google (USA) Apple & Google enabled the use of Bluetooth technology for contact tracing.

Notable features include exposure notification API and face ID enhancements, including a simplified unlock process if wearing a mask.

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â—? AstroBruins Robotics Education

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

ASTROBRUINS

ROBOTICS EDUCATION

WHO ARE THE ASTROBRUINS? ABOUT The AstroBruins Robotics Team (13217) is based at the Santa Clara High School, California. Our mission is to create an inclusive, diverse, worldclass team that is able to cooperate efficiently and productively to make an innovative, top of the line robot. We are a small but highly efficient team of ten members. Last season, we won first place Inspire at NorCal Regionals and qualified for the World Championship.

HOW WE CAN HELP We offer online mentoring for rookie/junior FTC teams WHY We hope to use the opportunities presented to us

by FIRST to the fullest extent and inspire fellow students with similar interests. FTC was initially a chance to try something new and different and we hope to inspire others to do the same.

10

highschoolers

3000+

hours of enrichment

1

robot @schsastrobruins @SCHSAstroBruins astrobruins.com

It’s way more than building robots. FIRST Tech Challenge teams (up to 15 team members, grades 7-12) are challenged to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in a head-to-head challenge in an alliance format.Guided by adult coaches and mentors, students develop STEM skills and practice engineering principles, while realizing the value of hard work, innovation, and working as a team. Each season concludes with regional championship events and an exciting FIRST Championship. More information at: www.firstinspires.org

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STEMATIX CITATIONS A quick recap of the main ideas in this issue...

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● AstroBruins Robotics Education

STEMATIX Magazine

SPONSORS & COMMUNITY PARTNERS

CONTRIBUTORS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE 30 Countries | 43 Regions | 200+ Students | 9 Issues

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THANK YOU! healthcare and essential professionals

Aleena Bosky

DEDICATED TO Health care providers and caregivers

COVID-19 Researchers

Law Enforcement, Public Safety and First Responders

Pharmacy Employees

Hospital and laboratory personnel

Mortuary Professionals

Manufacturers & Technicians

Essential Workers in Food & Agriculture

Distributors of Medicals Equipment

Electricity & Energy Professionals

Behavioral health workers

Water & Wastewater Professionals

Blood and plasma donors

Transportation & Logistics Professionals

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and many more...

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