Photo: Rahul Alvares

Venomous snakes are surely dangerous when alive, and now according to new findings in research, we have reason to be scared of them, even when dead.

According to an August 22nd report by The Daily Mirror, a chef in China died of a fatal bite from a decapitated snake head while preparing cobra soup.  The chef was reportedly bitten by the Indochinese Spitting Cobra just twenty minutes after its decapitation.  Although this phenomenom seems strange, researchers and snake analysts assure that it can and does happen more often than we think.

“Snakes in general are well known for retaining reflexes after death,” says Steven Beaupré, a biology professor at the University of Arkansas.  The head of a snake is comprised of its jaw muscles, venom mechanism, and the nerves controlling these glands and muscles.  A snake’s tissue is unusual in the fact that it can last great lengths of time without circulating blood.  Therefore, the function of the tissue and its reflexes can endure, even after decapitation.  According to Beaupré, biting is a reflex that can remain active in the brain up to hours after a snake’s death.  A snake bite is much different from any other carnivorous animal, because all it takes is one swift and stealthy bite to poison their prey.  Rattlesnakes can inject venom into their pray in less than two-tenths of a second.

The bodies of dead snakes are known to lash out and lift off of the ground after decapitation, in response to threats around them.  In a video posted on The Guardian, a man from Huntsville, Alabama captures a scene of a decapitated Copperhead snake biting its own tail. In response to the bite, the tail of the snake flails around, trying to fight off the perceived enemy.  According to Beaupré, these response movements are caused by ions remaining in the nerve cells after death.  A reflexive action, such as a bite occurs when these nerves are stimulated.  “The bite and envenomation reflex is triggered by some kind of information that comes into the mouth cavity,” Says Beaupré . Perhaps this unlucky Chef put his finger in the snakes mouth, triggering its reflex to bite, and worse, envenomate.

Let this be a lesson to all of us, beware of dead snakes!

References:

Mosbergen, Dominique. “Chef Reportedly Dies After Being Bitten By A Decapitated Snake, But Is That Even Possible?” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 03 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/03/decapitated-snake-bite-man-dies_n_5755416.html>.

Iacurel, Jenna. “Severed Snake Heads Still Deliver Dangerous Bite.” Nature World News RSS. Nature World News, 2 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/8840/20140902/severed-snake-heads-still-deliver-dangerous-bite.htm>.

Palermo, Elizabeth. “Can a Severed Snake Head Still Kill? It’s Possible.” Live Science. Tech Media Network, 30 Aug. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.livescience.com/47626-severed-snake-head-can-still-bite.html>.

For thousands of years in mythology, mermaids have existed. The myth came around 1000 B.C. when a Syrian goddess jumped into a lake in attempt to turn into a fish. Instead the goddess was to beautiful, so only her bottom half was transformed. Every since that original story, many more have been born all around the world. Even famous explorer Christopher Columbus claimed to have seen a mermaid near Haiti in 1493, describing them as “not as pretty as they are depicted, for somehow in the face they look like men” (according to the American Museum of natural History). Although we can all have trust in Columbus, analysts believe that what he actually saw could be big mammals like a manatee.

Most recent evidence of this myth was released by Animal Planets new special  for Monster Week, Mermaids The New Evidence. The show immediately started new trends on twitter while people all over the world continued to share their opinion on this debate. The show began by displaying apparently more new evidence of the existence of mermaids. Following that was a scene of two grown men on a bot holding on for their life. While this as going on a mermaid looking creature jumped out of the water starring at the camera. ALthough one scientist  claimed that the creature was a seal, Animal Planet remained constant with their interpretation that it was a mermaid. Despite all the hype in Animal Planets new show, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated that ” No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found. Why then do they occupy the collective unconscious of nearly all seafaring peoples? That’s a question best left to historians, philosophers and anthropologists.” Despite this statement, people continued to keep an open mind on twitter.

