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General Science

From categorical diagnoses to dimensions: The promise and limits of HiTOP

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[A patient is sitting in a chair across from a psychologist and being assessed by the psychologist, who is holding a paper assessment on a clipboard. Between the patient and the psychologist is a table with a glass of water and glasses sitting on it.]

In psychology and psychiatry, mental health diagnoses are the starting point for guiding treatment decisions. For decades, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) has been the most important tool for making mental health diagnoses in the US.1 However, the manual’s use has generated considerable debate.2…

Climate change… on Venus?

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[Two side by side pictures of Venus from space. On the left, Venus looks like a round and pale gassy planet wrapped in cloud wisps traveling up and to the right, with a smudge of light orange near the equator, and brown near the south pole. On the right is the same picture but enhanced to show clearer cloud patterns and brighter oranges and browns.]

The most active searches for otherworldly life in our solar system are centered around Mars, Earth’s cold planetary neighbor, and Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter. In fact, NASA just launched the Europa Clipper on October 14, 2024 with the primary goal of searching for life. And in recent years, many people have floated the idea of sending astronauts to Mars. It was for missions like these that, in 2023, NASA postponed the would-be next exploratory trip to Venus — VERITAS — by allocating its funding to other exploratory programs which were exceeding their budgets…

AI: Revolutionizing the landscape of mental health treatment

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[An AI generated image of an elderly man sitting on a couch with a humanoid looking robot.”]

If you’ve been plugged into the news recently, you might have heard a thing or two about artificial intelligence (AI). Whether it conjures up talking robots or 1980s Arnold Schwarzenegger films, artificial intelligence has become an increasingly popular topic. But, you might be wondering, what exactly is AI? In a broad sense, artificial intelligence refers to the ability of machines to mimic human cognitive functions, such as learning and problem-solving. In the realm of mental health, AI is rapidly emerging as a game-changer, offering exciting possibilities for diagnosis, treatment, and overall accessibility of care…

Perks of being a wallflower: Scratching the surface of PTSD

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[A bright white primrose growing out of a crack in a stone wall.]

I have always appreciated the depth and emotion portrayed within the film Perks of Being a Wallflower, which hits on uncomfortable issues in a beautifully cinematic way. While there are a multitude of scenes Icould analyze, I’d like to focus on a clip towards the very end of the movie, in which Charlie (the main character) experiences a flashback that, in my interpretation, can be attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD…

Secret world of elephants

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[An image of an African elephant’s skeleton and muscles are projected onto a life-size model in an exhibit that highlights new science on proboscideans.]

For millions of years, proboscideans — a group that includes mammoths, mastodons, and elephants — traversed diverse landscapes, shaping ecosystems as they went. However, around 11,700 years ago, human hunting and the waning ice age drastically reduced their numbers to just three species — the Asian elephant, the African forest elephant, and the African savanna elephant, as stated by Iqbal from ScienceNews.org. These giants are now endangered, and the impact of losing them extends far beyond what meets the eye…

The brain and moral decision making

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[A person holding up a heart on one side and a brain on the other side of their head.]

How do we separate right from wrong in moral decision making? Some moral decisions, like whether or not to commit murder, seem like easy and intuitive moral decisions. However, we are often caught in moral dilemmas in our lives where the “right” thing to do is not as clear…

Debunking myths about therapy

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[Anonymous psychologist and client in a therapy session.”]

Embarking on the journey of mental health therapy can be a truly transformative experience. However, it’s not uncommon for misconceptions to cloud the path to healing. Despite the increasing demand for mental health treatment, persistent myths still predominate. But here’s a spoiler alert: Therapy isn’t merely about sitting on a couch (or lying down) and pouring your heart out. It’s a dynamic process that goes beyond stereotypes…

Philosophy and moral decision making

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[An arrow pointing left labeled “Wrong Way” and an arrow pointing right labeled “Right Way.”]

Should you cheat on your exam to get a good final grade in your class? When is it okay to lie? If your child is going for an internship at your company, is it morally permissible to give them a leg up over other applicants? We make moral decisions every day, forming a moral personality from the choices we make about right and wrong…

Science Fest: Eclipse edition

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Image of a large red bin serving as a makeshift volcano for an engaging science experiment

[Image of a large red bin serving as a makeshift volcano for an engaging science experiment.]

Once a year, Indiana University-Bloomington proudly hosts Science Fest, a vibrant occasion designed to share the wonders of science with the public. This year, in an exciting shift, Science Fest was moved to the spring to celebrate the Total Solar Eclipse happening in Bloomington, IN!…

Makeup: The ugly truth

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[Close-up image of a multi-colored eyeshadow palette.]

Waking up and applying makeup has become one of the most relaxing parts of my daily routine. While my music blares and I sing along, I go through the motions: concealer, blush, bronzer, mascara, lip gloss. Though applying each product symmetrically, in the right proportions, and with intentional brush strokes takes on a meditative quality, I rarely reflect on the ‘makeup’ of what I am putting on my skin…

College of Arts + Sciences

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