It always starts as a pleasant dream but as we all know good things never last and soon enough you’re waking up with your heart pounding from fear of the very vivid dream you just had. I got the idea for this blog post when my roommate woke me up because she had a nightmare and was scared because she hadn’t had one in years.

There are multiple sleep stages but the one nightmares most commonly occur in is REM. REM is the longest sleep stage you generally experience this sleep stage 4 or 5 times a night. With this being said there are certain things that people do that tend to lead to nightmares. When you eat late at night it makes your metabolism work throughout the night making your brain be more active in your sleep stages. If you take medications such as antidepressants or narcotics they tend to lead to nightmares as well. Medications that lower your blood pressure have also been proven to cause nightmares. Withdrawal from any sort of drug or alcohol causes your brain to be more active thus causing nightmares.

Deidre Barrett a psychologist at Harvard University has a theory that nightmares are the brains way of telling a person these are the issues you need to deal with. He also theorizes that nightmares evolved over time and started off by just being warning signals for something you should be concerned about.

Nightmares as scary as they may be are inevitable and according to Barrett’s theory are needed to give us the reality checks we need.

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/nightmares-in-adults

http://www.livescience.com/32730-why-do-we-have-nightmares.html

For years and years people have always claimed whenever you drink alcohol you’re killing brain cells. But is this commonly heard statement really accurate? I got the idea for this post when I was on the phone with my mother and she said that very statement “alcohol kills brain cells, don’t drink”. But it turns out alcohol doesn’t kill brain cells it has a different effect on your brain.

Dr. Roberta J. Petney was a researcher at the State University of New York in buffalo discovered what it really does to your brain. According to her alcohol when consumed by adults negatively affect the message-carrying dendrites on neurons in the cerebellum. This part of your brain is associated with learning and motor skills. Basically it prevents the correct communication between neurons causing the impairing effects of alcohol.

But what long-term use of alcohol can cause is Wernicke- Korsakoff syndrome, this syndrome is generally found in long-term alcoholics. This disease results in memory problems, confusion, eye paralysis, weakened muscle coordination and amnesia. This disorder is caused from a lack of B vitamin Thiamine, the alcohol prevents the body from absorbing this vitamin. This disorder can lead to death.

So in conclusion alcohol does not kill brain cells but it can cause long term affects to your brain.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/23/health/23real.html?_r=0

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/10-brain-myths9.htm

I am someone who would prefer to type on a computer than handwrite notes. I find I am able to type much faster than I can write and my notes become much more legible then the chicken scratch that is produced in class. I remember being taught to learn cursive in elementary school, they insisted I would need it in high school and beyond, but to date the only useful cursive I need is for my signature or the annoying section of the SATs. There is currently an interesting generation divide between those of us who have grown up with technology and those who have not. We shall describe it as the typers and the cursive writers. The typers are our generation and below who have become accustomed to touching screens rather than curling our letters, but for older generations the switch hasn’t been so easy.

Recently medical records have been switched to online, as most everything has, but this has caused an interesting problem for doctors. Many doctors, specifically surgeons are finding that they are actually becoming slower, that typing takes longer than writing and are struggling to adjust to the new system. For many this is alarming, my doctor can cut me open but doesn’t have the motor skills to type quickly on keyboards, something many of us can do. When T. Shen explains his struggle, “I can’t type. My 1970s and ‘80s childhood was sandwiched between the typewriter and personal computer eras, and I never had any formal instruction in how to properly navigate a keyboard.”

Although easy to avoid at first the technological age is something that must be adjusted to for future success. Shen says he has noticed visible concern on his patients fact as he slowly fumbles with the keys. If their surgeon can’t operate the laptop how can they have the hands to operate on the body. (Shen) He says it allows him a chance to seem normal to his patients, something that doesn’t happen very often has he saves lives on the operating table.

Even though it can be slightly humiliating I found the depth of this technological gap to be fascinating. Typing is something I have always taken for granted and the fact that people still struggle with it, especially highly intelligent individuals like surgeons is shocking. I would agree that it may cause me concern to see my doctor struggling to type my evaluation but hearing it from Shen’s point of view made it comical and entertaining. Modern medicine is always advancing, but its surgeons aren’t always.