So do mermaids exist? I can give you four reason to believe why they do not. The first reason is simple, we have no physical evidence of them! Second, we cant just pick and choose what a mermaid is suppose to look like. Although we wish mermaids came of as a beautiful women with a fish like tail, it is just simply not possible. Mammals are defined as warm blooded creatures with hair.  How is an animal suppose to have both mammal and fish characteristics? Third, they would be extinct by this time. How are they suppose to reproduce? Maybe like us humans do, but that would mean internal fertilization. The other option would be external like fish do, but could mermaids even lay eggs? There are to many unanswered questions. Finally, how would they go to the bathroom? Mammals digest their food through a complex digestive tract. Fish only have one simple intestine, while humans have large and small intestines. So could you really have a mammalian digestive tract leading into a fish oriented digestive end?

The debate will continue to go on for centuries, but ultimately I wouldn’t wait on the evidence to magically appear sooner than later.

http://www.ibtimes.com/do-mermaids-exist-animal-planets-mermaids-new-evidence-ignites-twitter-debate-about-creatures-being

http://deepseanews.com/2013/10/fishful-thinking-five-reasons-why-mermaids-cant-physically-exist/

Colin Fielder, a 39 year old man, had a heart attack and was clinically dead for 40 minutes. When the ambulance arrived he was conscious and he made a decision that changed his life forever. This decision was going to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. They’re testing two machines; one called the AutoPulse and the other is a heart-pulse machine. The AutoPulse is a mechanical CPR device that continuously performs chest compressions. The heart-pulse machine blood and oxygen through the bodies vital organs. While these two are working it gives doctors time to pin point how the heart attack occurred.

Choosing the Alfred Hospital saved his life. They are the only hospital with this equipment and it has already saved three out of seven people from cardiac arrest including him.  The same type of skills are used; however, the AutoPulse squeezes the entire chest opposed to one spot where your hands would normally go. The pump is non-invasive and with help from the heart-pulse, the risk of having permanent damage after the cardiac arrest and slim to none.

Since the first use of the AutoPulse in 2003, there has been a study done by the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) where 29 patients have been examined after the use of it. It has shown that the AutoPulse caused a greater increase in diastolic blood pressure opposed to manual heart compressions.

From:

http://www.collegenews.com/article/dead_for_40_minutes_miracle_technology_revives_patient

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/13/man-brought-back-to-life-after-being-clinically-dead-for-40-minutes/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/14/dead-for-40-minutes_n_3272438.html

We all remember the dreadful weekday mornings in high school, struggling to get out of bed and hitting the snooze button countless times. Sleep becomes a major problem during adolescence mainly because high school students carry a heavy academic workload, participate in multiple extracurricular activities and many even have jobs. Being a high school student can be exhausting, which is why these students must get anywhere between 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep a night. Experts recommend this many hours of sleep for high school students; however, a recent study reported that seniors in high schools only averaged about 6.9 hours of sleep.

Sleep deprivation has several negative impacts on a students’ academic performance. Although many parents may applaud their child for staying up past midnight to study for a test or finish a paper, their children will most likely perform considerably worse the next day due to being sleep deprived. In order to stay awake and concentrate, many students rely on caffeinated drinks, such as soda and energy drinks, to assist them. These drinks are damaging to a teenager’s health and they are absolutely not worth the temporary benefits that they provide.

The fact that most high schools have class begin around 7:15 is ridiculous. Even if students attempt to go to sleep early, it is quite difficult for them to wake up because “the onset of puberty produces a sleep phase delay so that teenagers find it difficult to fall asleep until 11 p.m.” (Duke TIP). High schools nationwide should strongly advocate for later starting times. The National Science Foundation reported that individual schools in 19 states have delayed start times, and over 100 school districts in 17 other states are considering making the same changes. High schools are responsible for the negative effects that sleep deprivation has on these students and it is something that they should take very seriously.

Sources:

http://tip.duke.edu/node/886

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/12/02/247314202/parents-of-sleep-deprived-teens-push-for-later-school-start-times

http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep

              Many of us have heard of the so called Penn State Plague and if you haven’t all you have to do is walk into the Forum and listen to the constant coughing and sniffling. Many people on campus are already sick and if you aren’t there is a good chance you will be very soon. So what are the best ways to treat this if you are sick and how do you avoid it if you aren’t?

