The National Football League, or more recently dubbed “The No-Fun League”, has come under attack from both sides of the coin for their recent enhancement of penalties and fines for rough tackles and blows to the head.

On one side of the argument, former players and those affiliated with the sport are rallying for a safer game. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study of 3,400 retired players, which concluded that retired players have a higher-than-average risk of developing Alzheimer’s. A huge problem in the sport is the development of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated head trauma. Analysis of the late great San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau’s brain revealed that he had CTE when he ended his own life not too long ago. CTE is onset in large part by helmet-to-helmet contact. The NFL implemented a controversial rule by a large majority (31-1), which prohibits offensive and defensive players from lowering the crown of their helmet outside of the tackle box. Here is a visual representation of the tackle box: 

Many players and fans have taken polarized stances on this new rule. Marshall Faulk, from the formally dominant “greatest show on turf” St. Louis Rams, says the new rule is stupid and endangers the ball carrier rather than helps.

“It’s crazy. I think it’s a stupid rule. It’s all about suits — suits run our game. And now it’s on the zebras to make the call and make the call right. I’m just glad I don’t have to play under this rule, because I’m not quite sure how I would protect myself at times. A lot of things sound good when you’re just discussing it, but we’re talking about a game that’s played at a breakneck pace; officials have to make split-second decisions. 

Enforcement is the obvious concern, but I’m also thinking about the safety of players. When you run the football with your chin up in the air, you’re going to get knocked out. Look at Stevan Ridley in the AFC Championship Game — if he would’ve gotten low, I don’t see him getting knocked out by Bernard Pollard on that game-changing play. I know this: If you face contact with your eyes up, you will get hurt. As a ball carrier, the only thing you can do to protect yourself sometimes is getting down, and that now can be taken as lowering your helmet and using it as a weapon. You take that away from a guy, and now you have to run up in there chin-first.”

Marshall Faulk summarizes the views of many current players on the issue. Running backs simply cannot run head-up into traffic without greatly increasing their risk of serious injury. On the other side of the ball, many defensive players argue that it is becoming close to impossible to tackle a ball carrier without drawing a penalty and a hefty fine. The biggest problem with the new rules is that defensive players now have to tackle at the knees of the ball carrier. The effort to protect players from long-term head injury has brought on record-breaking numbers of ACL injuries. According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN, 30 players have been placed on injured reserve for ACL related injuries. The number is already greater than the total in 2011, and is on pace to break the 32 ACL injuries that occurred last season. He suggests that the increased number of injuries is a direct result of the movement to eliminate head-to-head contact.

Albert Breer from the NFL Network argues that the NFL had no choice but to implement the rule in the current state of the game. While he does state that it will be incredibly difficult for players to adjust to the new rule, and there will be an influx of backlash from players who are essentially paying a percentage of their salary simply to play the game, he makes a very pertinent point. The NFL is currently in the middle of a huge lawsuit in which 4,500 players were awarded $765 million as settlement for their concussion-related injuries that incurred while playing the sport.

The fact of the matter is, nobody really wins until the equipment players wear is safer. If there is no effort to stop helmet-to-helmet hits, then long-term injuries are prevalent and the NFL gets sued for millions. If the new rules stay in place, however, the rise of short-term injuries could potentially sideline key players for multiple weeks to a year. The only benefit to short term injuries is that players on contract will still get paid for the time they are injured. This is the only silver lining, though, because an ACL injury is still extremely painful and takes a lot of time and money to rehabilitate.

As a football fan, I constantly find myself watching the games on Sundays only to have frequent outbursts of “Ref let ’em play!” I believe that the new rules are ruining the sanctity of the sport; too many games are being decided by the officials rather than by the teams themselves. Football is a barbaric sport. The players know what they are signing up for when they choose to make their living playing football. Many may argue that NFL athletes are overpaid, but few consider the amount of physical trauma players experience and the number of years they take off of their life for our entertainment.