Work Cited

Shen, Wen T. “Your Surgeon Seems Qualified, but Can He Type?” Well Your Surgeon Seems Qualified but Can He Type Comments. The New York Times, 18 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

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At the end of a long day nothing is better than grabbing a bag of potato chips and plopping yourself down on the couch. As great as this may feel in the moment the consequences of consuming that many potato chips may be threatening to your health in ways you never even imagined. I first thought of this idea when I found myself eating a whole bag of chips after a long day of classes. I thought about it and chips are a snack that is very cheap, sold virtually everywhere and extremely tasty.

George Crum first invented potato chips in 1853 and the rest is history. But beneath that delicious salty taste lie chemicals that may be detrimental to our health. Butylhydroxytoluene also known as BHT is a chemical in potato chips that is meant to prevent the chips from going bad. It is also used in products such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to keep those from going bad too. This chemical is also known to cause cancer when consumed in large amounts.

Not only are chips bad for you in that they contain chemicals but they are extremely caloric and contribute to weight gain substantially. 15-20 chips contain around 154 calories. In 2011 the “New England Journal of medicine” did a study where they discovered if you eat an ounce of potato chips every day it lead to an average of 1.69 lbs. weight gain over the course of four years. Weight gain and potato chips were directly correlated. This correlation was stronger than any other processed food and weight gain.

So in conclusion it has been determined that chips really are that bad for you. So at the end of a long day as opposed to eating a whole bag of chips try some fruit or nuts.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/440025-why-are-chips-bad-for-you/

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/negative-effects-chips-2980.html

This October will be coming up on two years since Hurricane Sandy struck the east coast leaving insurmountable devastation. Previous to this hurricane striking my hometown and beach town I was always fascinated with hurricanes. Their dynamic intrigued me, including the eye and walls to the storm. As a kid I used to watch storm chasers as people braved hurricanes in order to capture video of their damage. When I lived it, all became to real. Living without power for days was something I had never and never want to experience again. After most debris had cleared my family traveled to Ocean City, New Jersey to assess the damage to our shore home. We were lucky… Besides sand and muck from the bay and sea our house was barely untouched. Others only a block away were destroyed, some barely standing up, missing staircases and garage doors entirely.

Recently I watched a documentary about recovery from Sandy a year after. To see the devastation that has remained a year after breaks my heart and I can only imagine the damage that still remains today. When you live in a place like the northeast you aren’t usually accustomed to such devastating natural disasters. We aren’t the west coast with earthquakes, we aren’t the plains with tornados and we aren’t the south with the constant threat of hurricanes. We occasionally have a blizzard or some flooding in Philly, (where I’m from) but nothing as powerful as Sandy.

The destruction you saw was like something you would see on the news channel, from somewhere far far away. Something you could never imagine would happen to you in your little town, where the main street lost power for days and houses were smashed from falling trees. What has scared me most in the 2 years after isn’t the clean up that’s still left to do, it’s the possibility that it could happen again. When I was younger I was taught that hurricanes would only ever take two paths, one up through the gulf like Hurricane Katrina, or one up through Florida, and the Carolinas till it would eventually die on land and turn into a powerful rain storm for us to bare. However through climate change it seems that we are becoming more and more likely to get hurricanes as well. Although the United States has been fortunate to have not been hit by any powerful ones this year the threat still lingers.

I’m glad Hurricane Sandy is a thing of the past and for the most part those affected have been able to recover and move on. The frightening thing is beach towns are already preparing for it to happen again. All around me homes are being put on stilts due to the revised flood zones for Ocean City. Houses are being built taller off the ground and not just for a better view. For those who say that climate change isn’t a thing should study this storm closer. It was a once in a lifetime Hurricane that hopefully will never be mimicked, but with ocean currents changing it is only becoming more likely.

I would highly recommend watching the video

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Hair extensions, something most girls are familiar with whether or not they have had them themselves. Although they seem like a recent fad a recent study seems to suggest that hair extensions can be traced back 3,300 years ago.

