Regenerative medicine is a critical medical field in extending and improving the quality of human life. However, many past and current regenerative medicine treatments such as the use of embryonic stem cells have been met with significant backlash due to ethical and legal concerns. Therefore, IPSCs have the capability of sidestepping these ethical concerns, but require a reformatting of FDA regulations and investment into research targeting the scaling of IPSCs in order for the treatment to reach its full potential.

Historical trends of artificial intelligence have, as shown by recent quantitative and qualitative studies, shown that the reported threats (as understood by the general public) are vastly different from the tech industry’s most pressing and vital concerns. The modern AI that most people interact with on a daily basis are mostly helpful commercialized products or generative AI, leading to a cultural mindset where AI is an assistant capable of autonomous tasks. Popular fictional depictions of artificial intelligence clearly demonstrate that those perceptions of threats fall closely in line with the sorts of actions portrayed by AI characters, suggesting that pop media has a significant influence over its audience’s understanding of AI technology and its potential ramifications. To mitigate harm that AI tools can inflict upon the general public, there is an immediate need for technology-specific legislation, incentives and deterrents, and oversight so that artificial intelligence can be regulated and controlled.

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze in-depth the current research on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), outlining the prominently researched methods of treatment that have led to successful therapy for the ones being treated. Within this thesis, the definition of successful treatment of autistic individuals will be defined by how well the individuals can adapt to their employment opportunities and their own social lives. Success will be measured through the effectiveness of specific treatments, such as speech therapy and therapeutic-based diets, to better gauge the success rate of treatment for autistic individuals. The thesis itself will serve as a review of the currently proposed treatment methods, analyzing where the most successful treatments were derived from and then offering a summary conclusion on the overall scope of the research. Recommendations on future research will be made to encapsulate all the research provided through which a scholarly lens was applied. Overall, the best methods of treatment will involve both a dietary and occupational approach, so as to tackle any environmental or genetic origins of ASD. More specifically, through a combination of vitamin and mineral supplements to manage behavioral symptoms combined with Applied Behavioral Analysis techniques, ASD can be more effectively treated to improve an individual’s quality of life.

This thesis explores the nature of Type II diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease to better understand their symptoms, treatments, and the factors that lead to further development; with a specific focus on the role that diet plays. Alternate connections outside of diet, including amyloidosis and inflammation, are additionally analyzed, but the focus remains on introducing diets that may be helpful in terms of preventative measures and controlling symptoms of diseases. Two major diets investigated are the Mediterranean diet and DASH, and why these diets are better suited for overall health, in comparison to a diet based primarily in high-fat or ultra-processed foods. This paper integrates information from scientists, medical professionals, and even personal testimony from a diabetic patient. This thesis will recommend legislation to better regulate ultra-processed foods based on the current models of the US FDA and the EU, and will further recommend better education implementation discussing healthier diets and overall disease prevention. Despite the current research and statistics outlined on these two diseases, with their respective connections to diet, deeper investigation and analysis remains to be done so we may better understand diet-disease links.

This thesis explores the nature of Type II diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease to better understand their symptoms, treatments, and the factors that lead to further development; with a specific focus on the role that diet plays. Alternate connections outside of diet, including amyloidosis and inflammation, are additionally analyzed, but the emphasis remains on introducing diets that may be helpful in terms of preventative measures and controlling symptoms of diseases. Two major diets investigated are the Mediterranean diet and DASH, and it will be discussed why these diets are better suited for overall health, in comparison to a diet based primarily in high-fat or ultra-processed foods. This paper integrates information from scientists, medical professionals, and even a personal testimony from a diabetic patient. This thesis will recommend legislation to better regulate ultra-processed foods based on the current models of the United States FDA and the EU and will further recommend better education implementation discussing healthier diets and overall disease prevention. Despite the current research and statistics outlined on these two diseases, with their respective connections to diet, deeper investigation and analysis remains to be done in order to better understand diet-disease links.

This document is the foundation for an app called Keeper. The app aims to help users keep track of and stay ahead of their schedule to avoid procrastination. The belief is that if a person can be proactive and avoid procrastination, there is a reduced chance that they will suffer from work-related stress. The app entices users to remain on schedule with small incentives such as beautiful pictures, inspirational quotes or jokes. The goal of Keeper is to help users gain and keep their responsibilities under control over their schedules and to be a simple source of positivity in the user's day.

This thesis opens with a review of classical research on academic dishonesty, peer behavior, honors code, and misinformation. Specifically, we will analyze research on peer reporting and honor codes to evaluate the efficacy of common measures taken to address academic dishonesty in higher education. This will be used as a foundation to analyze the impact that ChatGPT can have on academic dishonesty, and assess the standard measures within this emerging new context. Finally, we will suggest possible solutions to address these developments, particularly regarding the ways in which ChatGPT and other forms of AI can accelerate the spread of misinformation. The hope is to provide guidance to institutions in developing updated and effective honors codes. Crucially, any code can only be effective when faculty and staff are deeply engaged with students, and help cultivate an institutional culture of academic integrity.

This thesis provides an analysis of the potential issues of using ChatGPT, as despite its benefits it does have its concerns that may deter societal progress. The thesis first provides insight into how ChatGPT generates text and provides insight into how the process of generating its outputs can lead to a variety of issues in the output such as hallucinated and biased output. After explaining how these issues occur, the thesis focuses on the impact of these issues in important industries such as medicine, education, and security, comparing them to popular open-source models such as Llama and Falcon.

With the projected growth of virtual reality and other immersive technologies in the next decade, there is a natural promise of innovations in the field to compete with the growing market. One such potential innovation, brain-computer integration (BCI), has the potential to link user's brains with the virtual worlds they wish to participate in and use their mind as the controller. When looking at science fiction media such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Aniara, and Cyberpunk 2077 though, the overuse of BCI technology is alarmingly dangerous due to its escapist draw. By analyzing Sheila Jasanoff's existing technological risk mitigation framework through the lens of escapism and BCI, a formal plan can be generated to better combat the potential dystopian future immersive technologies can cause as presented by science-fiction.