This was a tough one to find studies for, but if you’ll bear with me, I think I have found a reasonable argument. The school system is failing us. They’ve stopped taking responsibility for teaching us, and are changing the way our society (and children) grow up; and I believe it is for the worse.

Some schools have changed their whole method of teaching. In my high school, some classes operated on what was called the “flipped classroom” principle. This is when a teacher makes a youtube video of him/her teaching the lesson,  then has the student watch this at home and take notes. Once in class for the day, the teacher briefly answers questions then helps the students with what would normally be considered homework. You could argue that this doesn’t help students, or you could say it does. It teaches students from an early age to be independent with their learning, to learn how to teach themselves. I personally believe that it is too early in the student’s life to be trusted with teaching themselves. This is something that you do when you pay to go to college and skip class; not something that you have to do in early high school. High school is still when you have the opportunity to take an entire year to learn a subject, take an hour a day in small classes to really learn the material.

Or do you? This article featured in the AAHE Bulletin, illustrates 7 principles of learning. Number 3 talks about Active learning. Active learning is “Learning by doing, time-delayed exchange, and real-time conversation“. Some people are Visual learners, who learn best by watching. Others learn best by hands on techniques. But you know what no one is good at? Book learning. This is what Andrew tries to eliminate by giving us practical applications and uses to apply what we learn. I feel that we as a culture are being bread for simple “learning”. We show up to class, we take notes, we read a book, we then get ready to take a test. Our test preparation consists of taking all of the information we learned, and cramming it in our Short term memory. We spit it out on our test answer sheet; then after the test we “flush” the information out of our brain to make room for the next round. We aren’t learning anything, we’re simply robots programmed to repeat what we need to repeat on a test, then move on to the next thing. I feel more teachers should be like Andrew, and try and focus on the practical implications of what we learn. By drawing connections on what we learn, we can start the process of transferring our info from short term memory into longer lasting ideas and concepts.

How interconnected do you think our world is? In fact, our world is very interconnected. The bees work to pollinate the trees, birds eat the bugs that bother cattle while out in the pasture. Trees take in the C02 that we give off and replace it with the air that we then breathe. Everything is interconnected, and arguably interdependent. If we didn’t have trees to give us fresh oxygen, we would die. If the environment didn’t have a food chain to move energy around, we as humans would have no way to gain sustainable calories for our daily lives. Everything in this world is interconnected with one thing or another.

Sometimes, it’s not evan a relevant connection. This ties in with our class discussion that “Correlation does not equal Causation”. Just because 2 things are related, doesn’t mean that there is a causation between the two things. As Andrew explained, Ice cream and murder rates rise. This doesn’t necessarily mean a correlation, but a confounding z variable influences both of the factors. This is a bit outlandish, but to put things into prospective about relationships I have this unique and slightly funny way to demonstrate relationships not equaling causation.

1st. Have you ever heard of the Bacon Number? its a game played in hollywood and at bars. The concept is that everything in hollywood relates to Kevin Bacon. So the game goes along seeing how many people you know till you can get to Kevin Bacon. This is a good example because you could say, “Oh, I know Kevin Bacon!” when you actually don’t. The same could be said in Science, when you claim you have found a causal correlation when in fact you just pieced together some studies and drew a conclusion.  SO! Beware of the studies you read.

Just for fun: Go on wikipedia, and get a random article. You think the world is interconnected? Try getting to the wiki page for the Pope in less than 7 clicks (using the hyperlinks on the articles) It’s fun!

In my last post, I talked about the possibility of getting mouth cancer from alcohol based mouthwash. Upon reading the comments about it; it was a pretty bad post. I couldn’t keep focused, and I must admit I had a bit of a Texas Sharpshooter issue when I went out to look for studies. At the conclusion of my study, I made a comment about alcohol and smoking, which didn’t relate to mouthwash at all, but will relate to this post.

