Author Archives: cmh5922

Runners High

I have been an avid runner since I started running in 7th grade competitively. Over the years with plenty of experience and knowledge of running I’ve always questioned myself and others when I’ve heard of runners high. It’s been explained to me as a feeling you get when you’re running that your on cloud 9. People who have experienced it say nothing hurts, you feel calm cool and collected. My friends who have experienced runners high claim to have run some of their fastest times during the experience and attribute the great time to the high. The thought of being almost invincible in stamina and endurance during a run makes me want to experience this feeling of the runners high even more.

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Researchers have always studied running very closely because it is a major part of almost every sport and running has been around since existence. After reading an article by the New York Times, I learned that there are no confirmed tests that could prove its existence. Often people who experience the runners high don’t know what caused it or if it was even real. The NYT article explains that the hypothesis behind the theory proposed is that there are real biochemical effects of exercise on the brain. The chemicals inside the brain had the ability to completely alter the athlete’s mood and emotional state because the major chemicals were endorphins. Researchers say not only is running the best way to get the feeling but it  is also the most intense way to experience the runners high.

After thirty years the mystery still is unexplained because it is not feasible to perform a spinal tap before and after some has run or exercised to look for the endorphins that flooded the brain. Many scientist and researchers claim this to be a new type of study and challenge they wish to discover and learn more about.  Every running coach I had ever had told me that running is 80% mental and I am positive that is true. If scientists were to discover how a runners high works than it would be a breakthrough in not only brain research but also in athletic performance.

I recently had my first runner’s high experience during a cross country practice about two months ago. Ten minutes into the run I slowly felt myself break away from the group of runner I was running with and move up to the next group, I then passed another group and before I knew it I was running with the top three runner on the team which didn’t even seem possible in my mind. I thought I would get tired after a few miles but I ended up running with them all 6 miles that day. That run was probably the best I’ve ever felt running because I felt like my abilities were at 110%. If people were able to control these runners high feelings the possibilities would be endless in what athletes could do on and off the field. I personally believe in the runners high after it happened to me and I love to hear when others have felt the same feeling I felt.

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Photo Source: Google Images

Insomniac State of Mind

I first heard about Insomnia when I was listening to music artist named Owl City, and I heard that he created his most known song “Fireflies” while he was struggling to fall asleep. Adam Young the musical genius behind Owl City claimed he found the most inspiration in the late hours of night to write his music. Then during my senior year of high school I myself started to have trouble falling asleep and eventually I was awake until 3 or 4 am every night leaving me in a zombie like state every day for school. I wasn’t sure if it was insomnia or stress but I’ve always wondered what causes insomnia and its effects on the body.

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According to Web MD “Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is characterized by difficulty falling and or staying asleep”. Characteristics of people with insomnia are difficulty falling asleep, waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep. Also people suffering from insomnia wake up to early in the morning and feel tired upon waking up. The two types of insomnia include primary and secondary insomnia as well as acute and chronic showing the different levels an individual can reach.

In the case of a primary insomniac, which affects most adults at least one point in their lives according to Health line. People suffering from insomnia tend to wake up often throughout the night and also have trouble falling or staying asleep. Often insomnia can be triggered through habits or activities that prevent an individual from getting a good night’s rest. Some ways this be caused is by not establishing a healthy sleeping pattern, working third shift, injuries causing pain, caffeine, sleeping with electronics in the room and medical conditions. Most primary insomnia cases can be treated fairly easily with medication which can have a sedative effect to help individuals fall asleep easier and to stay asleep. Insomnia can be diagnosed through either blood test or a physical examination and can be related to kidney disease.

Secondary insomnia the more serious type of disorder is usually attributed to an underlying cause; therefore it’s a symptom or side effect of something else according to Women’s Health. Often people suffering from depression large amounts of pain or sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome. Just like primary insomnia bad habits such as smoking and having to much caffeine attribute to having this serious type of disorder.

