Monthly Archives: September 2015

The Science Behind Giving Dogs Treats: Positive Reinforcement.

A few years ago, my little sister had a dog named Chloe. During the time she had Chloe, she could never seem to teach her any tricks. My sister kept on trying to teach the dog different tricks, but each time she failed. So one day I decided to do some research on training dogs to perform certain tasks and I came across some very useful information, which proved to be a success in the end.

Here’s the link that helped me teach my sister’s dog to roll over.

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The most interesting aspect of my research was that the treat acted as positive reinforcement, which is a form of appraisal – which is a reward system that makes it more likely for a dog to repeat a particular behavior. John B. Watson actually did various behavioral studies.

Positive reinforcement can be applied to every day life in many ways other than just teaching dogs tricks. Many parents use it when dealing with their children. For example, if a child wants their parents approval, the parent can reward the child for good behavior, then the child will feel the need to keep on behaving accordingly thus decreasing negative tendencies.

On the other hand, behaviorist B.F. Skinner believed that  classical conditioning was too simple and that other outside factors had to be involved. He concluded that there were:

  • Reinforcers- those surrounding an individual and increase the chances of good behavior elicited by them. One can be rewarded by treats, good grades, etc
  • Punishers- those who provide negative consequences for one’s wrong doings. For example, police, judges, etc.
  • Neutral Operants- those who have no effect on the way you behave. They just simply observe or pay no mind to it. This could be people outside of your immediate circle and you have no interaction with

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For more info follow this link

 

Not Eating is NOT going to make you lose weight

Many people believe that if you skip meals or you start cutting back on the amount you eat without replacing them with healthy foods is going to help you lose weight. Well that isn’t quite true. In my psych class in high school, I learned that when a person keeps skipping meals and has a constant empty stomach the body starts storing up fat. It does this because whenever food was hard to get in prehistoric time, the body knew that it would go through periods without eating or getting energy. So whenever the body did receive food it would take the fat and store it so it can have it whenever food would be scarce again. Now, whenever food is not scarce and we decide to skip a meal the body is actually accumulating the fat that it’s getting from the food when we actually decide to eat.

In the article Diet Myth News Flash: Eating Less Does Not Cause Fat Loss, it states that the only thing the body is losing whenever no food is being consumed is muscle. The body is storing the fat which contains energy rather than the muscle. It wants less tissue which causes calories to be burned faster. The article says, “Studies show that up to 70% of the weight lost while eating less comes from burning muscle – not body fat!” Once the body starts consuming more food it still has all of that fat and gains new fat on top of that because it’s making sure it has some fat saved up for the next time the body is not fed.

The smartest thing to do if one is trying to lose weight is exercise and eat healthy portions. Don’t skip meals or go a day without eating because in the end all if will do is store fat and get rid of muscle.

Why infanticide happened in animal world?

Why infanticide happened in animal world?

Taking good care of cubs is animal parents’ responsibility. However, the behavior like infanticide do exists in the real world. Why does some animal kill or eat baby?

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The behavior of infanticide can happen when the leader of a pack changed. The new pack leader would kill the entire old one’s offspring. Then they will mate the females and produce its’ own cubs. It often happened in lion’s pack. Here is a video record the entire process. Sometimes it will happen in macaque pack, too. This is kind of a nature rule that eat the baby not their own. But why some animals kill their own children besides above situation.

 

In some extents, parents will consider their eggs or cubs as easy food. This can be happened at when the environment is extreme bad that they cannot get food for months. Male polar bear will kill baby polar bear; even it is their own blood. There always a fight between male and female poly bear at this time. Sometimes female will eat the sick one in order to keep others alive. However, sometimes the animal infanticide behavior is so weird that it seems like they kill baby for no reason.

Sources: http://www.livescience.com/2053-animals-eat-offspring.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140328-sloth-bear-zoo-infanticide-chimps-bonobos-animals/

Is The Freshman 15 Real?

Before heading off to college, students are warned of the Freshman 15– the infamous 15 lbs. that students are supposedly going to gain by the end of their first year. Entering college and being completely independent is a nice feeling, but can poor eating choices really lead to the Freshman 15?

Not necessarily.

According to The Huffington Post, while students are likely to gain weight during their first year away at college, the rumors might be a bit drastic, with students gaining around an average of 5 lbs rather than 15. In fact, a study done at Ohio State University found that, “Less than ten percent of the freshmen gained 15 pounds (or more), and a full quarter of the students actually lost weight in their first year.”

In fact, the bigger risk that students face from the hype surrounding the Freshman 15 is more mental than physical. Putting pressure on students to watch what they eat can be more harmful than helpful, as students are put at a greatest risk of increased anxiety levels and even the possibility of developing eating disorders.

Therefore, it is important to remember not to constantly berate new students with this idea of the Freshman 15; they will make the right decisions for themselves, they just need the time to realize how to do that.

Squirrel can avoid rattlesnake attack by Shake their tail!!!

Squirrel can avoid rattlesnake attack by Shake their tail!!!

