Charged Magazine

Category: Articles

  • The Science Behind AI

    The Science Behind AI

    When I wrote my first line of code in 8th grade, I found a passion that would grow with me through high school and beyond. But as I delved deeper into both scientific concepts and artificial intelligence, I realized something profound: science builds AI, and AI transforms science right back. This two-way relationship creates a cycle of innovation that’s reshaping our world faster than ever before.

    The foundation of modern AI isn’t just computer science – it’s a blend of mathematics, neuroscience, psychology, and computational theory all working together in harmony. This mashup of disciplines creates something greater than its parts. Every AI breakthrough begins with scientific principles and the same process of hypothesis, testing, and refinement that powers all scientific discovery.

    With classes like Data Structures and Machine Learning Principles, “universities are preparing students to continue this scientific tradition” (Frueh). The principles that scientists like Alan Turing (look at the evolution of programming languages article to learn more!) developed decades ago still form the backbone of today’s most advanced AI systems. The mathematics of linear algebra and calculus provide the quantitative tools for modeling complex relationships, while neuroscience contributes insights about how biological neural networks function, inspiring artificial ones.

    But the relationship goes both ways. AI has become science’s most powerful tool, scanning astronomical data to find celestial objects human researchers might miss or predicting protein structures to accelerate drug discovery. It excels at seeing patterns in massive datasets that would take humans lifetimes to analyze. Climate scientists employ neural networks to improve weather forecasting, while medical researchers use deep learning to detect cancer in medical images with unprecedented accuracy.

    As a student studying Computer Science, these applications fascinate me because they show how AI isn’t just about creating smart assistants or recommendation systems – it’s about expanding human capabilities in every scientific domain. The research opportunities in this field seem endless, from artificial intelligence to warehouse-scale computing systems.

    Most intriguing is how AI transforms scientific discovery itself. While traditional science follows hypothesis-driven research where scientists form theories and then test them, AI introduces a complementary data-driven approach where algorithms identify patterns first. Systems like AlphaFold solve 50-year scientific challenges independently by accurately predicting protein structures from amino acid sequences. This represents a fundamental shift in how discovery happens.

    This partnership raises big philosophical questions. If an AI predicts phenomena accurately but can’t explain its reasoning in human terms, have we truly gained scientific understanding? Is prediction equivalent to explanation? These questions reflect deeper tensions about what knowledge really means in an age of increasingly capable but opaque AI systems.

    Looking ahead, science and AI will continue evolving together, creating new forms of inquiry that blend human creativity with machine intelligence. This partnership will enable us to tackle humanity’s most pressing challenges – from climate change to disease – with previously unimaginable capabilities. The possibilities and opportunities in this field are truly endless.

     

    Citations

     

    Frueh, Sara. “How AI Is Shaping Scientific Discovery.” Nationalacademies.org, 6 Nov. 

    2023, www.nationalacademies.org/news/2023/11/how-ai-is-shaping-scientific-discovery.

     

    “Science in the Age of AI | Royal Society.” Royalsociety.org, 2024, royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/science-in-the-age-of-ai/.

     

    Wang, Hanchen, et al. “Scientific Discovery in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Nature, vol. 620, no. 7972, 1 Aug. 2023, pp. 47–60, www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06221-2, 

    https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06221-2.

     

  • How Ink Becomes Art

    How Ink Becomes Art

    A Brief History of Tattooing

    Tattoos have been part of history for thousands of years, serving as cultural markers, expressions of identity, and art. There are many methods of tattooing, such as stick and poke with a mallet and needle and machine tattoo guns. While styles and meanings have changed, one question many people may have is how do tattoos actually work?

    The Permanence of Tattoos

    The nature of tattoos lies in the body’s response to injury and pigment. In essence, tattoos are an open wound when first done. When a tattoo needle pierces the skin, it inserts pigment into the dermis, the second layer of skin that lies beneath the outer epidermis, which is composed mainly of the cell called keratinocytes. Unlike the epidermis, which renews itself every few weeks, a process called skin turnover, the dermis remains relatively stable, allowing ink to stay in place (Magnum Tattoo Supplies, 2024).