An Egyptian women’s remains was recently discovered and archeologists were shocked to find a “a very complex coiffure with approximately 70 extensions fastened in different layers and heights on the head. ” To put that in layman’s terms, the mummy had extensions. It is unsure whether or not the women had extensions previous to her death or was it part of her culture before her burial. The extensions currently have the archeologists stumped, it is very common to find remains still with hairpieces intact but the 70 extensions left with this women are something they have not found before. It is currently being speculated that extensions are common among the Amarna people, as they have previously found women with dyed hair, possibly from a henna plant.

I knew previously that Egyptians were excellent at preserving their dead however I had no idea that hair remained intact thousands of years later. I was even more surprised that their society was advanced enough to create real working hair extensions that lasted the test of time. I think this says a lot about their culture and the value they put on appearance. I’m sure extensions weren’t as easy to obtain or create so the lengths they went shows the dedication they had. Although not mentioned in the article I wondered if the women was in a position of power in her community which was why she was privileged enough to have her hair done, or was it common. Although we may never find out the continuation of archeological discoveries never cease to fascinate me.

Work Cited

Jarus, Owen. “This Ancient Egyptian Woman Wore 70 Hair Extensions – NBC News.” NBC News. NBC NEWS, 18 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

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Moral values Born or taught?

This question goes back to a topic that I kind of focused about in my blogs Nature versus Nurture? So the question this time is are we born with moral values or are they taught to us?

For a while people thought that babies have no idea what’s good and what’s bad, and only society influences how this baby grows up. However, people are starting to think that there is a genetic link to our moral values.

At Yale University researchers are trying to prove that babies are born with having the main concept of what’s right and what’s wrong. Dr. Karen Wynn is the researcher who’s running the Yale’s team and are focusing on the puppets test.The puppets test shows that most babies tend to pick the good character rather than the bad one most of the time

That’s why psychopathy is related to genes somehow. While genes play a big role in the development of psychopathy the environment factor plays as big of role as genes.

That’s why it’s very important for kids to grow up in a normal society that helps them further there understanding of the moral clause.

Some kids grow up in a society that didn’t teach them the moral values that they should have developed at there age, but they’re very moral. On the other hand, some kids grow in a family that teaches them moral values, yet they turn out to be psychopaths. This suggests a genetic link.

This reminds me of the smoking causing lung cancer theory. Some people smoke everyday of there lives, yet don’t have lung cancer. While others never smoked a day of their life, but have lung cancer.

After a lot of research, I cam to the conclusion that a combination of genetics and environmental factors teaches kids moral values.

Works Cited

Smith, Emily Esfahani. “As Babies, We Knew Morality.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

Chu, Susan. “Are We Born with a Moral Core? The Baby Lab Says ‘yes'” CNN. Cable News Network, 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

There is nothing better than the relief of being able to sit down after standing all day, however recent studies show that prolonged standing may be prolonging our lives. Research suggests that the longer you sit the more likely you are to develop diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions. An experiment was done in Sweden sought to prove a link between sitting and life span on an individual. The trial specifically focused on manipulating the amount of sitting each individual did. Now as students who are forced to sit in classes all day this post is not meant to alarm you. The age group most commonly affected by a prolonged sitting period is older men and women, like those who work a 9-5 job in an office. It is in those long sedentary hours that your cells begin to age, leading to future health concerns down the road.

Along the same lines another study claimed “Standing for three hours a day has the same health benefits as 10 marathons a year.” A common misconception is that in order to stay fit you must go to the gym, however doctors aren’t necessarily agreeing. Of course working out at the gym only increases your life span but the small simple actives of even standing up for a second can build up. Dr.Loosemore stated, “people would be entirely wrong to think that small changes, such as standing up more, are pointless.”

So I guess the annoying standing and waiting at the bus stop or in a line turns out to benefit us after all. To think about all the hours we spend standing through out college, whether it be at parties or at sporting events its bound to add up. I found both of these studies fascinating as even the most minuscule changes to the participant’s average routine tended to make a difference. I guess it couldn’t hurt to air on the side of caution and sit a little less and live a little more.

Work Cited

Reynolds, Gretchen. “Sit Less, Live Longer?” The New York Times. The New York Times, 17 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.

