One day in high school, I walked into my classroom the day of a test and noticed music playing. It was very unusual, especially in a class setting. I was a bit worried because I thought that I would get very distracted from it. Turns out, I hardly noticed it while taking the exam and I ended up receiving a good grade.

Whether it’s upbeat tunes or classical music, many people listen to their own style of music while doing daily errands. If you’re one of the ones that don’t, I would suggest adding music into your daily routine because studies show that listening to music may increase your productivity.

Teresa Lesiuk studied the outcome of work performance while listening to music and discovered that music stimulates a positive attitude along with a more efficient working style.

In the first week of the study, the volunteers listened to music as much as they would have on any given day. Within the next couple weeks, the participants were given a number of CD’s to listen to, ranging in all kinds of music genres and were instructed to listen to the music. In the fourth week, they were not allowed to listen to music. In the fifth week, the music was given back to the participants and then they were given questionnaires to answer.

The results of the experiment displayed that, in the absence of music, people actually spent a longer time doing their work, and the quality of the work was comparably low. However, the individuals who listened to music completed their tasks more quickly and efficiently.

I believe this study was very well conducted and was consistent with the hypothesis; however, I think the participants should have been more diverse. To elaborate, the volunteers consisted of 41 male and 15 female computer information systems developers. Their aged ranged from 19-55, and they were from four different corporations in two different cities in Canada. Thus, I believe that the way the experiment was conducted was very efficient; but, there was hardly any diversity within the participants, so it’s hard to say if this study is a good representation of the public as a whole.

So, if you’re not one who usually listens to music while they work, try it! It may help you become more of a productive student.

http://pom.sagepub.com/content/33/2/173.full.pdf

http://blog.todoist.com/2013/06/25/how-music-affects-productivity/

Is it possible for a married couple to look facially similar after years of marriage? Well, according to this study carried out by psychologist, Robert Zajonc, it is quite possible.

In this study, 110 volunteers were given pictures of couples during their very first year of being a married couple. Then, the participants were given another photo of the exact same couple taken after 25 years of marriage. After comparing the two photos, the volunteers had to evaluate the couple’s facial resemblance. The researchers involved in this study cropped the pictures so only the faces would appear so the volunteers would not be distracted by inessential details.

Based on the responses of these 110 participants, most couples resembled one another after 25 years of marriage more so than in their first year of marriage.

Since the results of the experiment was solely based on looks, The results of why this could happen is not explained since the conclusion was solely reasoned by making judgments based on facial resemblance. Thus, the data is consistent with the hypothesis, but it does not give any hard evidence as to why couples’ faces appear similar over time. Correlation does not equal causation. As in, based on this study, being married for “x” amount of years won’t necessarily cause you to resemble your partner.

The explanations may lie in the third, confounding variables unaccounted for in this study. For example, you can take into account the couple’s diet, as they live in the same house, thus they consume the same foods that may affect their appearance in either looking healthy or unhealthy.

Also, the environment they live in could affect them. For example, sunny places and cloudy areas could affect your skin differently depending on the amount of sun-exposure they receive.

Imitation could also be a possible reason, as people tend to imitate the actions and/or facial expressions of those they are close to. For example, if one spouse often uses a certain facial expression to expresses him/herself, such as a specific smile, the other is likely to copy that expression. This may create the same type of creasing or wrinkles on both the faces.

Overall, there is some truth that couples look alike overtime, but there is no hard evidence to explain this occurrence other than the fact that we can judge by pictures. Yet, this is only identifying the interesting discovery and not finding an answer as to why this happens. I think there should be more studies done to test these possible-confounding variables so we can pinpoint why couples appear to resemble each other as they age together.

http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/02/10-psychology-studies-every-lover-should-know.php

http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/07/facial-similarity-between-couples.php

http://www.livescience.com/8384-couples-start.html

Do you know that old myth that holding in a sneeze can harm you?