    Macrophages, a type of immune cell, rush to the area to absorb the foreign ink particles. Some of these macrophages remain in the dermis with the ink trapped inside, while others die, releasing the pigment again and restarting the cycle. This immune response is important for the tattoo’s visibility and permanence (Mimzi Pma, 2023).

    Skin Layers and Needle Depth

    Tattooing requires precise depth control. The epidermis, which sheds over time, cannot hold ink permanently. If the needle deposits pigment too shallowly, the ink will fade as the skin regenerates. On the other hand, if the needle penetrates too deeply into the hypodermis (subcutaneous fat layer), it can cause a “blowout”. This is a smudged or blurry effect as ink disperses into fat tissue and can cause scarring (Mykhalevych, 2025).

    Daemon, a practicing tattoo artist, explains: “Needle depth is kind of complex depending on the type of skin you’re tattooing and how thick the skin is in certain types of the body… you can tell when you’re going too deep when you see the ink starts to bleed into the vein.” In hand-poked methods, she relies on feeling and auditory cues like a soft “pop” to gauge correct penetration depth.

    Pigment Chemistry: What’s in Tattoo Ink?

    Tattoo inks are composed of pigments in a carrier solution. Black ink commonly contains carbon or iron oxide. White inks may use titanium dioxide, which can cause allergic reactions in some people. Lastly, colored pigments vary widely. Red often contains mercury sulfide or azo dyes, while greens and blues may include copper-based compounds (Miranda, 2019).

    Some inks use organic pigments, especially in vegan or eco-conscious formulations. These pigments can be less stable and may break down faster. Moreover, different skin tones and types can influence how pigments appear and heal. As Daemon notes, “Certain ink might not show up as well on darker skin types… and sometimes ink or healing products can cause mild skin reactions.”

    Healing and Aftercare

    A fresh tattoo is an open wound, vulnerable to infection and irritation. The aftercare process is crucial to both healing and the tattoo’s long-term appearance. As Daemon emphasizes, “Don’t touch it, don’t scratch it… [because] you’re going to pick the scab off and the ink is going to fall out with it.”

    She recommends gentle cleansing with unscented soap, using a thin layer of ointment, and limiting sun exposure. New technologies like second skin bandages offer a breathable barrier during the healing process but must be used with care to avoid excess moisture buildup. Additionally, moisturizing remains important even after healing, as dry skin can cause fading and distortion.

    Aftercare is not only about preventing infection but preserving the artwork. “It’s a piece of art,” Daemon says. “Taking care of it and taking care of yourself will make it look super good.”

    Concluding Remarks

    Tattooing is a combination of biology, chemistry, and craftsmanship. From understanding skin anatomy to mastering pigment behavior and immune responses, both science and skill are important aspects in the art of tattooing. As tattoos continue to grow in popularity and cultural significance, so too does our scientific appreciation for them.

     

    Sources Cited

    Mykhalevych, Alina. (2025). “Physico-Technical Basis for Needle Depth Control in Fine Line Technique”, Universal Library of Innovative Research and Studies; 2(1): 01-06. DOI: https://doi.org/10.70315/uloap.ulirs.2025.0201001.

    Kapoor, Sky. (2021, October 31). From machines to macrophages: Breaking down the science of tattooing. The Varsity. https://thevarsity.ca/2021/10/31/science-of-tattooing/

    mimzipma. (2023, July 5). The science of tattooing—Mimzipma. https://mimzipma.com/science/

    Miranda, M. D. (2019). Tattoos and tattoo inks: Forensic considerations. WIREs Forensic Science, 2(1), e1360. https://doi.org/10.1002/wfs2.1360

    The science behind why and how are tattoos permanent. (2024, February 12). Magnumtattoosupplies. https://www.magnumtattoosupplies.co.uk/blogs/article/the-science-behind-why-and-how-are-tattoos-permanent

    Weiß, K. T., Schreiver, I., Siewert, K., Luch, A., Haslböck, B., Berneburg, M., & Bäumler, W. (2021). Tattoos – more than just colored skin? Searching for tattoo allergens. JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft, 19(5), 657–669. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddg.14436