Macrae, Fiona. “Standing for Three Hours a Day Has ‘the Same Health Benefits as 10 Marathons a Year’, Says Leading Doctor.” Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 21 June 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

Photo Link: http://www.thebestnotary.net/how-to-find-a-mobile-notary-after-hours/

Elementary school, filled with fond memories of recess, school field trips and gym class games. Over the years we were taught many things, from our ABCs to how to do long division. One of the most important lessons many of us may have forgotten is a problem called Drug Abuse Resistance Education, D.A.R.E for short. Between 1983 and 2009 D.A.R.E was an educational program taught to children to help prevent children from drinking underage or doing drugs. It consisted of lectures and videos, meant to scare the youth into avoiding these temptations.

Now, if you don’t remember your 10-week D.A.R.E experience, don’t worry you are one of many. Scientists have discovered that in fact D.A.R.E did nothing to prevent us from doing drugs or drinking, it was essentially useless. With the help of scientific research over the past few years the organization that runs D.A.R.E has tried to reinvent itself in a way that can further connect with students and this time make a lasting impact. The new program is titled “Keepin it REAL” and hopes to differentiate itself from its failed predecessor. Co-Developer Michelle Miller May describes it as, “It’s about things like being honest and safe and responsible.” Scientists are now proud to report that since “Keepin it REAL” has launched there has been a “reduced substance abuse and maintained antidrug attitudes over time among students in early trials.” (Nordrum).

I am relieved to learn that elementary students aren’t going to turn into a bunch of junkies anytime soon but I was shocked by the amount of time it took for this program to be replaced. It took almost a decade of research to discover that D.A.R.E was making no impact on students. The lack of evidence and false assumption that the curriculum was working reminded me of our lecture on smoking. In both cases lack of information caused money to be lost and the public to be mislead. Its scary to think about all the other ways we are being misled due to a lack of research, unfortunately it appears we won’t know the answer for at least a dozen years or more.

My opinion on “Keepin it REAL” is that I am glad there is a program in place to educate students about the dangers of drug and alcohol. However the name it has adopted shows a clear generation gap. I personally would not be able to take a class seriously titled “Keepin it REAL” taught by a bunch of adults. Although the attempt to make the curriculum more relatable to students is admirable I feel there is still room for improvement in the future. I am pleased that organizations like D.A.R.E America take the time to employ scientists to review the impact the are having on their audience. Hopefully the next generation won’t be as hopped up on drugs as society says we are. Maybe D.A.R.E is the reason for so many posts on marijuana, who knows.

Work Cited

Nordrum, Amy. “The New D.A.R.E. Program-This One Works.” Scientific American Global RSS. Scientific American, 10 Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

photo link: http://www.lincolnparish.org/sheriff/pages/DARE.html

Greg F. was a man that was part of the hippie movement after separating from his family. An incredibly large brain tumor had grown and completely destroyed his frontal lobe and other parts of the brain, especially those responsible for memory. In addition, he had also become blind and unable to engage in conversation or function properly. His parents visited the hospital to see their son that had been absent for so many years, and were greatly disheartened by what they had seen. He had very seldom response to any form of therapy, making him what the doctors thought was a hopeless case. It wasn’t until Oliver Sack’s performed a case study on this patient where the power of music was discovered. The therapy Greg truly needed, was the Grateful Dead.

Being completely unresponsive to any form of communication, and only having memories of earlier stages in life, doctors turned to one last resort. Greg, being part of the hippie movement, was a passionate Grateful Dead fan. It had been reported from studies that music can help the brain to recollect certain memories in patients similar to Greg, while also giving them the ability to become more functional. According to Sacks’ study, Greg became alive and full of enthusiasm whenever they would play his favorite Grateful Dead songs. He became more responsive and was able to carry on small conversation. He became more of the person his parents remembered him as. The music also allowed Greg to remember memories that were connected/associated with the songs in someway. Oliver Sacks decided to give Greg the experience of a lifetime. He brought him to a concert of his favorite band, The Grateful Dead. The next morning, Greg had absolutely no recollection of the event, due to his inability to form new memories. However, when Sacks played him Grateful Dead songs that morning, he was able to recall certain moments. This is a clear observational study, however it holds strong evidence that music really does aid the brains of patients with impaired brain functions. This study was perfectly adapted into a heartfelt hollywood movie called “The Music Never Stopped.”

