Growing up with fare skin, my mom has always doused by body in sunscreen. Sunscreen is the holy bible to sun defense, at least, that is what I use to think. As I got older, and as I learned about the life threatening consequences of the sun, I started to apply more and more, trying to prevent the third-degree burns I would get on my skin if I was not fully protected. However, there have been instances where even after constant reapplication and with Sunblock up to SPF 100+ I would still get burnt! Was this because I was doing something wrong? Was my skin allergic to the sunblock? Or was it that the sunblock was not working?

The main goal of sunscreen is to block the many harmful rays the sun produces, including ultraviolet rays. Besides the obvious harmful effect from sunscreen, cancer, the sun can also cause premature aging of the skin, cause sun spots, and also cause freckles. One of the biggest problems people have understanding isthat the sun is in fact good for us, producing the Vitamin D we need; however, too much of this can cause the other problems. When dealing with sunscreen, people need to understand how to properly use the product. Simply applying the block to your body without giving a 20 minute gap before sun exposure, not reapplying, or not rubbing in the lotion, are all common mistakes the average sunscreen user makes. “In fact, some sunscreens lose as much as 90% of their effectiveness in just an hour, so they need to be reapplied often”(doctoroz.com.) These reasons do not actually prove sunblocks harsh effects on the body, other than the fact that they are caused by human naiveté.

The main reason that our sunblock might be killing us is caused by the toxins inside each bottle. Not all sunblocks are toxic, but it is important to know the difference between nontoxic and toxic brands to prevent yourself from the horrors they will cause. “The Environmental Working Group (EWG) just published their 2014 guide to safe sunscreens. They reviewed over 2000 sunscreens and over 257 brands. They found more than 75% of the sunscreens contained toxic chemicals that can increase your risk of cancer and other health issues”(draxe.com.) In order to have toxic effects, the sunscreen must be absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream.  In sunscreen, some ingredients may, “Release free radicals in sunlight, act as estrogen, disrupt hormones, cause allergic reactions, cause skin irritation, and have no rigorous safety standards,”(draxe.com.)  These side effects can be extremely harmful to a users health, a reason why people need to learn to turn away from the harmful lotion.

Next, the ingredients inside of sunblock may actually be fooling you. Everyone is told sunblock prevents cancer, but can the ingredients inside some sun tan lotions actually cause it? Ingredients such as oxybenzone, methoxycinnamate, and PABA have been found to be tied to cancer. For those who wear religiously like I do, it may be important to consider some important facts, for example, what is actually in the chemical mixture you’re putting on your skin. Unsafe particles include, “Para amino benzoin acid, octyl salicyclate, oxybenzone, dioxybenzone, phenylbenzimidazole, homosalate, menthyl anthranilate, octocrylene, methoxycinnamate, and parabens”(draxe.com.) Is the sun really your enemy, or is it the sunscreen you’re putting on?

If you are careful with the certain sunblock you put on your body, while making sure it does not include toxic chemicals, sunscreen in your best friend. As long as the rules are followed and proper sun exposure is practiced skin should stay free of any type of sun damage. As for now, make sure you read the ingredients on your sunscreen before you use it, after all it may cause life threatening diseases!

https://www.quora.com/Human-Physiology/Is-sunscreen-absorbed-into-the-bloodstream

http://draxe.com/75-of-sunscreens-are-toxic-what-to-do-

instead/http://www.beautylish.com/a/vmspq/beauty-remorse-face-sunburn

All through High School, and especially in College, students frequently take unprescribed “study” drugs to focus. Whether it’s to make sure they pay attention during a long lecture, or cramming for an exam they have the next day, unprescribed Adderall and Vyvanse are no stranger to the average student. Usually the scramble for any drug available happens during finals week, anxiety sets in and students do not know how they will possibly cope with the stressful week ahead. However, can taking these pills a few times a school year actually be detrimental to a students health?

In order to attribute these types of drugs, one must go through several tests and be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. This is one of the most common disorders seen in children usually spanning from teenage years all the way to adulthood. Sufferers of this disorder generally face obstacles when trying to focus. Students believe that if Adderall or Vyvanse are used by prescribed students to help them study, that they also can misuse the drug to help them pay attention as well. “However, Adderall is also known for being a habit-forming drug. A study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse estimated that more than 1.6 million American teens and young adults misused ADHD drugs during a 12-month period, and 75,000 of them became addicted” (kstatcollege.com.) It is not certain that one will become immediately addicted to ADHD medication; however, these types of drugs are extremely addictive, and everyone reacts to medication differently.

When taking drugs that are not prescribed to them, students need to be especially careful. When ADHD medication is taken by someone is actually prescribed the drug, the medication works to neutralize the impaired levels of dopamine and increase them to the proper level necessary. When the dopamine is heightened the drug slows down the person taking the medication giving them time to actually slow down and focus, rather than having their brain race at rapid speeds. When ADHD medication is taken by someone who is not prescribed the drug, the medication acts very differently inside their body. As a result of not having a decreased amount of dopamine, because the person already is at the needed level to focus, the medication still increases the levels, meaning that there is then hyperactivity happening. The more hyperactive the person becomes, the harder crash they will have when the medication wears off.