The truth is, holding in a sneeze occasionally will not hurt you. But, according to the assistant professor of medicine at Boston University, Dr. Frederick Little, “Continued instances of holding in a sneeze could add pressure to your sinuses and cause lightheadedness.”

Therefore, if you ever want to hold in a sneeze, it’s very important to know the difference between stopping yourself from sneezing before it happens and trying to stop a sneeze in progress.

“Rubbing the nose, breathing forcefully through the nose, and pressing on the upper lip below the nose may relieve the urge to sneeze, but once the sneeze starts, it is usually best to just let it go,” said the head and neck surgeon and assistant professor of otolaryngology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

But there have been some unlucky cases. After holding in a sneeze that was already in the process of dislodging, some people experienced: injury to the diaphragm, popped blood vessel in eyeball, damage to the ear and a weakened a blood vessel in the brain.

However, these injuries may have been due to chance. Keep in mind that these injuries may have been caused by the person’s individual anatomy, since these experiences are not common. In other words, it may just have to do with a person’s physiological make-up.

The reason why most people hold in their sneeze is because they want to be polite and not spread any sickly germs. Frederick Little adds that you are more likely to get sick from directly touching commonly used objects, such as a door, rather than from the sneeze particles ejected into the air. Thus, you might as well just let out your sneeze.

http://www.livescience.com/32776-is-it-safe-to-hold-in-a-sneeze.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=1888466

After the lesson we had about sugary drinks, I started to wonder if diet soda was any better for you. Wouldn’t you think that DIET soda would be the conscious dieter’s choice? I mean, it saves you the 160 + calories you would have consumed had you drank regular soda. However, this seemingly healthier choice is, in fact, worse for you than regular soda.

University of Texas researchers discovered that in a decade, people who regularly drink diet soda have a 70 percent greater increase in stomach fat than those who avoid diet soda. However, correlation does not equal causation. As people might rationalize that they did not consume a caloric drink, so it is okay for them to eat fattier foods. Thus, this increase in fat may be due to the psychology of a person.

Also, according to the American Academy of Neurology, it discovered that over the course of one decade, people who drank more than four cups of both diet and regular soda are 30% more likely to develop depression. Although both diet and regular drinks were accountable for the development of depression, the appearance of increased depression was more affluent for those who mainly consumed diet soft drinks. Therefore, it can be said that correlation does not equal causation since both regular and diet sodas led to depression. However, maybe there is an ingredient put in both kinds of sodas or other external variables that can cause depression.

Additionally, diet soda is not good for your overall physical health. The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas confuse your body because they cause the exact same reaction in your body as the sugar in regular soda. On that topic, dietician, Brooks Alpert, says “Artificial sweeteners trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode and leads to weight gain.”

Also, a University of Minnesota study discovered that diet soda is not beneficial for you because the consumption of one diet soda a day increases your risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes by 36 percent.

The bottom line is, although you are not consuming any calories, there is absolutely no beneficial value from diet soda. Diet drinks are absolutely useless to your health as you get no nutrients from it. If you want a no-calorie drink, stick with water. With regular consumption of water, you get hydrated with absolutely no health risks. That is a much healthier, beneficial option than diet soda.

http://authoritynutrition.com/why-is-diet-soda-bad-for-you/

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/10/29/10-reasons-to-give-up-diet-soda/

Since I am a girl with bad handwriting, I’ve always wondered if that ever said anything about me. In my research, I found that, contrary to popular belief, handwriting is not necessarily gender based; rather, it is based more on a person’s individual traits and lifestyle.

According to a study done by the National Pen Company, you can determine about 5,000 personal characteristics just from your handwriting. For instance, individual characteristics are detectible by the way you write individual letters. People who write rounded letters are more creative whereas pointed and connected letters are a sign the writer is analytical. In addition, the way people dot their “i’s” is suggestive of their personality. If the dot is high above the base of the letter, the writer is creative. If the dot is more near the letter, the person is more likely to be methodical.

