Author Archives: Jennifer Lynn Finkelstein

Does what you eat effect how you sleep?

In a previous blog post, I mentioned that different foods have different effects on your sleeping patterns. I have never personally noticed anything but thats probably because i have not paid too much attention to it. I am curious as to if I eat something spicy how will I sleep if instead I ate something sweet? I decided to take matters into my own hands and learn how these foods effect our sleeping patterns.

According to an article called ” Foods That help or Harm Your Sleep” featured on WebMD, eating something like spicy food can cause you to have heartburn and a restless sleep. The article then states that high protein meals are also something to avoid before bed because protein is hard to digest and when the body is asleep. The digestive system slows down making protein super hard to digest during sleep which will cause a stomach ache and another night of bad sleep. Sugary treats such as ice cream and candy will also hinder sleep. The sugar found within these foods will sometimes cause bad dreams which will also hinder your good night sleep. Although these foods are some to avoid before sleeping, the article also mentions foods that will help you have a good night sleep. Some of these are milk and other dairy products because they are rich in a chemical called Tryptophan which aid in sleep, and carbs because they too have Tryptophan. A good way to test this is to conduct and experimental procedure. Scientists will gather a control groups containing people of all age, race and gender and give them specific foods before they go to sleep. One group will be given something spicy, one will be given sweets and candy, one will be given dairy products such as milk and the last group will have carbs. After eating the groups will go to sleep and the researchers will monitor their brain waves, Serotonin and Melatonin levels and their heart rate. This procedure will either correlate with the hypothesis proving that certain foods effect sleep or it will not correlate and the evidence will state that food doesn’t effect sleep. Although this procedure will be done well, third variables and chance can skew the evidence.

Next time you sneak down into the kitchen for a midnight snack, remember stay away from the spicy and sweet and go for the carbs and dairy.

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/ss/slideshow-sleep-foods

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Does swallowed gum stay in your system for 7 years?

I remember being on the elementary school playground when I swallowed my gum because I didn’t see any garbage around me. The kid sitting next to me told me that I am going to get very sick because I did that. Being that I was an overly sensitive kid, I went to the bathroom and cried. When I got home that day I asked my mom what would happen if i swallowed my gum. She didn’t say I would get very sick but she did say that she heard it stays in your stomach for 7 whole years. I think it i finally time to look into this rumor and see if gum really does stick around with you for 7 years.

According to an article featured on the Mayo Clinic website called ” Swallowing gum: Is it harmful?”  gum is not designed to be swallowed but if you do it, theres no really big deal. The only era concern is if someone swallows a huge wad of gum. A big piece has the potential to get stuck in an intestine and deter the intestine from working properly. The article also said that gum doesn’t stay in your system for 7 years but it is not digested either. Like corn, humans have a tough time digesting gum therefore, it comes out in your stool but how do I know that this is the truth? How can I prove that gum doesn’t sit in your stomach for years? In order to test this hypothesis, scientist can conduct an observational procedure. This experiment will have a group of people, all ages who will swallow different types and sizes of gum. Their excrement will be observed and scientists will be able to identify if the gum left their system. If they find the gum, the evidence will correlate with the the hypothesis stating that gum doesn’t stay in your body for 7 years. Although there are other variables and chance that play a factor in this procedure, this experiment should still be decently accurate. Some of the third variable that can skew the results in this experiment are the weakness of the stomach of a specific person, how much they have eaten recently and what they have eaten recently. These are not the only third variables but they are some of the most obvious ones.

So remember, next time you are chewing a piece of gum and can’t find the garbage, don’t swallow it, your digestive system doesn’t want it either!

Sources:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/digestive-system/expert-answers/faq-20058446

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Does lightening strike twice?

