Author Archives: jrp5567

Does Drinking More Water Help You Lose Weight?

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Sophomore year of High School I decided to lose weight because I stopped playing football and I was extremely overweight. All I heard from people was advice on how to do it, but I knew that I had to do what worked best for me. The one piece of recommendations that I constantly got was to drink eight glasses of water a day. Well, I decided to include this into my diet program, and even though I did lose sixty pounds I was not sure if it worked. Was it the water consumption or the exercise? Or both? I decided to do some research.

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Michael Boschmann from Berlin’s Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center did an experiment if water can help increase the metabolism, and eventually lose weight. The conclusion after the experiment was “After drinking approximately 17 ounces of water, the subjects’ metabolic rates — or the rate at which calories are burned — increased by 30% for both men and women” (Salynn Boyles, WebMD). Basically, drinking more water can help with weight loss, but eating well and working out are also extremely important.  
Additionally, drinking cold water before a work out helps burn extra calories because your body will need to heat itself up again (Gaiam). Water is very important in weight loss because not only does it rehydrate your body, but it helps you burn calories and speed up your metabolism. Additionally, water helps your body restore energy and build muscle (HubPages). Water has so many positives, and one cannot forget to drink a lot during a diet program because that is when it is most important.   
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Snapchat: Emotional Responses

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Ever since I downloaded the popular app Snapchat, the amount I text has decreased significantly. A issue with texting that I always found was not being able to show emotion and that miscommunication is very likely. Why is this app so popular? Personally, I believe the statement of “a picture is worth a thousand words” hold true in this app, which makes it so unique. In other words, humans have lost face to face connection, and even though the app cannot take place of talking to a person personally, the picture app brings something different to the communication table.

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Ever send a text that you thought was funny, but you reread it a lot to make sure it made sense? Snapchat successfully fixes this because with a facial expression, there is no miscommunication, and the receiver has more of a connection with the sender because there is a face with a sender, not just words.
How does this relate to science? Well physiologically humans like simple things, and this app is the definition of simplicity. There are no filters, comments, and with a click of a button you can send a photo to multiple people. Humans do not like to be stressed with technology, and the fact that a message can be spread to a plethora of friends and family with a click of button is incredible.
Emotionally, a photo sent over Snapchat can get more of a reaction when compared to a text message. When I receive a funny photo over the app versus a text I feel a more of a connection with the picture. Even though I text an average amount I would still prefer a face to face connection, thus I am more fond of Snapchat, even though it is not close to a substitute.
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Stranded! What Do You Do?

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If you were stuck on an island what would be the one object you would bring?  I am sure many of you have heard this question before, but how do you survive on a deserted island?  The main survival tactic I noticed when reading articles was obviously attempt to find a water source. Without water your body will not function properly, and your odds of surviving will decrease severely.  Additionally, I also noticed that Black_and_White_Family_Stranded_on_an_Island_Royalty_Free_Clipart_Picture_090913-141648-423009.jpg

many online entries stated not to drink the the sea or ocean water.  An interesting fact is that “for every drop of sea water you drink, you need 3 times the amount of pure water” (WikiHow).  All the salt in ocean water can easily dehydrate your body, and would make living on the island so much harder.
Another important survival tip is to gather every bit of object on your body, and the people around you (if you are not alone). This allows you to have a pack of object that you can always go to if you or the people that are present need anything. Interestingly, one can hollow out a coconut and use it for cooking.  Try to to cook vegetables inside, or anything around you because food is obviously a necessity.  
This step might involve a bit of geometry, but try to make the best fort as possible.  You need a place to cover yourself from the outside environment, and a good place to stay can help you maintain your health.  There are so many ways to help yourself survive on an island, but the most important is stay focused and be creative. It is time like these where imagination is needed.  
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Dreams; Things That Affect It

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We have all had those nights where we have dreamt the craziest things beyond our imagination…even though we did imagine it.  Interestingly, so many factors play a role that affect the outcomes of what goes into our mind as we are sleeping.  When I was in summer camp I heard a rumor that if you whisper in someones ear while sleeping he or she could have a crazy dream about what you are saying.  I decided to do some research and this is what I found. 

