We all have been exposed to numerous fashion trends; The high-waisted shorts, the neon clothes, and maxi dresses. But what if these items are simply a way for us as girls to survive in this world?

According to a study, “Women spend more time checking out other women than they do checking out men, keen to see what ‘the opposition’ is wearing, how much cellulite they have, what their hair looks like and how thin they are” (Lacey).

This is a not-so-shocking find that should be an indicator of the negative attitude women have towards each other. It seems as if women’s aesthetic appeal is the only thing that is clearly recognized by other women when many other important characteristics of a person should be contributed to their “image”.

“In 1859, Charles Darwin set out his theory of evolution by natural selection as an explanation for adaptation and speciation. He defined natural selection as the “principle by which each slight variation [of a trait], if useful, is preserved” (“Natural Selection.”).

In modern society, some women are seen as creating a mechanism to survive. They are adapting to the environment they have grown up in. Instead of being pushed aside and neglected, women might often choosing to bring attention to themselves through the form of clothing; To stand out and be unique from others. Some of these traits that we see desirable are not only unhealthy, but also unfair. It might be nearly impossible for someone to achieve a certain look that is in vogue. The rivalry of being “the best of the best” is a dangerous cycle that can lead to fatal results such as eating disorders, stealing, and ruined relationships.

But what if women just dress the way they dress because of their certain tastes? Most fashion industries are considered an intricate art that serve as inspiration to individuals across the world. Their impact of certain styles and trends alters the views of millions of people. It is likely that being raised or exposed in the same or similar circumstances as someone else can lead to a similar taste in aesthetics without reason for competition. An example of this can easily be seen by the influence friends have on each other regarding the way they dress. If the environment is analogous to another environment, related trends may arise, as well as, a subconscious competition.

Unfortunately, the lines between identity and the willingness to please others in order to be accepted is something that our generation often struggles with and may never know the answer to.

Who knows, our choices in attire may all be due to chance.

References:

Lacey, Martha De. “Women Spend More Time Checking out OTHER WOMEN than They Do Men (and It’s Their Clothes, Figures and Hair We’re Most Interested In).” Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 14 Nov. 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2232842/Women-spend-time-checking-OTHER-WOMEN-men-clothes-figures-hair-interested-in.html>.

“Natural Selection.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Oct. 2014. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection>.

In part two of my Beagle blog I will be addressing the question:  Do the beagles being tested endure the same pain as humans would while undergoing testing?

In a study conducted by Goldsmiths, University of London it is suggested that dogs express empathetic behavior around humans. This evidence in support of my hunch is interestingly conducted with dogs. I was unable to discover what kind of dogs the animals appeared to be. In my previous article, it was was discussed that Beagles were one of the most popular breed for lab use because of their friendly, docile, trusting, forgiving, people-pleasing personalities (About Beagle Freedom Project). This leads me to believe that if the experiment were conducted on this specific breed, the results would be more significant to the correlation between animal emotions and human emotions, thus proving animal testing completely inhumane.

In the study, “Eighteen pet dogs, spanning a range of ages and breeds, were exposed to four separate 20-second experimental conditions in which either the dog’s owner or an unfamiliar person pretended to cry, hummed in an odd manner, or carried out a casual conversation,” (Press Release, Goldsmiths, University of London).

The results were unbelievable when the dogs seemed to identify what the person was experiencing. More dogs approached humans who were crying rather than humming regardless to whether or not it was their owner.

Because the study is observational, the researchers cannot simply imply correlation equals causation. The flaws of the study seem to lie in the small amount of dogs actually being used, as well as, an inconsideration for other confounding variables that might excite the dogs. Even the pitch of the humans humming and crying can easily vary from human to human creating vastly different results. So Is this really an accurate description of dogs and their emotions?

Some scientists might struggle with the obstacle of animal testing believing the only way to know if animals, specifically dogs, are submissive to pain is directly testing them. But, I believe this study, without animal testing, is a great foundation for the future studies related to it. It shows that some correlations between humans and animals can be taken seriously enough to make people consider their actions on any breed. Hopefully, more studies will be conducted proving there is a reason that dogs are a man’s best friend.

References:

“About Beagle Freedom Project.” ARME’s Beagle Freedom Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2014. <http://www.beaglefreedomproject.org/about>.