When I was a kid, probably 4 or 5 years old, lightening struck an area only a couple feet away from me during a really bad storm. I ran to the car with my mom where she tried to calm me down. The only thing that seemed to stop me from wailing was when she told me that lightening never strikes the same spot twice. When she said that information I felt so much better thinking about how lightening wouldn’t strike where I was standing ever again. Now, a couple years later, I am still pondering if my mom was right when she said that.I decided to take matters into my own hands and do some research.

After simply typing in my question into a search engine, the answer hit me right in the face: LIGHTENING CAN DOES AND WILL STRIKE THE SAME SPOT MORE THAN ONCE. According to an articled called ” Can Lightening Strike the Same Place Twice?”, lightening is actually very likely to strike the same spot more than once. This article states ” It doesn’t have a memory, and if an object has been struck once, it is no less likely to be struck a second time.” which is true. If lightening is drawn to tall metallic items, why wouldn’t it continue to strike tall metallic items? Lightening is not a thing that has a memory or a set of rules stating that it cannot strike the same spot more than once, it is a natural phenomena that will strike anywhere that fits the bill. When lightening strikes what is really going on is the equal distribution of positive and negative charge, it doesn’t necessarily have to do with location at all. To test this hypothesis, researchers can conduct a observational procedure. During this procedure, researchers and scientists can observe different places in different parts of the world with different climates and environments. After observing what happens at all of these locations during thunder storms, a result can be able to be concluded. Scientists will be able to tell if lightening strikes twice, when it is most likely to stoke twice and where it will most likely strike twice.

Next time your caught in a storm and watch lightening strike various places, don’t take comfort like I did thinking it won’t strike there again because chances are, it probably will.

Sources:

http://www.weatherimagery.com/blog/lightning-strike-twice/

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Do carrots actually help eyesight?

When I was younger, my mom would always want me to have carrots as a snack. When I gave her a hard time because I wanted cookies and sweets instead of carrots she would always respond by saying how eating carrots will help my eyesight. Ever since I have always eaten a lot f carrots thinking that they were the reason for my 20/20 vision but were they?

We all know carrots are a healthy and delicious vegetable that have a good source of Vitamins and nutirents but do they really help your vision? According to an article entitled “Fact or Fiction? Carrots Improve Your Vision?”  carrots do in fact help your vision but only in certain conditions. According to Emily Chew, deputy clinical director at the National Eye Institute, carrots provide beta-carotene which is essential in order for the body to produce vitamin A. The body then uses that vitamin A to help convert light to signals in the brain. In easier terms, vitamin A helps people see better in dim or very low lighting. Additionally, vitamin A is very essential for a healthy cornea. Although carrots are a good source of vitamin A, they obviously aren’t the only source. Products like milk sweet potato and red peppers also have high levels of this vitamin. So why are carrots the only ones that everyone says are so good for our eyes? How can we prove that the vitamin A provided by carrots actually helps our vision? To find results for this hypothesis, an experimental procedure can be conducted. Scientists can have one group of people with all different eye colors and eye sight eat carrots with one meal everyday. On the other hand, there is another group of people all with identical eye color and sight to a person in the other group. These people will not eat carrots with their meal. After weeks of monitoring, scientists will be able to form a hypothesis that either correlates or doesn’t correlate with their hypothesis. Although this experiment could work, there are a couple of flaws. The outcome could easily been due to chance or even a 3rd variable. So even if the evidence does correlate, there is no definite answer derived from that experiment.

Next time you are getting a salad or buying lunch, don’t pick out or eat around the carrots, eat them because they are a great source of vitamin A which is healthy for your eyes.

Sources:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-carrots-improve-your-vision/

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The truth about stress eating.

How many of you have ever been stressed to the first thing you do is run to the fridge and eat whatever you can find. I know I have certainly done my fair share of this. Whether it be a big test, a fight with a friend or even just daily chores and errands that need to get done I know that I always look for the food to help me calm down even though. What I don’t understand is why stress eating happens and how can we possibly stop it.