  • Mind the Tentacles: How Octopuses Outsmart Scientists (and Aquariums)

    Mind the Tentacles: How Octopuses Outsmart Scientists (and Aquariums)

    Mind the Tentacles: How Octopuses Outsmart Scientists (and Aquariums)

    When you first think of an octopus, you’re probably picturing an animal with 8 tentacles floating around in the ocean. As unseeming these creatures may seem, they are one of the smartest animals in the ocean! Octopuses have a nervous system, which controls their movements, thought processes, memory, and more (Carls-Diamante, 2022). Octopuses are said to have two brains – one in their head and a complex net of massive nerves in each of their tentacles (Carls-Diamante, 2022). About 2/3 of an octopus’ nerves are in their tentacles, and this allows each tentacle to act independently or jointly with the others (Shamilyan et al., 2021). Let’s explore the capabilities and intelligence of an octopus!

     

    Flexibility:

    Octopuses use their flexibility in the natural environment to escape and hide from predators by squeezing into very tight spaces. For example, scientists have put a small octopus in a jar with a closed screw-lid. The challenge for the octopus was to escape the jar from the inside, which the octopus managed to do using its incredible flexibility (Mather, 2021). Since octopuses are immensely flexible, some octopuses have managed to escape from aquarium tanks by opening the top lid! In addition to their amazing flexibility, they have several other surprising abilities to survive in the wild.

     

    Camouflage:

    Octopuses are known for their abilities to blend in with their surroundings by changing their color to match that of their surroundings (Young, 2023). This ability to camouflage into their surroundings is a key survival mechanism to prevent predators from spotting them. However, octopuses also use their color-changing abilities to communicate with each other (Young, 2023). An octopus’ color changes based upon its mood and can be used to warn other octopuses of potential danger (Carls-Diamante, 2022). Octopuses often go on hunting trips together, but how do they remember their way back home? That’s where their navigational memory comes in!

     

    Spatial and Navigational Memory:

    Octopuses make their homes in holes in the seabed or coral reefs. They go on long hunting trips for food, often for days or weeks at a time for long distances before returning back home. They frequently take different paths home each time they go hunting, indicating they have incredible spatial memory on how to return home (Carls-Diamante, 2022). In addition, some octopuses have been seen putting rocks near their home as an identifier, like how people put numbers outside their homes or apartments to identify which residence is theirs (Carls-Diamante, 2022). Octopuses are more like humans than we originally thought!

     

    In conclusion, octopuses are amazingly intelligent ocean creatures whose wit should not be underestimated. They are able to escape closed spaces using their flexibility, change colors at will to disguise themselves or communicate with other octopuses, and use spatial memory to identify where their homes are. Next time you go to an aquarium, check out the octopuses and see their tricks in action!

     

    Citations:

    Carls-Diamante, S. (2022). Where Is It Like to Be an Octopus? Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsys.2022.840022

    Mather, J. (2021). Octopus Consciousness: The Role of Perceptual Richness. NeuroSci, 2(3), 276–290. https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci2030020

    Shamilyan, O., Kabin, I., Dyka, Z., Kuba, M., & Langendoerfer, P. (2021, June 1). Octopuses: biological facts and technical solutions. IEEE Xplore. https://doi.org/10.1109/MECO52532.2021.9459727

    Young, N. (2023, December 27). Exploring Problem-Solving Skills through the Octopus Mind – West Coast Centre For Learning. West Coast Centre for Learning. https://www.wccl.ca/problem-solving-skills/

  • The Science Behind JaPow

    The Science Behind JaPow

     

     

    This past winter break, I had the pleasure of returning to the beautiful country of Japan. This trip was different from the other ones because this time, I was getting to see Japan in winter. Every season brings a different feel to the country, with different emphasises on its culture, like hot spring for winter. Another addition to this trip includes going skiing. This was a non-negotiable for my boyfriend, as he develops an insatiable desire for the slopes once December hits. I was a bit intimidated when I first found out since I had not gone skiing since more than a decade ago. The blurred memories of skiing with an instructor came to mind, and the one word I heard all too often:  “Pizza!”. 