Some factors that go into what your dreams are about consist of the sounds around you, smells, sleeping positions, and your state of mind (Huffington Post, 2013). I can relate to all of these factors from when I had a great dream all the way to when I had a nightmare. Think about 

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the time you were happy and had a positive dream. Did you state of mind affect your what happened in your dream?  What people were in it?  
A study that I found interesting was done in Hong Kong, and it found that “sleeping on your stomach increases the chances you’ll have a sexual dream” (Huffington Post, 2013).  If one really thinks about that it is easy to understand why.  Our brain is so complex that anything we do or surround ourselves with can affect what we think about while we are unconscious.
Also vitamins greatly affect what we dream about, which is something I never really thought about.  Not only are vitamins helping our body, but they are changing what comes into our minds.  Our dreams are so complex, and this topic can definitely be dove into even further.  Additionally, keeping a dream journal is an activity you can take part in and see if you can find any patterns in your dreams.  Or even change your surroundings and positions before you sleep and see if it affects your dreams.  Whats the craziest thing you have ever dreamt?  Where was it?  What was your state of mind?
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Studying Will NOT Make You Magically Speak a Language

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Most of you are probably reading this post and are very confused.  Basically, studying a language will not teach you how to speak a language from scratch, but it can help you communicate better in that type of dialect.  A person needs to do speaking exercises and have the brain unconsciously memorize the conjugations, and be able to think on your toes quicker. When you were little did you study the English language or did you naturally learn it?  

The best way to learn a language is to constantly be around it, which is why you always hear stories of people traveling abroad and coming back almost fluent in the language.  When one constantly is speaking and hearing foreign words over and over again, it eventually becomes second nature.  Coming from a Romanian family in which my mom immigrated from I was eventually able to understand the language after I constantly heard the same words repetitively used.
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So do these programs that teach languages work?  If a user is just listening and learning vocabulary then not really, because one needs to be able to speak the language and have mental practice in order for their brain to get used to the language.  I am quite fluent in Spanish because I have been participating in class since the sixth grade.  I have had a lot of time in the class room, and hearing the language around me allowed me to become more accustomed to the foreign language.  Check out this link for the Top Ten Tips for Learning Spanish.
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Nervous? These Foods Will Calm You Down!

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So you have a huge test tomorrow, and your freaking out?  What do you do besides study?  You are desperate for something to calm your nerves.  Well, there are certain types of foods that are proven to calm your nerves to make that all-nighter a bit less stressful.  Shockingly, eating some off these foods “minimizes the amount of time and energy it spends on anabolic mode” (Natural News, 2013).  On the list of many foods to eat, one of my favorites would have to be bananas which are also great to protect yourself from muscle cramps.  This is only one of the

 
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many great foods that you can consume in order to calm your nervous system.  Other food choices consist of:
Many people will ask how these foods calm one’s nerves, and each product does something different.  Let’s use herbal tea to explain the wonderful side effects of the delicious drink.  Green tea has amino acids that “relieve anxiety by boosting the brain’s production of mood stabilizing chemical” (Primal Health 2013). The products we consume effect our brain immediately and effect our emotions.

There are so many tactics to make our lives less stressful, but then one surprised me.  What do you guys do that is uncommon to make your lives easier or less stressful?  The products we consume effect our brain immediately and effect our emotions.
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Online Dating Sites; An Algorithm With No Proof

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Whenever I am watching television I see a commercial for an online dating site, which I always wonder how they work.  Even though I am probably never going to use one, I was still curious on how these “love finders” actually connect with what a person wants.  The truth is that there is no actual proof that the math behind online dating sites actually work, and are successful.

If one thinks about it scientifically, how can one certain survey or profile demonstrate what you desire emotionally?  How can a computer know what you want out of a relationship?  The human brain is so complex that it would be very challenging to have an online dating website that can find a match every single time.  Additionally people are always changing his or her opinions, thus he or she would have to go on many dates in order to find the right one.  According to   

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an article on Greatist.com, it is close to impossible to predict long term compatibility for these online dating websites.  Although people may enjoy each other’s company for a short amount of time, there are many factors that can come into play that may turn a person away from another.
There is a stereotype that people lie on their profiles on these websites, which may or may not be true.  But either way it is a factor that can change if a person is truly meant for a certain person.  Just by looking a one’s likes and dislikes does not show his or her’s physiological state of being.  
I think an interesting study would be a blind study, and how many people actually end up with a partner that they like a good amount.  It would be interesting to see how accurate this algorithm can be because it is nearly impossible for it to be one-hundred percent accurate.  There are positives and negatives to this outlet for dating, but it would be interesting to see the odds and outcomes because in the end finding a “true love” has no statistics involved.  What is an experiment that would accurately prove or disprove these algorithms?  Is it unethical to have love searching and math combined? 
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Posture = Healthy?