According to an article called “The Science Behind Stress Eating,” when you become stressed or anxious, more of the hormone called glucocorticoid is secreted  near the taste buds in your tongue which make you crave food. According to another study featured in the article also called ” The Science Behind Stress Eating” states that the high concentration of GC receptors near the tastebuds on your tongue cause you to crave sweet foods such as candy and ice cream. To further test this hypothesis stating that when someone is stress eating, it is normally sweet sugary foods, they could create a observational procedure. Within this procedure they can take different groups of people, some that are very prone to stress, some that are sometimes stressed and some that rarely stress and see what food they tend to crave when they are put in a  monitored stressful situation. If people who were stressed went for the foods such as cookies candy and ice cream, the hypothesis will correlate with the results. According to an article called ” Why stress causes people to overeat” featured on Harvard Health Publications stress eating and eating when extremely anxious causes people to pack on the weight more so than if that person was eating normally. This is due to the fact that this person is going right for the sugary foods that satisfy their craving. Therefore, stress eating is something to definitely avoid.

Another question proposed is where does stress eating come from? Is it genetic or is it something that develops over time? According to an article called ” Causes of Eating Disorders-Social, Genetic and Psychological” eating disorders have been proven to be inherited genetically but would we consider stress or emotional eating a disorder? There is no study that has been conducted that shows if emotional eating in particular is passed down genetically. To find this answer, an observational study can be conducted in which a line of females and males (because girls are much more likely to eat from emotions than boys) from a certain family are observed when they are stressed. Based on how the older generations respond to their emotions in regard to their eating habits, researchers would be able to draw some evidence stating that stress eating is or isn’t genetic. This evidence would either correlate with the hypothesis or not but this experiment has some flaws. Although it may lead to the answer you want, there could easily be third variables that skew the evidence.

Next time you are feeling stressed about an exam, a boyfriend/ girlfriend or even just a fight with a friend remember, stress eating is unhealthy and can be the cause of weight gain so when stressed out, resist your sugary urge.

Sources:

http://www.fitbie.com/2014/06/09/science-behind-stress-eating

http://www.raderprograms.com/causes-statistics/eating-disorder-causes.html

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/harvard_mental_health_letter/2012/february/why-stress-causes-people-to-overeat

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Why do birds fly in a V formation?

Everyone has looked up into the sky and observed a flock of birds sailing through the air. I am sure you have also noticed that they never fly in a circle, square, rhombus or hexagon. They always seem to fly in some sort of V formation. It may not always be a perfect V (sometimes there are some slow pokes in the back) but it always strongly resembles that shape. My question is why?

After reading various articles and linking all of my pervious new knowledge together, I was able to come up with a conclusion as to why birds behave this way. According to an article called “Why do migratory birds fly in a V-formation?” chief biologist, Bruce batt, states that the main reason for this behavior is the conservation of energy and proper aerodynamics. Batt states that the way the birds fly in an echelon, another word for the V-formation, makes the most sense aerodynamically. According to another study entitled ” Why do birds fly in a V? Science may now have an answer.” biologists, Steven Portugal and James Usherwood say that birds migrate this way because it entitles them to have the “best aerodynamic advantage.” To prove this hypothesis to be correct, Portugal and Usherwood created an observational study in which they monitored 14 birds of the same species. They watched for approximately 43 minutes before they came to a conclusion. From this procedure they were able to conclude that when the bird in front moves its body from side to side or flaps its wings, it is really helping all of the other birds behind it. From just these small movements, the bird in front is able to give the bird in back of it a small lift to help maintain the balance and reduce ” determinal downwash.” This formation also conserves energy because the birds towards the front help to block the wind from the birds towards the back making it easier for them. The study conducted by Portugal and Underwood is a good study because it coincides with the given hypothesis but there could be some adjustments to ensure that this hypothesis is true. An experimental procedure can be done where scientists monitor the speed, wingspan and of course the movements of a bird in the front and then also observe the bird behind it to see what happens to their movements and speed as well as look at how the air behaves. Although this procedure would also prove the hypothesis, there are definitely some factors that can deter this study such as weather and air quality of the location.

