Author Archives: sep5271

Crazy Cat Lady Theory

For some, cats are more than just household pets that you occasionally pet, but cats are more of companions and more human-like in some aspects. These people are often referred to as the “crazy cat ladies” of the world. Stores such as Urban Outfitters has recently started a trend in cat apparel, mugs, pins, or anything else you could think of. Could this be because cat ladies are on the rise? Or is this just another marketing scheme to make the already crazy even crazier?

Recent studies have been blaming the toxoplasma parasite on this cat lady phenomena. We had recently talked about this in class, however nothing was said of it causing a love of cats… As crazy as this sounds, when I searched toxoplasma and cat ladies many things appeared, it was also said here that over 60 million people in the U.S. alone have this parasite. If you weren’t in class when we talked about this parasite then here are a few facts, the parasite needs a host, only able to live in the gut of a cat in order to reproduce, the parasite forms eggs that pass through the animals fecal matter. This then can come into contact with mice or even humans. The toxoplasma controls the Amygdala in the brain which controls things like your emotions. This makes the rat or mouse become somewhat “attracted” to cats and easier for the cats to prey on. Then this forms a cycle of cat eats rat, and parasite lives in cat’s gut producing eggs, then the cat produces fecal matter that rat eats. So what happens when toxoplasma gets into a human? We can’t exactly be killed by cats so what would it make our brain think to do?

Here’s where the science gets a little shaky. Studies are all over the place in explaining what actually the parasite makes us think, if anything at all! There were no studies on whether or not you can become a cat lady from this parasite, however I found many other interesting studies on this parasite. 

This study tells us that women exposed to the parasite were 54% more likely to attempt suicide compared to non infected women, this percentage went up depending on how high the levels of infection were, creating a positive correlation between level of infection and suicide. However this article is clearly stating that correlation does not equal causation and they aren’t ruling out reverse causation in this case either. Did they take into consideration other variables? The study was fairly large of 45,000 women in Denmark who were infected. However, according to abc news, about 10 million people attempt suicide every year and 1 million succeed. I think a better observational study would be to test the suicide victims to see if they had the parasite when they died.

Also, studies such as this one have shown a link between traffic accidents and the parasite. It states that infected people are 3 to 4 more times as likely of being in car accidents due to reckless driving. The parasite is known to impair reaction time which would explain why if you’re infected, you’re more likely to get into a car accident. It’s also known to make people more of a risk-taker which can be linked back to the suicide studies.

Many of these articles also believe that the majority of people pick up the virus from uncooked or undercooked meat.The CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, say that eating undercooked meat or accidentally ingesting contaminated meat is a main way to get infected. Also coming into contact with contaminated cat feces is a way to get infected. So people don’t necessarily have to have a cat to pick up this parasite.

There are many crazy studies out there on this parasite and the effects it has on our bodies and minds. However, there is no scientific evidence that being infected with toxoplasma makes us more attracted to cats. It is a very interesting thing to think about, but as of science now, there is no link. To clear up this problem, and possibly to save lives of the infected, we could conduct more observational studies comparing people that are affected and their everyday actions with the non infected. Even more experimental animal studies could be done to better explain the effects toxoplasma has on other creatures rather than just mice. I believe that something could be going on in our brains when infected, the main question being what? 

Ending on a few last questions, do you think toxo controls our mind? Do you think it can make us suicidal when no other factors are involved? Could this explain why some of us are poor drivers compared to others? Are we in danger of all being crazy cat ladies if infected?

DorianCrazyCatLady.jpg

Natural or Not?

    Mineral makeup has made it’s way to one of the top selling coverups among teens, college students, and women of all ages. We mostly assume when using the term “mineral” means natural, right? Well this doesn’t always hold true, especially in the non traditional mineral eye shadows and blushes. Here are some facts on the new age mineral products. 

   What is in these loose powders that makes mineral makeup so “good” for your skin? The truth is that there is nothing special about these products, besides the fact that they are in loose powder form. Most types of foundations, concealers, and mineral makeup are based around the same chemicals says KJ Bennett. However, Bennett does say that mineral makeup does tend to have less irritating ingredients, especially for sensitive skin, compared to the others. 
    According to WebMD, it’s not about what is the same in mineral makeups and traditional ones, it’s about what is not in mineral makeup. WebMD also states, “For many leading brands, the list of left out ingredients includes preservatives, parabens, mineral oil, chemical dyes, and fragrance.” This is a lot considering all of the chemicals that makeup can contain. This is not saying that ALL brands of mineral makeup exclude these chemicals, but many of the brands do! 
    The bottom line is that you need to read the ingredients on the back of any makeup product. This site claims that the lesser the ingredients, the more of a pure product your mineral makeup is. Were all aware of the food we are putting into our bodies, whether it is labeled as “junk” or as “fuel”, therefore we should be aware of what our skin is absorbing! A study has said to be proven that if women use makeup everyday, then our skin can absorb up to 5lbs of makeup per year! Now you should really worry about what makeup or chemicals you are putting on your skin!
    Overall I think that mineral makeup is great, it just depends on the brand. It goes on really well and can last for hours! My favorite brands include Bare Escentuals Mineral Foundation and Alima Pure Concealer. 
mineral-makeup-kit.jpg

