A relatively new diabetes and weight loss drug known by the names of Ozempic and Wegovy has risen in popularity amongst celebrities and social media platforms like Tiktok. There are many shortages of the medication and has no insurance coverage for those using it for weight loss, making this drug scarce and only affordable to the wealthy. One injection of Ozempic (uncovered by insurance) costs around $915, which is taken multiple times per month depending on how long one has been prescribed the medication. The original purpose of Ozempic was to help diabetic individuals by increasing the levels of incretin hormones which help one’s body produce insulin when needed, gaining approval by the FDA in 2017. Wegovy is a higher dosage of Ozempic curated for weight loss, approved by the FDA in 2021. This medication works by activating Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) or Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide (GIP) receptors in the body, which lowers appetite, increases fat burning, and decreases inflammation. These receptors are located in the beta cells that specialize in regulating insulin found in the pancreas and the neurons of the brain. Interestingly, this medication not only helps with weight loss but also improves a person’s long term health. According to previous clinical studies, Ozempic decreases cancer and cardiovascular disease risk, as well as increases life expectancy. Unlike naturally losing weight, Ozempic medications allow one to lose a significant amount of weight without easily regaining it. This drug has proven to be the most promising to help patients lose weight, as during one drug trial, 60% of patients who took Ozempic achieved a substantial 20% reduction in body mass. This new medical advancement leaves many wondering if this drug will be available and administered to the populations who need it, such as those suffering from obesity.

From November 30 to December 13, 2023, global leaders at the COP28 climate summit (UN Climate Change Conference) in Dubai set new laws in place to reduce human-made methane and other greenhouse gasses emissions into the atmosphere. The Biden administration announced that there will be new global regulations set to stop gas flaring and to compel oil and gas companies to plug methane leaks. Methane, a greenhouse gas that pollutes our environment, is a main culprit of atmospheric heating, which causes climate change and ice caps melting. Methane emissions are dangerous because methane is 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to trapping the sun’s energy in the atmosphere. According to the Biden Administration, regular inspections of gas and oil facilities are now going to be mandated to ensure that methane emissions are not released into the atmosphere. This new methane law is expected to slow Earth’s warming temperatures and thus improve public health. Moreover, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan said that these regulations will be placed over thousands of oil and gas productions. Furthermore, a $1 billion grant fund was recently announced by the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. This grant’s purpose is to assist low income nations decrease methane emissions from oil and gas companies that pollute the atmosphere. These new regulations are showing hope for action being taken by the UN to protect our environment and slow down global warming.

Hydrogen cyanide molecules, which are used for many chemical processes that signify life, were recently discovered on Enceladus, one of Saturn’s icy moons. This data came from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which was sent to study Saturn’s rings, but was purposely destroyed. NASA astrobiologists decided that the most scientifically prudent decision was to destroy Cassini in the atmosphere of Saturn Sept. 15, 2017, preventing Cassini from colliding with one of Saturn’s moons in the future. The data from Cassini’s mission is still used to draw conclusions on Saturn’s moons. Hydrogen cyanide is a highly toxic, flammable, colorless chemical compound that is one of the molecular building blocks for amino acids, which are a signal of life. NASA scientists have found that there is more chemical energy in Enceladus than they previously predicted. This means the more chemical energy in the moon, the higher chance that life could be sustained on Enceladus. Jonah Peter, a doctoral student at Harvard University, explains, “Our work provides further evidence that Enceladus is host to some of the most important molecules for both creating the building blocks of life and for sustaining that life through metabolic reactions.”  He goes on to say that Enceladus meets the basic requirements of habitability and that scientists have now gathered enough information to understand the biomolecular complexity of the moon. Although NASA scientists are a long way from actually proving if life could exist on Enceladus, the discovery of hydrogen cyanide is promising, and it presents a case to continue searching for evidence of life.

Recently, there has been a rise in mental health disorders; in fact, the percentage of college students experiencing mental health issues has increased by nearly 50% since 2013. The National Education Association recently disclosed that “the majority of college students (more than 60%) meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem.” This means that most college students are suffering with a mental health condition and that having one is more common than one may think. The American College Health Association in 2022 even found that 77% of students surveyed had experienced moments of mental distress, 35% of college students were diagnosed with anxiety, and 27% of students were diagnosed with depression. To combat this, some students are advocating for mental health days and for professors and staff to educate themselves on mental health disorders. Many students believe that universities should create a protocol that allows students to take time for a mental health break when it interferes with their productivity in class. Moreover, the addition or improvement of wellness and mental health courses offered at colleges could have a positive effect on the mental health of all students.