Next time you are mesmerized by a flock of birds in their echelon, remember this isn’t because they simply just like this formation, it is because this is the most aerodynamically sound way for them to migrate.

Sources:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-migratory-birds-fl/

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2014/0115/Why-do-birds-fly-in-a-V-Science-may-now-have-an-answer.-video

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Will a penny dropped from the Empire State Building really kill someone?

We have all heard this statement : The Empire State Building is so tall that if you were to drop a penny off from the top of it, that penny could kill someone. After learning about this in my physics class, I wanted to do more research and uncover the truth behind this alleged fact.

This statement which originated in New York City, says that if a person dropped something withe the same mass as a penny off something with such a great height, it could kill someone if hitting them in certain places. This myth has proven to be untrue. According to an article called “What if I threw a penny off the Empire State Building?” featured on HowStuffWorks.com, based on the weight and the shape of the penny, it could definitely injure someone but it cannot kill them. The penny is very flat which causes much air resistance, this air resistance sort of breaks the fall of the penny making the velocity decrease. Other evidence can be viewed on the Myth Busters video called “Penny Drop.” In this episode, the Myth Busters calculate the velocity at which a penny would fall and them demonstrated this with a staple gun. They shot the penny through the gun at the right speed at a gel skull that they made for this experiment. Although the penny was able to break through the first layer which represented the skin, it was unable to break through the skeleton layer which would be where the damage is caused.

Next time you hear someone say that if you drop a penny from the Empire State Building it can kill someone, make sure you inform them that due to physics, this is really no the case.

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Sources:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/threw-penny-off-the-empire-state-building.htm

Is the 5 second rule a good one to follow?

You have just got home from a loooong day of school. You are absolutely starving and the first thing you do is run to the cabinet. When you open the door sitting there right in the middle of the shelf is the big box of cookies starring you in the face. You grab the box shove your hand in reach out for your mouth and….. accidentally drop the cookie on the floor. This is what I call the moment of panic. Normally, i rush down to  the floor and grab the cookie right before I count to 5 seconds.

Everyone knows the 5 second rule but have we ever really put a lot of thought into it. Do we really know what has touched the floor that our food has just fell onto? Probably not.

According to an article entitled “Does the five second rule really work” featured on howstuffworks.com, Former high School Student Jillian Clarke during her internship at the University of Illinois in 2003 disproved the 5 second rule. By conducting an experiment in which she coated tiles with E.coli and purposely dropped food such as cookie and gummy bears onto the floor. She found that after 5 seconds, the food was not clean and was in fact, coated with bacteria. Another study shows that “A study from the Hygiene Council (sponsored by the company that makes Lysol) found that kitchen floor just in front of the sink has more bacteria (830 per square inch) than the trash can (411 per square inch). In the article “5 Second Rule: is it ever okay to eat off the floor?” featured on the official website of the Huffington Post, food that fell on the floor for 5 seconds is able to collect anywhere from 150 to 8000 different types of bacteria.

So, next time you fro a cookie on the floor, even if it is the very last one in the box, throw it  away. The 5 second rule is a lot less reliable than it seems!

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Sources:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/five-second-rule2.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/12/10/5-second-rule_n_2272288.html

Prunes or fingers?

We have all been there. A hot summers day and al you wanna do is relax in the pool. After a while when you pull your hand out of the water to reach for your towel, you will notice that the tips of your fingers are no longer the little plump finger tips you entered the pool with. In fact, you hands looks like a a prune. I know that this has always baffled me from early childhood until now and I have finally researched and found the answer I am looking for as to why my fingers get so wrinkly after being in the water for too long.