First let’s look at this video. In this video we can see that the small squirrel got attack by the snake, however, the bigger one avoid the attack by shaking its tail.

So, why does rattle snake do not attack the squirrel which shake its tail? It is common sense that dogs shake their tail means they show their friendly. Is that has the same meaning between squirrel and rattlesnake? They have some mysterious bond between each other?

 

First let’s get to know about rattlesnake. Rattlesnake wildly distribute at South and North America. They gained name rattlesnake because they will rattle their tail as a warning if they sense dangers coming. They bite their prey and let them go until the venom get worked, then they will find the corpse and eat it. Why rattlesnakes give up on attack squirrel which shake their tails? Scientists implant tracking equipment in several rattlesnakes’ body and release them. According to the information they found that, if squirrel shake their tails when they met a rattlesnake the squirrels nearby will do the same thing. It’s not friendly information, however, it can mislead rattlesnake that make the rattlesnake think they will not achieve their attack because the prey is moving.

Very clever isn’t it? Avoid the rattlesnake by mislead them. Squirrel is a kind of pretty tough animal here is another video about how they fight.Amazing fight.

 

Recent years, lots of people hunt rattlesnake for profit purpose. It makes the rattlesnake species in danger. What’s more, scientists found that some wild rattlesnake do not rattle their tail as frequently as before in order to avoid being found by hunter. This makes rattlesnake even more danger than before because if they don’t rattle their tail. The people walk around it cannot notice it and may get attack without warning.

Sources: http://www.rattlesnakes.us/

http://news.sciencemag.org/2012/07/tail-shakes-scare-snakes

Is Smoking Hookah Better Than Smoking Cigarettes?

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Concussion Misconceptions

Those of you who have experienced a concussion know what all goes along with it, but for those of you who don’t you might have questions about concussion or might that concussions are something they aren’t.

First off some people might think that concussions are only caused by a direct blow to the head. This is a false misconception because a concussion can be caused my many things.  Any hit in fact can cause a concussion as long as the energy from the hit transfers to the head. This means that any hit around the head or neck area can cause someone to get a concussion.

Another common thought among concussions is that you should wake the person up every couple of hours if they have a concussion. The truth about this is that if a doctor has not diagnosed serious injury then it is perfectly fine to let the person sleep through the night.

Now I ask you, what do you think you know about concussions and what is actually the truth about them.

Can Music Help Us Feel Better?

We’ve all been there. Either you have a cold or you are exhausted from studying all night or feeling homesick, listening to your favorite song can make you feel better. Why is this?

Well, according to a study done at the University of Missouri, listening to upbeat songs can boost your mood, but there’s a catch, “this only works if you’re consciously aware you’re trying to make yourself happier by listening to the songs.” Otherwise, the music has no affect on your mood. The study also concluded that, “actively seeking out happiness through music…can then improve your health and relationship satisfaction.” If upbeat doesn’t work for you, try romantic songs; these songs create feelings of nostalgia, generating the same effect.

Not only is music able to help us feel better emotionally, but it helps us physically as well. According to Psychologies, “As we listen, music works on the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for controlling blood pressure and heartbeat.” Music has been shown to help lower blood pressure and anxiety levels.

According to Psychology Today, dopamine is released from the brain when we listen to our favorite music, “From an academic standpoint, this is a fascinating study. According to the researchers, this may be the first study to show that an abstract reward such as listening to music–as opposed to a tangible reward such as eating and sleeping–releases dopamine.”This study proves that listening to music is effective in helping us feel better.

So, next time you feel like you need a pick-me-up, try listening to your favorite song or even having a little dance session. It’s scientifically proven to work.

What makes you write?

As many of you might be writers, or some of you may not even be a fan of writing. The fact is, we all write – doesn’t matter if you are an engineering major, math or any science major – we all have to write at some point in our lives. You have to tap your fingers on that keyboard to write for this blog, whether you like writing or not! So, even if you may write because you enjoy it, or that you have to – what gets you to write?

Writing habits, or habits that make you write. Some of these habits might be normal and some might even seem strange to some of you. Science has proven that a handful of people can be addicted to a habit that makes them write with ease. I had an English teacher in high school, who would be biting the cap of his pen while he focused to write. I asked him once if he could stop this habit and just write, and he replied with an absolute no. Of course, this habit can be fatal for him with bacteria, but writing with comfort for him was important. And that’s just not it. There are many famous writers who wrote some of the brilliant pieces of literature you read today with strange and not so strange habits.

According to the Barnes and Nobles website, there are and have been some well-known writers that have used their own ways in order to produce the hard-to-put down pieces you read while you sip your coffee or tea.  A favorite author of many like Maya Angelou chose to write in a tiny hotel room from dawn to 2 a.m. in the morning. Now, many writers or even non-writers prefer a certain type of environment in order to feel comfortable with their writing. It is normal because many of us might prefer a loud environment and we would feel OK (I am one of those people), and some of us prefer a very quiet environment where we can only hear the sound of the keyboard at work. The environment you choose whether quiet or loud only determines your style of peace – it does not define that loud is necessary not peaceful, thus for some people it might be.

