I will preface this blog with saying I am sorry for how long it is but that is because I could probably write ten blogs with all of the information gathered about this topic in the past few years. Like I say later in the blog I HIGHLY recommend you take the time to read the New Yorker article (where I gathered most of my information) because it is very interesting and relates to something that has the real chance to actually occur in our lifetimes.

California is no stranger when it comes to earthquakes and the recent attention brought to them by the movie San Andreas has showcased what every Californians biggest fear is. But Unknown to most they are not in the greatest danger on the west coast. That title goes to the Pacific North West Region.

Situated just of the coast of Oregon and Washington, The Cascadia Subduction Zone is a massive fault line that runs for hundreds of miles and is similar in structure to the fault line that was responsible for Japans 2011 Magnitude 9.0 Earthquake and subsequent devastating tsunami. Drilling has been done on the fault in order to study it and they have found evidence of 41 major tsunamis in the past 10,000 years. According to The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), that meant that this fault produces a serious event on average every 240 years, but it has been 315 years since the last earthquake created by this fault. The last earthquake of the Cascadia fault was in the year 1700 and sent a massive tsunami that was 600 FEET HIGH all the way to Japan. To show the magnitude of devastation the Cascadia could cause, Renowned Physicist and professor at the city college of New York Michio Kaku says in an interview with Fox News that we know the Cascadia Fault will produce an earthquake “With the energy 30 times the maximum energy of the San Andreas fault.”

Although this fault will produce earthquakes this strong, it is still unknown to most in the United States and according to the New Yorker, “forty five years ago, no one even knew it existed.” Even after they had discovered the fault it took them another ten years to figure out that it had ever produced any kind of earthquake. This shows how seismology especially is constantly evolving and they continually learn more about what is below our feet. The relatively “recent” discovery of the fault may contribute to its being widely unknown, even to the 70,000 people that live in the potential “inundation zone” where a tsunami wave would completely cover the landscape or the other residents in rest of the hundred and forty thousand square miles that make up the potential area of impact.

The New Yorker posted a very interesting article in July of this year regarding this topic that brought it to the publics attention. It is a relatively long article but I highly suggest you read it because it is extremely informative and goes much more in depth then I do here on what will happen to the cities hit by this disaster. At the current time, FEMA estimates the mega quake could kill thirteen thousand people making it, as the New Yorker puts it, “the worst natural disaster in the history of North America.” They also predict that another twenty seven thousand people will be injured as a result of this event. To put that in perspective of some of the most devastating natural disasters of american history, roughly three thousand people died in the 1906 earthquake in San Fransisco, about two thousand died in Katrina in 2005 and almost 300 died in Hurricane Sandy.

According to the article, “the big one” a 9.0 earthquake would occur and last for about four minutes. Due to the location of the fault in relation to the northwest coast, following the earthquake a massive wall of water up to 100 feet high would make landfall for 700 miles of the west coast only fifteen minutes after the initial quake. During this same time another massive wave will be heading directly for Japans coast. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says that when this massive wave does occur “Our operating assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast.”  that includes some of the major cities in Oregon and Seattle and accounts for over seven million people, not including tourists and others traveling.

Because there has not been much attention given to this area regarding seismic activity, they do not have some of this early warning tools installed that many other areas in the world have. These early warning signals are a series of sensors that can detect the initial compression wave that is created before the earthquake actually hits and can give 2 minutes of warning for these devastating events. When triggered these warning tools can shut down power and railways as well as trigger warning alarm systems to alert the public. We talked today in class about odds and how much of an impact they can have on what your worry level should be. I say that because scientists predict that the odds are roughly one in three that this fault will produce an earthquake in the next 50 years and roughly one in ten that it will be “the big one”. Seeing these scientific odds shows how much more focus should be on this region to become prepared.

http://inhabitat.com/a-mega-earthquake-could-be-coming-that-will-wipe-seattle-off-the-map/

http://giphy.com/gifs/building-rubber-rimpex-Xl35PbghgSHf2

This region is also grossly unprepared for a disaster like this to occur. Unlike California which sees earthquakes often, 75% of buildings in the Pacific Northwest are NOT built up to a code that would protect them from the 9.0 earthquake that is imminent in the area. In order to be up to code for an earthquake, buildings are built with safeties to dampen the force of the earthquake as shown with the picture to the right.