We’ve all seen it; you’re at a party and all the guys head outside for a cigarette. You know from your sc200 class that smoking is bad for you, and can lead to shortened life and cancer. The question I’m going to address is why people like smoking so much more when they’re intoxicated. Doctors at Men’s Health suggest a chemical reaction in the brain. “Alcohol and nicotine stimulate the reward part of the brain” the article suggests. This leads to a mechanism by which we could create an association between drinking and smoking. As described in the article, “Drinking is like priming the pump, then you remember how nice the last time you smoked a cigarette was”. Both drinking and smoking can generate rewarding feelings, so one leads to the other. Another study to support our claim is this one; which describes the relationship correlation between smoking and drinking. Unlisted studies claim that a decrease in smoking leads to a decrease in drinking. As more bars go to no smoking rules, people are forced to step outside for their smoke. This directly leads to less drinking, because when you’re outside you can’t have a drink with you. Thinking the reverse affect, the more you smoke, the thirstier you get; so the more you drink.

So the next time you’re out drinking, think about whether or not you’re really unhappy without that cigarette. Also glance at this article which suggests a correlation between smoking cigarettes and having a bad hangover.

We’ve all been there, 7:45 and you gotta rush to your 8am. You don’t have time to brush your teeth, but for the sake of all your neighbors you need some kind of mouth product. You ran out of gum, so the only solution is mouthwash. But, could this mouthwash slowly be giving you cancer?

First, let’s describe the different types of mouthwash. An article from a dental insurance website talks about the different types of mouthwash. According to the article, there are 3 types of mouthwashes. “Mouthwash with fluorine, Cosmetic mouthwash, and Antiseptic mouthwash”. Fluorine helps fight tooth decay, Cosmetic mouthwashes simply “reduce or mask bad breath”, and Antiseptic mouthwash “attacks plaque on your teeth”. So for starters, there are many different types of mouthwash you can buy,  but according to the article, only the mouthwash with alcohol could cause cancer.

According to this research page, there is a positive link between alcohol and mouth cancer, but most of the article describes the increased risk of mouth cancer when alcohol is mixed with tobacco products. Alcohol “dehydrates the cells”, creating more nicotine absorption through the skin. As for mouthwash, this article states that “no correlation” was found in the studies quoted. After much research, I was unable to find any definitive studies linking mouthwash to oral cancer. Since I already wrote so much of this blog, i’d hate to delete it all because of a lack of study.

If I were to create a study to test this, I wold begin with a randomized control trial. I would find a sample to represent a population of men and women ages 25-35, and would assign half a generic non-alcoholic mouthwash to use regularly, and the other half an alcoholic mouthwash to use. After 5 years, I would check to see if the odds of mouth cancer increased. To avoid any “Z” factors in the experiment, I would also track drinking, and any tobacco use, as these are also known to increase risk of oral cancer.

courtesy of www.esa.int

Woo! Yep, you’ve all heard it, you’ve all read about it; they found water on mars. Does this really affect us? Should we believe the hype? An article from the  New York Times discusses the findings, that there are salt crystals on mars, deep channels, evidence of water billions of years ago. These new findings, however, show evidence of flowing water now.  Even salt water could be cured, and made into drinkable water.

What does this mean for us? When ultimately we are able to send people to Mars, You would have to pack less supplies, leaving more room for fuel. Because you would have access to water on mars, you would have be able to stay longer, conduct more experiments. You have the possibility of growing your own food, or even using plants and bacteria to produce oxygen, much like that to the forming of earth. I argue that yes, this discovery does indeed affect us, and yes, we should believe the hype. Have you ever thought about mars as our planet, billions of years later? the water is gone, the air is gone, just barren desert? This should get you excited; an opportunity to “manufacture” earth.