Then there are people who drink in order to write, and by drink I mean tremendous amount of it. Drinks like coffee (author Honore de Balzac would drink 50 cups of coffee during the day), tea, alcohol (Edgar Allen Poe) and other drinks. Of course, too much amount of caffeine or alcohol will effect your body in horrific ways. I for once, ended up in emergency for over-caffeinated myself because I was working on a novel at that time. Blame the novel, alright!

Now we transition to the ‘lazy writers.’ And this also includes me, sometimes. As some of you might dislike writing to even start with, or some of you might even get overwhelmed with zero or too many ideas to start and end with. So, you get lazy and your mind triggers you to do things that you normally would not do in other cases. For example, Truman Capote, another famous writer had many of his own lazy methods to write, including: stretching many times on a bed or sofa, switching various types of drinks from martinis to tea green and so on. All of these habits are a big excuse of being lazy, or working in a slow process. This can be helpful to relax and think, but can also make it harder for you to work faster and meet your deadlines.

Lets not forget the writers who use different ‘positions’ and ‘postures’ in order to write contently. Even a very famous writer like Ernest Hemingway would ” write while standing, in a pair of over-sized loafers and his typewriter at chest height. I wonder if this made him tired or actually comfortable? And it gets stranger… Dan Brown, also a well-known writer would “hang upside-down in anti-gravity boots, claiming that this inversion therapy helps him relax and let go.” He was went far than just stretching or being ‘upside-down.’ He would keep an hourglass by his desk, and every hour he did push-ups to sit-ups and more. Like many of us, we do weird things to keep our body working, relaxed and focused, so that our blood keeps normal flow in the brain to keep balance. I take yoga breaks during long writing projects to relax my body and mind. I also go on my phone, eat a lot of snacks (which is not good) and even take in between naps to take a break from writing, or it can be a lazy excuse as well.

All these habits and many may help you write and even writer better, but sometimes they might be harming you more rather helping you with just the writing part. If you tend to have a habit or more than one, then it is important to know if it is good or bad for you – and of course, you can only determine that. I try my best to cut loose on some of the bad habits that I find useful or addictive in order to write with ease, or even as an excuse to  – write slow or not at all. One of my worst habits – in my opinion, is eating a lot of sugary snacks and drinking too much tea. It’s good to stay energetic and active, but not overdose oneself with caffeine and sugar. And It’s hard for me to admit, but I also tend to bite the back of my pen a lot when I write. Whatever drives you to write, it is your choice and only you can make sense of it and consider it peaceful, even though it might not seem peaceful or appropriate to others. Nevertheless, it is crucial to be aware that your body does not receive any bad outcomes, and that you control your habit(s) from going out of control. So, keep writing with your strange habits, but be aware of not letting them take over you! You take cold-shower breaks in order to keep writing? No judging! If this makes you a better Stephen King in your fiction class, then why not? Just don’t take too many in one day.

9 Weirdest Habits of Highly Effective Authors Here is a link to the Barnes and Nobles website, where i received most of my information about some of these writers. You might want to check out the even weirder ones! Also, I am curious to read about your strange habits of writing. They might be cool, or even similar to the ones I talked about.

Why “the munchies” Are a Thing

Everyone has different opinions when it comes to marijuana and its recreational use. Some states have it legalized and others do not, but everyone that has tried this drug knows what comes after smoking it. This drug makes people that use it experience this rush of hunger some time after, better known as the “munchies.” What causes this momentary hunger? Marijuana has the ability to strengthen some of our senses when at the same time it slows some of them down. For example, people appear to be dazed and motionless, but when it comes to food, our sense of smell gets multiplied so everything seems more appetizing.ediblesmarijuana_406x250

There have been many scientific studies to prove the munchies theory. For example, scientists have tested two mice, one high and one not, and the result was that the high mouse ate more compared to his counterpart and you can see that experiment here. Scientists say, “promote food intake in fasted mice by increasing odor detection.” So it’s our brains telling us that the smell from normal food is 10x greater than what it should be. Therefore, foods we normally wouldn’t eat regularly look, smell and taste that much better.

THC in marijuana is responsible for the increase in appetite. The effects of the drug go straight to the part of your brain where you senses are controlled. Have you ever heard the saying, when you lose one of your senses, the other four become stronger? Well, this sort of thing applies to the munchies from marijuana. According to this article, from getting “high,” your motions, reactions, speech, though process, sight are all slowed down but your sense for smell is exemplified. When getting a small whiff of food regardless of what it is, you’ll get a craving for it. Take the food you hate the most, for example brussel sprouts. If that was the first food you smelt when under the influence, you’d be immediately attracted to it. That’s why people with the munchies eat so many different foods, because they either smell something or get a craving for it.