I will admit when I
first came across the data about this potentially life threatening situation I was certain it had to be fake but after researching the topic more in depth I now know how much of a serious topic this is and how, in our lifetime, the worst natural disaster in Americas history could occur.

It is one of the most beautiful times of year in State College. The cool crisp air, the holiday season approaching and the crunch of the falling leaves as you walk from class to class. But what is causing them to change and fall?

Going back to our bio classes in high school we need to know about the composition of a leaf in order to fully understand what is occurring in the leaves during the autumn. According to the USDA Forest Service, the green color of most leaves in the summer is do to the Chlorophyll in the leaves. This is arguably the most important part of the leaves because it is necessary for photosynthesis to occur and create the sugars for the trees food. But, there are also two more pigments in the leaf that are generally not seen until the autumn even though they are present in the leaf for the entire season but are masked by the green chlorophyll. Carotenoids produce the yellow, orange and brown colors in plants such as bananas, carrots and corn as well as leaves while anthocyanins are a water soluble pigment that gives plants like cranberries, apples, strawberries and leaves a vibrant red color.

 Onward State

Throughout the entire season chlorophyll is constantly being produced and used in order to maintain a healthy growing plant but as days become shorter and there is less sunlight available for photosynthesis this process slows and eventually stops all together. When this occurs the cells stop producing chlorophyll causing it to eventually all be used up and destroyed. This causes the tree to begin to seal off the connection to the leaf so that when it falls it does not create a wound to the tree. Doing this causes the glucose in the leaf to be trapped instead of circulating as it usually would. The cool nights and short days of the autumn in turn changes this glucose to more brilliant red pigments. This allows the pigment that has been hidden for the entire season to become visible as well as add more red pigment to the leaf creating the vibrant red and orange colors we come to look forward to in the fall.

As you can expect there are a lot of other factors more than just the pigments that go into the time the leaves change every year and the vibrance of the colors. According to The Forest Service as well as The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) the vibrance of the leaves every year depends greatly on the weather. Exceptionally dry conditions in the late summer can cause the leaves to begin “breaking their ties” with the tree earlier than usual an cause them to fall sooner and with less intense color. Also, temperatures that are too warm or too cold can cause the leaves to fall before reaching their full potential of color. For the leaves to reach peak color they must have shorter mild days we receive in the fall and cool nights but if the temperature drops too low and reaches the frost point, the trees like most other plants, have the possibility of dying. In the trees case the tree itself will not die but the leaves will fall prematurely. 

At the time of this posting on October 22nd The Foliage Networks most recent color report shows that state college is right around the high color to peak color range on the map to the right. So get outside and try to catch a glimpse of the vibrant colors before it is all gone until next year!

Yes its only the middle of October but it SNOWED this weekend! We better get used to it because State College receives on average 45 inches of snow annually. That is why we should take the time to learn what the white stuff is and EVERYTHING associated with it.

http://jokideo.com/bosses-be-like-snow-meme/

Snow is created in Nimbostratus or Stratus clouds that are below the freezing point where the water vapor does not go through a liquid phase and sublimates directly into ice crystals. But that is a very basic definition, snow is much more complicated than we may think. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center there are three major types of snow crystals:

Snowflakes:The first is the one we know well. As I said earlier they are ice crystals that fall from clouds. It is interesting that although they are made of clear ice, snowflakes appear white due to diffuse reflection of the whole light spectrum from small crystal facets in the snow.  

Hoarfrost: like snow, Hoarfrost goes directly from a vapor to a solid but does not fall as snow would. Instead it is the ice we would see forming on smaller objects exposed to the air like power lines. It forms when the temperature of a surface is lower than the frost point of the surrounding air and the moisture freezes directly to a surface. 

Graupel: Graupel begins life as a snowflake but encounters and collects supercooled water droplets as it falls to the surface. The water droplets can be at temperatures as low as -40°F and freeze on a snowflake to form a white ball. Graupel is sometimes referred to as soft hail because it is not a hard frozen ice ball and can often break apart on impact with the surface and can easily be broken up. It is also not to be confused with sleet which is liquid rain that falls from a cloud in and freezes in the air before it reaches the surface.