According to an article called  “Science gets a grip on wrinkly fingers” featured on the official website of nature.com, fingers are not from being in the water too long but in fact, are supposed to help us grip things and hold things more easily in the water. According to another article entitled  “7 Simple Questions You Won’t  Believe  Science Just Answered,” fibers of keratin in our skin are woven into the shape of a gyroid meaning that the skin can expand but keep its shape allowing fibers to swell to fill a bigger volume. The article then goes on to explain that our skin is simply absorbing water and allowing the rest of your hand to stay the same size.

Next time you take a long bath or swim in the pool for a while, don’t freak out thinking you have been in there for too long because your fingers are starting to look like a Shar Pei’s. This is normal, you skin is just making room for the water being absorbed.

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Sources:

http://www.nature.com/news/science-gets-a-grip-on-wrinkly-fingers-1.12175

http://www.cracked.com/article_19195_7-simple-questions-you-wont-believe-science-just-answered.htm

 

Do cats always land on their feet?

I’m sure everyone here has seen a cat run up a tree either chasing some smaller animal or running from a loud sound in the neighborhood but have you ever really thought about how they get down? See, if a human was to climb up a tree, it would take a lot of slow movements, planning and possibly a ladder to get down but cats just hop right out and land perfectly on their feet…… but how? Being that I have a cat that is always jumping off high objects such as trees and furniture, I  am constantly wondering how she always seems to perfectly stick the landing. The answer is held in the sphere of biology.

Cats have a unique body structure that allow themselves to correct their body position while falling. According to an article entitled “Why do cats land on their feet” featured on the official Animal Planet website, cats shift their body into balance when they feel themselves falling. The cat subconsciously determines which side should be up and which should be going down. From there, the feline’s body falls into place. The spine arches, the legs bend into position and the paws stay close to the face to bear the impact. The cat’s unique spine acts as sort of a parachute to break the fall. Animal planet also states that veterinarians treating cats with leg injuries often say that a cat that has fallen from a higher place is less likely to have injuries because their bodies have had more time to prepare and get into position for the fall as opposed to cats that have a shorter falling distance.

Next time you see the neighborhood cat running up a tree, fence, pole or even your house, don’t worry too much because thanks to their unique body structure, they will most likely land on their feet.

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Sources:

http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/why-do-cats-land-on-their-feet.htm

 

Does eating before bed cause bad dreams?

How many of us have gotten those random yet uncontrollable cravings for chocolate, chips and other type of food late at night before you go to sleep? I know I definitely have. Yet when I find myself sneaking into the snack cabinet right before bed, I always think about what multiple have told me throughout the years : “Don’t eat before you go to sleep otherwise you will get nightmares!” To this very day I have never researched the answer to this question despite my curiosity.

Although I never got a solid answer until I decided to do some research, I have tested this theory out on my own. once when I ate before bed, I couldn’t remember my dream the next morning. When i conducted this little experiment again, I did have a bad dream.

According to an article entitled “Was it something I ate?“, some foods cause different sleeping patterns. A study showed that when healthy men subjects ate spicy foods, they had a more restless sleep and experienced elevated body temperatures during their sleep. Another study showed that people who ate sweets such as candy bars and ice cream had increased brain wave function during sleep causing bad dreams.

The next question now posed is not really if eating in general causes bad dreams but rather if eating sweets and sugary foods before bed causes these nightmares. According to an article called ” 10 foods to avoid before bed” featured on the official Fox News website states that ” eating high sugar foods causes nightmare.”

So next time you get that annoying urge to whip out the tub of Ben and Jerry’s right before bed, remember that sugary foods can in face cause bad dreams.

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Sources:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/52228/what-causes-nightmares

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/13/10-foods-to-avoid-before-bed/

 

 

 

First Blog Post

Hi everyone! My name is Jenna Finkelstein and I am from Old Bethpage New York. I am a student in the Communications school here at Penn State. Throughout High School, I never really found the science classes I took interesting. I did not like taking Physics and Chemistry and they were actually my least favorite classes in school. I have to take this class as a general education credit and although I never really liked science before, I feel optimistic that this science class will be much more interesting than the others I have taken in the past! Here is a picture of my former high school

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