What would this mean to the scientific community? LOADS! The age old question that science has struggled with, part of the creation theory. Here we see mars as a blank slate, the beginnings of our controlled experiment. Scientists believe a certain bacteria in combination with plants; over billions of years, could have created enough oxygen for us to use. Mars is the perfect place to test that theory! Being able to do controlled experiments effectively ruling out third variables specific to earth; being able to factor out pollution, global warming, even something as small as a lunar eclipse. Mars presents us with the blueprint back (or forward) in time, to perform controlled experiments in conditions once thought impossible.

source: http://38.media.tumblr.com/05f059389c428540595a74b66388032f/tumblr_inline_nh7x46U6I31suuq6s.jpg

In this wildly amusing article, gastroenterologists give you permission to fart in the closed cabin of an airplane. The logic? the phrase “Better out than In”. The first time I heard the phrase was on Shrek, in reference to letting out a fart (or burp). This got me mildly curious as to whether evidence supported this claim, and if there was a causal relationship or not between Letting a fart out, or what happens if you hold it in.  According to the article, the effects of holding in a fart include bloating, stress, discomfort, and loss of concentration. The more I read into the article, the more I realized the main point was just “to let it out because turbulence could let it out anyways” Another focus of the article was on pilots, saying that the loss of concentration by trying to hold in a fart could impair the ability to fly the craft.  The origin of the phrase is actually just a thing you say, because the sound logic just isn’t there. The principal is essentially that you should just let it out, rather than try and hold it in and cause discomfort. However, this doesn’t just apply to farting, it could also be useful in stress relief, anger, sorrow, or just about any emotion you go through.

So I realized that I haven’t been relating my blogs to the class and class discussions, so I thought i’d narrow some focus down. “Why did smoking suddenly become bad?”  Long ago people believed that smoking was good for you, but then suddenly everyone started dying and coming down with cancer. What changed?

The cigarette itself. There was a Study done that took a poll of the popular cigarettes by country. They then studied the composition of the varying cigarettes. According to the study, U.S. cigarettes contain the highest dose of Tobacco Specific Nitrosamines (TSNA). The claim was that TSNA’s are what cause the different types of cancer smokers face. Please feel free not to believe that, because the study wasn’t listed, and we cant be sure if it’s a causal relationship or not. What is certain, however, is that the way people make and grow tobacco in the U.S. is different than that in, Australia, per se. the US uses a different strain of tobacco, cures it in different ways, and uses different fertilizer. All of these things “contribute to varying levels of TSNA).  Another website shows the entire history of the tobacco industry, and I’d like to point out a couple major changes.  In 1938, Phillip Morris changes glycerin in it’s cigarette to glycol. Etholyne glycol is Moderately Toxic, and has a sweet taste. Another change in the 30’s was that during the war to have the best cigarettes, which lead to an increase in added nicotine to the cigarette. Another issue I noticed was a slogan in the 1930’s by Phillip Morris, saying ” You’re bound to inhale sometimes…”. Before the 30’s, with cigars and pipe tobacco, were you not inhaling them? With that being the case, and the smoke never entering your lungs, you shouldn’t get lung cancer.   My findings lead me to believe that the sudden harm from smoking came only as a result from tobacco companies meddling with something that had been done by hand for many years.

Beaver Stadium. 107,000 screaming fans cheering at the same time. There’s nothing like it, It’s undeniably the best home field advantage in the world. But Scientifically, is it? Beaver Stadium got up to a sound breaking 111 Decibels. Thats the equivalent of standing next to a power saw.  The Seattle Seahawks have the credited “12th man”, and other stadiums have varying wind conditions or extreme cold. But what I want to know is which stadium (college or pro) has the best statistical advantage?

I decided to poll the Denver Bronco’s mile high stadium. Sitting at a mile up, I think that it has the best advantage in sports. from this blog at bowsite.com, the author says that a mile up, there is “17% less oxygen in the air [that you breathe] than at sea level”. This undoubtedly takes a toll on a player, particularly one who relies on his lungs on almost every play. The Denver Broncos are used to this altitude, while other teams are not. altitude sickness occurs when your brain doesn’t get the correct amount of oxygen that it’s used to to function. Conditions I personally have experienced from altitude sickness includes headaches, trouble sleeping, sleeping too much, and being completely unable to keep food or water down. this means that you could be out of condition for play and practice for an unknown mount of time.  I was unable to find a record at home that I could put some stats to my hypothesis, but through logic I don’t see why there could be a difference when teams play in Denver, or even when the Broncos go down in altitude and gain oxygen.

