It’s tough being in a sticky situation and having to make a hard decision. A lot of the time when making a choice, we are angry at the idea of having to make that decision. Is it possible that anger helps us make the decision? Perhaps anger helps us make the better decision?

Professors at University of California, Santa Barbara challenged old science experiments that said angry people are less analytical and found out that anger aid in positive decision making. They conducted a study based on analytical reasoning. Two groups were formed; one was angry and one was not. Both groups were told to write essays on a problem and a solution and the angry group was more successful in the end. The test proved the researchers hypothesis true.

How does being angry help make a better decision though? It seems that angry people disregard information that is irrelevant to the topic on their mind. The non-angry people keep irrelevant preferences in the back of their mind. Anger is seen as a motivator of analytical thinking now, instead of a barrier. Anger demands response. Whether the response is harmful, violent or promising, a response is still given.

Anger helps clear the mind of all unnecessary thoughts and distractions. It only makes sense that anger would help one make a better decision.

Work Cited

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/anger-decision2.htm

Laughter is the best medicine! Having a good laugh with great friends is always a fun way to brighten your day. If we didn’t love to laugh so much, we wouldn’t have sit coms, or knock knock jokes, and comedians. On average, humans laugh about 17 times a day. But how does laughter even work? Why do we laugh?

Laughter and humor are two different things. Laughter is the psychological response to humor that people have. We one are one of the only species that actually responds out loud when something is funny. But laughter consists of two parts; a combination of gestures and the production of sound. When we laugh, our brain tells our bodies to do both activities at the same time. The epiglottis and the larynx come into play when something is so funny we start gasping for air. In some extreme cases, the tear ducts start to work and the face becomes moist. This is what happens when someone is “hysterically laughing”, which is always fun to witness.

Robert Provine proves that laughter is contagious in his study when he learned that humans have a “detector” that responds to laughter by triggering other brain functions which produced more laughter.

While laughter is contagious, many researchers strongly believe that laughter helps strengthen and create stronger human connections. When people are comfortable around each other, it’s a normal response to laugh when something is funny. Provine believes that laughter is a social signal, like a bird’s song or a dog’s bark.

Laughter is thought to be a natural response to human interaction. It brings people together and helps form relationships. What more can we ask for in something our body voluntarily does for us!?

Work Cited

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/laughter3.htm

It happens to everyone, that feeling of wanting to do something but not knowing what to do. Boredom. People describe boredom as “the desire for desires”.

Sometimes you hit that point during your dull time where you think you’re going to “die” from boredom. Is it true? Well, you cannot actually die from boredom but it can most definitely cause problems in adolescence.

In today’s society, everyone is so used to the hustle and bustle and always having something to do, so when a situation does arise when there is nothing to do, children and teens become bored much faster than they used to. People who lean toward more high-risk life styles are more prone to getting bored. This can spiral into a dangerous situation because those who experience chronic boredom gravitate towards alcohol and drug abuse, gambling, and eating disorders.

Scientists also know that high-risk, boredom prone people have naturally lower levels of dopamine, which means they require a higher sense of novelty to stimulate the brain. When non high-risk people experience a new situation, dopamine comes in to play and gives people a “non-bored” feeling.

No, one cannot die from boredom; it just isn’t an exciting time to experience, as I’m sure we all know. To reduce boredom, physical exercise and finding new hobbies is always a great idea. A study with teenagers proved that teens with strong interest have higher self-esteem than teens that are bored.

Work Cited

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/bored-to-death1.htm

People want two things in life: to be happy and to be healthy. It seems that both things go hand in hand with one another, but in the past people believed that both wants were completely separate. It is possible to be healthy but unhappy, isn’t it? Although that may be true, recent studies show that health is most definitely connected to ones happiness.

Scientists say that happiness may be as important a factor in someone’s overall health as their smoking habits. There are many things happiness is known to do.  Happiness is not proven to cure illness but it does prevent one from illness. Also, happiness appears to show resistance to heart disease and stroke. People who are happy are less likely to catch a cold, and if they do, they showed fewer symptoms.

One study asked 150000 adults about their physical health problems, and if their basic needs, like food, water and shelter were being met. The adults who have their basic needs were much happier than those adults whose needs were not being met. The link between emotional health and physical health is proven to be true during this study.

Although happiness is shown to have a positive effect on a person’s health, happiness cannot “fix what is already broken”. Senior citizens living independently of with family are happier and seem to have a longer life expectancy. Senior citizens who are living in nursing homes do not show the same kind of life expectancy as those who aren’t. Concluding with this study, it seems as if happiness is not an antidote.

Happiness is measured on many things. It’s not just about what you have and your status, but also the people you surround yourself with. Enjoy the little things in life. You’ll be happier than ever, and healthier too! 

It’s not uncommon to find somebody singing in the shower on a daily basis; or even singing at a karaoke bar on a Friday night. Singing makes people happy. It’s scientifically proven. Singing releases endorphins, which makes the brain feel “good” and makes one happy. All singing is good for humans, but there is a certain kind of singing that is proven to have a greater impact than the rest.

Choral singing (for those of you who do not know) is getting together with a group of people and all singing different notes and rhythms of the same song. In 2008, Australian study released information that proved choral singers have a higher satisfaction with life than the public, even though the choral singer faced more problematic situations. 98% of choral singers rated their quality of life excellent, and 81% were happy with their health. It makes sense that singers would be satisfied with their health being that some researchers claim that singing strengthens the immune system by increasing the amount of immunoglobin A in the blood. The article that explains this can be found here.

Another study in 1998 showed that senior citizens in a nursing home decreased their anxiety and depression levels after taking part in a singing program for only a month. In Britain, 600 choral singers came to the conclusion that singing plays an extremely important role in their psychological health.

What makes singing in a group, or even by yourself, make people feel so amazing? Is it the proper breathing technique and singing stance that helps? Your shoulders are supposed to be back, feet are shoulder width apart, and the chest is slightly lifted. This stance makes it easier for the diaphragm to expand and let the singer take a deep breath. Deep breathing is a necessity in meditation and other relaxation techniques.

Coming from experience, it’s not just the deep breathing and the endorphins that make choral singers feel good. When singing with a group of people, you are all creating a special bond with each other. Being involved in chorus since second grade has made me realize that we are all singing together for one common goal: to create beautiful music. Once that goal is accomplished, singers are as happy as they possibly can be.

Work Cited

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/singing-happy1.htm

http://news.smh.com.au/national/choral-singing-makes-you-happy-survey-20080710-3cyg.html

Hello everyone! My name is Jacklyn Hucke and I’m from Long Island, New York. Throughout high school, my best friends have all been huge science geeks, doing research and  competing in competitions around the nation. I am very interested in what they have to say, I just don’t fully understand it. Basically, what I’m saying is that I like science, I’m just horrible at it. That’s why this class, a class without a textbook, is the class for me.

The School of Science should be thanking ME for not being a science major. I tend to get distracted easily or forget things the second it’s told to me, so I probably would have blowing things up without even realizing it. Personally, I think I’m a better fit for the School of Communications as a public relations major. I’m much better at talking to people than working with chemicals!