In “The Music Never Stopped,” which I saw a few months ago, the main character Gabriel is an exact model of Greg. Gabriel was part of the hippie movement and lived on the streets away form his parents. He formed a tumor just like Greg that made him unable to form new memories, also leaving him unable to hold a conversation or do everyday things. His father, a war veteran, was very against Gabriel’s rebellious nature and his favorite band “The Grateful Dead.” As he begins to notice the impact it has on his son’s brains functions, he begins to become accepting of Gabriel’s hippie culture. As the movie progresses, not only did the music help Gabriel when it was being played to him, but he began to show improved brain functions when he was on his own. He was still unable to form memories, but became a much more functional individual. Perhaps it was just brain plasticity, but it makes me think that if music can actually repair the brain long-term, which isn’t noted in Sacks’ study.

In conclusion, I’m definitely a believer in the theory that music can help heal the brain and encourage further practice of this revolutionary therapeutic method.

Sources:

http://journals.lww.com/neurotodayonline/Fulltext/2011/05050/Movie_Review__Anterograde_Amnesia_and_a_Family.15.aspx

http://www.thingsmeanalot.com/2009/04/anthropologist-on-mars-by-oliver-sacks.html

In the last two blogs I did, I focused on the idea of Nature versus Nurture. But I picked topics that focused more on genetics rather than the human’s behavior. This time I wanted to pick a topic that is more of a human behavior rather than genetic illness, Alcoholism.

Research show that people with alcoholic parents who lived in the same house hold with there parents are more likely to be alcoholic than kids with alcoholic biological parents who lived in stable houses.

We all know that alcoholism can often be in families and can also be randomized. But, there is no strong genetic link between alcoholism and genes.

The NIAAA researchers determined that genes can be a factor that causes alcoholism, however it’s not as strong as environmental factors. They believe it’s the combination of both.

Dr. Enoch Gordis explained to us a theory that genetic is a risk, but not destiny. Unlike Schizophrenia, alcoholism has to do with the environmental factors more than it has to do with genes. Yes, genes can higher the risk, but it doesn’t mean that it automatically makes you an alcoholic.

When something is more reliable on environmental factors than genes, it’s mostly a choice. The way that person chooses to live his life facto a lot in whether he’s becoming an alcoholic or not.

So a question that goes through my mind, can addiction be genetic?

Just like smoking, eating chocolate and listening to music, alcoholism is an addiction rather than a disease.

The University of Utah did a research on whether someone could be born an addict or not. “We don’t look for “addiction genes,” what we’re really looking for are biological differences that may make someone more or less vulnerable to addiction. “

After doing a lot of research, I came to the conclusion that no one is born an addict. Some people are more vulnerable to addiction than others, which is inherit through genes. However the main cause of alcoholism relies more on environmental factors rather than genes, as it’s the deal breaker. Again, no one is born an addict.

Works Cited

“Genes and Addiction.” Genes and Addiction. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

“The Interesting Link Between Alcoholism and Genetics.” About. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

“Genetics of Alcohol Use Disorders.” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

“No Biological or Genetic Mechanisms Have Been Identified That Account for Addictive Behavior.” Is Addiction Is Genetically Inherited? Or Is It a Learned Behavior? N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

Many people have heard the saying “cats always land on their feet”, however that statement is not always accurate. Frame-by-frame photographs have allowed scientists to examine the ways in which a cat falls. According to Animal Planet, more often than not cats will land on their feet.  Scientists have found that cats are able to manipulate their body in ways that allow them to land safely on the ground, because of their flexible backbone, 30 vertebrae and vestibular system.

When falling cats are able to “correct its course” so that they land safely, however cats do not always survive a fall. “The height of a cat’s fall determines how well, or how poorly, his legs can absorb the shock of the landing”. It is interesting to note that cats who fall from greater heights often sustain less injuries than those that fall from a second story building, because “the longer drop gives the cats’ body more time to right themselves”.

Cats rely on their eyes in order to locate up from down. After rotating their head in a way that allows them to evaluate the direction in which they need to be facing cats arch their back. Cats are also able to rely on their inner ear, “which houses the vestibular system” to tell them where they are in relation to the ground. According to WedMD, “the vestibular system is stimulated by gravity and rotational movements. It plays an important role in balance and orienting the body in space”. Both the cats eyes and specially designed inner ear allow them to land safely.