If you are trying to get rid of cold bug there are some dos and some don’ts. According to an article on Mayo Clinic if you are trying to self-medicate with antibiotics and zinc you should stop now because these things won’t work. Antibiotics are meant for infections which are caused by bacteria, whereas the common cold is caused by a different microorganism, a virus, so unless you have more than just a cold antibiotics won’t work. Zinc, on the other hand, while it has the reputation of fighting colds it actually isn’t that effective according to this article. Many of the studies conducted to see if this mineral is actually effective were flawed so it is hard to find any reliable information as far as its cold fighting power. In addition, of the few studies that aren’t as flawed show that zinc only works if taken in the first few hours after the onset of a cold. There are also FDA warnings against taking nasal medicines containing zinc because it may cause a loss of smell along with its other side effects including nausea.

You are probably wondering at this point what you should take for that pesky cold. According to an article from the American Academy of Otolaryngology you should be taking either antihistamines, decongestants, or a combination of the two. Antihistamines block the chemical, called a histamine, which causes many cold and allergy symptoms such as sneezing and a runny nose. Decongestants relieve congestion which occurs when the blood vesicles swell up causing the pressure you feel under your eyes and on your forehead. It is recommended that you take one or both of these depending on your symptoms. In addition to this the Mayo Clinic article says that drinking liquids, with the exception of alcohol, coffee, and soda, humidity, and saline nasal sprays are also good at ameliorating a cold. The most important thing for those who are sick is to stay home so they’re don’t get others sick.

Works Cited

“Antihistamines, Decongestants, and Cold Remedies.” American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

“Common Cold.” Cold Remedies: What Works, What Doesn’t, What Can’t Hurt. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

It’s almost that time of year again. With the days getting colder as well as shorter, it’s only a matter of time until we find ourselves in the middle of fall. With the pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks to the homecoming parade, cozy sweaters, and Halloween, it’s hard not to love the season. But something I’ve noticed that makes it especially magnificent here in State College is the changing of the leaves. With the hills, mountains and abundance of different trees it’s a sight to see when you look out amongst thousands of red, orange, and golden leaves. But what causes this beautiful and dramatic change?

Throughout most of the year, the trees as you might notice are either leafless or their green. Well this green color can be attributed to a large amount of chlorophyll within the lead. Although there are other pigmented colors within active leaves there is so much chlorophyll that it usually masks the other colors. What changes in fall, is the amount of light which is the factor that regulates chlorophyll production. So as the days grow shorter there is also less light which concludes in there being less chlorophyll produced. At this time, the decomposition rate of chlorophyll continues to remain constant causing the green color to begin to fade gradually from the leaves.

While this is all happening, the production of other sugar concentrations are responsible for the other colors being exposed. Anthocyanin pigments are responsible for turning the leaves that have an exceptionally high concentration of this pigment in them red. Another type of pigment that has some effect on the leaves are carotenoids. This pigment’s production does not depend on light, so the levels aren’t going to go down by the shortening of the days. Carotenoids can be orange, yellow, or red but the primary color that they turn is usually yellow. If the leaves have a good amount of anthocyanins and carotenoids, obviously that mixes red and yellow so that the leaves turn out to be some shade of orange. Similarly, leaves that contain mostly carotenoids but little/no anthocyanin is likely to be yellow. If neither of these pigments are in the leaf then there are also other things that can affect the color of the leaf such as tannins which can be recognized for being responsible for the brown color of some oak leaves.