You may also notice how calm and quiet it is during a snow storm and directly after. This is because the fresh snow absorbs sound and lowers the ambient noise. This occurs because the air that is trapped in between the snowflakes can lower vibration. But, this quality is quickly lost as snow becomes more packed down and can even be reversed as ice falls or forms a layer on top of the snow.

Those were just the different types of snow crystals, there are also many different types of snowfall. Flurries fall for short periods and create no accumulation (Like the past weekend). Snow squalls are a short but intense snowfall that decreases visibility due to strong winds or heavy snow. Finally, snow bursts are short but intense snow showers that greatly decrease visibility. Unlike a snow squall, snow bursts often create periods of very rapid snow accumulation and are not accompanied by strong winds. Short duration in the case of a snow burst can mean anywhere from 1-24 hours of snowfall rates around 2 inches or greater throughout the duration. They are often a much more contained area in a larger storm.

We know snowstorms will become a common occurrence the further we move in the semester. With that we become familiar with hearing The National Weather Service (NWS) State College Office posting warnings for winter weather but it is important to know what every one actually means. In order for the NWS to post a watch or warning, the criteria (Updated for the 2015-16 winter) detailed below must first be met:

• Winter Weather Advisory:
  • For Snow events:
    • 12 Hour outlook: Greater than 3 inches of snow expected
  • For Combination Events (Ice and Snow):
    • A combination of snow sleet and or freezing rain. No accumulation threshold Listed.
• Winter Storm Watch:
  • For Snow Events:
    • The Possibility that the criteria for a Winter Storm Warning may be met. Watches are generally posted 24-28 hours before a storm is to occur.
  • For Combination Events:
    • The possibility that the criteria for a Winter Storm OR Ice Warning may be met.
• Winter Storm Warning:
  
  • For Snow Events:
    • 12 Hour Outlook: Greater than 6 inches of snow expected.
    • 24 Hour Outlook: Greater than 8 inches of snow expected.
  • For Combination Events:
    • 6 inches or more of snow with some ice accumulation OR 1/4 inch of ice with any snow or sleet.
• Blizzard Watch:
  • The Possibility that the criteria for a blizzard warning will be met (24-48 Hours)
• Blizzard Warning (Lets Hope we don’t hear this one)
  • A considerable amount of falling and or blowing snow along with sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35mph or greater with visibilities of less than 1/4 mile for a period of 3 hours or greater.

(Images Courtesy of The National Weather Service)

So now that we know more then we ever wanted to about every aspect of snowfall and more lets grab our boots and hats and get ready for the long long haul. Brace Yourselves, WINTER IS COMING! (Image Courtesy of Everydaysciencestuff.com)

Think about this: some of the foods we eat in the United States can not be sold in China, Canada, Brazil, or The European Union. But why is this? It is simply because of the food additive Potassium Bromate that has been proven to be cancerous.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/turtlefeed/turtle-bread-ruc

What exactly is this banned ingredient and what does it do? Potassium Bromate is very popular in bread making applications for its powerful oxidation capabilities allowing it to chemically age flower faster than in open air. Historically flower has been aged by leaving it in open air for longer periods of time to allow it to to capture oxygen from the air and ultimately be used to make bread. This must be done because gluten, the main binding agent in bread needs oxygen in order to create molecular bonds. Potassium Bromates oxidation characteristics allows the flour to be aged much quicker. But according to a Buzzfeed Article the affects seen from the use of the additive are not that great and making the switch to stop using the additive is not very difficult for bakers because “the only changes that most bakers find they need to make are slightly longer mixing times” as well as a lower initial water temperature to avoid overheating the dough.
In 1984 researchers in Japan conducted the first tests with Potassium Bromate and found that it caused cancer in the thyroids and kidneys of mice and rats. There have been many subsequent tests involving Potassium Bromate in the years following the original 1984 discovery that have all yielded similar results. These tests led to many countries taking action and banning the additive, but the US Food and Drug Administration still continues to permit the use of the chemical because the amount of Bromate left in the bread after baking is considered a safe amount at less than 20 Parts Per Billion (PPB). It has been classified as a category 2B carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) meaning that it joins a list of 284 other agents that are labelled as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Also, in 1991 it was declared a carcinogen in The State of California meaning products that contain it and are sold in the state now require a cancer warning.

http://www.wisdom-square.com/food-additives.html

Even though it is still permitted for use in the United States many bakeries voluntarily avoid the use of the additive but some, like the popular Philadelphia Bakery Tastykake, still utilize the cancerous chemical. Although some large bakeries still use the additive it is not not difficult to avoid eating it. Now that the bright students of SC 200 have read this post they know that all they have to do to avoid it is simply look at the ingredients and look for and avoid “Brominated Flower” and “Potassium Bromate”.