Insomnia has a lot to do with an individual’s brain and how well their EEG activity is in comparison to ordinary sleepers. Women are also more likely to have insomnia than men because of hormonal imbalances during menopause or menstrual cycles. Insomnia is also very common amongst pregnant women and the elderly. Some tips to sleeping better include not taking naps after 4 pm, and to establish a regular sleep schedule although that is hard for most people these days. Avoiding things such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol can also help with sleeping better. Beds should also only be used for sleeping and sex not a place for entertainment or an office space.

Video

Check out this video about balancing the brain with insomnia and overthinking. You can see frequencies of the football players brain who suffered from a concussion therefore affecting his sleep.

I personally think I may have suffered from a primary insomniac case attributed from stress. Using methods I read about online helped me to be able to sleep better and establish a pattern therefore eliminating any issues I had with sleeping. Like we talked sleep in class sleeping is one of the most important parts of life to recharge and rejuvenate in order for the body to repair itself therefore if someone does fall into a insomniac state they should do everything possible to resolve the problems facing them.

 

Photo Source: Google Images

Breastfeeding VS. Formula Feeding

A common question among new parents is to feed their newborn baby through breast feed or formula. From an economic standpoint breast feeding is cheaper and healthier for the baby but in some cases mothers cant breast feed so they must rely on store bought formula to feed their infant. After seeing my newborn nephew over Christmas break and watching two parents fight over whether breast feeding or formula was better I thought there has to be some science behind which one is better for the baby and the parents.

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To begin with, my nephew is formula fed and it is very apparent he is. He burps up a lot more, his diapers smell atrocious, and his tongue always seems to be white. But why isn’t he breast fed? My sister in law tried breast feeding when my nephew was first born and discovered that breast feeding was very time consuming, and cause her to become very sick. Most mothers who use formula do so because breast feeding can make them very sick. In this article about Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding it explains a lot of the positives and negatives of both types of feeding.

According to kidshealth.org Breast feeding is the best nutritional choice for newborns whose mothers can handle it because it is naturally the way mammals feed their young essential nutrients. Breastfeeding infants allows for the mother to pass on her antibodies which help lower the occurrence of conditions such as ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory infections, and meningitis. Also, with premature baby’s breastfeeding can be beneficial in protecting infants from allergies, asthmas, diabetes, obesity, and sudden infant death syndrome. Breast milk’s components   consist of lactose, protein, and fat. The milk produced by mothers is easily digested for infants because of the components which make up the milk. Another aspect of breast milk that comes naturally is vitamin D which is critical in a newborns diet. Breastfeeding is also the more time consuming of the two types of feeding because of the schedule of feeding almost every four hours can take up a lot of a mother’s time.

Kidshealth.org also states formula is the next best alternative to breast feeding when mothers are unable or don’t wish to breastfeed their newborn child. According to Gerber, one of the leading producers of baby formula, the main ingredients in formula consist of Whey Protein, vegetable oils, lactose, calcium, and other essential nutrients including vitamin D. Although baby formula tries to mimic breast milk as much as possible some parts of breast milk just can’t be recreated such as the antibodies. The lack of antibodies means that babies lack the extra defense breast fed babies have to fight against sickness and infections. Formula fed babies also tend to have constipation more often and gas. Formula can also cost up to $1,500 a year making it very costly compared to breast milk which is free. Formula feeding also allows a chance for both parents to feed their child instead of just their mother allowing for that strong bond between a mother and her baby to be shared with the father as well.

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There are also alternatives other alternatives when it comes to feeding an infant. Some parents chose to both breast feed and use formula which can be tricky in some cases as the mother has to disguise the formula milk as if it were coming from the mother herself. Another alternative is a breast milk pump in which mothers can pump breast milk for the future if a mother were to return to work or leave the baby at any time during its first year of feeding. An additional option for parents who adopt babies or can’t breastfeed and still wish to are Donor Banks in which babies can drink donated breast milk from mothers who pump their own milk.