“Concussion” has become a buzzword in the sports world, with many people weighing in on the violent nature of American football. Commissioner Roger Goodell has implemented a $10 million incentive program to find more innovative ways to make the helmets players wear more shock-resistant. I feel as though this is the best way to make the sport safer without interfering with the rules that make the game what it is. What are your opinions on the safety of the sport? How can it be made safer without compromising the integrity of game? A good idea may just make you a ton of money.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/09/04/helmets-concussions-roger-goodell/2768237

Prior to beginning this blog, it’s encouraged that you review the first and second blogs of the “Earth’s Finest Water” series, The Artesian Aquifer and The Power of Hydrogen. We’ve seen how the high levels of alkaline have been beneficial to health concerns and how the water is pure straight from the Artesian Aquifer, but what about country Fiji. This amazing water comes from this amazing place, but how does Fiji feel about Fiji Water? 

Sarah Gilbert gives us the distasteful truth about how the “totalitarian government” in Fiji welcomed the foreign interest and their “deep pockets” to take the “country’s most precious natural resources” with their “heavy artillery in hand.” The government was so lenient of the company taking from their Artesian Aquifer that they were only charging them taxes of 1/3 cent per liter. The locals, who have been suffering of poverty and hunger, finally put their foot down and in 2010. Charles Fishman, a Fiji local, explains how the islands struggle.

“In Fiji itself, 53 percent of the people who line in Fiji don’t have access to clean safe water. So Americans can easily get clean water from Fiji more simply than Fijians can.”

What these locals fought for resulted in a tax increase of 8 cents per liter. Rather than accepting the tax increase, Fiji Water decided to threatened to close down the company. They argued that the company provides “lots of jobs, 20 percent of Fiji’s exports and 3 percent” of its GDP. Trying to hold their ground, the plant shut down for 24 hours before reopening and accepting the new tax.  

Who was behind this decision? Stewart and Lynda Resnick, billionaire owners of Fiji Water, were the ones who closed the company and momentarily put their 400 employees into  unemployment. When they bought the brand in 2004 it was a glamorous brand, but now it seems to be more universal. They are also the owners of Teleflora and POM Wonderful. From what it sounds like, these people strive to become wealthy and powerful, and then buy out companies to make themselves even larger billionaires than they already are.

The couple boasts of “their commitment to the betterment of their workers and the surrounding communities.” However, Kai Olson-Sawyer finds that hard to believe. In her article “Fiji Water: So Cool, So Fresh, So Bad for the Environment?” she exposes that many Fijians, including Fiji Water’s own workers, don’t have access to the adequate supply of freshwater. Fiji Water is extremely exclusive to the company and because the water pumped in large volumes there isn’t much leftover for the Fijians.

            The Resnick’s were in desperate need of recovery. In order to cover up their lack of environmental care, Fiji Water introduced the Fiji Water Foundation, which is said to provide filters for clean water to rural communities, mostly in Fiji. In 2008, Consevation International paired with The Fiji Water Foundation proposed a three-year, 5 million dollar grant to “protect the natural resources of Viti Levu, Fiji,” which is “ largest remaining lowland rainforest in Fiji.” Viti Levu is home to 70% of Fiji’s population, where clear water is sparse.

              Although The Fiji Water Foundation is technically apart of the Fiji Water Company, most of its work is done by Conservation International. Whether or not the Resnick’s are still actively involved in the Foundation is a mystery, however, there name is still on it. 

             To gain a better conclusion and look at the three “Earth’s Finest Water” series, please read the final blog of the series, You Decide.

            Prior to beginning this blog, it’s encouraged that you review the first blog of the “Earth’s Finest Water” series, The Artesian Aquifer.

            Continuing the search for truth behind “Earth’s Finest Water,” we look into what is actually in Fiji’s water. Fiji’s water is filtered by volcanic rock that “gathers minerals and electrolytes.” Well what kinds of minerals are we talking about? Below is a list of the minerals found in Fiji Water.

