Health & Medicine






Fruit Fly

From Fruit Fly to This Guy: a Map of One Tiny Brain May Show How Larger Ones Work

Source: National Public Radio (NPR)

A fruit fly’s brain is only the size of a single poppy seed, but it contains a whopping 50 million connections between its neurons. With the assistance of AI, scientists have recently mapped these connections for the first time—the first time for any insect’s brain. It teaches us a lot about how a fruit fly’s brain works, but more importantly, this achievement has already begun to reveal lessons about how all brains work, including yours and mine.





Diabetes equipment, used by patient

New treatment for Type 1 Diabetics Gives Hope to University of Chicago Patients

Source: CBS News

Before insulin was first used in the 1920s (barely 100 years ago), a patient with Type 1 Diabetes was expected to live less than 2 years after being diagnosed. After insulin, diabetics began living longer and longer. Type 1 diabetics today can expect to live into their late 60s or early 70s—but doing so requires a lot of medicine, devices, and thoughtful care. However, a new treatment option is currently being tested that may make care easier and help patients live even longer.