In the end it all comes down to personal choice and lifestyle. Breastfeed requires dieting for mothers where formula feeding costs a lot. Each side has their ups and downs. A lot of factors go into making that decision.  I personally think breastfeeding is the best option as do most other people because it is what is best for the child in growing up health and strong. Another aspect I think is great is that its free and natural for women to breast feed their children which should be instinct for most parents who want a healthy baby.

 

Photo Sources : Google Images

Spray on Skin

If you’ve ever been burned, cut, scraped or suffered from an ulcer anywhere on your skin you know how painful and time consuming the healing process can be. Ulcers most commonly found with older people just above the ankle can be painful as they become larger and more inflamed. These leg ulcers can take anywhere from 6 months to a year weeks to heal through compression socks, bandages, and elevation while sleeping. With the healing process in such a long frame of time it’s easy for these ulcers to become infected or worse.

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In response to not only ulcers but also all types of skin wounds doctors and scientist have come together to create a spray on skin which helps wounds heal faster without the need for skin grafts or other expensive surgeries. Healthpoint Biotherapetics, a company just out of Fort Worth, Texas has come up with a solution to treat these bothersome ulcers and other types of skin cuts, scrapes, and burns with their successfully tested spray on skin treatment. The small cylinder syringe spray bottle is the product of Healthpoint Biotherepetics created by doctors and scientists which is still in the testing stage. According to Healthpoint Biotherepetics the spray currently named HP802-2547 is made up of fibroblasts, an anti-clotting agent and keratinocytes, donated skin cells. These two substances work together in creating new skin for patients in an incredibly fast amount of time. With these two substances working together they speed up the body’s ability to heal and cover a wound. This spray on skin could prove to be a significant medical breakthrough if it passes through the testing stage as skin graphs and other types of surgeries can be costly and time consuming. Time is cut significantly on wounds healing through the spray on skin because the minimal effort of spraying the substance on the wound and wrapping it in bandages is all that is needed. Although this may affect jobs such as plastic surgeons negatively because of how cheap the treatment is less people would have a need for plastic surgery but in a larger perspective the benefits defiantly outweigh the downfalls.

In the first successfully tested spray on treatment, patient’s wounds and ulcers were sprayed every fourteen days and after 3 months 70 percent of the patients had completely healed from the spray on skin. In the control group 46 percent of the patients who had been using a placebo spray didn’t heal any faster. The patients who sprayed every 14 days saw great results as their wounds healed in as short as 50 days compared to the control group who healed after 71 days. With a positive 21 day quicker healing process the spray on skin proved to be quite successful in its first trial. Patients using the spray on skin could visually see the wound starting to shrink almost instantly after applying the spray.

In perspective just think about the positive influence this spray could have in the medical world if it were implemented in ER’s and Hospitals. Patient’s recovery time would not only be increasingly faster but it would also cut down on pain. Burn victims especially would benefit from the spray as the healing process can be expensive with skin graphs and long term in the healing process. Ultimately this miracle spray could cut down on hospital stays and costs, and eventually could be used at home.

Photo Source:

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The Late Bloomers

In every class I’ve had since elementary school I have always been the oldest kid among my peers by almost two years. This is a result of a tough private school kindergarten teacher who thought I wasn’t fully developed enough to start school at the same age as everyone else, who in my opinion may have been a little sexist (she held my brother back too).  So throughout middle school and high school I’ve always wondered if my success in school with grades and sports was attributed to my one year advantage in age over everyone else or if it in fact had negatively affected me.

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One question that I’ve always had in this area is if kids should start school later when they’re more developed?  To begin with in the United States each state determines kindergarten entrance age but on average most children start school at the age of five but can vary from ages four to six. There are generally two types of children categorized as “run-away intellect” and “naturally intelligent children”.  Children with a run-away intellect, the intellect of most children, generally should start school by age 6 or 7 because children with this type of mentality should be slowed down in  learning to much to fast so they don’t end up becoming intellectually unbalanced with long term negative side effects in the future. Which makes sense when it comes to children and how every child learns differently and at a different pace.  Although naturally intelligent children, a smaller group of children, are a little different and should start school at an earlier age between ages 4 to 6 because they should have their intellect fed and roused at a younger age to learn more faster and better.