Majority of the time, when you have munchies, you’re initially attracted to sweets. Everyone likes sweets and we see it as a comfort food. Especially when in a different state of mind, all you want to do is return to comfort. But munchies can be a dangerous thing to those who smoke because nobody ever chooses a salad for his or her munchies snack. As I stated before, we’d rather something sweet, sugary so the amount of harm that is doing to your body can be way worse than the drug itself.CannabisCupcakeBest

People are attracted to food when under the influence because of the THC that gets put in our brain because it basically controls us and tells us to get food. The first thing you smell/see is the snack you want and our sense of smell is amplified where we can smell things more distinctly. Our taste buds aren’t factored in to this but because our smell is much stronger, we think the taste is better as well. Its like when your sick and you have a stuffy nose and when you try to eat you can barely taste anything. Because our smell is enhanced, we think our “taste” is also enhanced and that’s why food tastes so good when your high.

Is Netflix Bad For You?

“One more episode.”

Wrong.

It is never just one more episode. Why is it that I can’t seem to watch a show on Netflix without realizing four hours later that it has, in fact, been four hours since I started watching?

Many people, including myself, can’t help but indulge in binge-watching shows on Netflix. Whether you’re a college student trying to avoid doing homework or an older person who just can’t seem to grasp the concept of a DVR, Netflix is the simple solution. However, Netflix may not be as great for you as you think. In fact, people who watch more television than is recommended are put at a greatest risk of gaining weight, as well as developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Not only can Netflix have a negative impact on your physical health, it can also affect your mental health. According to The Huffington Post, people who feel lonely and/or depressed are more likely to be susceptible to binge-watching.

And for a double whammy, sitting in one spot for hours on end can affect you both physically and mentally simultaneously. While your circulation and metabolism are slowing down, your brain is also being strained from everything that is has to process while watching so much TV at one time.

A study done on students at the University of Texas-Austin found that students who binge-watch are more likely to have self-control issues, leading them to neglect responsibilities and even relationships.

So while it may seem like an amazing idea to binge-watch the entire fourth season of Friends, it’s probably not. Do your homework, hang out with your friends, even catch up on your sleep! Just please don’t stare at a screen for hours. You can thank me later.

Code Switching in the Minds of Children!

As a language major, I hold the power of speaking more than one language in very high esteem. However, it’s not simply the ability to speak in another way that provides people with the power of knowing other languages. Bilingualism allows an individual to view the world without a previously and singularly constructed set of ways to view the world, and the value of words and meaning further expand beyond something previously exclusive, and apart from the human capacity for reasoning without words! Have you ever been in a language class, or studying abroad, or simply speaking with friends that say something to you in your non-native language, and you understand them clearly without needing to translate each word to the letter for your mind to understand it? This is largely due to the fact that learning new languages can further separate your mind’s ability to think of things without the crutch of a ‘native’ aspect of thought.

 

The term “Code-Switching” describes a phenomenon that occurs in the mind of a bilingual individual. When speaking, they replace a segment of their active speech with a word that fulfills the syntax and grammatical requirements of the second language, resulting a “gap” in the first language that is filled by an unwitting reflex in the mind to fill this response with the first meaning that comes up. The fascinating part about code-switching, however, has been shown to have less to do with a speaker’s inability to continue speaking in a specific language, and more with “triggers” and active lexical loans from phrasings and thoughts that may be active toward another language they can willingly command, but in the case of code-switching, unwittingly do so. For example, if a native English speaker is speaking in Russian about a topic with mostly English-compatible cognates, the probability to code-switch is conducive, simply because there is an overlap between the parts of speech and structures of words. In contrast, there are certain topics that have a very shallow level of vocabulary to explain in a certain language, and in order for a bilingual person to successfully explain their point, their capacities rapidly scramble to put together the nearest approximation, which can result in switching languages briefly without realizing immediately.

 

The applications behind Code-Switching mainly deal with the neurological concept of meaning association. For example, common observances with children who grow up in a bilingual household- meaning one or more persons in the family speaks a language other than English, in this case- can become uncomfortable around a new person they meet that has the same name as one of their parents or siblings. At this stage in the mind’s development, meaning association becomes slightly fragmented, and the mind moves beyond this discovery behind a word that has an abstract purpose beyond letters and sounds. Here is an example of how code-switching affects the minds of children, and with more research on how Code-Switching takes effect in oral conversation and in thought, code-switching could demonstrate developments in how to learn second languages!

 

An example of code-switching and lexical loaning, whereas the languages the ad jumps between does not rely on the exclusive attempt to make the reader think in another language, but to fill meaning!

An example of code-switching and lexical loaning, whereas the languages the ad jumps between does not rely on the exclusive attempt to make the reader think in another language, but to fill meaning!

 

Reyes, Iliana. Functions of Code Switching in Schoolchidren´s Conversations. University of Arizona, 2004. Web. <http://www.u.arizona.edu/~ireyes/bibDoc/Reyes_BRJ_2004.pdf>.

Charlie Charlie are you there.

Earlier during the summer there was this game called charlie charlie. Its an old Mexican tradition  that has been around forever. Its basically a game where you basically try and summon this Mexican spirit named Charlie.

