YSM Issue 90.2

Science and innovation surround every part of our lives.
From the production of the food you eat (pg. 7) to the creation of better phone
batteries (pg. 35), innovative design allows us to live better lives. We reap the
benefits from new advances in heathcare, whether that’s through a lung grown
in culture (pg. 8) or a smartwatch that monitors our health (pg. 26). But for all
that we pursue, there is so much that we still do not understand.
Journalism is perhaps best defined as the pursuit of truth above all else. That
is no different for scientific journalism, where we seek not only to discover new
truths about our universe, but also to make it accessible for everyone to understand.
We believe that there is beauty in a scientific story, whether that be how
the search for exoplanets has now come to depend on fractal structures (pg.
18) or how the complex relations between the brain and optogenetics give rise
to aggressive behaviors (pg. 12). In these endeavors to discover fundamental
truths about the universe, we come to find a better understanding of ourselves.
But only through thoughtful communication can we reach that kind of understanding;
a beautiful truth shrouded in confusion is no better than nothing at
all. Science is dependent on communication, and communication is dependent
on science.
Our cover article this issue focuses on the discovery of an entirely new class
of proteins called microproteins, tiny pieces of the human body that may allow
us to better understand human disease (pg. 15). These kinds of major breakthroughs
occur because they stand on the shoulders of giants, of the work that
thousands and thousands of scientists have dedicated their lives to. Every article,
whether on the evolution of fruit fly tolerance to alcohol (pg. 32), the use
of sea sponges to guide engineering design (pg. 28), or the discovery of more
complex chemical knots (pg. 30) are all firmly based on the same dedication to
the truth. We can’t afford to have anything fake in these pages, simply because
there is too much innovation at stake.
As our new 2017 masthead takes the reigns of the Yale Scientific, we are eager
to continue exploring the breakthroughs and discoveries with each of you.
Your dedication to seeing honest reporting of the facts energizes and inspires us,
leading our publication to continue a tradition of excellence. For all the science
and innovation that surrounds us, it’s time for us to understand these breathtaking
discoveries even better.
Yale Scientific
Established in 1894
THE NATION’S OLDEST COLLEGE SCIENCE PUBLICATION
MARCH 2017 VOL. 90 NO. 2 | $6.99
NoBody
the invisible
housekeeping
microprotein
F R O M T H E E D I T O R
Truth in Science
A B O U T T H E A R T
Chunyang Ding
Editor-in-Chief
The cover, designed by Arts Editor Catherine Yang, depicts
the DNA double helix. The image of the DNA double
helix became an icon the 1950’s and has since become
a centerpiece of scientific media. In this cover illustration,
the classic structure is front-and-center, bold in
magenta and cyan. Trailing down to the end of the double
strand, the DNA unravels completely, and other components,
the ribosomal RNA and tRNA, are pictured
beside the strands. The standout components of the illustration
are well-distributed in public media—but what
about the other players in genetics? The answer lies in
the cover story itself, which details the recent discovery
and analysis of “invisible” microproteins like NoBody.
Editor-in-Chief
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