As to my second question if getting held back at a young age affect a student positively or negatively in the long run, I chose to look at a long term study done at the University of California. In this study students now 20 years old who were held back as children on average earned less money and were more likely to be on welfare, unemployed or prison. The study also shows that most kids who are held back only benefit for two to three years and ultimately are affected adversely in the subject areas of math, reading and language, with reading skills affected the greatest. If you think about it psychologically telling a child that they need to repeat an entire year of school because they aren’t performing as well as the other kids can affect not only their pride but their drive to do well which can be shown in the future.

Although many schools don’t allow parents to make that decision anymore in most cases it depends on the type of learner each child is and how developed they are upon entering school. It is the parents opinion that matters the most and it should be a choice made by the people who created and look after the child they are enrolling in school. The issue of age enrollment in schools is overblown. In most children it’s a case by case individual decision on how getting a late start on school would affect each child. As for me personally I think the decision my parents and teachers made to hold me back at such a young age has affected me positively for my future and I’ve always felt like I’ve done very well amongst my peers.

Therefore I think starting children later in school would not only be beneficial to students learning process but also their future as they would be more mature. Although some people may not believe in this method I think it would be essential in helping children develop and mature at their own pace. Through this method of starting children later in school the children won’t be rushed into learning things they aren’t ready for and this will also allow for children to grow more in their educational experience.

Therefore I think starting children later in school would not only be beneficial to students learning process but also in their future as they would be more mature. Although some people may not believe in this method I think it would be essential in helping children develop and mature at their own pace. Through this method of starting children later in school the children won’t be rushed into learning things they aren’t ready for and will allow for more room to grow.

 

Sources:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9266592/Bright-children-should-start-school-at-six-says-academic.html

Photo: http://static.oprah.com/images/200108/omag/200108-omag-left-out-600×411-600×411.jpg

What Your Chemistry Teacher didn’t tell You about Silicon

Your high school chemistry teacher probably told you that the element silicon is used for making computer chips but have you ever wondered why that is the top choice of computer manufactures?  How exactly is this metalloid used and what part of the chip is actually made of silicon?  

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Silicon is a semiconductor that becomes more conductive as its temperature rises making it perfect for use in microchips.  It is also the second most abundant element on the earth, oxygen being the first,  and is found in many of our day to day surroundings.  The silicon used for microchips must be extremely pure.  The rule of thumb is “nine nines” meaning that the silicon must be 99.9999999% pure.  Silicon must be purified since the element very rarely occurs in its purest form naturally.  It can be purified by a few different methods but the most common is the Czochralski method which grows a pure silicon crystal that is then sliced into wafers to be used by microchip manufacturers.     

The pure silicon wafer is coated with a thin layer of silicon dioxide which is then etched away to reveal certain parts of the pure silicon beneath.  The etching process creates pathways that alter the conductivity at different sections on the chip.  Other elements are also used to dope the pure silicon to create the perfect amount of conductivity.  Oh, and doping in this context means to intentionally introduce impurities to semiconductors to make them act as conductors.

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Each wafer that has been etched with individual pathways and components become a layer of the whole microchip.  Intel declared that as many as 30 layers can go into one chip!  Microchips are truly incredible works of modern technology and are becoming an increasing part of our everyday lives. 

Sources: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/history/museum-making-silicon.html

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/72461/Making_Microchips

http://www.southalabama.edu/engineering/ece/faculty/akhan/Courses/EE539-Fall04/Lecture-slides/lecture-4-crystal%20growth.pdf

Photo sources: http://www.pcb-sw.com/wp-content/uploads/path//tiny-microchip.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SiliconCroda.jpg

The Gray is Coming!