    Fast forward the long flight, train ride, and hike up to the ski resort– it was time. Since the train arrived in the afternoon, we got to the resort midday- there were already set tracks in the snowy mountains. Skiing down the mountain was terrifying with my limited experience. What surprised me was how much lighter and easier it was the next day. We got to the ski resort right when it opened- 8am on the dot. Skiing down was just as nerve inducing, but it seemed like I was floating a bit on the snow. My turns were slower, and therefore easier to execute. Coming to a stop was also more gradual as the snow easily piled behind my skis. This led me to do some research behind the science of snow and the effects it has for the slopes.

    For snow in the Niseko region of Japan, there are special weather conditions that cause its special snow conditions. It is comically referred to as “Japow” for its powdery snowfall which gives an airy and light conditions for skiing. Snowfall for skiing is rated for its quality, quantity, and consistency, and Japan happens to have the perfect conditions for snow.

     

    Snowfall in the Japanese Alps takes place under two distinct meteorological scenarios. One scenario involves snowfall associated with synoptic cyclones, while the other is influenced by the northwest winter monsoon, which originates from the frigid Asian continent and moves over the warmer waters of the Japan Sea (Maejima 1980). The Japan sea scenario brings heavy snowfall because of the temperature difference between the water body and the air mass over the Japan Sea (Ninomiya, 1976). The distribution of snowfall associated with the Japan Sea effect is predominantly influenced by orographic lifting  (Estoque and Nimomiya, 1976).. As a result, the northern region of the Northern Japanese Alps experiences significantly greater snowfall compared to the southern regions of the Northern, Central, and Southern Japanese Alps.

     

    Even with all this information about how the snow should be the best for skiing, I fell many times during my trip. Even the green trails would put my balance and concentration to the test. All in all, come to Japan to ski and hopefully you are skillful enough to enjoy it!

     

    Estoque, M.A. and Ninomiya, K. (1976) ‘Numerical simulation of Japan Sea effect snowfall’,   <i>Tellus A: Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography</i>, 28(3), p. 243-253. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v28i3.10285.

     

    Maejima, I.. (1980). Seasonal and regional aspects of Japan’s weather and climate.. 54-72. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293128007_Seasonal_and_regional_aspects_of_Japan’s_weather_and_climate

     

    Takami, Kazuya & Kamamoto, Rimpei & Suzuki, Kenji & Yamaguchi, Kosei & Nakakita, Eiichi. (2024). Relationship between Newly Fallen Snow Density and Polarimetric Parameters Obtained from X-Band Radar Observations along the Sea of Japan Coast in January 2021. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology. 41. 10.1175/JTECH-D-23-0114.1. 

  • How to Publish a HTML and JavaScript Game on GitHub

    How to Publish a HTML and JavaScript Game on GitHub

    Recently, I took part in the Atlanta Science Festival 2025 STEM edition. The STEMcomm VIP team organized a version of Scavenger Hunt, and I was part of the CyberQuest Team. I was responsible for the Scavenger Hunt game, which needed an online interactive site. I figure that GitHub Page is a good free platform to do this. However, GitHub Page has had quite a few updates in recent years and the guide sites have not updated accordingly. I spent quite some time trying to figure it out, and here I am wanting to share how I did it.

    In the past week I published an article about how to beat the popular 2048 game. You can take a look if you are interested!

    https://2026fat.chargedmag.org/2025/04/how-to-become-an-expert-at-2048/

    https://2026fat.chargedmag.org/2025/04/how-to-become-an-expert-at-2048/

    So, in this example, we are publishing a variant of 2048. Credit the codes to

    https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/design-a-2048-game-in-javascript/

    1. Install a code editor like Visual Studio Code. If you already have one then just use yours. Choose the best one for your Operating Systems (OS). I’m using Windows for this tutorial.

    https://code.visualstudio.com/

    2. Create a GitHub account and make a public repository. You can choose or use alternative platforms that are able to host an HTML site.