“Press Release, Goldsmiths, University of London.” Press Release, Goldsmiths, University of London. N.p., 07 June 2012. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://www.gold.ac.uk/news/pressrelease/?releaseID=947>.

This Wednesday I participated in my first fundraising event held by Her Campus Penn State. We decided to donate all our proceeds to a non-profit organization called The Beagle Freedom Project. This organization helps dogs, specifically beagles, from being tested on in labs.

According to beaglefreedomproject.org, “Beagles are the most popular breed for lab use because of their friendly, docile, trusting, forgiving, people-pleasing personalities. The research industry says they adapt well to living in a cage, and are inexpensive to feed. Research beagles are usually obtained directly from commercial breeders who specifically breed dogs to sell to scientific institutions.”

Many scientific studies we have seen in class have been completed with animals and it made me wonder if it was actually creating significant advances for humans. Are beagles even similar enough to humans to be an accurate description of the effects it might have? Do the beagles being tested endure the same pain as humans would while undergoing testing?

I decided to split these questions up into two separate blog posts. I will be addressing the first in this current blog.

Apparently the numbers are not too positive when it comes to the effectiveness on humans. “106,000 people die yearly from drugs tested safe on animals,” (About Beagle Freedom Project). The unreliability of experimenting on a species other than humans hoping to gain positive results is something that should not be trusted. Animal testing is a perfect example of the Texas Sharpshooter problem; specific information is being shown to the public that animal testing is helping far more humans than it is hurting them, as well as, animals.

Paradoxically “Each year, more than 100 million animals—including mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds—are killed in U.S. laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing,” (Animal Experiments: Overview). This number is staggering in comparison to that of human deaths due to unanticipated outcomes of testing. There has to be another way that society can progress medically and scientifically without the cruelty of abusing various animals. Thankfully modern scientists have created new, safe ways of testing their specific product. “These modern methods include sophisticated tests using human cells and tissues (also known as in vitro methods), advanced computer-modeling techniques (often referred to as in silico models), and studies with human volunteers,” (Alternatives to Animal Testing).

Some scientists might posses this utilitarian view, but there is not enough sufficient evidence to prove that this testing is helping a majority of humanity. Is it worth taking the lives of thousands of innocent puppies to create our own happiness?

References: 

“About Beagle Freedom Project.” ARME’s Beagle Freedom Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2014. <http://www.beaglefreedomproject.org/about>.

“Alternatives to Animal Testing.” PETA. PETA, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2014. <http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/alternatives-animal-testing/>.

“Animal Experiments: Overview.” PETA. PETA, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2014. <http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animals-used-experimentation-factsheets/animal-experiments-overview/>.

In the last few years, I have discovered that more than one person close to me has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was terrifying to hear these words spoken to me, but it is even worse knowing that that person was left with an unclear explanation as to why it happened to them; why they were the one with a tumor. After realizing how little I knew about tumors, I decided that it would be important that I completed research through various reliable medical and scientific sites.

One study that stood out to me was one conducted by the Broad Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital. In their study, they made an important point that no two tumors were exactly alike. I had never thought of a tumor having it’s own identity simply defining it as a generic “tumor,” but each has it’s own genetic makeup.

“Researchers were previously aware that the cells within a human tumor were not all the same – they could have different mutations in their genome and possibly express genes differently – and it is suspected that this diversity may contribute to drug resistance and disease recurrence,” (Broad Institute).

Although, science is very inefficient and wasteful, it still saves lives. Just as we talked about in class, these findings provide evidence that doctors should never assume their treatments work, but should still keep searching for answers in their research with others. Observations of patients at the time of their appointment most likely will be helpful to that individual, but need to be further studied experimentally to help patients’ chances survival as a whole.

“Their study revealed that each glioblastoma tumor contains individual cells from multiple cancer sub-types, and that the distribution of these cells varies from tumor to tumor,” (Broad Institute).

According to UCLA Neurosurgery, “Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant type of astrocytoma (Grade 4 astrocytoma). The most common tumor of the central nervous system.” Knowing more about the specific attributes of these common tumors is an important step in intricately diagnosing each patient as well as reaching towards a goal of either substantially decreasing or eliminating all types of tumors.  Whether they be self-renewing or differentiated, I believe their should be more studies involving multiple research facilities that collaborate on similar cases.