Very Dairy

    This is an extended entry for my previous one, Very Meaty. With “Got Milk” ads everywhere the eye can see, it’s only normal for the american family to think of milk as “building strong bones” and drinking glasses of milk at every meal. The dairy industry is marketing to us to believe we need milk at a young age so that we can build strong bones by increasing our calcium intake. There are few studies done on the effects dairy has on us in the long term, but some studies combined with facts can make for a pretty convincing argument that cow’s milk doesn’t do our bodies any good.

   First comes studies about the harmful effects dairy has on our bones. Numerous studies have shown that even though milk is high in calcium, it does nothing to help our bones. In one study, they found that women who drank milk, opposed to women who did not, had a higher risk of fractures. Milk does contain high amounts of calcium, however scientists have found that we barely absorb this calcium and actually results in a calcium loss. According to Harvard, countries such as India or Japan who have little calcium intake levels, less than a third of what the U.S. recommends, have a low bone fracture rate. Of course the article also suggests that if we take other variables into account, such as sunlight and exercise, could also explain the low risk of fractures.  
    Next comes the argument linking certain cancer’s and dairy. If you search the internet, you will find many articles talking about studies linking breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and prostate cancer to certain chemicals or hormones in dairy products. One done by Harvard’s Physicians Health Study suggests that males who consumed more than two dairy servings a day had a 34% increased chance of developing prostate cancer than those who had little to no dairy every day. This study was done out of 20,885 men throughout the span of 11 years. The conclusion clearly stated that dairy products were associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer. Also, this study done by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute suggests that out of 60,000 women over a span of 13.5 years, only 266 had gotten ovarian cancer, however women who ate four or more servings of dairy a day were twice as likely to develop serious ovarian cancer. The answer is unclear as to whether or not dairy has a serious impact on these cancers or not. 
    The part that really sells the facts about dairy are the facts we know about it. The fact that we are the only species to habitually drink another species milk astounds me. The questions when I think of this are “is it natural” and “how did we start drinking milk in the first place”. Thinking about all the other mammals that drink their mothers milk when young, they always stop drinking the milk at some point. As this article states, almost 75% of the world is lactose intolerant and cannot stomach dairy over the age of 10. This is a huge percentage! According to this news site, we have genetically changed in order to be able to drink milk over the span of 7,500 years starting first in central Europe. This explains why so many americans love and can stomach milk since many of us are European descent.  
    Overall, I think more studies need to be done to determine if we should be worried about our dairy habits or not. The fact that we are the only mammals to drink another mammals milk is a very strange thing to think about, let alone if you think about possible consequences. I think a good experimental study would be to test monkeys from birth until death, some drinking a cow’s milk, others strictly drinking water. This would tell us what problems resulted and if there could possibly be a correlation between milk and certain health problems. 
    Ending on a few last questions, do you think more studies should be done on this topic? Do you think there is no way dairy could be bad for a human? Do you think there are benefits to dairy foods? Have you heard this argument before? 
batmangotmilk.jpg

Does distance really make the heart grow fonder?

   Let’s be realistic, in college it seems that long distance relationships just don’t work. Most freshmen come into college with a relationship and leave for the summer without. Surprisingly enough, studies have come to show that long distance relationships do work and are sometimes better than closer relationships. 

   Time states that “The couples who were in what was once called “geographically impossible” situations tended to reveal more about themselves in each conversation and to idealize their partner’s response to each piece of self-disclosure. They also spent more time on each interaction. Such disclosures and idealizations, studies suggest, are the building blocks of intimacy.” This does seem to be held true if a couple is striving to make a relationship work long distance versus a couple who sees each other everyday and doesn’t feel the need to work hard in order to keep the relationship going.
   According to USA Today couples simply have more “meaningful interactions” compared to couples who see each other daily. The article also states that in long distance relationships the communication is more frequent and more in depth conversation. Also USA saying that “about 25 to 50 percent of college students in the United States are currently in long distance relationships”. So next time you feel hesitant about being with someone from another university or even in another state, remember that distance does indeed make the heart grow fonder.

Very Meaty

IG-WhatsInYourMeat-v9.jpg    Ever since the book came out in 2005, “Skinny Bitch” has been applauded for enlightening many americans about the foods we eat every day. Ever since reading this book, my eating habits and my life has been changed for the better. Of course there are some who think, “how can these authors be trusted on these topics”? Well, I’m here to tell you a little more about the vegan diet.