    https://github.com/

    https://github.com/ddang37/ChargedMagazineGame2

    3. Clone this repository onto your local computer. There are alternative ways to do it. I recommend using GitHub Desktop which makes things easier. Follow the corresponding guide below if you are new to GitHub.

    https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/creating-and-managing-repositories/cloning-a-repository

    If you use GitHub Desktop:

    https://docs.github.com/en/desktop/adding-and-cloning-repositories/cloning-a-repository-from-github-to-github-desktop

    4. Open the local repository folder in your Code Editor.

    Create a HTML, CSS, and JavaScript file. Let’s name them game.html, style.css, and dynamic.js. You can change the names and have additional files for more complicated games.

    5. Write the codes into the files. HTML with elements, CSS with stylings, and JavaScript with animation and interaction. 

    For starters, you can search online for sample code and modify from there (make sure to credit the sources!). There are plenty of variants and implementations. You can also create your own!

    You can also fork from the original popular 2048 code:

    https://github.com/gabrielecirulli/2048

    The codes we are using is a much simpler implementation, but still difficult:

    https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/design-a-2048-game-in-javascript/

    6. If your codes are not original from scratch, make sure your game.html file is referring to the correct style.css and dynamic.js. 

    7. Save the codes. Double click the HTML file from file explorer, it should open a chrome site of your HTML game.

    8. When you are satisfied with the result, commit your changes to the online repository. You can do this multiple times, even after you publish the site.

    https://github.com/git-guides/git-commit

    If you use GitHub Desktop:

    https://docs.github.com/en/desktop/making-changes-in-a-branch/committing-and-reviewing-changes-to-your-project-in-github-desktop

    9. When you are ready to publish your code, go to your repository online. Go to Setting > Pages > Build and deployment > Branch, change None to main. An option for the folder will appear, just keep the default. Click Save.

    10. After a few minutes the page will go live. It will show up at the top under GitHub Pages.

    11. Click on the URL or Visit site. Add the extension of the HTML file name and the game will show up!

    https://ddang37.github.io/ChargedMagazineGame2/game.html

    For this 2048, the game do not autogenerate a tile of 2 or 4 upon making a move, but rather based on time. The random generated tiles can be 2, 4, 8, or higher based on the current tiles on the board. This make the game much harder to win.

    Fun fact: If you left this game alone, except for sliding, the game could play by itself!!!

    Note: The website might take up hours to update if you commit new changes after publication. If CSS stylings are not working like it did locally, double check if there’s any Chrome extension blocking it. If the website takes forever to update, try making the repository private and then public again. Refer to GitHub information sites if otherwise.

    https://docs.github.com/en/pages/getting-started-with-github-pages/github-pages-limits

    References:

  • The Power of Music Therapy

    The Power of Music Therapy

    When we listen to music, our moods and minds are influenced in ways we might not notice. Listening to music activates different parts of our brain, which has been shown to positively affect brain development, learning, and functioning (Areas, 2005). Some of these functions include “attention, listening, speech production, emotions, motor skills, memory, coordination, and decision making” (Areas, 2005).

    I noticed that I gravitate towards certain music depending on my mood or the time of day. And for the longest time, I struggled with finding the perfect genre of music to listen to when I study or get academic work done.

    I found I couldn’t listen to my favorite songs or music because my brain quickly developed a negative association between my favorite songs and whatever I’m doing. For example, I thought listening to my favorite songs could help me get through the work, but when I go back and listen to the songs again weeks or months later, I would be reminded of the time I was stressed and anxious from studying or completing a major project.

    So, I experimented with different genres: piano, lofi, classical, meditation, music with nature sounds, video game music, movie/show soundtracks, but they never stuck. One day, I came across hour-long videos on YouTube of binaural beats and ‘bilateral stimulation music’. It turns out this ‘bilateral stimulation music” is used for a therapy method called EMDR (eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing).