References:

“Broad Institute, MGH Researchers Chart Cellular Complexity of Brain Tumors.” Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. N.p., 2014. Web. 06 Oct. 2014. <https://www.broadinstitute.org/news/5813>.

“UCLA Neurosurgery.” Glioblastoma: Conditions. UCLA Health, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2014. <http://neurosurgery.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=1123&ref=46&action=detail>.

Everyday I wake up and go through the same routine in order to get to class at the last possible minute. Wash my face, brush my teeth, change my clothes, and then take my vitamins (my gummy vitamins to be exact) along with other supplements such as iron and biotin.

It never occurred to me, until today, that I had no idea where any of these “nutrients” were coming from. I frantically read the label and again found no answer. But at the bottom of the bottle I saw in fine print, “have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration,” and this made me even more alarmed.

It is stated by Precision Nutrition that, “When people think of drugs, most think “artificial.” When people think of vitamin supplements, most think “natural.” But both drugs and vitamin supplements can be artificial or natural. Many vitamin supplements produced today are artificial.”

I admit I have fallen victim to believing this. Often we are misled with facts that if we are taking supplements then they should be 100% okay. The chemical makeup of these dietary phenomena is what should be analyzed instead of simply their percent daily value used in achieving the optimum goal. Other factors are important in giving our body what we need. We shouldn’t have to spend hours in the grocery store or GNC looking for the right supplements; we should be able to feel safe taking any vitamin that is placed on shelves.

“When a vitamin is marked “natural”, it only has to include 10% of actual natural plant-derived ingredients” (Andrews). This alarming fact should make consumers aware of the misconceptions they may have. A vitamin they may think is helping them can have some adverse effects since it is being synthetically derived from something else.

You can think of this process like juicing. When you put your desired fruits and vegetables into a juicer the product you get is always lesser in density than what you started out with. Some nutrients can get wasted during the process and may sometimes be the most natural, healthiest ones. This is the same during the processing and refining that takes place during the creation of multi-vitamins.

We are told in science to never assume and that’s exactly what I did. I thought that the worst ingredients in these vitamins were simply other things found in nature. But surprisingly, “Starting materials for strictly synthetic supplements can be anything from coal tar to petroleum to acetylene gas” (Andrews).

With the more common process of synthetically creating nutrients, companies save money as well as precious resources. But should we really worry about money or the safety of health conscious citizens?

References:

Andrews, Ryan. “All About Where Vitamin Supplements Come From.”Precision Nutrition. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014. <http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-vitamin-supplements>.

This past week as I was scrolling through my Facebook, I noticed an interesting article that numerous people had shared. It was titled, “Emma Watson Delivers Game-Changing Speech on Feminism for the U.N.”

Immediately this caught my attention, but I wasn’t sure if others would be as easily intrigued by the headline rather than the picture they saw.

Emma Watson is most famously known as the actress who portrayed the role of Hermione Granger in the magical Harry Potter Series. She has been a part of J.K. Rowling’s movies since she was a young girl. With her distinctive face, it is still hard today not to link her with the acclaimed character. But did this role forever label her as the intelligent, magical child or did it just create a gateway for her other success in the limelight?

I’ve recently have been reading a book titled, Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell that explains the importance of the certain intelligence of humans. It explains that although you have to posses a certain instinctual ability to learn, other exogenous factors contribute greatly to the level of success you ultimately can have. That your true ability might not be based upon your genes, but simply by chance.

In this case, Watson’s ability to influence thousands of followers into promoting equality for her new organization He for She, seems a small feat more dealing with her physically speaking than the actual rhetorical eloquence of her speech. Her presence alone makes anything she says popular and ethical with the younger generation and skeptical with the older. The recognition of familiar faces is important in the cognitive development of humans, but can lead to some issues.

Although, I hypothesize that Watson’s speech made the issue of gender equality more relatable to women and more so men. She, a woman herself, is speaking to bring together an effort for all of humanity and not just one race. No matter if she is a celebrity or not, I would like to think that her image doesn’t misconstrue my perception. But psychology might tell me something different.

