Rita dos Santos Silva
I joined United Academics team in 2015, during my Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, at the VU Amsterdam. By that time, I was starting to realize that, more than planning scientific experiments, I was interested in understanding how science evolved and where it is going. After joining United Academics, it became clearer that open access must be the path for science advancement. In 2016, I became United Academics's editor-in-chief.
2017 In Review. Part I
It is time to look back at the best science stories from 2017. See what UA Magazine editors picked as their favourite events from this year. Here’s the first part, from January until June.
Our Most-Read Stories of 2017
More than one hundred years later, Becquerel's accidental discovery of spontaneous radioactivity still intrigued our readers; it was our most-viewed story of this year.
In...
The Tiny Clocks Inside Us
Circadian cycles control our bodies' balance. This year, the Nobel Committee acknowledged the role of Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael Young in understanding our internal clocks.
The Real Wonder Drug: How Aspirin Came into Being
For decades, a Jewish scientist was erased from the history of Aspirin. The discovery of the most popular painkiller in the world is full of controversies.
Lack of Sleep Triggers the Brain to Eat Its Cells Uncontrollably
Chronic Sleep Deprivation correlates with an enhanced phagocytic activity in the brain’s cells.
Our 5 Favorite Stories From Last Week- Health&Medicine
From sperm's movement to placenta evolution, the impact of lifestyle in cancer, the evolution of microbes alongside colonization of the human body and the newly found coding function of circular RNA, these were the UA's favorite stories in Health and Medicine from last week.
The Vienna Convention – the Day the World Decided to Save the Planet
On this day, 32 years ago, the Vienna Convention was signed. It was the first step of a successful strategy to prevent ozone depletion.
The Ides of March– the Day the Red River Valley Faced the Deadliest Blizzard...
On this day in 1941, furious winds faced unpreparedness. The inhabitants of the Red River Valley region had little chance against the most severe storm of the century.
Kepler – The Astronomer Who Was Guided By Divine Providence
On this day 399 years ago, German astronomer Johannes Kepler formulated the third law of planetary motion.
The Discovery of Radioactivity – That Time the Sun Didn’t Shine In Paris
On this day, 121 years ago, Henri Becquerel opened the drawer where he kept his photographic plates and realized his experiments took an unexpected turn.