The way you play, is you take a piece of paper, fold it half and then make two lines with one going the vertical way and horizontal for the other.  Then you’ll write yes yes in the top left and bottom right, and no no in the opposite corners. Once that is done you grab two pencils and make a cross with them in the middle of the paper, but make sure they’re balanced. After all that is done you ask the question “charlie Charlie can we play?” If the answer is yes the top pencil moves to yes. Then you will ask it questions. If the answer is no, then you just repeat the question. To end the game you have to ask “Charlie Charlie can we stop?” If the answer is yes, break the pencils and burn the paper immediately, and all will be good.

Here’s an example of how its played by a famous YouTube star Miranda Sings.

Now there a few theories as to why this happens. One of the reasons that scientists came up with as to why this happens is becuase of  gravity. According to the website The Independent “With the Charlie Charlie game, however, nobody is actually touching the pencils. But they are still likely being pushed-the pencils have to be so finely balanced on top od each other that even the slightest movement from a breath or slightly tilted surface will push it around.”

This correlates to the second reasoning which is mind games. With Charlie Charlie game, when people who played ask “Charlie Charlie are you there?” in anticipation hoping something would happen and the pencils didn’t move they gave up. After a split second though, you look back and think you see that the pencils did move slightly into the yes. This is actually your brain playing tricks on you, just to make you believe the game actually worked.

After reading all this research, my thoughts on this is I don’t believe in the dead and that some spirit named Charlie all the way from Mexico, would play this game because some people wanted to see if  something would happen.

Does Reading Braille Process Differently Than Visual Text?

Reading is just one of the literal lists of ways that the human mind can take in information from the surrounding environment. Of all the senses that we take for granted and see as commonplace, our brains are able to commit, calculate, and process things in real time, with remarkable speed. In a study that examined the neurological implications of the mind’s associations of meanings with certain words, there was strong evidence shown in brain scans that demonstrated the brain’s instantaneous ability to respond in localized places! For example, if participants in the study read words about cookies, or dealing with a strong unpleasantness of smell like “pungent”, the olfactory sense area of the brain would light up on the scan in response, without the presence of any smells to trigger such a response. So what about reading Braille? Is there any real difference in the process as far as the brain is concerned? Interestingly enough, studies in Israel, Canada and France conducted tests within a population of both sighted and non-sighted people, asking them to read in their respective capacities. After brain scans and collecting data, the brain scans of non-sighted readers still showed brain activity in the area of the brain that receives stimuli visually! To further insure that there was no simple trend of memory or anticipation showing an anecdotal activation of these regions in the scans of non-sighted readers, the Braille texts included randomizations of characters that, speaking on language and meaning of the text, were nonsensensical, stuctureless combinations that don’t make any sense. For example, it’s easy to make predictions about what word could come next in a sentence, even if an individual doesn’t specifically read the word, because the brain tends to fill in gaps of meaning to make the process of information gathering easier when speaking, reading or listening.

 

Braille, named after its inventor, has demonstrated to activate the same regions of the brain as with sighted readers reading letters visually!

Braille, named after its inventor, has demonstrated to activate the same regions of the brain as with sighted readers reading letters visually!

 

In the studies, the magnetic resonance imaging showed that in these instances of the data being collected, the brain activity between sighted and non-sighted readers was indistinguishable! Imagine that, even without the need for sight to take in information to read, the brain still activates certain mechanisms that associate information. Fascinating! With more research, any consistency in brain activity can be useful to develop an understanding on the parts of the brain that deal with reading deficiencies and difficulties with memory! There are also factors such as the individual’s finger size that affect their speed and ease of reading Braille, and their tactile acuity, which is a term that describes the localization of specific skills that touch allows someone to do acutely, like reading Braille. To read Braille, readers have to still imagine the shapes they feel in their touch, and associate this shape somewhat visually with meaning in their memory! I wonder what other applications this visual-neural association could have in the future.

Why do people meditate?

The other night I felt myself becoming overwhelmed by trying to handle various task and obligations, such as completing school work, attending different meetings, exercising, and keeping a social life. While trying to balance everything, I began to get stressed and it showed. The next day my friend realized that I was currently troubled, so he recommended me to attend a meditation class with him to help unwind – I accepted.

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After leaving the class I felt slightly rejuvenated and like some of the weight that was on my shoulders disappeared. Also, I felt less stressed.

So, what’s the science behind meditation?

Meditation is a form of deep thinking, and examining your mind. People meditate in order to relieve stress/weariness. Researcher believe that meditating leads to understanding of life and less suffering.

According to an article, meditation works because of 5 categories of brain waves:

  • Gamma State- state of hyperactivity/learning
  • Beta State- where analyzing, planning, assessing, and categorizing takes place
  • Alpha State-when the brain waves begin to slow down, and we become more calm and peaceful
  • Theta State- where verbal/thinking mind transitions to meditative/visual
  • Delta State-most people experience this in the final state during sleep, where the brain waves range from a low 1-3 Hz

brain waves

For a more in depth analysis on all of the States, click here.