According to Animal Planet, “next cats spine so they can arch their back; then the front feet, followed by the hind legs, get positioned under the animal, with the cats front paws placed close to its face it is able to spare its face from the ground’s impact. As the cat lands, the cat’s leg joints bear the impact of his weight”. Even though factors such as age and the height of a cats fall, can affect the animal’s ability to survive, it is interesting to learn that the old saying is somewhat accurate. Cats always land on their feet (for the most part).

Resources: 

http://pets.webmd.com/cats/vestibular-disorders-cats

http://petmerightmeow.com/wp-content/uploads/cats-always-land-on-their-feet.jpg

http://thehigherlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/cat-landing.jpg

http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/why-do-cats-land-on-their-feet.htm

As I jokingly made fun of my pasty white skin, my doctor laughed as she reminded me, “Pale is healthy and healthy is beautiful!” I rolled my eyes as I thought, “yeah, yeah, yeah.” I just wished I could be tanner, as many other girls my age do; but why? Society has been conditioned to believe that the tanner you are, the more beautiful you are. Because of this, many girls and women (and even men) make the decision to tan in tanning beds because they don’t have the time or right weather to tan outside. 

Although it may be nice to enjoy the sun-kissed skin for the moment, you have to wonder, what are the long term effects of laying in a “cancer bed”?

Many people are aware that any kind of exposure to UV rays can result in skin cancer. Indoor tanning is no exception to this, but there are also many other effects of long exposure to tanning beds. According to LIVE STRONG, “skin damage from allergic reactions to tanning machine treatments may be limited to a red, itchy rash, but with long exposure on sensitive skin, symptoms may become chronic. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that repeated exposure may cause thick, scaly skin.” Indoor tanning can also cause irreversible eye damage. This information comes from the FDA. This can be common because some people try to avoid facial tan irregularities by not wearing protective eye goggles, which increases the risk for eye injury greatly. It is also likely that skin damage will occur showing physical signs much sooner than those brought on by natural aging. The Skin Cancer Foundation says that harmful UVA rays disrupt your body’s collagen and elastin synthesis, causing wrinkles where collagen is depleted and leathery skin where elastin fails to repair itself. 

So is it really worth it? Is the dark skin that everyone seems to desire really worthy of being desirable?

Reference:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/100222-effects-long-exposure-tanning-beds/

Do energy drinks really give you energy?

During desperate times when I am nothing but tired I result to red bull. I always searched for a difference in my energy level but never actually knew if it was just in my head. If one knows there drinking an energy drink and its sole purpose is to give them energy then they will think and expect a more energized self instantly. However, the only thing these energy drinks have the ability of doing is given off a short term energy boost. These drinks also contain sugar and caffeine which has effects such as insomnia, irritability, rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure, nervousness. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics insist on kid’s getting no more than 100 milligrams of caffeine a day.

So does Red Bull really give you wings? Yes, maybe they can give you “wings” but only for a short amount of time and then the caffeine wears off. But what many fail to realize is how bad the ingredients in these energy drinks are affecting our bodies. Energy drinks are aimed at a certain age group mostly college students who aim to pull an all-night, usually under the age of 30. Many college students even enjoy mixing an energy drink with alcohol and fail to understand the harms of it. When mixing alcohol with an energy drink it is combining a stimulant with a depressant. Researchers claim that mixing these two stimulants and depressants could lead to harmful things such as heart failure.

However, what I feel the real question should be here is not if energy drinks really give you energy, it should be why are humans seeking more energy than natural body energy? Our generation has become lazier and lazier and it’s due to many factors including poor diet choices, stressful college lifestyles, lack of sleep and exercise, and more that contribute. Instead of seeking energy drinks for that boost of liveliness, instead seek coffee!

Sources

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/energy-drinks/faq-20058349

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/06/09/energy-drinks-part-one.aspx

Many people love the way dimples look on boys and girls. Many people even try to create dimples for themselves because they believe they’ll look better with them. Personally, I only have one dimple. I appreciate it because it makes me unique but to be honest, I don’t really know why dimples exist or why I only have one. Is it a bad thing? Is it common? Are two better than one? Lets find out.