From one source that I look at they suggested that temperature, light and water supply all have an influence of how long the leaves stay the colors that they are and how bright those colors are while they last. For example low temperatures are favorable for anthocyanin so that will richen the reds that we see. In constant, early frost will weaken these colors.  According to chemistry.about.com “sunny autumn days are needed for the brightest color displays, since anthocyanins require light. Overcast days with lead to more yellows and browns.”

http://www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/leaves/leaves.htm

http://chemistry.about.com/od/howthingsworkfaqs/f/fallleafcolor.htm

“Let’s go back to the wilderness! Go back to where we belong” this is used to be a very famous slogan at 20 century. During that time, there are thousands of national park were built during one night. After that, driving with trailer, carrying foods and waters to go outdoor, people accepted wilderness so fast and wanted to go and be a part of it. But while they stay with “wilderness” have they really thought about if the place they stay is real a wilderness?
Defined by the book (Paul Robbins, John Hintz and Sarah A. Moore) the wilderness is “a natural parcel of land, more or less unaffected by human forces” that is to say, as wilderness, it should accord with one main point that “ no human involved”. But if we see things with this main idea, there’s so less wilderness left in our world. Some people might say “what about the national parks, like Yellowstone? It’s pure nature in it” Is that true? Yellowstone is a place to show people what wilderness looks like, and in order to achieve that goal, workers did a bunch of hard works, like built the path through mountains; set the railings around the sulphur lake… some people might argue “what about those wild mountains, which is far away from city” but if you walk through the mountains, those signs wrote “danger” “exit” all remain you that somebody was been here and establish them for you. People still involved.
Actually, if we can change our mind to another way to think “ what is wilderness”, things would be easier. Wilderness is not has to be pure nature without people. We came from nature, we used to live in the wilderness, and we are a part of the wilderness! So, when you come to visit mountains or grasslands the next time, don’t need to be depressed when seeing some human-made thing, because human’s exist, is a part of wilderness.

The other day in class we had a pop quiz that dealt with a test that had hamsters sleep with lights on, and  measured how it affected their sleep cycles. While it is equally as bad to sleep with the television (or worse), as it is to sleep with the lights on, I wondered if it was bad to fall asleep while listening to different music or sounds. I decided to research if different soothing sounds or certain music could help someone fall asleep and have a positive affect on ones sleep cycle. Another reason this topic seemed so intriguing to me is because I have a significant amount of trouble falling asleep, and college hasn’t made this issue any easier. According to The National Sleep Foundation in 2011, Generation Y has more difficulty falling asleep than any other population. (Via NPR)

One article that I came across not only said that sleeping with certain sounds was good for you, but it helps you to remember certain information related to those sounds when you wake up. Doctors ran a test where they would show patients images with sound cues and they would have to remember the location of certain images. The patients would then take a nap, and the doctor would play cues from some, but not all of the images. When they awoke they would retake the test, and the patients were much more accurate at matching the images with the sounds. This test gives some insight into possible advancements in sound and sleep technologies.

A different article talked about which sounds in particular are good for helping one fall asleep and stay asleep, and ones that are not.

While sounds may vary per individual, some of the more recognized effective sounds can be: White noise, Nature sounds, and music with a soothing voice. Most music with upbeat lyrics tends to keep the mind awake, which would make it harder for one to go to sleep and stay asleep.

According to the British Academy of Sound Therapy (via RYOT), the scientifically most relaxing song ever recorded is entitled ‘Weightless,’ by Marconi Union. Here is a link to the song here (Weightless). I decided to listen to the song to see if truly was as relaxing as they say it is… I was asleep in a matter of minutes, and my blog writing was interrupted. However, I found something that could put me to sleep, which is a success in itself, so I couldn’t complain too much.

While I thought that some types of noise would help ones sleep habits, I didn’t think that there would be other benefits such as increase in memory. I found the two articles that I looked at to be very informative, and coincidently, in line with I thought I would find when I started researching the topic.

As someone who struggles to get some Z’s, I think that some of the information I found out could be useful for myself, and I imagine many others with going to sleep at night.

So next time you’re debating between falling asleep to Netflix or listening to music, throw on some Marconi Union and you’ll be out in seconds.

“Must be a full moon tonight” is a common saying when confronted with a person doing something strange or out of the ordinary. Even the word “lunacy” is derived from the Latin luna which means moon. Is there any proof to this superstition though? And does the moon really have a great affect on the behavioral patterns of life on Earth?