Moral of the story here, why not take a chance and throw a couple Broncos into your fantasy lineup?

from http://www.egeve.com/en/images/stories/1489.jpg

How bad is it for your eyes looking at a computer screen at night, especially when your eyes are tired? With many hours of studying and homework, it’s safe to sat that the average student spends much of their college career on their laptop. A blog on the New York Times suggests that using a computer before bed could be ruining your sleep. This article goes in tandem from the one in class, suggesting that the bright screen can reduce melatonin levels in your brain. A Washington Post article made claim to “blue colored light” being the worst. Most electronic devices today have some bluish light shining off of them.

The overall argument is that electronics are destroying our sleep. Some people may argue that they can be on their phone and fall right to sleep. All the light does is reduce the melatonin in our brain, which helps us shut down and fall asleep. If you can play on your phone then fall right asleep, then you must really need the sleep. I can personally attest to not being able to sleep after being on my phone.

Another issue is the damage caused to our eyesight. A TIME article addressed the Issue of computer screens hurting our eyesight. The Dr. (from penn state) concluded that headaches and vision problems could come from “two potential problems. Your eyes are too dried out, or they are too fatigued to see properly”. No doubt that the bright harsh white screen at night hurts our eyes. I’m sure you’ve felt it. Well there’s a solution to that, It’s Called F.Lux. What it does is make your computer screen more yellow, which is much easier on your eyes than the harsh white screen.

Now for the “So what”. I was reading posts on the blog about stress, and time in the day, and how between studying and class theres not enough time to reduce stress in your life. Which contributes to why sleep is so important in your routine, which is why you would want to fall asleep as soundly as possible

I was in my Stat 200 class and there was this darn cute dog sitting next to me, and I could not pay attention.  All I could focus on was this dog. That got me thinking, How good are dogs at

Gotten from http://news.emory.edu/slideshows/dog_therapy_school_of_law/dog-therapy-slideshow-004.jpg

reducing stress? What Kind of Programs are set up to use dogs for anti-stress measures? Could there be a better animal?

I started my quest with a simple google search. At Harvard University, there is a dog that is a “Registered therapy dog”. No joke whenever you need to relieve some stress or tension, you schedule a meeting with the adorable Shih-Tzu and vent out your frustrations. A study done by the National Institute of Health showed positive trends in the health, social, and psychological benefits of owning and caring for an animal. Having grown up in a house with dogs and cats, I concur that I always felt better and much more relaxed with an animal around me.  In Boston, there is a group called Caring Canines who go around to nursing homes and hospitals with their furry friends to spread cheer. Looking at the page, you just can’t help but see how happy and excited these people are in companion with animals. I mean, who doesn’t love dogs?

I happen to know some people who don’t like dogs. They’re more cat people. Now, we all know cats, those shady devils that sneak around and hate people. But there are some cats that love people and will sit up on your lap and purr to their heart’s content.  In the UK, a Telegraph article said that “Owning a cat can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by more than a third”. The thought process was, that by owning a cat, your stress levels are lower, and that leads to healthier heart health.  Not only do cats increase heart health, but Owning a cat (or any animal) can also help reduce depression. Having something to care for, keep you company, can always be productive in life.

I am curious though, having only had the experience of a purring cat or a snoring dog on my stomach; what other animals could be effective stress relievers. I think, that if you have the perfect animal, a Cat is the best stress reliever. Do you agree with me? What other animals would you love to be able to keep in the dorms in an effort to reduce stress and depression?

Hello! My name is Doug Salada, and I am taking this class honestly because it wasn’t full and it fulfilled some science credits. My Major is Supply Chain management, which isn’t a science major, but will still require me to think about things differently than other people. I felt after reading the description that this class would help my mind thinking of things in different ways, different uses for things, and so on and so forth. I didn’t want to be a science major because when I think of Science, I think of those really dull subjects you took in grade school, and the way they were taught and presented really turned me off of science. If I knew that science was more than just the Earth, biology, and the weather, I would have pursued it further. I was actually born in Boalsburg PA, which is just down the road. I grew up loving penn state and everything about it, even during the Sandusky years.  I am a sophomore, and having one year down I absolutely cannot wait for what the next years have to bring.

Doug

Credit to https://standupforamerica.files.wordpress.com