            Now if you notice, Fiji has a pH of 7.7. What does potential of hydrogen even mean? DrinkRealWater.com explains that pH is a logarithmic measure of hydrogen ion concentration used to compare solution acidities (-log (H+)). The H stands for Hydrogen while the p stands for the German word potenze, which in English translates to “power.” Therefore, pH means the “power of hydrogen.” Hydrogen has the power to completely change the wellbeing of a solution. For example: a solution with a pH as low as 1 is extremely acidic, whereas a solution with a pH as high as 9.8 is to be pure ethanol.

            Pure water at room temperature has a pH of 7. According to the diagram above, pure water does have some acidosis. So, increasing pH to make it more neutral is better for our health, but increasing it too much could cause death. With a pH of 7.7, Fiji Water is more alkalinity rather than having more acidity like pure water.

            What does a more alkalinity water do to someone’s body? Well the stomach has a pH of about 4. The acidity helps break down our food, but when we drink water that is more alkalinity based (Fiji Water), the pH in the stomach increases. High levels of pH are never a problem when it comes to the stomach because the stomach has a protection method to always bring the pH back down. When alkalinity enters the stomach, the stomach commands the secretion of hydrochloric acid through the walls to bring the pH back down to 4.

            Can a high pH with high alkaline levels be good for us? Many American’s sure do think so, as many of them have started doing the Alkaline Diet  This diet contains foods and beverages with high pH’s or high alkaline levels. So rather than eating grains, fish, meat, poultry, shellfish, cheese, milk, and salt which all produce acid, people in take foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, roots, nuts and legumes. Drinking Fiji water rather than pure water would be beneficial in such a case because Fiji water has a higher level of alkaline rather than regular water.

Why do people start this diet instead of just drinking Fiji Water? Well, many begin the Alkaline Diet because they feel that are lacking energy, have anxiety, or get colds, flus, and migraines frequently. The high levels of alkaline supposedly help with those symptoms. Just drinking Fiji water doesn’t give the body enough alkaline that this diet requires. The diet, in addition to drinking Fiji Water, is important because water has no other additional nutrients, whereas fresh fruits and vegetables have tons of nutrients. According to WebMD.com  by being on an Alkaline Diet one may decrease the risk for kidney stones, slow bone loss, slow muscle waste, increase growth hormone, ease lower back pain, and possibly even make some chronic diseases less likely.

            In 2010, U.S. researchers did a small study that “tracked 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer who decided against conventional medical treatment.” These men went through three months of lifestyle changes, which included the Alkaline Diet, to see if their health improved. In addition to the diet, these men also exercised moderately (walking for thirty minutes each day) and went through an hour of “daily stress management methods” including meditation. Aside from weight loss, the men also lowered blood pressure and noticed that the activity of disease preventing genes increased while a number of disease promoting decreased in regards to their prostate cancer.

            Could it be that Alkaline can help cancer patients? AcidAlkalineDiet.com explains that by focusing on the absorption of Alkaline, patients will have a more alkaline-based system rather than an acid-based system. In their test tube study researchers found that “cancer cells and tumors thrive and grow in an acidic environment,” and slow down in alkaline environment.

            Here we have found how drinking Fiji water rather than pure water may be more beneficial to human’s bodies and health, especially if they have cancer. High levels of Alkaline could be truly helpful to our bodies, however it could be something else entirely as well. There are a number of minerals in Fiji water, including calcium, electrolytes, potassium, etc. that could alter our bodies, but from the information on alkaline, it may be assumed that it is beneficial.

            If you’re still curious about Fiji Water please read into the next blog of the “Earth’s Finest Water” series- Environmental Friendly? There you will learn about the owners of this company and the country that it comes from.