The moon’s effect on water was the earliest believed reason for behavioral changes in humans. It was thought that because humans are about 80% water the moon had some effect on our bodies that caused abnormalities. This theory was debunked when scientists proved that the moon only affected open bodies of water like oceans or lakes and not say, a glass of water sitting on the coffee table. (scientificamerican.com)

Since then, some studies have still tried to prove that the full moon does affect humans, but most theories have not held up upon further investigation. For example, one study attempted to show a correlation that traffic accidents were more likely to occur on full moon nights. This study is merely observational, not experimental, but it does show some type of correlation. When further investigated however, it was found in the period that was studied, full moons occurred on weekends, when more people drive. This is a good example of critical science and how it’s good to look closely at scientific findings instead of taking them at face value, because sometimes it is the third, confounding Z factor that makes a difference. (scientificamerican.com)

There is also something to be said about the psychology behind strange happenings on a full moon. Most people are aware or at least have heard of the superstition, so when something odd occurs, they are more likely to take notice of it because they know there is a full moon. This is an interesting notion because it introduces the possibility of reverse causation. It could be that because people are aware of the full moon superstition, they unconsciously, or consciously, act out of the ordinary.

Either way, there is no scientific or biological evidence that this claim has any truth, but so far it does not appear there has been any concrete experiments done.

Everywhere I go I’m constantly thinking about how filthy the things are that I’m surrounded by and touching all day. After a google search of how dirty the bottom of my pocket book was, I began to remember a study I read about earlier relating to ice cubes and toilet water and I figured I would share it with you guys instead.

Going into your favorite fast food joint, perhaps ordering that big mac combo with a large drink, filling it up with some ice and fountain soda and not even thinking about how dirty that ice is, is a common task. Ever think of something being dirtier than the water found in a toilet?! Well, think again, abc News says, “70 percent of the time, ice from fast food restaurants is dirtier than toilet water.”

Jasmine Roberts decided to take on the challenge in her middle school years, she was curious to see the comparison between ice cubes in fast food places and their toilet water. Living in Florida, she collected ice cubes from five fast food places and a sample of toilet water from each. It was noted that all evidence was gathered using sterile tools. After bringing these materials back to the lab at University of Southern Florida, where she was able to get help from people with experience, she was able to determine that 70% of the time the toilet water was cleaner than the ice cubes. E.coli was found on 70% of the ice cubes she tested. How gross!

This experiment can definitely be due to chance, she only tested fast food restaurants in her local area so perhaps there could be extremely clean toilets there or they could have really dirty ice machines, either or. If more studies were done across the nation, then maybe we could say that in most cases, the ice is dirtier than the toilet water. The size being tested makes it hard to say that 70% of fast food restaurants have ice cubes that are dirtier than their toilet water.

Now, this study is not trying to say you should go put toilet water in your drink instead of the ice cubes, it is just a study done to make you aware of what you are putting into your body. This case is most likely accurate because according to abcNews, “Roberts and Katz said that the ice is likely dirtier because machines aren’t cleaned and people use unwashed hands to scoop ice. Toilet water is also surprisingly bacteria-free, because it comes from sanitized city water supplies.”

I still find it hard to believe that toilet water could be cleaner than things you potentially consume. The thought of that makes me cringe, luckily I’m not a big fast food person but next time I go fill my cup up with some ice i’ll be sure to use a small amount. I hope this news alarmed you and the next time you go fill your cup up for a nice cold drink you reconsider your choice!

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! 

Have you ever wondered why there’s such a big range of contraceptives for women and not for men? Doctors have asked this same question and apparently, by 2017, the new thing will be Vasalgel, birth control for men. The way this will work is that men who wish to get involved with this form of birth control will need to get a very small injection in their vas deferens. It is a permanent solution but is different from a vasectomy. The initial injection can possibly be countered by a small second injection. The price Vasalgel is still unknown but it seems worth it. It’s a one time thing, permanent, and possibly reversible. But like all things, this new product has it’s drawbacks.

The number of men using condoms has decreased recently. According to CDC, “there was a 4% decline in condom utilization between 2006 and 2010, and among teenagers condom use decreased almost by 50%. Considering that this product could be on the pricier side, what will motivate men to become interested in it? That’s the question that founder, Elaine Lissner, is trying to solve.

