The 20 most popular research stories of 2017

New clues to Alzheimer’s disease, helping kids deal with stress, understanding why our universe is three-dimensional and—of course—electric eels all appear in this year’s look back on the Vanderbilt research stories that were visited the most on Vanderbilt’s website in 2017.

20. Teach for America service leads to empathy

high school teacher
(iStock)

19. DNA duplicator small enough to hold in your hand

18. ‘Mind’s eye blink’ proves ‘paying attention’ is not just a figure of speech

Mind’s eye blink (Keith Wood / Vanderbilt)

17. Tolerance, participation in local government up in the Americas

16. Vanderbilt Poll: Tennesseans cooling on Trump, favor ACA provisions

15. Autism & Innovation center established to help people with ASD find meaningful work

14. Vanderbilt begins Phase 1 trials of new Alzheimer’s drug

Elderly woman looking out window
(iStock)

13. Biologist reaches into electric eel tank, comes out with equation to measure shocks

12. New research identifies best coping strategies for kids

Parents can play an important role in helping children and teens dealing with stress. (iStock)

11. Alien particles from outer space are wreaking low-grade havoc on personal electronic devices

Cascade of energetic particles produced by cosmic ray hitting the atmosphere. (Courtesy of ASPERA/Novapix/L.Bret)

10. Dementia linked to diet

(iStockphoto)

9. Fish eyes may hold key to regenerating human retinas

zebrafish
(iStock)

8. Gene mutation discovery may hold autism clues: study

autism concept: puzzle
(iStock)

7. RTI is getting a bad rap, say education researchers

Teacher and pupil
(iStock)

6. Visual intelligence is not the same as IQ

Isabel Gauthier holding a three-dimensional model of a greeble, one of the novel objects used in her test of visual intelligence. (Vanderbilt)

5. Filling the early universe with knots can explain why the world is three-dimensional

illustration of knots against a starry sky
(Keith Wood / Vanderbilt)

4. Ultrathin device harvests electricity from human motion

3. Smart underwear prevents back stress with just a tap

2. Sugars in human mother’s milk are non-toxic antibacterial agents

1. Sorry, Grumpy Cat—Study finds dogs are brainier than cats