Benefits of meditation are:

  • Decreased insomnia
  • Reduction in blood pressure
  • Reduced risk of diseases, illnesses, and cardiovascular deaths.
  • More focused
  • Less anxiety/stress
  • More creativity

benefits of meditation

Statistics and Facts on Meditation:

It leads to neuroplasticity (brain’s ability to change structurally/functionally).

neuro

A study showed that men and women who meditated forty-minutes per day had thicker cortical walls (associates with memory, decision making, and attention functions) than those who don’t meditate. This also means that their brains aged at a slower rate.

For more fascinating facts follow this link.

Last of all, how do we meditate? Many people think they need to purchase things like yoga pants or incense candles, and sit in some fancy style, but all you need to do is concentrate and focus on one thing for a brief period. The objective of meditation is to properly train your brain, just like one would with the rest of their muscles. So, if you’re interested in relieving some stress and exercising your brain, then follow this link for a short tutorial on how to meditate. Enjoy!

 

 

Sleep, Too Much of a Good Thing?

Have any of you every thought that you could have too much sleep in one night. I bet many of you have never considered that to even be a remote possibility. Well guess what its true. There is such thing as too much sleep and it has been linked to some pretty serious medical conditions.

According to a study oversleeping can be linked to discuss such as diabetes and heart disease. These are very serious consequences that could arise from just oversleeping. In this study however, the researches where clear to point out that over sleeping is mostly occurring in people experiencing depression.

In a study conducted by Dr. Franco Cappuccino, where people where analyzed and divided into 3 categories based on sleep schedule, there was a staggering number of people who slept longer than 8 hours daily that passed away earlier than those who slept 8 hours daily. Specifically 12% of those who slept fewer and 30% of those who slept longer passed away before those who slept 8 hours daily.

This was a terrifying study because who would have thought that just sleeping in a little linger than normal would cause you to die earlier in life.

My question to you is, Do you get your 8 hours every day?

The Golf Ball

When it comes to choosing a golf ball, the decision is often divided into two categories, distance versus spin. Distance is more critical off the tee, getting you to the green quicker than a ball aimed for spin will. However, the latter will result in increased control over the ball, which will be particularly useful on shots around the greens, designed to set up shorter putts. Therefore the question for golfers has always been which to choose, one that offers more control, or more distance? To help answer this question, let’s analyze the engineering that goes into the golf ball.

First its important to note that the type of ball a golfer will choose varies by each player, depending on the golfer’s style of play. That being said golfers looking for more distance off the tee will prefer a harder ball, CNN’s Peter Sorel-Cameron notes. Whys this? Dr. Martin Strangwood, a member of the International Sports Engineering Association, is cited in the same article explaining that, “If you deform a rubber and then release it — so as it’s hit by the club head it compresses down and then it leaves the face, and so it returns to a spherical face — that loses energy. The more you deform it, the more energy you lose.” The rubber being referenced here is the material core of a golf ball, a Golf Galaxy states, adding that the larger the core of the ball, the more power and speed is generated, resulting in more distance. At Srixon, a leading golf brand, they report that “all shots have backspin [and] backspin is certainly helpful around the green for added control, but too much spin can reduce distance.” Due to this insight, a harder ball will benefit this type of golfer more than a softer ball, as it offers more distance but less control. Another noteworthy component of the golf ball is its trademark dimples that give it its distinct look. These serve great purpose, also helping the ball to travel further. How’s this? Well its quite obvious that anything flying through the air is fighting against wind resistance, this is where the dimples come in handy. As Cameron writes, “the dimples reduce the drag the air has on the ball, and gives even the shots played with major backspin a much truer trajectory.” Srixon agrees, stating, “…Drag is the force that opposes the golf ball’s motion.” Thus eliminating drag, and adding to the lift of the ball will give it more distance when hit. Lastly, the cover of the ball plays an important role in its flight. Referencing the Golf Galaxy article, “The cover is often made of Surlyn or urethane. Surlyn is durable and enhances distance and spin. Urethane is softer and offers better feel and control.” All these components work together to make the golf ball work as efficiently as possible for the desired play.

So to summarize, the golf ball is much more complex than most assume. And to answer the question which type of ball is best, well I really can’t. Ultimately it is up to the golfer as to what kind of ball he wants to use, depending on their skill set. There are many elements in each ball that allow it to work better for specific approaches, and its important to note just how huge of a role modern technology has on the sport, as seen through the engineering of the golf ball.

Here is a video explaining some of the science behind a golf ball’s motion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkaLsVOrBk0

Works Cited

“Ball Technology.” Performance – Srixon. Srixon Sports Europe Ltd. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.

“Golf Ball Buying Guide.” Golf Ball Comparison Chart. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.

Sorel-Cameron, Peter. “The Science of a Golf Ball.” CNN. Cable News Network. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.

 

 

The way that Netflix affects your brain

I stay up later than I should binge watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix, and I’m sure I’m not alone with that habit. I’ll start watching and then before I know it I’m already on my 4th or 5th episode. I’ve started to wonder what this does to my brain! I decided to research it and look at the science behind my bad habit.

According to the Huffington Post, a survey that Netflix conducted from December concluded that “61 percent of about 1,500 online respondents say that they binge-watch TV regularly (which was defined as watching between two and six episodes of the same TV show in one sitting)”. Sitting and watching that many tv shows can slow your circulation and also slow down your metabolism, both bad for your health.