So, this seems like a great new invention, but the drawback here seems to be that if men aren’t using protection now, what will make them change their minds about this?

‘There will always be the Neanderthals, there will always be guys who say don’t touch my junk, there will never be 100% of men who want it,’ says the group behind Vasalgel.

A study has proven that the taller you are, the more likely you are to have twins. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time something like this has been proven, there are many things that can improve your chances of having kids. If you’re of West African descent you’re more likely to conceive twins. So what gives? You have a higher chance of twins if you or your partner is a twin, but that sounds completely reasonable, It runs in your genes, so why does your stature have to do with it?

Well Dr. Gary Steinman has the answer. He conducted a study,measuring the heights of around 150 women, all who carried twins or triplets, finding them on average to be at least an inch taller then the average woman. This doesn’t explain much though, at least not until you get the full story, like you will with this direct quote “He conducted the recent study revealing the height connection to twin pregnancies. He says taller women have more insulin-like growth factor (IGF), a protein released from the liver in response to growth hormone. This protein causes the ovaries to be more likely to release more than one egg at a time.” (http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=14572)

Now the average height of women is 5 feet 4 inches (www.cdc.gov), but I wouldn’t get  discouraged or too excited if you’re over or under that height and hoping to get your own pair of children born within a day of each other, while being tall may increase your chances it presents no guarantee, nor does not having twins if your under 64 inches, it all depends on your circumstances and your body.

Works:

http://www.livescience.com/1019-tall-women-twins.html

http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=14572

http://www.whattoexpect.com/preconception/ask-heidi/twins.aspx

I recently changed my hair color from light brown to a dark blonde. When i changed my hair i would get the usual remark from when someone sees a blonde person, “Hey blondes have more fun!”. But is there any truth behind this stereotypical phrase?

In an article from the Daily mail UK it discussed a survey with 1,200 respondents that attributed people with blonde hair to be more “extrovert and sexy” and almost 90% of the male survey responders believed that blondes actually do have more fun. There was also a finding ton cosmetics social media that stated on average girls with blonde hair go out 3 nights a week and girls with brown hair go out on an average 2 times per week.

It doesn’t matter what color hair you yourself prefer but it is proven that different hair colors send off a different image. People with brown hair are considered the most knowledgable and classy, people with blonde hair aren’t taking as seriously and considered to be more fun, and people with red hair give off the vibe that they are great at sex.

So when looking at the question do blondes have more fun? the answer is unclear. Although there are statistics that prove women of blonde hair to be more extrovert then people with brown hair it still doesn’t mean that they do not have just as much fun as blondes. And although blondes are considered to be more viewed as sexy, people with brown hair are taken more seriously which could lead to more serious relationships.

So for now the question is still up to debate and perhaps soon there will be more  studies done to try to answer this question but until then blondes you do you!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1131806/Gold-rush-Surge-sale-blonde-hair-products-women-beat-gloom-recession-lighter-locks.html

http://www.cosmeticsocialmedia.com/2011/scientific-differences-facts-blondes-brunettes/

While sitting in my bed researching and trying to write a blog on NASA’s aim to launch science experiments to the International Space Station, I actually started wondering if it would ever be possible for humans to easily travel back and forth between the earth and space.

In 2004, SpaceX, an American private space corporation, began building Dragon. Dragon is a reusable spacecraft that is designed to transport cargo and humans back and forth between the earth and space stations. Just four years ago, in December 2010, Dragon was launched into orbit and upon its return this spacecraft had become known as the first operating spacecraft that has returned back to the Earth.

In 2012 history was made when Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft to transport cargo to the International Space Station and safely deliver cargo back to the Earth. Having created a spacecraft that has the ability to safely transport materials and resources to and from the International Space Station opens a significant amount of opportunities for our nation and scientific research. For example, NASA is planning to launch four science experiments up to the International Space Station with the Dragon spacecraft.