Studies show that dimples are the cause of a weakened muscle. You may be thinking, “if the muscle is messed up, then why are the dimples only visible when someone is talking or smiling?” This is because when a person with dimples is straight faced, they are not using any type of muscle. However, the second they start speaking and moving their mouth, the muscle begins to get used and the weakness is suddenly present.

As we get older and the muscles on our face get stretched out. As we age, the dimples sometimes seem to disappear even if they were heavily present when we were younger. This is why so many people associate dimples with youth.

Many sources say that having one dimple is a rare phenomenon which makes me feel like it’s pretty cool that I only have one. Some people get surgery to create dimples while others just use makeup to help mimic the idea. Either way, I like my one dimple and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Click here to read more. 

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-dimples.htm

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Dimples-Naturally

A hiccup is a sudden, contradiction of the diaphragm, which occurs at the same time as a contradiction of the vocal cords, where the Glosttis completely closes and blocks air intake entirely. The cause and reasoning of theses odd actions are not quite clear, but are believed to be caused by minor cases of an upset stomach.

While most common cases of hiccups are temporary, and last no more than thirty minutes, prolonged hiccups can suggest severe medical problems.

Personally, I get hiccups whenever I eat food, specifically chicken too quickly, while a friend of mine gets hiccups whenever she gets nervous or anxious. Other possible causes for hiccups include but are not limited to; eating dry breads, drinking alcohol, change in temperature, gas in the stomach, etc.

If the hiccups become prolonged and occur more frequently, it can suggest that you have medical conditions such as respiratory conditions, Hyperglycemia, Meningitis, brain tumors, and many other fatal illnesses.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/181573.php

Chameleons are widely known for their unique ability to change color. However, while most people believe that chameleons do so for the purpose of blending in with their surroundings, this is not necessarily the case. Factors that influence color change include light, temperature, and the chameleon’s current mood. More often than not, chameleons will change color in order to attract attention, whether it be to communicate their mood or to assert their level of interest in other chameleons.

How is it that chameleons change color, and why do they go about doing so?

Source: http://blogs.ft.com/photo-diary/tag/chameleon/

Chameleons are able to change color due to a kind of cell known as a chromatophore. A chromatophore is a special type of pigment-containing cell. There are three main types of these cells existing in layers beneath the chameleon’s skin. Xanthophores, consisting of red and yellow pigments, make up the upper layers of cells. The lower layers consist of iridophores, which contain a colorless substance and platelets capable of reflecting light. Also found within the deeper layers, the melanin that is present within melanophores is crucial to the process of color change.

According to HowStuffWorks, a muscle capable of constricting and expanding surrounds each cell. When chromatophores of a certain pigment are constricted and cells of all other pigments are relaxed, the chameleon is capable of changing its color. Color change also depends upon the platelets within the iridophores, as these platelets have the ability to scatter and reflect light in different ways.

One Live Science article describes how chameleons change color in response to conditions such as temperature. For example, if a chameleon spends an extended period of time in the sun, their chromatophores will contract. This contraction will allow the darker pigment to subside, and it will be replaced by a lighter color that reflects the sun’s rays as opposed to absorbing them. This will cool the chameleon down.

Why exactly do chameleons change color? Again, according to Live Science, one reason may be to communicate their mood. For example, a Panther Chameleon turns a bright red color when angry; this also acts as a warning to other chameleons. Chameleons may also change color due to their desire for mating. For example, male chameleons often turn brighter colors in order to attract the attention of female chameleons. Certain female chameleons are also capable of changing colors when they are pregnant, sending a signal to males that they are unavailable and uninterested. These examples demonstrate how chameleons frequently use their color-changing abilities as a valuable form of communication.

The ability to change color is a unique attribute that allows chameleons to respond to changes in temperature and light. This color-changing ability is also critical in terms of communication with other chameleons. It is a common misconception that chameleons change color for the purpose of camouflage; in fact, more often than not, it is actually for opposite reasons!