After reading an article from Refinery29, I learned that humans have actually “evolved” to watch this much television. This source says that “Television’s continuously changing visual and audio stimulation triggers our ‘orienting response'”. This orienting response is defined as the extra time and attention that we give to anything new in our lives.

After reading more from this website I learned that during the first half hour of watching Netflix,  your brain activity goes from left to right. This means that it goes from the left hemisphere to the right hemisphere from the state of REASON to the state of EMOTION. This causes the brain to release endorphins!

The next time I’m binge watching Friends or Friday Night Lights I will think about how I learned that binge watching TV actually isn’t all that bad for you

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Can Dancing Benefit Health?

Who would have guessed that dancing can benefit your health? Not me, I would not have been the one to say that dancing would have so many health benefits to it. Turns out I was wrong, as a matter of fact dancing has a ton of health benefits that could help many people in the world.

Of the countless benefits of dancing some of the most important are improved condition of lungs and heart, and better social skills. These along with many other benefits can help just about every person live a healthier life. Dancing also has some key benefits that will help people as they become older. Specifically dancing can make bones stronger and reduce risk of osteoperosis.

Dancing has also been known to help with learning. Because dancing pumps blood to the brain along with glucose and oxygen, the brain is in a state when its cognitive skills are at its highest. Studies have been shown that the hippocamus and cerebral cotrex improved though dance.

Dancing has so many benefits and positive things to it, its a surprise more people aren’t dancing every day.

So let me ask you. How often do you dance?

Why dogs bark?

To whoever has a dog, have you ever wondered what is causing them to bark at certain times in the day. There could be a number of things that are causing your dogs to bark. However there are a few specific events or situations that will cause your dog to bark.

Some of these situations include Attention/Demand, Boredom/Frustration, Fear, Territoriality/Protectiveness, Playfulness/Excitement, and Health Issues. Each of these barks come with specific body language from your dog. For example if your dog is territorial and barking, he/she may be standing with their tail held up high and their ears facing forward.

While dogs barking may be their way for communication with one another and their owners, it can turn into a problem. What I mean by this is that there can come a time when your dog may be constantly barking. This most commonly becomes a problem when a dog is barking for companionship.

Problem barking can arise because of the environment the dog lives in. To help control problem barking, make sure your dog is living in a comfortable environment and is well taken care of and happy.

The Perfect Swing

I bet those of you who have played baseball, including myself, have dreamed of hitting a home-run like the major leaguers do. Even though you’ve watched their swing and imitated them and have the perfect setup and swing, it still didn’t happen. Why didn’t I hit a homer you asked? Well, there might be some key features in their swing you might not have noticed.

The main component you might have been missing is the bat speed and angle of launch that the pros have. These two component are the most important factors when it comes to hitting home-runs. With these to component matched up perfectly it becomes much easier to hit a homer.

Some more component that help pros hit more home-runs than the average player are that they practice their mechanics everyday until they are so fine tuned that their swing becomes second nature, along with the fact that in the pros, hitters swing speed are faster which allows them to have more decision time.

In conclusion there are a lot more involved in hitting a homer that just copying the swing of a pro baseball player. It more complicated and takes practice.

Why do people lie?

As unfortunate as it is, lying is an incredibly common occurrence.  Most of us told a lie or been lied to at some point.  But why do people do it, especially in situations when they could easily be caught?

Lying is often a symptom of narcissism.  Narcissists often lie in an effort to make themselves look better and to obtain fame and fortune.  Narcissists are constantly seeking attention, so it does not matter to them what they have to do to get it, as long as they have it.

Because most people don’t lie as much or as drastically as narcissists, it is easy to ignore our own tendencies to exaggerate or downplay the truth.  Pamela Meyer, who has written extensively about lying, estimates that the average person lies 10-200 times per day.

So why is it the number of times the average person lies is so high? There are multiple reasons for this.  People often lie so that they can portray themselves in a more positive light, for example only telling their side of the story.  Another lie that people frequently tell is simply by omitting the truth, again often in an effort to make themselves look better.

Then again is lying always such a bad thing?  People often lie with good intentions, to avoid hurting somebody else’s feelings. For example a person might pretend like a friend’s haircut even they think it actually looks terrible.  These types of lies occur very often, and are 10 to 20 times more common than lies where people pretend to like something than they actually do not.  Women are especially prone to telling lies in order to protects someone’s feelings, men much less so.  Instead men are more likely to lie about themselves.

Additionally, culture can affect a person’s attitude towards lying.  For example, as Alison Kornet writes in Psychology today “Only about half of elderly Korean Americans believe that patients diagnosed with life-threatening metastatic cancer should be told the truth about their condition. In contrast, nearly 90 percent of Americans of European or African descent felt that the terminally ill should be confronted with the truth.”

However, there are some groups of people who are less likely to lie.  People with meaningful same sex relationships are less likely to lie than people who don’t, as are people who score high on psychological test measuring responsibility.  Additionally, people with depression are less likely to lie.