Here are some other ways dotting your “i’s” can explain your personality.

It was also discovered that people who place heavy pressure on the on paper (meaning thicker, darker writing) are able to hold their promises and can keep commitment; while people with light writing are sensitive and lack animation. Also, if someone writes quickly they are impatient while and slower writers are more precise.

Another study the National Pen Company discovered was that the size of an individual’s handwriting can define personality types. Smaller handwriting usually determines if a person is timid and cautious, and people with bigger writing tend to be more social and gregarious.

Also, interestingly enough, handwriting can recognize possible health issues. Writing that alternates from dark to light, can determine high blood pressure. Also, script that slants left and write can determine a schizophrenic. In addition, if you have small, cramped handwriting, it is a sign of Parkinson’s Disease. Also, if you use a lot of pressure while writing, it can mean that you have high energy; however, if your handwriting is lighter, it is a sign of lethargy.

Of course this is true for many experiments, but the results could have definitely been do to chance. I believe that this study lacks some important information and some finding can also be due to third variables. It does not explain how many people participated in this study, nor does it describe the diversity of the volunteers. Also, as for detecting health issues in handwriting, correlation does not equal causation. In this case, this means that if you have writing that slants from left to right, that does not necessarily mean you are schizophrenic. Thus, I would like to know more information on how this study was conducted.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2380858/What-does-handwriting-say-Study-finds-5-000-personality-traits-linked-write.html

http://www.abullseyeview.com/2014/03/what-does-your-handwriting-say-about-you/

Having a dog, I’ve always wondered what his perspective of the world was. I’ve always been told from a very young age that dogs are colorblind and can only see black and white. As it turns out, the fact that dogs can see in only black and white is actually a myth.

When people say that dogs are colorblind, they automatically think that dogs can only see in black and white. This is a huge misinterpretation. Contrary to popular belief, Dogs do see colors, but not like people do.

Cones are cells in the eye that react to color. Humans with normal vision have three distinct cones in the retina, while dogs only have two. To be more specific, normal vision of humans have red, green and blue color sensitive cones cells, and dogs have cones that only respond blue and yellow light.

Humans are considered colorblind when they only have two of the three cones. The colorblind person can still see colors, but cannot see as vibrant of colors as people with normal vision. From my understanding, dogs see the same level of vividness as a person who is colorblind.
Jay Neitz, a color vision researcher at the University of Washington, explored dogs’ color vision. In a series of trials, the k-9s were exposed to three different light panels. One of the panels was a distinct color and the other two panels were of identical colors. In the experiment, the dogs had to identify the different color and press that panel. If the dog was right, he received a treat.
After this experiment, Neitz confirmed that dogs do not just see black and white, but they do see less colors than normal human vision. To put it simply, dogs see variations of just blue, yellow and gray. Thus, dogs do not see red, green, or any variations of those colors. The dog can only see those colors as black or gray.

However, if you think about it, the results of this experiment could have definitely be due to chance. Also, after a couple of trials, the dogs may have figured out which panel they needed to press in order to receive a treat. For instance, the dogs could have detected that pressing the left panel will give them a treat, or maybe the right, or middle one.

But, since this is some evidence that dogs are colorblind, take that into account when buying toys for your dog. If your dog has ever had trouble finding a red toy in the green grass, your dog is not stupid, he’s just having trouble distinguishing the gray grass from the gray toy.

http://www.colourblindawareness.org/colour-blindness/types-of-colour-blindness/

http://dog-vision.com/#Color

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/200810/can-dogs-see-colors

Humans, as a species, always have discovered different ways to communicate with one another. Recently, the most modern way to communicate is through the Internet. Technology has helped us tremendously, as it is the fastest, most efficient way to communicate. Although most humans do not realize that the Internet has changed the way the human brain interprets and reacts to every day situations.

Primarily, the Internet can make your brain behave like someone who has an addiction. Researchers have done MRIs on drug addicts’ brains and have found that people who heavily use the Internet have similar brain activity to those who have additions.