Everyone’s seen one, most teens have had one; the notorious, risqu� hickey. As Urban Dictionary puts it, a hickey or “love bite” is when you suck on someone’s neck to the point of leaving a huge red mark, which is  fun to get until your parents find out. What causes these bruise like displays on necks after sex or a good make out, and what are some tricks to fading them?

Although hickeys are said to be affectionate and romantic, the way they are given is actually rather strange when you think about it. To get a proper love bite, one must suck on your skin hard enough to leave a red (sometimes purple or blue depending on the severity) bruise. This bruise is the result of thousands of tiny blood vessels that have just been broken. Teeth can also be used if both partners are okay with channeling their inner ‘Twilight’.

Some teens desperate for attention even use a vacuum cleaner in order to suck their blood vessels and break them to give themselves hickeys. Weird.

So, you wake up in the morning and realize you have a terribly noticeable hickey. What to do? Well hickeys on their own can last days, even a week if they’re bad. I have found three ways to fade or remove your hickey in a pinch.

The Ice Pack–Apply ice packs or ice cubes wrapped in a towel to the hickey for up to twenty minutes. This normally works best on fresh hickeys, but can still help a little on older ones.

 The Frozen Spoon–Aaaah, the frozen spoon. Does it bring back memories for anyone else? Anyway, throw a spoon in the freezer for an hour, take it out and apply to the hickey. You’ll have to use quite a bit of pressure for this one, but you should see results within minutes.

Scraping–Use a coin or toothbrush for this painful trick. Hold your skin taut and pretend your hickey is butter on toast, scraping your skin from mid-hickey out to the sides to push excess blood away. Even though you’ll have scrapes, they’ll go away much faster than a hickey and are less conspicuous.

Overall, hickeys are fun, but not worth all the worry and pain to get them to go away once you’re…uhm….settled down. Make sure you communicate your hickey opinions and preferences with your partner BEFORE your make-out commences.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hickey

http://teenadvice.about.com/od/datinglove/tp/info_about_hickeys.htm

http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-a-Hickey

           Fiji’s Official Website describes their water as “Earth’s Finest Water.” Their water is so fine that Fiji charges $6.99 for their 16.9 oz. bottle. Water is water. It falls from the sky, is collected and bottled, and then sold. So why does Fiji feel that they can charge more for water, when its free from the tap?

            When someone clicks onto Fiji’s Official Website, he/she will be amazed at how Fiji’s technology and computer design team has captured the viewer’s attention. With soothing music playing in the background, the website walks an observer through the process of how Fiji Water is collected.

“It all begins AS A CLOUD; HIGH ABOVE FIJI over 1,600 miles from the nearest continent; TROPICAL RAIN FALLS purified by equatorial trade winds; IN A PRISTINE RAIN FOREST surrounded by ancient, dormant volcanoes; SLOWLY FILTERED BY VOLCANIC ROCK it gathers minerals and electrolytes that create FIJI’s soft smooth taste; COLLECTING IN NATURAL ARTESIAN AQUIFIER protected and preserved from external elements until you unscrew the cap”

            Fiji’s marketing technique truly convinces their consumers that they are buying the best water in the world. But is that actually true? Is Fiji Water truly Earth’s Finest?

            A local Fijian, Charles Fishman, says that Fiji Water has “earned up to its name” and its slogan. He confirmed that for the last 20 years, Fiji’s untouched water “actually comes from an aquifer in Fiji.” As important as it is that the water is untouched, it’s interesting that the water comes from an Aquifer.

            Above is a diagram that gives a more visual of the process of water into the Artesian Aquifer. See how it rains, the water goes through the soil and rocks, and then into the Aquifer. Now look below to take an even closer look.

The water from the rain literally goes through topsoil, limestone, and volcanic rock until it enters into the water chamber. What happens if something were to contaminate one of those three layers? Fiji stresses how their water is untouched from the Aquifer, which would mean that no one checked the water to see if it was safe before its bottle. Geography.about.com explains that aquifers can become polluted if they aren’t properly managed, especially if they’re near large bodies of water.