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One thing most people fear with growing is old is that first gray hair as a sign of old age. Although some people embrace it others dread it. But what causes our hair which only changes color naturally three times in our lives to turn gray? The usual myth is that its stress that turns our hair gray as we become increasing in age but that has been proven wrong.  Hair follicles actually end up producing less color as a person ages where the average age of where hair starts turning gray is 35. There are some diseases that can cause hair to start turning gray which include Vitamin B12 deficiency, Neurofibromatosis, Thyroid disease, Tuberous sclerosis, Vitiligo, Alopecia areata and many more. Often it has to do with cells at the base of the hair follicles that start turning the hair gray. Another factor to attribute whether or not someone is going to have gray hair or when their hair is going to turn gray is their genes. People inherit certain genes that cause gray hair to produce at a younger age for example American Idol winner Taylor Hicks.

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 Although getting gray hairs may be one thing that people dread the most in the world stressing over it could only cause someone to get them quicker.

Source:

http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/why-does-hair-turn-gray

Photos- Google Images

 

Gluten in the Gut

My 25 year old sister came home from college after she had graduated and all of a sudden my mom was buying new groceries, food that I had never seen before I was now being forced to eat. My sister had somehow developed a gluten allergy over the years she had been at college saying she contributes it to stress and poor eating habits. I then came to Penn State myself and noticed at least three of my friends also have gluten allergies eating nothing but fruits, vegetables, and gluten free products and the gluten free options at all the dining commons. The question in my mind kept popping up, why is everyone developing a gluten allergy?  Also, what causes it to develop in certain individuals?

To begin with the definition of gluten according to Webster is a tenacious elastic protein substance especially of wheat flour that gives cohesiveness to dough. The technical term for a gluten allergy is called celiac disease, celiac meaning hollow as in bowels, which according to the New York Times                                     

 Celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy. The damage is due to a reaction to eating gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats“.

There are different types of Gluten allergies such as Non-celiac sensitivity, Gluten intolerance, Dermatitis herpetiformis, Gluten ataxia, and Wheat. With similar symptoms which include,

 

         1. Gastrointestinal – gas, bloating cramping, queasiness, constipation, diarrhea

         2. Neurological- headache, migraines, dizziness, balance problems, nerve pain, weakness, tingling or numbness

         3. Emotional- irritability, moodiness

         4. Fibromyalgia- Fatigue

 

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Gluten allergies have almost quadrupled in the United States in just 50 years which is why scientists are trying to figure out how and why. These gluten allergies may be contributed to the amount of wheat that is put in processed foods, the government subsidizing wheat making it cheap to produce, and intestinal health which is already broken down from the other unhealthy foods we ingest. All these factors attribute to the fact that the amount of wheat Americans ingests is way too high, causing all of these allergies to develop at very fast rate. All of this wheat is destroying the intestinal health of way to many Americans due to a large amount of stress and gluten taking a toll on our bodies. The intestines are then destroyed leading to leaks within the stomach lining which furthermore destroys human’s immune systems. All these factors then trigger an allergic reaction wheat.

One way to protect against gluten allergies with the younger generations is with breast feeding. With breast feeding antimicrobial substances which are passed through the breast milk to the child are important for an infant’s health and immune system in developing a strong immunity to gluten allergies. It is important for mothers still nursing to watch their wheat intake as it is passed directly through the breast milk to the infant.  Another option is to avoid processed foods or any food with an ingredient list starting with wheat.

 

Sources:

http://ldsmag.com/article/1/12609

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/opinion/sunday/what-really-causes-celiac-disease.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Photos- Google images

What’s at the Bottom of the Ocean

This past summer as I was vacationing in Ocean City, Maryland I was lying on my back floating in the water I thought about the ocean and how vast it is. I questioned about where all that water came from and where it has been and also how deep it was? 