Source: http://www.lizardtypes.com/chameleon-pictures/chameleon-picture12/

Diet Coke is a common choice over regular Coke due to the fact that it has zero calories, sugar and carbohydrates. A regular can of coke has 140 calories and 39 grams of sugar. Diet coke does contains many ingredients that can be very unhealthy if consumed in large quantities.
Diet coke can cause dehydration so it can not be turned to in order to quench thirst. Because of its high value of caffeine, it can easily cause dehydration rather than help it. It also has a very empty nutritional value. Caffeine is a diuretic. Diuretic can cause people to urinate more frequently than normal. The more Diet Coke you drink, the more you will urinate, which makes the amount of water in your body decrease. Dehydration can cause dizziness, headaches, and even sometimes death. Also, calcium is necessary for growth and because Diet Coke has such high levels of phosphate it can interfere with your calcium levels. Drinking Diet Coke daily may increase your chance of bone fracture by three to four times. Low levels of calcium can also cause Osteoporosis. People who consume artificially sweetened beverages have higher body weight which is kind of sad because people choose diet in hopes of it being healthier for them. Also, they are more likely to have Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease from drinking the artificial sweetener. The reasons aren’t clear, but it’s possible that noncaloric foods and drinks which are sweetened throw off the body’s natural metabolic responses. This is quite upsetting to me because Diet Coke is my drink of choice. After coming to Penn State I was forced to stop drinking it because Penn Start is a Pepsi campus and I personally refuse to make the switch. The best option for drinking health wise is water so it would be smart to reduce the amount of soda that you consume.
Works Cited:
Morris, Ivy. “Bad Side Effects of Drinking Diet Coke.” LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 21 Oct. 2013. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

Jealousy is one of the worst emotions that we, as humans, can feel. Whether it has to do with our significant other, friends, or even strangers, it is an emotion that everyone experiences at some point. It tends to bring out the worst in us and is a cause of many failed relationships or arguments between people.

So what drives jealousy? Is it our instinctive possession that we have over our loved ones and our jobs? Or are we secretly scared of losing these things to someone else? An important concept to take note of is the fact that jealousy is not the same thing as envy. By definition, envy involves wanting something that someone else has while jealousy is the fear of losing something to someone else. Professor of psychology Ralph Hupka describes jealousy as “an anticipatory emotion, seeking to prevent loss.”

When it comes to gender, psychologists believe that women tend to experience feelings of jealousy more often than men due to the fact that they are more in touch with their emotions yet both men and women become jealous for the same types of reasons. This includes the fear of losing something or someone that they deem important. An interesting study found that taller men seemed to be less jealous than shorter men. This could perhaps be attributed to the attractiveness and reproductive success that taller men have over shorter men. Another study found that women tend to be more jealous due to the higher expectations they have when it comes to loyalty, love, and commitment. Jealousy is also very common amongst multi-child households. More often than not, siblings tend to become jealous of one another because they compete for their parents’ attention and care. Adolescent jealousy mostly stems from the fear of losing a friend to someone else. Furthermore, studies have concluded that adolescents are more likely to become jealous when they have low self-esteem.

Though it seems impossible to avoid feeling jealous, there are actually ways in which jealous behavior can be controlled. One way is to be honest with your friends and significant other. Unspoken, negative feelings that develop over time can later expose themselves in a jealous way. Another way to avoid situations pertaining to jealousy is to maintain a healthy level of trust with the people that are most important to you.

Sources:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/emotions/jealousy.htm

Being a twin for 19 years, I never would want it any other way. Not many twins are separated at birth but when they are, scientists take notice. A duo adopted by two different families, was the cause of interest for many people and still stand as an interest of people like myself after finding each other 39 years later. My brother and I have similarities in everything: values, health, feelings, eating habits, tastes in fashion and music, and countless other things. If we were split up before acquiring these things, would we still have these similarities?
These twins, Jim and Jim, separated at birth were involved in a study along with 136 other separated twins to show similarities caused by genes instead of the environment. This set of twins was the most famous of the bunch. The research found countless similarities that couldn’t have been due to environment because all of these twins grew up in different environments. There were similarities in Jim and Jim in health, both suffering from tension headaches, in habits, both were nail biters and Salem cigarette smokers, and in interests, both drove the same cars and vacationed at the same beach in Florida. (CBN) Studies showed that there were other similarities amongst the other twins in posture, IQ, religiosity, health, and other factors all based on genes and not environment. The twins in these studies show that they are so closely similar due to genetics and not just because they experience the same things and do everything together for their whole lives.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/twin-brothers-separated-at-birth-reveal-striking-genetic-similarities/