According to psychology.about.com, “Perception doesn’t just involve becoming consciously aware of the stimuli. It is also necessary for our brain to categorize and interpret what it is we are sensing. Our ability to interpret and give meaning to the object is the next step, known as recognition.”

Just from listening to Watson’s speech or seeing her name can serve as a type of recognition that makes sense in our minds; this idea is no false positive. I believe after research that just the association of Emma Watson’s face struck a chord with a lot of the male viewers, as well as, readers of Harry Potter making it almost impossible for them not to sympathize with the topic being addressed.

References:

Cherry, Kendra. “How Environmental Stimuli Affect Our Thinking.” About. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://psychology.about.com/od/sensationandperception/ss/perceptproc_9.htm>.

Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. New York: Little, Brown, 2008. Print.

“Home – HeForShe.” HeForShe. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://www.heforshe.org/>.

Robinson, Joanna. “Emma Watson Delivers Game-Changing Speech on Feminism for the U.N.” Vanity Fair. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. <http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/2014/09/emma-watson-un-speech-feminism>.

As I watched many of my friends  go to numerous job interviews for their THON committees, I became interested in what actually went on during their time there. Of course there was the standard questioning, small talk, and silent judging of attire, but I also wanted to know what personality each of my friends presented to their future leaders; I wanted to know what they appeared to be through the eyes of others, other than myself.

Like most of us have learned, body language is an important factor in determining whether or not the person is fit for a job. It shows us how they are feeling about themselves, as well as, others around them. I strongly believe the presentation of one’s self is extremely important not just during job interviews, but in daily life.

There have been many studies involving body language that shed light on its importance, but the one I found most interesting was completed by Princeton researchers.

“For their study, the Princeton researchers used stock photos of people at six emotional “peaks”: pain, pleasure, victory, defeat, grief and joy. In the first experiment, three groups of 15 people were shown only the facial expression, the body position or the face and body together, respectively. Participants who saw the face only had a 50-50 chance of being correct, whereas those who only saw a body or the face and body together were far more accurate.”

Interestingly enough, we almost always skip the importance of the movements our body is making and focus just on the preconceived center of all emotion: the face. With this data, it suggests that we be more aware of our body language, making sure we are conveying what we actually want to convey. Smiling can help you appear as a more positive, outgoing peson, but you may also need to take the time to get your body to agree.

Some gestures can have multiple meanings. For instance, according to trainingzone.co, “Folded arms can mean a number of things, from being defensive to bored, irritated, happy, confused, content or worried and I am sure the list could go on.”

Sometimes we are too quick to assume what each of these movements or expressions mean and unfairly judge someone. It is imperative that we take take the time to evaluate how we want to present our selves to employees, friends, and family.

References: 

Clayton, Peter. “The Body Language Clinic: Mysterious Misconceptions.” TrainingZone.co.uk. N.p., 24 Aug. 2010. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/topic/soft-skills/body-language-clinic-mysterious-misconceptions/145930>.

Kelly, Morgan. “Don’t Read My Lips! Body Language Trumps the Face for Conveying Intense Emotions.” Princeton University. Trustees of Princeton University, 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S35/82/65G58/>.

When I was younger, I always used to ask my parents what the giant “fans” on the hill were. They explained to me that they were in fact not fans, but windmills of sort. Still I struggled with the thought of a windmill being in the middle of nowhere. As far as I was concerned windmills were for fairy tales and only seen at Idlewild amusement park.

Eventually I grew a little bit older and discovered that they weren’t placed atop mountains for purely aesthetic appeal. These windmills were actually huge sources of energy that provided our state with a much greener way to power itself; they were wind turbines.

Even in early history this type of technology was used. According to WindEnergy Foundation, “Since early recorded history, people have harnessed the energy of the wind. Wind energy propelled boats along the Nile River as early as 5000 B.C. “

Seeing these modern looking structures would not initially make me think that they were derived from something historic. The evolution of the wind turbine is directly related to the advances we have made in the environmental industry, engineering industry, and energy industry. It is interesting to see how a simple idea has developed over centuries into something that seems futuristic in its technology.

“The oil shortages of the 1970s changed the energy picture for the U.S. and the world. It created an interest in alternative energy sources, paving the way for the re-entry of the wind turbine to generate electricity.”