Also what I find entreating about the Dragon is that it was designed to send people into space from the very beginning, which implies that it is an actually possibility. Dragon actually has two different configurations, Dragon Cargo and Dragon Lab, which allows the spacecraft to be flown for unmanned and manned flights. The Dragon was built to hold up to 7 astronauts. The pressure section of Dragon is the part of the spacecraft that is capable of transporting humans and cargo.

In 2010 Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, stated in an interview with SPACE.com that one Dragon would most likely be produced every three months and that he was trying to decrease production rate from three months into six weeks. By September of 2013, ScapeX had only six Dragons in various stages of production. Even though production rate want very close to Musk’s expectations, six developing spacecrafts is something a company should be proud of.

SpaceX has planned that within the next 2-3 years, Dragon’s first manned test in expected to take place. Currently, SpaceX is building the refinements that will allow Dragon to carry a crew. If Dragon’s ability to safely transport human beings is successful and Musk’s production line expectations of Dragon become true, then humans ability to travel to space and back could actually be a possibility within the near future.

Resources:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140918122845.htm

http://www.spacex.com/dragon

http://www.spaceflight101.com/dragon-spacecraft-information.html

http://www.space.com/10443-spacex-ceo-elon-musk-master-private-space-dragons.html

This article is about calculating the correlation between acts of kindness and rude acts. When people do something nice for someone, it usually influences the other person to do something nice for others. But sometimes a nice action can backfire and make someone think that because they did one nice action, they can do a mean one after to balance it out. The study in this article consisted of texting a group of 1252 a few times a day asking if anyone had recently done anything good or bad for them. If something good or bad had happened, they would then have to say who did the act, what they did and how good or bad it was.

Participants in the study found that this study made them more aware of their surroundings and more aware of what people around them were doing for or against them. At the end of the three study, they found that on average, people did as many good things a day as they did bad. The test also found that there was no correlation between moral behavior or judgment within religious and non-religious groups. The study did find that people who received an act of kindness were 10% more likely to commit an act of kindness later than day. On the other hand, someone who committed an act of kindness were 3% more likely to do an act of rudeness later on that same day.

The study did not give a specific reason as to why people thought that after doing one act of kindness that they could then all of a sudden be rude to someone later. I believe that this is because people see kind and rude acts as a point system. When someone does something nice, the add one point and when they do something rude, they subtract one point. So people think that as long as they stay a 0 or above, they are a good person and can justify their rude actions. But a lot of other factors go into weather a person is nice or rude and a lot of these things cannot be calculated through a study. Things like these would be such as what type of mood the person is in. If someone is in a bad mood, they obviously wont do anything nice for someone and if someone is in a good mood, they may be more likely to help another person out. In a study like this, it would be very difficult to calculate a variable like this.

Overall, this was a good study but I think there are many ways that it could have been improved. Maybe instead texting the group of people to find out info, they could have called them instead and gotten more details than you can get over text. I think that overall, the data could have been more through and specific.

Over the course of my life I have become curious on what makes us dream and why. Sometimes I am able to remember my dreams and when I do I never understand them. Most of what I dream is strange and inexplicable, and really makes me think about why it is that we have dreams. Therefore in this blog I want to address why we dream. A couple of online sources I have researched have helped me further comprehend the subject. The dreams we have can incorporate every image, idea and sentiment that occurs throughout the day. Dreams can be astonishingly vivid and intense or extremely unclear. Scientists all over the world have been performing sleep studies for many years to further understand dreams, however we still aren’t completely positive about how and why we dream. It’s understood by the entire scientific community that everyone dreams, however, the amount of dreams we remember usually depends on the person. There are numerous theories on the matter of dreaming and why they occur. One of these theories is that dreams occur to aid the brain in the process of sorting through everything it has experienced over the course of the day. A person typically experiences hundreds of thousands of thoughts each day, and while we sleep the brain goes through all of this information to see what it needs to remember and what it is able to forget and get rid of in order to make room for new memories. Another theory that has been developed is that dreams usually depict our emotions. If you are pondering something heavily on your mind during the day, odds are you may dream about it either specifically, or through comprehensible imagery. As long as many features of the human brain remain a mystery, we probably won’t be able to determine with complete certainty precisely why it is that we have dreams.

http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/your-dreams

http://io9.com/10-theories-that-explain-why-we-dream-897195110

GMO’s or genetically modified organisms are “organisms whose genome has been altered in order to favour the expression of desired physiological traits or the output of desired biological products” according to Merriam Webster. Genetic Engineering can have some very beneficial uses, including an increase in crop yield, lowered costs of production, and it can serve as an active pesticide (Nature.com). If they are so beneficial to farmers, what’s the problem?

