The Malta Independent 19 April 2024, Friday
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Marijuana, the Maltese genome, and dropouts

Monday, 25 April 2016, 14:56 Last update: about 9 years ago

Where do the Maltese people come from? Geneticists from the University of Malta are providing the answer. The Malta Human Genome project (MHGP) is currently sequencing the Maltese Genome to uncover the origin and health of the Maltese people with invaluable findings-the focus of the latest Think magazine issue.

In another article, Prof. Giuseppe Di Giovanni talks about the effect of marijuana on people having certain types of epilepsy and it's far from negative. The active ingredient in marijuana is very similar to the brain's own chemicals that help to control seizures. THINK gives a detailed overview about the benefits, side effects and potential applications of medical marijuana.

Malta has double the average of early school leavers in the EU. Malta's school system is antiquated; dropouts are many which for many leads to a continuous struggle throughout their life. Prof. Carmel Borg talks to Cassi Camilleri about what's needed to reduce these worrying numbers and shape a better future.

Speaking of the future, Malta's seabirds might not have one. Overfishing, pollution and overdevelopment have threatened their populations for decades. With Malta being one of the nesting hotspots in the Mediterranean, Ben Metzger and Marie Claire Gatt talk about a major EU project to protect far travelling seabirds.

Think is also full of reviews, student stories, design and much more. Topics range from the old art of Taijiquan to game development and the latest developments in rocket science.

Think, the University of Malta's magazine, may be picked up for free in newsagents around Malta

and Gozo and in Agenda bookstores, it is available online at www.um.edu.mt/think, on Issuu

www.issuu.com/thinkuni or liked on Facebook www.facebook.com/ThinkUoM


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