With new interest in this type of catalyst to cleaner energy, more and more wind turbines appeared all over the country as well as competition. The positive influence of one technological advance created the need to discover other renewable resources.

The foundation further states that, “About 4% of the electricity generated in the United States is produced from wind energy. In 2013, Iowa and South Dakota produced more than 25% of their generation from wind energy.”

Economically speaking, these turbines are also one of the most affordable forms when it comes to comparing with commonalities such as natural gas. Including the power of wind, the value of new energy sources continues to increase with time and hopefully will continue to expand our nations growth into a more environmentally safe society.

Resources:

“FAQs | Wind Energy Foundation.” FAQs | Wind Energy Foundation. Wind Energy Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. <http://www.windenergyfoundation.org/about-wind-energy/faqs>.

“History | Wind Energy Foundation.” History | Wind Energy Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. <http://www.windenergyfoundation.org/about-wind-energy/history>.

If you’re like me, you have probably stumbled upon an overload of strangely misleading labeled products at every grocery store. Walking into supermarkets, organic, vegan, and fat free foods seem to engulf each isle more and more. But what do these different categories of foods actually mean and are they truly a healthier option for your body?

According to the USDA, “‘Organic’ is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.”

That sounds extremely confusing to the common consumer, but can be simply broken down into specific parts that help the reader understand what it means in their daily life.

Contrary to popular belief, organic products don’t just mean they were grown from an organic farm, but also an ecologically aware farm. No hormones or pesticides are necessary for these farms to function. They are able to profit while still sustaining natural environmentally friendly businesses. This is something difficult in todays society where newer scientific discoveries of growth enhancing drugs become readily available for sometimes a cheaper price than “going natural.”

Organic.org states, “Before a product can be labeled “organic,” a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards.”

Here are a few simple tips to use when distinguishing if your food is filled with chemicals in disguise or filled with nutritious value according to organic.org. The labels on each product should be clearly stated.

• 100% Organic: Made with 100% organic ingredients

• Organic: Made with at least 95% organic ingredients

• Made With Organic Ingredients: Made with a minimum of 70% organic ingredients with strict restrictions on the remaining 30% including no GMOs (genetically modified organisms)

• Products with less than 70% organic ingredients may list organically produced ingredients on the side panel of the package, but may not make any organic claims on the front of the package.

Another confusing label is a product being vegan. According to The Vegan Society, “Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” Ultimately the difference between vegan and organic is that vegan products exclude every harsh treatment of animals and environment. Vegan also means lacking items, “such as meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin, lanolin, wool, fur, silk, suede and leather” as told by About News.

So which is healthier? There are many factors that conclude vegan and organic living are both healthier options. We all know that eating a candy bar filled with sugar is probably not the best choice for us rather than fresh organic fruit. I believe it is all up to personal preference which eating habits agree with your body.

Often times, it is still confusing to distinguish between the two products so I encourage anyone to go to their grocery store and check out the items in person and actually compare the two. Organic foods may work well for some and vegan products better for others. But I think the importance of both is a trend in society that should stick around. After all it is good for environment and also for our bodies; How often does that happen?

References: 

Corn, Yough, PA. Personal photograph by author. 2014.

Gold, Mary V. “Organic Production and Organic Food: Information Access Tools.” Organic Production and Organic Food: Information Access Tools. USDA, June 2007. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. <http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/ofp.shtml>.

Lin, Doris. “What Do Vegans Eat? How Is Veganism More than a Diet?” About. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. <http://animalrights.about.com/od/animalrights101/a/Veganism.htm>.

“Organic.org – Organic FAQ.” Organic.org – Organic FAQ. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. <http://www.organic.org/home/faq>.

I remember in the summer sitting at my favorite spot back home with my best friend. Usually, when it was nice out we would stop at the middle school and just sit in the huge grassy field that over looked our high school. It was an extremely clear night that allowed us to see long stretches of mountains carved with busy roads and lit up by its speeding cars.

The sky was already cast with a dark blanket, when we both started to see something appear over the horizon. It looked like an explosion of fiery-reds and burnt oranges contained in one area. What we later realized we had experienced was actually a supermoon. The sphere that we witnessed is one of the phenomena that appear in our summer skies. But in this case it was more common that we had previously thought.