This is more commonly known as saltwater intrusion. It occurs when water from the aquifer is depleted quicker than it can rejuvenate. Low precipitation and warm temperatures can also play a large roll in saltwater intrusion due to the lack of groundwater present and increased evaporation. For example, in 2011 South Florida needed to close down “six out of eight wells that Hallandale Beach” relied on due to the saltwater intrusion. Below is a visual of how saltwater intrusion works.

Because Fiji is an island, it’s completely surrounded by salt water. This puts their aquifer at risk of saltwater intrusion. When Fiji Water takes the fresh water out of the Artesian Aquifer too quickly, salt water can easily enter in order to fill the void.

            There is so much more to Fiji Water than just its aquifer. To learn more about “Earth’s Finest Water” and to find out if what its slogan says is true, please read my next blog, “Earth’s Finest Water”- The Power of Hydrogen. There, more questions will arise and more be answered.

Or at least that’s what Dr. Michio Kaku, world-renowned theoretical physicist and popularizer of science, believes. And hey, I have no problem going along with any theories proposed by the man who has spent his lifetime continuing Einstein’s work and developing new theories on the creation of the physical universe. But let’s take a step back. We’re talking about TELEPATHY here; the act of communicating with one-another via the use of only our brains, long thought to only be the stuff of pure science fiction (cue Professor X). According to Kaku, however, we’re far closer to this reality than we previously thought.

However, there’s one hiccup to his proposition: he admits that “unassisted” telepathy (without the help of an outside force) is nigh impossible. Yet, he assures us that such an outside force does in fact exist today, in the form of computers and radio waves. While the sheer complexity of intertwining the very fabric of two minds may forever prevent us from telepathic communication without the help of a third party, Dr. Kaku is quite confident in our capacity for telepathy using the very same technologies that we interact with on a daily basis. In fact, breakthroughs on this futuristic front have been made as recently as February of this year, when Scientific Reports published the findings of an experiment done by Duke University neuroscientists. In short, it was found through this particular experiment that two rats were able to communicate using brain waves transmitted through a myriad of electrodes implanted in their brains. Not only were these rats able to relay task-specific information between one-another with a near 70% success rating, but they were able to replicate these successes in a second experiment that spanned the staggering distance between North Carolina and Brazil. A full write-up of the findings can be found here, on The Washington Times‘s website.

So maybe there isn’t as much “fiction” to this science as we’ve always told ourselves. As Kaku explains in one lecture, “already we can take MRI scans, EEG scans of the brain, decipher them using computers…shoot that information to another person. This is called ‘radio-enhanced telepathy’.” For one to send thoughts, conversations, even mental imagery to another individual seems less and less impossible as you continue to delve into the science behind Dr. Kaku’s claims. It is entirely probable that we will see this concept come to fruition within our lifetimes, and I have no doubt that the scientific implications of such a development will be marvelous.

For more information on Dr. Kaku, you can visit his website at www.mkaku.org, and can also find short excerpts from Dr. Kaku’s thoughts on telepathy here and here. In addition, if you are so inclined can pick up his book The Future of the Mind: The scientific quest to understand, enhance, and empower the mind in stores February 2014.

In other regions of the world they have siesta time, which is a time for a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal.  I have noticed that I always seem to get sleepy around 2pm, which is exactly the time I need to start getting ready to go to science. Napping should be implemented in our daily working lives to allow us to be more alert and concentrated throughout the day. After a good nap I always feel well rested and full of energy. I think that if people started napping more often throughout their busy workweeks we would get work done more effectively.