Also, since the Internet allows you to be connected instantly with billions of people, you would think that the Internet gives you a sense of comfort; however, it does quite the opposite. It has been proven that the Internet actually leaves people feeling more alone. German scientists have found a correlation showing that when someone views other people’s positive experiences, such as seeing exciting vacation photos, it cause feelings of envy and loneliness in the viewer’s brain.

In addition, teenagers who to spend time on the Internet have an increased chance of committing suicide. This is due to the fact that teenagers who seriously consider suicide are able to research about the topic through online sources.

Finally, increased Internet use can cause memory loss. The constant electronic stimulation of the Internet does not allow the brain to properly file and store information. This makes it more difficult for the brain to create memories and access old ones.

All in all, the Internet is not all bad. Scientists have proven that moderate use of the Internet can help brain function in the elderly. It allows the brain to preform more complicated activities than normal daily life, which can improve overall cognitive function.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mri/basics/definition/prc-20012903

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/30/shocking-ways-internet-rewires-brain_n_4136942.html

With oil prices sky rocketing by the day and the impending doom from global warming, the need for alternative energy is more important than ever. There are many types of alternative energy such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, biomass, and many more. One newer and underutilized source is hydrogen.

Hydrogen is a very simple element that only contains one proton and one electron. There are many advantages of using hydrogen because it has wide availability, and it is a 100% pollution-free waste product. The way that energy is produced from hydrogen is through natural gas and high temperature. There are also other less conventional means of producing energy from hydrogen through the process of hydrolysis. Hydrolysis uses electricity to split the hydrogen and oxygen in water. The only downside of hydrolysis is that there must be a very strong current (PEMEs) present in order for the splitting of water to occur. This makes it not so energy efficient.

A professor, Leroy Cronin, found a new technique to efficiently harvest the hydrogen from water molecule. He uses a redox mediator (a sponge) that soaks up additional electrons and acid after hydrolysis takes place. Afterward, platinum is exposed to the acid soaked mediator, and this releases additional hydrogen particles in the acid. This can actually be done in the absence of oxygen.

The result of Professor Cronins findings is that he can get nearly thirty times the amount of hydrogen with the same amount of catalyst as the leading PEME. This uses much lower currents than the normal PEME method allowing this process to occur in low wind/sunlight conditions. This hydrogen production has endless potential from energy storage to helping create fertilizer to help feed the worlds population.

Sources:

http://www.iflscience.com/chemistry/faster-better-hydrogen-production

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electron

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proton

Why are colors stereotyped for genders? Why do we associate pink with girls and blue with boys? Is it something biological, or did society influence us? We can argue that culture has a role in color-preferences because when babies are born, boys are given blue clothing and girls are given pink outfits. However, this can be disproved because color assignments for infants in hospitals did not exist until the 1940s.

Even though some parents dress their kids in neutral colors, there is research behind the fact that genders biologically predispose color preference. Princeton University researchers discovered that during some point in a female’s life, she experiences a pink-loving phase. A study conducted in 2003 supports this because it was discovered that females’ eyes are physically accustomed to view reddish colors more vividly than others.

According to this article, another experiment was conducted at Newcastle University where 206 people, ages 20 to 26, were asked to divide rectangles into certain color combinations. In part of the study, both men and women preferred the color blue. Later, these participants were given more of a variety of colors to pick from. Men’s preferences were more varied; however, women stereotypically favored reddish colors. The scientists concluded that there really is a difference in color preferences among the genders.

Also, thirty-seven women in the experiment were of Chinese decent, all of which preferred reddish colors. This disproves that color is culturally influenced and better supports that color-preference is more of a biological trait. In addition, researchers suggest that females’ preference for pink may be because, historically, women picked many red fruits and berries.

Overall, the reason why most women prefer pink could be caused by many different factors, but there is still no definite answer as to why certain genders prefer particular colors.

