Author: Spencer Turney
Rare study of Earth-sized planet uses technique pioneered by Vanderbilt professor
Aug. 19, 2019—A groundbreaking study, using data from NASA and a technique pioneered by a Vanderbilt professor, is giving humankind a glimpse at a distant exoplanet with a size similar to Earth and a surface which may resemble Mercury or Earth’s Moon. Located nearly 49 light-years from Earth, the planet known as LHS 3844b was first discovered...
Meet the alpacas that are helping researchers who study autism, Alzheimer’s and cancer
Aug. 13, 2019—Alpacas aren’t the typical animals that drivers spot as they wind their way through rural Tennessee, but there’s a happy herd of them outside Waverly, where they eat the finest pellets, walk up and down a scenic hill and potentially save lives. They’re owned by a team of Vanderbilt University researchers looking to harness their...
Behavioral science models can help identify the greenest dietary changes
Aug. 9, 2019—Spreading the gospel of veggie-only diets may not be the most effective way to help reduce overall, food-related greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new model based on behavioral science. In new commentary published Aug. 9 in Nature Sustainability, Jonathan Gilligan, associate professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, examines the importance of including realistic examples...
Intense look at La Brea Tar Pits explains why we have coyotes, not saber-toothed cats
Aug. 5, 2019—The most detailed study to date of ancient predators trapped in the La Brea Tar Pits is helping Americans understand why today we’re dealing with coyotes dumping over garbage cans and not saber-toothed cats ripping our arms off.
Cellular soldiers designed to kill cancer cells that get loose during surgery, stop metastasis
Jul. 24, 2019—Cellular soldiers created using the body’s own defenses can track down and kill escaping cancer cells during surgeries, preventing metastasis and saving lives, a Vanderbilt University biomedical engineer has discovered, particularly in cases of triple negative breast cancer.