Napping allows our bodies to be in a state of relaxation, which takes away from the stress of our daily lives. When studying adults ages 20 to 86, researchers found that taking a short nap at least three times a week significantly decreased risk of heart disease. There are more effective naps then others. For example, the most effective naps are the ones that you fall asleep easily and only nap for a short period of time. Once you wake up you will feel refreshed and energized. However, if you nap for too long you will most likely wake up feeling groggy and even more tiered then you were before. The best time during the day is “1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., when your energy level dips due to a rise in the hormone melatonin at that time of day.” I find this interesting because I usually get the most tiered around 2pm, which is just around the prime napping hours. You should not nap 3 hours before your bedtime because that could interfere with your sleep at night. You may have noticed that napping “fights fatigue and boosts your mood, but it also improves your righ-brain function, the side responsible for creativity and long-term memory.” Napping on a day-to-day basis can improve performance making your reaction time much quicker as well as improving memory and making fewer mistakes through out the day.

Overall I have come to the conclusion that we need more naps in our lives to be more productive and efficient. Next time you are feeling sleepy during your busy day don’t be embarrassed to go and take a quick catnap. 

Sources:

http://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/2007/10/when-is-the-best-time-to-sleep/

http://longevity.about.com/od/sleep/a/napping_tips.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/napping/MY01383

http://www.fitsugar.com/Napping-Good-You-31123683

I was very surprised by yesterday’s class discussion about the correlation between cellphones and breast cancer. I had no idea cellphones posed that kind of risk. This theory came about from how women often use their bra as a pocket for their phone, and how cancer was showing up on patients where they typically store their phone in their strap. When asked, “why men don’t get testicular cancer from keeping their phones in their pocket?” Andrew responded by stating that it could be due to the fact that some tissue is more prone to cancer than others. This really sparked my interest, I never realized that parts of our body may be more susceptible to cancer than others. Maybe by knowing the most common places cancer pops up we can figure out the best place to store our cell phones.  Something as simple as a cellphone should not be contributing to something as serious as cancer, there has to be a solution or at least a way to help prevent this from happening.

            Cellphones have become so important in this time of technology, and it is important that we recognize the harmful effects this same technology can posse on us. According to the National Cancer Institute, “Cell phones emit radiofrequency energy, a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, which can be absorbed by tissues closest to where the phone is held”(Cancer). Knowing that our tissues can absorb this harmful radiation it’s important we know where to put our devices so that this same radiation has a less likely chance to manipulate any cells into cancerous ones. The Center for Disease Control states that breast cancer and lung cancer are the two most common cancers among women, while prostate and lung cancer are the two most common cancers among men. Although there is no direct correlation between these cancers and cellphone use that we have proven yet, it’s important to realize that this is still a possibility. If you already have a higher chance at getting cancer in a certain area, like in your lungs or in your breast, than you should keep your cellphone away from your chest whether the theory is proven or not. The most convenient place to rest your cellphone should not take precedent over the fact that you are potentially putting yourself at a higher risk for a fatal disease.

            Knowing where to put it is important, but also you need to know exactly how you’re exposed to this radiation that is emitted from your cellphone. The National Cancer Institute states that, “The amount of radiofrequency energy a cell phone user is exposed to depends on the technology of the phone, the distance between the phone’s antenna and the user, the extent and type of use, and the user’s distance from cell phone towers”(Cancer). There are a lot of ways you can reduce the amount of this same energy that you are being exposed to by your cellphone. I don’t think it’s very realistic for people to start walking around with their cellphones on a leash, but it’s important to limit the amount of contact you have with your phone even when you’re not using it. Whenever you are traveling try putting your phone in a backpack or purse, even though it is still close to you you won’t be making any direct contact with it unlike when it’s in your bra or in your pocket.  You can also simply turn your phone off when you’re not using it, deactivating your phone or putting it on airplane mode stops the emission of this electromagnetic radiation. Nowadays it’s nearly impossible to survive without a cellphone, and because of this over exposure we must find out all we can about the harm it can do to our bodies.  

Resources:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/men.htm 

http://bigteaparty.com/cell-phone-use-can-increase-possible-cancer-risk/