According to The New York Times, “we are treated to a so-called supermoon, a full moon that can seem embraceable close— as much as 12 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than the average full moon.” This moon is easily seen by the human eye due to the large “super” nature of it’s size. It’s a striking contrast to the grayish illuminated sphere we usually view daily. The vibrant colors are what commonly attract so many followers.

I was surprised, myself, to learn that there were three super moons this summer and that I was sadly only able to witness one.  In NASA’s article, “Three Supermoons in a Row,” it clarified the three dates where the moon would easily be seen, “July 12th, August 10th, and Sept. 9th.”

While the moon seems to be under high scrutiny for its photogenic appearance, it is often neglected that there are other phases the moon undergoes. In my high school, not much was taught about astronomy, even in science classes. From personal experience, students have often expressed an interest in the world beyond our planet, but have never been supplied with the adequate information to learn.

The New York Times supportingly stated, “Still, astronomers concur that whatever the reason, yes, you should look at the moon early and often, whether it’s waxing or waning, gibbous or crescent, and appreciate the many features that set our moon apart from the other 100-plus moons of the solar system, and even celebrate our loyal satellite as a planet in its own right.”

 Hopefully with the attention of supermoons light is shed on our normal moon as well.

Sources

Angier, Natalie. “The Moon Comes Around Again.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 Sept. 2014. Web. 09 Sept. 2014.

N.d. The Independent. Web. 09 Sept. 2014. <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/supermoon-2014-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-sundays-supermoon-9658849.html>.

Phillips, Tony, Dr. “Three Supermoons in a Row.” Three Supermoons in a Row – NASA Science. N.p., 2014. Web. 09 Sept. 2014.

According to a team of mathematicians and engineers, “if taxi riders were willing to share a cab, New York City could reduce the current fleet of 13,500 taxis up to 40 percent, in that way unclogging traffic, conserving fuel and fighting air pollution.”

Upon reading this interesting article, my mind began to wonder with the idea of other outcomes of the new data. Would the taxiing business dangerously suffer with a decrease in destinations? Would riders feel unsafe while sharing their cab? Would the congestion of New York City cause the tourist trap to loose its appeal? Will new relationships arise from increased stranger confrontation?

It is increasingly wonderful to see scientists, as well as, average citizens making an effort to conserve our Earth’s natural resources, but few forget to realize what other exogenous factors may arise. With limited supplies of almost everything our environment has to offer, it is extremely important that we are informed of the simple, or complex ways, our society can change their daily habits into something that matters in the future. With these changes, it is relevant to analyze some of the other positive and sometimes negative consequences of a cleaner Earth just like a scientist.

“In his 36 years as a cabby, Mr. Salomon said he had watched many ride-sharing programs come and go. The problem, he went on, is that passengers would rather pay extra for a private ride than split a fare with someone they’ve never met,” and most city goers might agree. It’s aggravating to think that the ignorance of a lot of individuals is that they would rather be alone paying more, than have a simple conversation with a stranger they would never have to see again and pay less. Who knew a decrease in pollution would indirectly lead to an increase in communication?

Most are afraid to make correlations between seemingly unlike ideas because we are told to distinctively classify our thoughts into specific categories. The idea of science is rarely ever incorporated into something of the arts such as paintings or music. But, science is everywhere. Science can help us economically, socially, and technologically. Reading this article made me realize that there are numerous possibilities that can arise from one discovery. What this team of mathematicians and engineers found, serves as a catalyst to many other direct and indirect advances not just in the science industry. Maybe we all are scientists in some way.

Chang, Kenneth, and Joshua A. Krisch. “If 2 New Yorkers Shared a Cab …”The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 Sept. 2014. Web. 05 Sept. 2014.

i. I am taking this course, because it fulfills my General Education requirements and was recommended by my academic advisors to do so. Even though I’m not a science major or anywhere close to it, I’m glad I have the opportunity to learn about interesting topics that involve science in my daily life. I look forward to being a well-rounded student at Penn State with the help of this course.

ii. I’m not planning to be a science major, because I cannot fathom the idea that there are things unexplainable in this world. My mind doesn’t comprehend that a number can be so large and that light years are actually a thing you can use to measure distance. I always favored English and history in high school due to the answers always being either definite or easily explained. But, maybe after this class I will develop at least some interest in the sciences and be able to use it in later years.