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So you want to get in shape, and live a healthy lifestyle.  The first thing people think is to start eating properly, and exercise a good amount per week.  What most people do not think about his their posture, which has a great effect on our lives.  Luckily, for people who tend to lean forward and be examples of bad posture can actually do certain exercises to take away back and neck pain.  When a person hunches forward they end up hurting his or her neck, should, and back.  All these problems will hold one back from living a healthy lifestyle.  

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Everyone laughs when they get told to sit properly in school or at the dinner table, but maybe there is another reason behind it besides good manners?  Slouching forward can be similar to having the same pain in your neck when you sleep in an awkward position.  Interestingly, when one is hunches over typing on a computer it can lead too “tightness caus[ing] nerve irritations and muscle spasms which restrict proper flow of blood to the back of your head.  This leads to tension headaches” (L.A. Sentinel 2009).  Your posture does a great effect on your body.
There is a direct causation between bad posture and pain in certain areas of your body.  Fatigue is a serious side effect of bad posture, which is a consequence that should be a sign to fix one’s posture.  I personally think there should be a unit on posture in high school health classes because it can affect a person greatly with his or her health.  You might be the proper weight and exercise daily, but if you feel pain, then are you really healthy?  What do you guys think should be done to fix posture and people’s health?
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Sleep is Apart of Studying

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How many of have pulled an all-nighter for an exam?  Although the extra hours may be efficient, making yourself exhausted deteriorates your memory capability.  Researchers have discovered that a person that studies and then goes to bed will have a less-clogged mind when taking the exam.  The brain processes information as you are sleeping, which causes people to do better on tests.

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Researches at Harvard completed an experiment where they had students memorize two sets of words.  One group studied the vocabulary at 9 A.M. while the other group did at 9 P.M. before sleeping, and researchers discovered that the group that studied before sleeping memorized the word groups significantly better.
The issue with this experiment is that there is no control group that resembles a normal student that studies at a certain point during the day.  Additionally, the group that memorized the words at 9 A.M. had all day to forget the words because so much goes on in a college student’s life. It is a known fact though that a good night sleep does help one do better on an exam because the brain needs to rest, which is crucial.
Harvard researchers are content with this possible discovery, thus “there are sure to be follow-up studies” (GOOD, March 28th, 2012).  It is going to be very interesting to see how this affects a students study habits.  Will they stop with the all-nighters, and just review before going to sleep?  Your brain needs rest, so when studying be sure to plan out time for sleep.   
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The Dangerous Dorm

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Currently I am going through one of the most memorable moments of a Penn Stater, also known as living in East Halls.  Being a guy in college it is quite obvious that my dorm room is not the cleanest, but reading an article on Fox News shows the dangers that these many dorm rooms hold.  If a college student does not keep his area clean then his or her first semesters will be a tough one while fighting diseases and such.

The most popular sickness in college live is Meningitis, which can easily been spread.  Lisette LeCorgne from University of Arizona stated that “living in a dorm room is like living in a petri dish” (LeCorgne 2011).  As funny as that quote is, I do understand what she is saying.
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How does this connect to science?  Simply because the dirt around your living space affects your body everyday.  I am no clean freak but I do attempt to keep my room a healthy living,  With Penn State about to getting colder each day it is important to start surrounding yourself with a clean environment.  
As a college student I definitely forget the basics to survival, such as sleep and time to relax.  Lack of sleep can cause heart disease and diabetes, which are serious issues.  Why do college kids still forget these basics?  This is because of the busy schedule we are always on.  We all must remember that we need time to rest, eat, and relax.
One important factor that college students, especially freshmen, forget about is exercise.  When I do not have time to go to the gym I easily go to a free space in my dorm room and do a twenty minute exercise full of push-ups and sit-ups.
I know thinking about a college dorm causing one to be unhealthy seems unlikely, but being in a positive environment motivates me throughout the day, especially a clean room.  The dorm room can go from a positive learning environment to a area where a student loses track of time, and does not maintain his or her health.  What do you do to keep your dorm room clean?  Have you experienced a serious illness in college?  What was the cause?      
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