The Marshmallow Test

One of the most famous experiments is psychology is the marshmallow test.  The test was conducted around 1970 by Walter Mischel, a pychologist at Stanford.  The experiment consisted of placing a marshmallow in front of a four year old, and informing them that they could have one marshmallow now, or they could wait while the person conducting the experiment left the room.  If they didn’t eat the one marshmallow placed in front of them until the return the psychologist than they could have two marshmallows.  In videos of the experiment you can see children going to extreme lengths to avoid consuming the marshmallow.  The children shift in their seats, hide their eyes and even bang their heads upon the table, all in an effort to avoid eating the marshmallow.  In one trial an Oreo was used instead of a marshmallow, and one of the boys took the Oreo apart, ate filling and then set it back down.

The real breakthrough of the marshmallow test was it revealed exactly how important learning self-control as a child can be to creating future success.  Children who could wait longer before eating the marshmallow had better social skills in middle school as well as higher SAT scores, college completion rates, and incomes. The marshmallow test actually turned ended up being a more accurate predictor of SAT scores than IQ tests. Children who could not wait as long before they ate the marshmallow had a higher incarceration rates and were more likely to struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.

But why did some of the children in the experiment have more self control than others?  The children who were able to wait before they ate the marshmallow had usually come from more stable homes, while children who ate the marshmallow immediately were more likely to have more stressful home lives.  Kids also did better if they did not look right at the marshmallow, if they were able to distract it they found it easier to avoid giving into temptation and eating it.  Later, Mischel extended the experiment by having children use their imagination.  If they imagined that they were looking at a picture of a marshmallow or a could wait about three times longer than children who did not.  By imagining the marshmallow as something else, the children were able to use different, less impulse oriented pathways in their brains.  So the marshmallow test played an influential role in explaining the importance of self-control.

Source: Brooks, David. The Social Animal. Pine Street, U.K.: Short, 2011. Print.

Online Dating

What should I wear? How does my hair look? These are some of the nerve wrecking questions that flows through the mind of singles getting ready for their date. Not to worry, when it comes to online dating you do not have to worry about these things. Everyone wants to find love and to be loved. Now a days love is being found all over the internet but is it true love? The internet is a place for people to escape and to explore. More and More dating sites are becoming easier to access and more people are getting involved. But why online dating?

When it comes to online dating, their are so many benefits to starting a relationship. First off, their is unlimited numbers of people out there willing to meet you. Not only are their tons of pictures to look at, but you are also able to look at profiles of people that contain information that is relevant for you. You are able to see shared interest, age, height, dislikes, location, and incomes. Most importantly before you start to explore your options, the dating websites ask you some questions to help find your most compatible matches maybe even lover.

It is very common to hear people’s first reaction of dating online is negative because of lying and being catfish. Honestly, I can not speak on every dating websites but the ones like match, eHarmony, or Okcupid are accurate dating sites. Studies show that with online dating couples are first attractive to personalities instead of looks. Also the information given is easily traceable, but even better the person shows characteristics of seeming real and not too perfect.

Unfortunately online dating also as it downfalls, not everyone is so lucky. We have deceptions of online dating that consist of people lying about themselves. It can be any thing from location, age, occupation, income, and weight. Most of these are found from online dating that usually starts from a website that is not a dating website. Usually these fake relationships start from websites such as Twitter, Instagram, Tinder, or Facebook. People think that these are dating websites but they are not. The main goals of these social networks is not dating so when they do meet people on them then that is when it is a problem because a lot of people use these for more social networking with news, jobs, gossip, and fashion.

It really amazes me that people do get catfish, it is so heartbreaking. I see a lot of it happening on Facebook. People dedicate their lives to online dating and in the end it was nothing of what they expected. What makes it worst is that studies show that the more a person talks online the higher their expectations become. Usually the ones being catfish are the ones that have been in an online relationship for years at a time. It just shows that people really can have a connection with someone that is a complete stranger.Catfish: Mike and Felicia

Even though, Felicia did not lie about her appearance to Mike, she lied about other things such as her location and occupation but as you can see it was not intentionally for her to hurt Mike’s feeling. She was just use to portraying other people because she felt being herself was not good enough. So when she finally found someone to like her as herself she lost him. In the end, Mike did forgive Felicia but instead of being in a relationship with her, he wanted to start over and actually get to know her as the real her.

Online dating has its pros and its cons when it comes to finding true love. When it comes to dating it is not always easy, and not everyone is the same when it comes to dating. Everyone is different and everyone uses different techniques to find their perfect match. It is just easier to find love now using methods such as online dating. There will always be a flaw when it comes to online dating but that does not mean you can not just give it a try. Statistics show that 40 million Americans have or still uses online dating to find love(http://www.match.com/magazine/article/4671/). Don’t ever feel as though you are an outcast for using online dating because for every 86 unmarried men there is 100 unmarried women(http://www.match.com/magazine/article/4671/). So go for it and take the chance of finding love on the internet, there is no harm in diving into the online dating life!