As I was sitting over my third bowl of chicken noodle soup last week praying for it to work its magic I began to wonder what is it that draws us to the classic cold cure. Ever since I can remember my sick days at home were spent resting in bed and downing endless bowls of chicken noodle soup but does it actually make a difference?

According to UPMC Health Beat Every part of chicken noodle soup has its own health benefits that add to the soups overall curing power. The chicken broth contains vitamins and minerals and the warm liquid helps to clear the system similar to how other warm liquids like tea would. The noodles allow the soup to be a filling meal by adding carbohydrates. The Chicken is full of protein that helps the bodies immune system. Finally, like the chicken, carrots, celery and onions help the bodies immune system through the essential vitamins A and D. The combination of all of these strong help benefits help your body to regain strength faster but they are not the only roles that make the soup so useful.

http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?articleid=1079188

In 2000 Dr. Stephen Rennard of the University of Nebraska conducted a study  of the benefits of chicken noodle soup when sick that was published in the Chest Medical Journal. Using a homemade recipe he tested blood samples from volunteers to find the effects of the soup. Dr. Rennard theorized that the movement of neutrophils, the most common white blood cells defending against infection, was suppressed from the consumption of the soup. He tested 19 different samples all collected from the same soup just at different stages of the cooking process shown in the table to the right.

http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?articleid=1079188

In order to test each sample the soup was diluted in 1:100 in a Hanks Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) in the top portion of a Chemotaxis Chamber with Zymosan-activated serum (ZAS) being used as a chemoattractant. His tests proved his hypothesis and showed a noticeable inhibiting of neutrophil chemotaxis meaning there may be a large amount of inhibitory substances in the various ingredients. The
results of the test can be seen in the chart to the left. Although, the chicken noodle soup recipe
used in the experiments has many ingredients that are not common in most soups including
the addition of pureed vegetables before the soup is served as well as sweet potato which could have caused the results to be uncommon for most other soups but tests with store bought soups shows that some have the same amount of inhibiting power. More detailed information about the study can be found in the entire CHEST journal report here.

Also, according to a New York Times article on the topic a group of Mount Sinai researchers in Miami did a similar small study and also found that the soup is doing more than simply having a placebo affect. To conduct their study they looked at the effect of hot soup, hot water and cold water on the airflow and mucus levels in 15 volunteers. They found the hot liquid did in fact have more of an effect that the cold did and that the soup had more of an effect that the hot water alone. And even though studies have yet to discover exactly what it is that causes the soup to work so well they do prove that our grandmothers advice for a cure still holds true today.

The semester is beginning to ramp up with more midterms, projects, and pesky blog posts (other than SC 200 of course) beginning to pile up. For most, all of this means our sleep begins to suffer, big time. Everyone has always heard that we need somewhere in the neighborhood of seven or eight hours a night give or take but what is the truth, how much do we really need? And if we are not getting the required amount, what can we do to meet it?

According to a large study by the National Sleep Foundation involving eighteen leading scientists and researchers, As young adults we should be getting right in that seven to nine hour range. Although, that number is merely a dream (Hah get it, it’s a pun) for most in college when you factor in projects, studying, and 8am classes. So what should you don’t get enough, because it’s merely a recommendations by the Sleep Foundation right, just load up on caffeine and carry on?

Some claim they feel rested after just a few hours of sleep, but according to the mayo clinic repeated nights of little sleep affects the performance of complex mental tasks. Also the studies among adults shows that people who get less or much more than seven hours of sleep a night have a higher mortality rate than others who get the correct or close to correct amount of sleep.

 The National Sleep Foundation suggests a few ways that you can improve your sleep, and it is mostly is focused on setting a schedule and sticking to it. First, you need to make a sleep schedule and stick to it even on weekends. Doing so will prevent interruptions in your body’s circadian rhythm and allow you to feel the most rested on the least amount of sleep. Also, you should check your bedroom temperature for the ideal sound and lighting. Yes the temperature and lighting can make that much of a difference in how rested you are in the morning. The Sleep Foundation recommends you keep the room between 60 and 67 degrees during your slumber as well as keeping any artificial lighting off while sleeping and dim while preparing to fall asleep, including things like televisions, computers and phones. 