Sources:

http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/gender-colors

http://theweek.com/article/index/214732/do-girls-like-pink-because-of-their-berry-gathering-female-ancestors

The morning cup of coffee is something so ritual to us college students. But, can coffee actually be bad for you?

In the early research, coffee had a bad reputation because researchers used to link it to different health problems. Later, it was found that avid coffee drinkers were more likely to be smokers. Many early studies of coffee were not reliable because they failed to control coffee drinkers who smoked, and the coffee drinkers who did not. That is a huge reason why initial studies of coffee gave it a bad reputation. As soon as the researchers separated the two habits of coffee drinking and smoking, evidence of health benefits from drinking coffee began to be more apparent. For instance, it has been discovered that coffee has many nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, niacin, and choline and is also a huge source of antioxidants.

In addition, Rob van Dam, an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, found that there is no greater risk of death for individuals who had up to six cups of coffee a day. Also, the New England Journal of Medicine published that during a 14-year study, people who drank coffee regularly had a lower risk of premature death than non-coffee drinkers.

So, what’s the bottom line for coffee drinkers? Sipping 2-3 cups of coffee per day is perfectly normal and can be beneficial. As long as you have a normal amount of coffee, it should not be harmful. But, be mindful of how much caffeine you consume as it can make you jittery. So, listen to your body to configure the right amount of coffee that is suitable for you!

Sources:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/08/17/212710767/how-many-cups-of-coffee-per-day-is-too-many

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/09/12/coffee-how-much-is-too-much-caffeine/

As parsley is probably the most popular culinary herb used for garnish, most people are not aware of the many nutritional and remedial properties that this great herb possesses. Parsley, or petroselinum crispum, is documented as one of the most useful herbs because it is said to have the ability to help with medical problems and also contains many antioxidants and vitamins.

According to this article, parsley has properties that are “antimicrobial, anti-rheumatic, anti-arthritic, antiseptic, astringent, carminative, circulatory, detoxifier, digestive, diuretic, depurative, emenagogue, febrifuge, hypotensive, laxative, stimulant, stomachic and uterine substance.” You probably have no idea what half of those terms mean—but, that’s okay. All you need to understand is that parsley acts as a drug to help relieve medical problems. Therefore, if you are a person who does not trust medicine and turn to natural herbs as a panacea, parsley could be your solution.

Moreover, if you are a healthy eater, parsley is probably the best herb for you. One serving only consists of thirty-six calories and contains neither cholesterol nor fat. Better yet, Parsley is abundant in antioxidants and minerals, such as potassium, calcium, and iron. It also contains many different vitamins, including vitamin-K. Vitamin-K has been found to have a positive impact in bone health. Thus, when eating parsley, your body is benefiting from all of the essential nutrients contained in this herb.

Overall, parsley is a very unique herb that almost acts like medicine. If parsley happens to be your favorite herb, you are benefiting greatly from parsley’s many nutritional assets. This misunderstood herb really has so much power over your health. I suggest that everyone should incorporate parsley into his/her diet because this special herb seems like it can do wonders for your health.

Sources:

“Health Benefits of Parsley Essential Oil.” Organic Facts. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.

“Parsley Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits.” Nutrition And You.com. Web. 17 Sept.         2014.

Links:

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/parsley.html

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-parsley-essential-oil.html

Hi! My name is Marissa Rapaport. I am taking this course because it is specifically meant for students who do not intend to major in science. I am currently in DUS, but I am looking to enter into the College of Communications. Thus, this class is perfect for me because I am able to fulfill a GN in a class where I can practice my communication skills through the blogging assignments. I am not planning to be a science major because it is truly not my strong-suit. I am more of a right brained person who excels in liberal arts, but struggles with both science and math. If I were to weigh out my strengths and weaknesses, science would probably be my top weakness. Although I do appreciate science and discovery, the math behind the science is confusing to me, and it would be a terrible idea to major in something I know I am particularly not good at.