    Brief Overview of EMDR

    EMDR is a therapeutic approach based on the adaptive information processing (AIP) model (Oren & Solomon, 2012). Sometimes thought of as a variant of cognitive-behavioral therapy, EMDR involves an eight-phase approach that helps a person perceptual information (memories) that have been ‘maladaptively stored’ (Shapiro, 2002). Research has found EMDR therapy to be an effective treatment of trauma (Oren & Solomon, 2012). With EMDR therapy, we can process disturbing events, especially ones that we aren’t aware of. Other goals of EMDR includes “facilitates resolution of memories, …, desensitize stimuli that trigger present distress as a result of second-order conditioning, and incorporate adaptive attitudes, skills, and behaviors for enhanced functioning within larger social systems” (Shapiro, 2002).

    When we listen to bilateral stimulation, the brain can process negative or traumatic experiences which leads to memory reconsolidation (Oren & Solomon, 2012). Some other methods of EMDR besides bilateral stimulation music (alternating auditory tones) includes side-to-side eye movements and alternating hand taps (Oren & Solomon, 2012).

    However, van den Hout and Engelhard (2012) argue that these bilateral stimulation techniques may not be essential for the therapeutic effect. Instead, they suggest that what makes EMDR effective is the taxing of working memory during trauma recall. In other words, van den Hout and Engelhard claim that EMDR works best when we make our brain do two things at once.

    What is bilateral stimulation music?

    For bilateral music to be effective, listeners should hear the music using headphones. The music alternates between the right and left ear stereo channels. This bilateral music helps a person process stressful or traumatic memories without triggering severe stress (“Bilateral Music fo Anxiety, Stress and Trauma”).

    Listening to this music engages both hemispheres of our brain, which then activates the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for our “rest-and-digest” response, which helps our mind transition from a state of anxiety to a state of calmness (“How Bilateral Stimulation Works to Reduce Anxiety“). The superior colliculus and the mediodorsal thalamus tune in, resulting in the recollection of happy memories.

    Screenshot 2025-04-14 233122.png

    This screenshot is of the video from YouTube that I’ve been listening to regularly for the past few months. When I listen to this kind of music, it feels like the auditory stimulation scratches an itch in my brain.

    As someone who becomes anxious often, listening to bilateral stimulation music has been extremely beneficial for me!

     

     

    Featured image credits: https://www.bansalneuro.com/discover-the-benefits-of-emdr-therapy-at-a-ray-of-hope-in-libertyville-il-and-kenosha-wi.html

    References:

    AREAS, I. T. (2005). Music Therapy.

    Bilateral music for anxiety, stress and Trauma. eMentalHealth.ca Resource Directory. https://primarycare.ementalhealth.ca/Ottawa-Carleton/Bilateral-Music-for-Anxiety-Stress-and-Trauma/index.php?m=article&ID=84502

    How bilateral stimulation works to reduce anxiety. Bay Area CBT Center. (2024, April 19). https://bayareacbtcenter.com/how-bilateral-stimulation-works-to-reduce-anxiety/

    Oren, E., & Solomon, R. (2012, October 3). EMDR therapy: An overview of its development and mechanisms of action. European Review of Applied Psychology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1162908812000692?casa_token=mVz1zHojkoAAAAAA%3AJ5j4PhCogXtXhY11ATj3mwypOG0zBVHLICbxs5kCMQZ7Sr-S_d-qFCkTyou7WLmMRoBMpR85GQ

    Shapiro, F. (2002). EMDR 12 years after its introduction: Past and future research. Journal of clinical psychology, 58(1), 1-22.

    van den Hout, M. A., & Engelhard, I. M. (2012). How does EMDR work? Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, 3(5), 724–738. https://doi.org/10.5127/jep.028212