But why do we need to sleep anyway? This is still a largely unanswered question that scientists have looked at for years but still have no definite answer other than a few theories. According to Harvard Med the oldest theory called the Inactivity theory came from evolution and served as a survival function, protecting organisms from harm when they would be most vulnerable, at night. Another theory is the energy conservation theory, which suggest that the primary reason for sleep is to conserve vital energy during times when it is not needed or least efficient to search for food. The final two theories are much more relevant in our modern society, the first are the Restorative Theories that suggest sleeping restores what the body looses when you are awake and allows major restoring functions including tissue repair, muscle growth, growth hormone and many others. Also, when awake neurons in the brain produce adenosine which is a by-product of cell activity and what scientists believe causes us to feel drowsy making us want to sleep. The final recently most well known theory for sleep is the Brain Plasticity Theory. There is not a very good understanding of this theory but it is becoming clear that a large amount of time sleeping is spent in REM sleep where most dreams occur causing an effect on peoples ability to learn and perform different tasks.

http://www.memecenter.com/fun/1359685/scumbag-hand-sanitizer

As we move further into the semester and it begins to get colder by the day we can all look forward to sweater weather, cool dorms, falling leaves and best of all, flu season! We all hear the constant nagging to wash our hands, get our flu shots and carry hand sanitizer, but can we be hurting ourselves with the use of hand sanitizers? Many of us carry a travel sized bottle of sanitizer during the winter months to disinfect after touching a door, sharing an elevator, walking to class, basically whenever we can but many claims have been made stating that these products are not only ineffective but also toxic.

To start we need to understand the two types of hand sanitizer, the more popular alcohol based ones and alcohol free alternatives. The main concern is with the alcohol free sanitizers and the main antibacterial ingredient, triclosan. As Allison Aiello, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan says this CNN article, “There’s no good evidence that triclosan-containing products have a benefit”. On Top of this, animal studies have shown that it can cause reduced muscle strength and a weakened immune system as well as possibly causing resistant bacteria to grow. Although this has not been tested in humans yet there is enough evidence here of its ineffectiveness and potential danger to cause European and US hospitals to not even use them.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5116a2.htm

Luckily, the more common alcohol based sanitizers are proven to be much more effective as long as they are above a 60% alcohol content. Unlike the triclosan based sanitizers, alcohol sanitizers actually work on bacteria and some viruses like the cold although they can not kill the fast spreading norovirus that is a common occurrence in places where a large number of people are living in close quarters (ahem, like a dorm). As the graph above from the CDC shows, the alcohol sanitizers are the only ones to receive an excellent rating in all five categories. Even though they receive these excellent ratings, Newsmax Health  explains how “alcohol can break down the protective outer layers of skin and allow chemicals, like those found in the hand sanitizer itself, such as parabens, to penetrate the skin easier, as well as chemicals such as BPA found on cash register receipts.” This can cause us to be exposed to potentially harmful chemicals as well as cause the skin to dry, something that is already an uphill battle during the cold winter months.

Even though the alcohol sanitizers are safe to use, the best choice is still to go back to the basics and wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. This has overwhelmingly been proven to be much more effective with both bacteria and viruses and is still, for now the best way to protect yourself due to the fact that id also does not remove the important “good bacteria” of the body when used as stated in Rush University Medical Centers Article. The sanitizer has its place as a quick and useful tool while at work or on the go but with the downsides you have to make the choice yourself, is it worth it?

Hey SC 200! My name is John Zabinski but I go by Jack. Don’t ask me why everyone named John goes by Jack, I don’t know but if you do, please let me know. I started as a freshman Theatre Design and Technology major but i realized really fast that I couldn’t do that for the next four years and beyond so I already changed to a Telecommunications Production major which explains why just I added this class just this week. Im from Conestoga High School in Berwyn PA so Science classes were a huge thing there and I always found it really interesting, but was never the best at Science or math (like every Communications major) which led me to this course. Also I have heard great reviews of this course too so I’m looking forward to what we will be covering this semester!