What most people don’t know is the negative side effects of what the GMO’s can do to us. A popular GMO used in crops is one that naturally produces a pesticide inside the crop so that farmers don’t have to spray it. If the crop has the pesticides in it that ward off insects, what do you think that is doing to our bodies as well. In small doses it probably won’t do much but now that GMO’s are being put into many products our consumption will be going up, which cannot be good for our bodies. There hasn’t been many intensive studies done on humans to see the exact long term effects it has on our bodies because most of the popular GMO companies will not allow it, which seems pretty sketchy to begin with.

   (it says patent pending on the corn)

In India they use a certain genetically engineered crop called BT Cotton. When they let it harvest, many of the sheep went and grazed on it. It was then observed that many of the sheep ended up dying. Not even just a few of them but the number was in the thousands. We as humans are not sheep so it might not have the same effect on us, but is that something that you want to chance? More extensive research should go into the side effects of GMO’s before it is simply too late.

Sources:

– http://elitedaily.com/life/gmos-are-killing-us/

– http://www.globalresearch.ca/gmo-scandal-the-long-term-effects-of-genetically-modified-food-on-humans/14570

We as college students have been there. You finish up a night of homework and can’t wait to jump into bed and put on your favorite tv show, that you’ve been streaming on netflix. Over the past few years netflix has grown from a dvd delivery business to one of the most successful ways people are getting their entertainment. Every week netflix adds a new series to its ranks, and everyday someone falls into the netflix  spell and becomes addicted to it. So how do you know you are a netflix addict? I myself have researched this question and have some tell signs and also have researched the drawbacks of watching too much Netflix.

You know you are a netflix addict when: you’re more consumed with fictional characters lives then your own, Even though you are very busy you plan when you are going to squeeze in the time to watch your show, One of the greatest joys you have is going back to the beginning of a favorite show and rewatching it over and over again, You cancel plans to stay home and watch netflix, You have a panic attack when your computer says you are running out of battery.

The above paragraph is just a few ways that you can tell if you are in fact addicted to Netflix. These days when people are asked to describe themselves a lot of people say: “I watch way too much TV” and in this case even though its a first thought it is an accurate one. Sixty-one percent of people who stream at least one TV show per week reported that they binge on shows, and 73 percent reported “positive feelings” about the behavior.

Yes, we all like to watch our tv shows but according to various articles the status of binge watching is growing higher and higher. According to E! news a new study suggest that binge watching tv is killing you! According to this study  hours spent in front of a TV watching several episodes at a time may increase the risk of suffering form an early death. In the study, researched assessed 13,284 Spanish university graduated described as “young and healthy,” their average age was 37 and 60 percent of them were women. The study focused on the association between three types of (fairly common) behaviors—TV viewing time, driving time and computer time—and the risk of death. Researchers followed the study participants for a median of 8.2 years and reporter 97 deaths with 19 attributed to cardiovascular causes, 46 from cancer and 32 from other causes. The study found the risk of death was two times higher for participants who reported watching three or more hours of TV a day. According to an E! news article.

So if you are reading this and you are all of a sudden becoming concerned because you had the characteristics of being someone who frequently watches television shows, don’t be alarmed this is just one study but maybe try to space out those last few episodes a little bit more and get some fresh air.

http://thoughtcatalog.com/kate-bailey/2014/01/15-signs-youre-actually-addicted-to-neflix/

http://www.eonline.com/news/554636/is-binge-watching-tv-killing-you-new-study-suggests-risks

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/13/binge-watching-netflix_n_4441059.html