 

   In this video Paul Mccartney explains that “If slaughterhouses had glass walls everyone would be vegetarian”. Not only do slaughterhouses use grotesque and disturbing practices to kill our animals, but high amounts of meat are not good for our health either. Heart disease is a huge problem in America likely because of all the meats we are eating, “Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, one of the world’s most respected nutrition experts, has been able to make patients who were suffering from clogged arteries virtually “heart-attack proof” by putting them on healthy vegetarian diets and getting their cholesterol levels down below 150″. 
   Time and time again meats are linked with diseases such as “heart disease, colon and lung cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, obesity…” according to this vegan website. Not only does meat have high cholesterol, processed meat has high sodium nitrite which has been proven to cause cancer said The World Cancer Research Fund in a study done in May of 2013. 
   Many argue that humans are omnivores, and were supposed to eat meat. Well have they considered that were also primates? “Human are primate. All primates’ diets are 95-99% raw fruits and vegetables, except human. Among primates who live in wild, there is no diabetes, arthritis, cancer, high blood pressure. These exist only in human society”, and if this doesn’t say something then maybe something else will. 
   Have you ever considered real carnivores or omnivores like Lions or Raccoons, and how they eat their meat as is. They usually eat freshly killed or rotten meat with no hesitation. Then consider us, as humans, we use forks and knives to eat our tenderized, cooked meat. Now can we really say a human is mean’t to eat meat? More Info Here. 
   Overall, the studies have clearly shown that meat contains harmful things for our bodies. There are some good aspects to meat as well, like protein. However, for me, the bad outweighs the good no matter how you look at it. All of these ideas and fact above can be found in the book “Skinny Bitch”, I recommend every person should read it and sincerely take a look at what you’re putting on your dinner plate and in your body.

Retail Therapy: Good or Bad?

   After a long week of studying, tests, long lectures, and note taking, some of us just feel the urge to go on a good shopping trip. Shopping can make a person feel good about themselves by creating a sense of empowerment and fulfillment. According to Time Magazine over half of Americans resort to Retail therapy to improve their happiness. But is this proven to improve happiness or are half of us crazy to think that spending our hard earned cash makes us happy?

   Brownell reports “Two professors and a PhD student at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business set out to find out why buying stuff tends to cheer us up. In one experiment, the researchers gathered 45 female undergraduates, showed them a movie clip of a bullying incident, gave them the option of buying a snack, then asked how they felt. Those who bought a snack said they felt better than those who skipped the snack.” He also makes a point by saying the ability to choose boosts people’s moods and tends to make them feel a lot better. 
   There have been many studies done like the one shown above, most leading to the conclusion that buying if you’re sad or depressed does tend to raise a persons spirits! However, there are still the reports that retail therapy is very dangerous, especially for the bank account. As long as a person is not excessive with their retail therapy, there seems to be no link between sadness and overspending. As long as you spend your money wisely, there will always be room for a little retail therapy after a hard day’s work!
shopping-retail-therapy.jpeg

Science of the Vampire

  With my Vampire Diaries season premiere excitement considered, I’ve been thinking about vampire.jpghow the idea of a vampire came about. Is there hard evidence to these creatures in the past or is it just a fictional book made movie like Harry Potter?

 Hollywood has made the blood sucking vampire one of the most feared creatures on television and in movies. From shows like The Vampire Diaries to movies like Twilight and Dracula, the vampire has been scaring kids for decades. But what is it about the vampire that seems to make people hang garlic from their doors in fright?

   Fox News tells the world that there are logical explanations to all aspects of a vampire, like a disease where one is allergic to the sun causing blisters of the skin. Or the fact that an iron deficiency can give a person the need to eat a large bloody steak, rich in iron. Plus the fact that different insects, such as the mosquito, feed on human blood. There are logical explanations for all of the intriguing characteristics of a vampire.

  As far as history is concerned, there have been many “vampire scares” throughout the years. Bulgaria is known for vampires, as just in 2012 skeletons were found with rocks in the mouths and iron rods through their heart dating back to the middle ages. Discovery had posted this article about the execution of these so called “vampires”.

  Vampires seem like a silly thing to view as being as real as in the movies, plus their is no hard scientific evidence to prove they are real. However, seeing as they live off of human blood, I’d much rather they stay in the fictional category.

My Inital Post

Hi everyone, my name is Sarah and I’m a sophomore looking to major in accounting! I’m taking this class to fulfill a requirement and to learn a little about the science world. I’m not a huge fan on science, but I always love learning new things. I’m not a science major because I’m really just not great at the concepts and business is what I’m best at and have a passion for! Follow me on instagram to see my life in pictures! Here is a picture of my best friend and I with our beloved JoePa after a freshman year football game: 
Thumbnail image for IMG_0069.JPG