The ocean is so vast because not only does it cover 70% of the earth but it also holds about 96.5% of the all of earth’s water. The ocean on average is 4,267 meters deep (14,000 feet). According to the NOAA ,

“The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam. Challenger Deep is approximately 11,030 meters (36,200 feet) deep”.

 With the average depth of the ocean at about 2.65 miles deep and the deepest point in the ocean being about 6.85 miles deep. This leaves the dangerous and unfathomable question of what is down there in the deepest depths of the ocean?

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You might remember in the movie Finding Nemo when Dory and Marlin drop the divers mask into the deep dark waters and come across a strange fish with a light dangling in front of it. This particular area of the ocean would be called the deepest zone of darkness with the middle twilight zone and the sunlit zone above. It is in the deepest zone of darkness where the waters are rich in nutrients and cold but no plants grow because of the lack of light. Organisms that live in these deep seas end up depending on eating other organism or food from shallow waters. What amazes me about the lower levels of the sea is how the organisms such as the gulper eels, red shrimps, and purple jellyfish have adapted to these areas with camouflage appearing black to protect themselves. Other fish such as the angler fish create their own light not only for sight but to lure other fish to prey upon, this being the fish from Finding Nemo. The pressure at this level of sea according to the NOAA is compared to one person trying to support 50 jumbo jets. Organisms are able to support such pressure according to Discover magazine  because

“deep-sea creatures make their cell membranes of squishier stuff. Cell membranes are layers of lipids (fats) penetrated by proteins that, among other functions, channel nutrients, wastes, and signaling molecules in and out of the cell. If the lipids are too rigid, the channels close up– and high pressure, like low temperature, makes any kind of fat more rigid. So deep-sea animals and bacteria tend to build their membranes with relatively fluid lipids”.

      One of my favorite movie directors and innovators James Cameron, director of The Titanic and Avatar had the same question, in what might be in the deepest oceans depths. He took on the mission of exploring the Marina Trench in the Western Pacific Ocean which is about 1 mile deeper than Mount Everest is wide. Cameron when asked what was down there described it as “out of this world, desolate, foreboding and moonlike”. Click Here for more on Cameron’s Dive.

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Source:

 http://www.usc.edu/org/cosee-west/MidwaterRealm/06DeepSeaMBA.pdf

 

What Makes Popcorn Pop?

 Whether it was going to the movie theater to see a new movie, grabbing a box of Cracker Jack, or eating my personal favorite Fischer’s Popcorn on the Ocean City boardwalk popcorn has always been my favorite snack. But have you ever thought of what actually makes that tasty treat in your hands pop? Most people think it’s just the heat given off by whatever type of machine is making the popcorn but there is more science in how it’s made.

Coming from the Kingdom Plantae its scientific name is zea mays everta. Popcorn is one of the many grains humans consume. Popcorn has also been found in some of the oldest and oddest places in the world including tombs off the coast of Peru (1,000 years old), and bat caves of West Central New Mexico (5,600 years old). In Mexico City popcorn kernels were found that date back to over 80,000 years old in which could still be popped to this day. So we must ask what makes popcorn kernels so well preserved?

According to a study done by NASA, the secret to the popping of popcorn and its preservation isn’t all from the heat around each kernel when put on a stove, campfire, in a microwave, or popcorn maker. It’s overlooked in that each individual kernel itself contains a small amount of water and oil stored within a circle of soft starch inside the harder outer casing, called the popcorn hull. When this small amount of water reaches the temperature of 450 degrees Fahrenheit the moisture turns into steam causing around 930kPA (135psi) of pressure to build within the small circle of starch. This essentially causes the expanding proteins and starch within the kernel to explode like a tiny bomb turning the kernel into a foam as the kernel turns completely inside out and cools into the famous popcorn puff. Watch a high speed video of a Kernel popping at 5,400 fps.

So the next time you’re watching that bag of popcorn spinning around in the microwave counting down the seconds until you get to enjoy that delicious buttery goodness remember there’s science taking place as the little combustion taking place inside each individual kernel happens.

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Microwave Popcorn More Efficiently