High School Student Dasia Taylor’s Color-Changing Sutures Detect Infection

Iowa City West High School student Dasia Taylor utilized beet dye to develop suture thread that changes color when a surgical wound becomes infected. Taylor began working on the concept in October 2019 and this January she became a finalist at the Regeneron Science Talent Search (a prestigious competition for high school seniors). Taylor was motivated by data from infections after Cesarean sections—and utilized the …

The Golden Ratio’s African Origins

The golden ratio (aka the divine ratio)—which formed the foundation for modern Swiss design—was long believed to have originated in Ancient Greece, but evidence suggests it was actually invented in Africa, where the golden ratio, rectangle and spiral were commonly used in almost every imaginable artistic medium. Whether on Kente cloth in Ghana or architecture in Cameroon, diverse sources support this claim. (Additionally, empirical measurements …

Sesame Street Welcomes Two Black Muppets

Though Sesame Workshop (the non-profit behind the beloved TV show Sesame Street) continues to cast “a racially and ethnically diverse human cast,” it’s never directly addressed race or racism. This season, that changes with the introduction of two Black muppets, Wesley and Elijah Walker, who will have conversations about what it’s like to be Black in America. According to Time, “a 2019 study by Sesame …