  • Resilience in Ruin: Continuity of Cancer Care in Times of Crisis

    Resilience in Ruin: Continuity of Cancer Care in Times of Crisis

    When a slow, devastating illness collides with the speed and chaos of disaster, the consequences can be dire. Cancer demands constancy—structured protocols, timed treatments, uninterrupted care. Disasters, on the other hand, dismantle. They disrupt and displace, often without warning. As floods rise and conflicts erupt, what becomes of the cancer patient whose chemotherapy is scheduled for tomorrow? Or the child awaiting biopsy results? These questions are no longer hypothetical—they are urgent. We live in a world in which climate-induced events, pandemics, and political instability are increasingly common, and yet cancer care systems remain woefully unprepared (Meara et al., 2015). More alarmingly, disaster preparedness plans globally tend to focus heavily on trauma and communicable diseases, leaving chronic illnesses like cancer out of the picture (Spiegel et al., 2018). This gap in planning and policy is not just an oversight—it is a failure that costs lives. Cancer does not wait. It does not decelerate in times of emergency, and thus our response systems must be re-engineered to reflect that urgency.

    Throughout history, the story is tragically familiar. In West Africa during the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak, already-strained healthcare systems collapsed under the weight of contagion. Oncology units shuttered. Diagnostics were suspended. It is estimated that cancer diagnoses dropped by more than half—not because the disease disappeared, but because access to care did (Lal et al., 2020). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the narrative repeated. Nearly 1.5 million cancer surgeries were postponed or canceled globally in the first phase alone, creating a backlog that continues to impact patients today (COVIDSurg Collaborative, 2020). The disruptions extended beyond surgical delays: patients missed chemotherapy cycles, radiotherapy sessions were halted, and research trials were suspended. Even long after the initial waves subsided, patients continued to face delays due to workforce shortages, overwhelmed hospitals, and financial strain. In low-income countries, the effects were particularly acute—many patients never returned to care at all (Hanna et al., 2020). For diseases where timing can determine survival, such delays are nothing short of devastating.

    Not all disasters make global headlines. In Haiti, the slow erosion of healthcare capacity due to political instability has silently decimated oncology care. The country has only one radiotherapy machine, often out of service due to power outages or mechanical failure (IAEA, 2021). Few outside the region know that patients are sometimes forced to travel to the Dominican Republic—an international journey that requires money, paperwork, and time most do not have. In Ukraine, following the 2022 invasion, radiation oncology centers were damaged by shelling, not as deliberate attacks on health services, but as collateral in broader infrastructure strikes. Linear accelerators were damaged, and hospitals had to triage power between radiotherapy equipment and ventilators. These cascading failures don’t just interrupt care—they erase it.

    Why is cancer care so fragile in the face of crisis? Unlike many medical disciplines, oncology depends on a convoluted web of components: technology, personnel, pharmaceuticals, and precise timing. Sophisticated machines like PET, MRI, and CT scanners are fixed and highly location-bound. Radiation therapy requires specialized shielding and uninterrupted electricity. Chemotherapy drugs often demand cold-chain logistics and exact calibration. When disasters strike—whether they be cyclones or armed conflict—these systems do not adapt; they fracture (Beddoe, 2019). Health workers are reassigned to trauma units. Oncology wings are converted into ICUs. Supply chains buckle under logistical bottlenecks. Medications expire in warm storage rooms. The loss of a single link can compromise the entire therapeutic chain.

    Additionally, health information systems often crash, wiping out records, imaging histories, and continuity plans. Paper records, still common in many parts of the world, are destroyed by flooding or lost in evacuation. Digital systems, where they exist, may lack redundancy or cloud backup (Chan et al., 2022). In such fragile architectures, resilience isn’t just a buzzword—it is a literal matter of life and death.

    The price for this failure is rarely paid by the wealthy or politically protected. Rather, the toll is borne by those already standing at society’s margins. It is the refugee with no address, no insurance, and no voting rights. The woman in a remote village with cervical cancer whose screening was never completed. The child born into the shadow of war, whose swollen lymph nodes go ignored until too late. In Syria, Sudan, Gaza, and beyond, cancer becomes the silent casualty of humanitarian disaster (El Saghir et al., 2018). These patients are not just neglected; they are erased from the narrative.

    In Lebanon, where millions of Syrian refugees reside, a cancer diagnosis for a non-citizen can be a de facto death sentence due to high costs and lack of access to specialized care (Saab et al., 2019). In Yemen, where humanitarian funding has been slashed, cancer patients are reportedly turning to unproven herbal remedies in desperation. These lives are marginalized not only by disaster but by the systems built to respond to disaster. The harm is not accidental—it is structural.

