TedEd: Performing brain surgery without a scalpel

Hyunsoo Joshua No

Thousands of people each year undergo brain surgery without an operation. A new procedure called stereotactic radiosurgery works by using beams of radiation to wear away malignant cells. The procedure involves a series of CT-scans that determine the location and size of the tumor. For some patients, an additional MRI may be needed. CT-scans also calculate the Hounsfield units of various parts of the brain, which shows the density of a material. This is important because this determines how radiation will spread through the brain. Radiosurgery uses multiple beams of radiation that converge on a tumor and destroy it. This is also helpful for doctors because they can change the angle and intensity of each beam to avoid surrounding brain structures. When the beams hit a cancer cell, they essentially cut their DNA into pieces, which causes the malignant cell to break down and eventually die. The radiation also breaks down molecules in the brain and produce unstable products called free radicals that create a poisonous environment for the cells. The immune system then cleans up the dead cells and produces scar tissue. However, there are multiple restrictions on radiosurgery. It is generally used in very small areas, and because radiation adds up in the body, recurring treatments are risky. Still, the benefits often outweigh the risks. Its success rate is as high as normal surgery for many diseases, and it requires little to no recovery time or pain.

CNN 10 10/12/2020 ~ 10/16/2020

Go to cnn.com/cnn10 for latest video

Monday, October 12, 2020

Hearings for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, begin today and will last through Thursday. The Republicans in the Senate are hoping to confirm her to the high court by the November 3rd general election, while the Democrats are hoping to delay the vote until after the election, in which they hope to win more seats in the Senate. The presidential debate that was supposed to be held this week was canceled; after the president's positive COVID-19 test, the Commission on Presidential Debates proposed a virtual debate on October 15th. Joe Biden's campaign accepted that but President Trump's did not, and the debate was canceled. The next debate will be on October 22nd. In Louisiana, Hurricane Delta dumped more than a foot of rainfall after it made landfall as a category 2 storm on Friday. It has caused more damage to a region still recovering from Hurricane Laura. North Korea's ruling Workers' Party celebrated its 75th anniversary over the weekend; the party controls all aspects of the country, and it unveiled its latest weapon during the military parade. A ballistic missile that is now one of the largest in the world and, according to experts, could carry multiple warheads. Kim Jong-Un also did something unconventional during his speech. He admitted that his economic policies had failed and put citizens into especially hard conditions during these times, and tears could be heard in the audience as their leader gave his speech. 2015 CNN Hero Maggie Doyne runs a children's home in the Asian country of Nepal. When the pandemic hit, she had to find new ways to keep it running.

Life Leverage

By Rob Moore

    In this book, Rob Moore describes how to "get more done in less time, outsource everything and create your ideal mobile lifestyle." One of the key topics that he revolves around are efficiency and merging life with work and passion with profession.

    The traditional ideals of society are working for the majority of your life and then having that little time after retirement for your pleasures. However, as Moore states, the amount of money you save now won't be enough for the future due to inflation. Instead, you will just waste your "yearning" years, working endlessly, never reaching your goals. But with the Life Leverage Philosophy, you don't have to do that.

    There are a few main points to the Philosophy. First, outsource everything and make maximum usage of your time. You need to build a core team around you - even if you think you can't afford it. If there's something you're not good at, outsource it. There are plenty of good outsourcing websites these days, or you can have your team do it as well. Then there is the concept of NeTime - No Extra Time. Make use of all the time you have. Listen to a podcast, read an educational book, all while exercising, going somewhere, etc.

    Merge your passion with your profession. You need to have a passion, and something you want to do during your lifetime, something that will attract others. This should be the foundation of your business (this is a very business-oriented book).

Time: How to build a safer world: Fires, pandemic, drought. We need to rethink how we live

By Fareed Zakaria

    Millions of acres have burned across the West Coast this year, an area the size of the state of Massachusetts. Temperatures skyrocketed, the sky turned orange, numerous power outages affected large areas, and cities have had the worst air quality rankings in the world. All of this is happening due to human factors, and these little occurrences will add up to make a big difference in the future.

    In recent years, the number of global disease outbreaks has also been on the rise. SARS, MERS, Ebola, Zika, and now COVID-19. In the past, most viruses stayed contained in local areas, but as human development speeds up, so are the viruses. "People are living longer, producing and consuming more, inhabiting larger spaces, consuming more energy, and generating more waste and greenhouse-gas emissions." In 2019, a UN report found that nearly 3/4 of land and the ocean had been altered in some way by human activity. Animals are being driven to extinction as ecosystems collapse, and biodiversity is falling with them.

    Because we are expanding so quickly, humans are living a stone's throw away from wild animals and nature, practically asking to be infected with novel diseases. Billions of animals are slaughtered every year for consumption, despite only making up a small percentage of our calories. Because these livestock are bred for specific traits, gene variation decreases, and a virus can easily infect a massive population with little genetic resistance. Desertification is happening at an alarming rate as well. 57 acres are being turned into desert every minute.

    We cannot stop any of this from happening, but we can help reduce its effects. If world governments cooperate against viruses, we can flatten the curve much more effectively, as we saw with smallpox eradication. Similarly, by enacting laws against carbon emissions, we can inspire research into alternatives and higher awareness as well. We all need to recognize that the world is changing, and giving up some small luxuries can mean a better, safer future.