    Less discussed are the internal migrants—those displaced not across borders, but within their own country. After floods in Pakistan displaced over 30 million people in 2022, many oncology patients were unable to access urban hospitals.

    Temporary shelters set up for the displaced did not include oncology services. In the United States, Hurricane Maria’s destruction of Puerto Rico’s infrastructure led to cancer patients being airlifted to mainland hospitals—but only those with Medicaid portability or private insurance could access care. Disaster response often assumes temporary needs. But cancer care is not temporary. It cannot be paused and resumed without consequence.

    Can we truly plan for the unpredictable? Can we outpace disaster with foresight? The answer, increasingly, is yes. The key lies in data-driven prediction. Artificial intelligence and climate modeling can forecast hotspots of disaster exposure, layered with population health maps to anticipate where cancer care will likely be disrupted. Rwanda, for example, has implemented a national telemedicine network that connects rural health centers with oncology specialists, ensuring continuity of consultation even when physical access is compromised. These are not theoretical innovations—they are operational strategies that can be scaled globally. Predictive algorithms can also identify patients most at risk of losing care continuity, enabling pre-disaster outreach and medication stockpiling. This is anticipatory medicine—a shift from treating the aftermath to engineering the future.

    Decentralization is another pillar of resilience. Cancer care must move beyond capital cities and elite hospitals. In India, the expansion of mobile cancer screening and treatment units has proven effective for reaching underserved populations (Pramesh et al., 2014). In Kenya, Project ECHO connects rural clinicians with top oncology experts in real time, democratizing expertise and shrinking the urban-rural divide (Strother et al., 2021). In the Philippines, emergency response plans now incorporate considerations for cancer patients, including medication supply reserves. These models not only deliver care—they redefine what care infrastructure looks like.

    Technology can serve as a lifeboat when all else fails. In Rwanda, Zipline drones ferry medical supplies including cancer medications across impassable terrain. In Bangladesh, solar-powered healthcare facilities ensure that diagnostics and treatments can continue even after grid failures during cyclones. Electronic health records with cloud backups ensure that a displaced patient’s oncology file can travel with them, digitally intact, across regions (Guleria & Dua, 2021). These innovations aren’t luxuries; they are future standards. Health systems must invest not just in gadgets but in technology ecosystems that are climate-resilient, secure, and scalable.

    For all this progress, the most urgent questions are moral. Who is accountable when patients fall through the cracks? When pharmaceutical embargoes block cancer treatments in war-torn nations, who intervenes? When governments prioritize military spending over oncology units, who is held responsible? (UNDRR, 2015). These are not just questions of policy—they are tests of our ethical architecture. Global health law must evolve to classify cancer care as a protected service during crisis, much like food and shelter. This includes safeguarding cancer infrastructure under international humanitarian law and establishing international corridors for drug delivery in conflict zones (Lancet Commission on Global Access to Pain Control and Palliative Care, 2018; Singh et al., 2020).

    The WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer shows what coordinated international action can achieve. But such initiatives must expand in both scope and binding authority. Cancer must be built into every emergency preparedness and response framework. Countries must be incentivized—perhaps even mandated—through funding structures and international law to protect cancer services during disaster. Civil society must demand this from their leaders. Humanitarian response teams must include oncologists and palliative care specialists. Cancer cannot be an afterthought.

    This is not just about survival—it is about justice. Continuity of cancer care in the face of disaster is a barometer of our civilization. It is a reflection of how we value life, dignity, and equity. The crises ahead—climate displacement, antimicrobial resistance, economic collapse—will test us even more deeply. If we are not ready, we will repeat the same pattern of delay, death, and denial. But if we choose to be ready—if we design for disruption, plan for pain, and invest in resilient care—we can ensure that no diagnosis becomes a death sentence simply because the ground shook, the skies opened, or the sirens wailed. The next disaster is coming. The question is not if—but whether we will meet it with courage or complacency.

     

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