When looking at if ADHD medication misuse is harmful, the answer is yes. Drugs should never be taken to someone who is unprescribed, everyone acts differently to every drug and one is not aware about what will happen to themselves. Besides, studying, people also misuse ADHD to gain a certain “high”, or use it as a party drug. The combination of alcohol and ADHD medication is extremely detrimental to the human body making them act uncontrollably. Overall, ADHD medication should not be taken if it is not prescribed, even if you are looking for a little study edge this finals season.

http://www.kstatecollegian.com/2013/12/13/unprescribed-adderall-use-potentially-harmful-unproductive-for-college-students/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisdexamfetamine

http://stevetmoore.me/index.php/entry/ultimate-guide-to-adderall-use

When I was in middle school, I remember asking a teacher for a Mento to chew on during a test. After giving me the Mento, he proceeded to tell me that chewing it during my class would actually enhance my memory. As a result of being the immature, naive sixth grader I was, I believed this myth and started bringing gum to every test. However, does gum actually make you smarter? Does it facilitate the flow of memory? Or is it just completely ineffective? After pondering this question for many years I decided to do some research and was stunned by what I had found.

In a study published on The Scientific American, researchers decided to take this schooling myth into question. Researches randomly assigned two groups of twenty people each. One group was assigned to chew gum and the other was not. After members were assigned each group, they then listened to a recording which consisted of a sequence of different numbers. As a matter of fact, the group that chewed gum during the recording had faster reaction times, higher accuracy rates, and finally, were able to keep their attention focused longer than the opposing group. Even though this study did prove beneficial side effects one group experienced while chewing gum, this cannot be the only source that one bases their opinion off of. Opposing this study was one conducted by the British Journal of Psychology in 2012. Instead of proving that chewing gum facilitates brain power, this study showed that, as a matter of fact, short-term memory was decreased. However, this study, similar to the study mentioned in The Scientific American, does not prove that chewing gum is detrimental to learning either. To fully understand this topic, multiple studies must be conducted in order to finalize any sort of conclusion.

So does gum really help brain capacity? Amy Kraft, of The Scientific American, states that researchers declare gum in fact boosts the movement of oxygen that flows to the attention centers of the brain. “More oxygen can keep people alert and improve their reflexes” (scientificamerican.com.) Similar to the original study mentioned, other groups of researchers decided to test this myth as well. According to CNN, “Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine took 108 eighth-grade math students from a Houston, Texas, charter school and divided them into two groups, following them for 14 weeks.” This study also consisted of two groups, one which was instructed to chew gum, and the other did not while they did their homework. The results concluded that the group that chewed gum received a three percent increase in their standardized math scores compared to the group that did not chew gum. Secondly, the students who did not chew gum suffered from lower final test grades versus the gum chewers.

In conclusion, it seems that chewing gum really does influence brain power and the increase of memory. Even though it has not officially been scientifically proven, it has been tested positive in a fair share of studies. As for now, I am definitely going to start chewing gum when I study and see if my grades actually do increase!

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/gum-chewing-may-improve-concentrati-13-03-26/

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/22/chewing.gum.benefits/

Growing up in New York, I experience what I like to think are hot hot summers and long cold winters. One of my best friends claims she is “allergic to the cold”, I have always wondered if this is even possible, how cold you be allergic to the cold? In the cold without enough layering Victoria, my friend, would break out in hives and have to put on more jackets, layers hat etc. I decided to look into this to see if she was just claiming some sort of illness.

After research I found a disease called “cold urticaria”, this is a skin reaction to the cold, so maybe Victoria was right! Cold urticaria is described as, “Skin that has been in contact with cold develops reddish, itchy welts (hives),” according to The Mayo Clinic website. This disease is more frequently seen in younger people, teenagers, and this disease also goes away as one ages. Not only is this reaction common in cold weather but it is also extremely common to come across cold urticaria when swimming in cold pools or other bodies of water. According to The Mayo Clinic website, some symptoms include, temporary reddish, and itchy welts on the part of the skin that came in contact with the cold temperatures. Other symptoms include, worsening of the reaction as skin warms, swelling of hands when coming in contact with something cold, and finally the swelling of areas of the face much as the lips when contacting a cold food or drink.

There are many types of cases with cold urticaria when the situation is very serious. In Victoria’s case she does not need to worry about this, she only experiences hives and other rashes on her body. It was very interesting to learn that this disease I thought was a myth is actually valid!

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cold-urticaria/basics/symptoms/con-20034524

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/02/25/can-really-be-allergic-to-cold/

For decades the term “beauty sleep” has been used by millions of women. It is very obvious when someone has actually missed sleep, people form bags under their eyes, and eyes look tired and drowsy.  However, does sleep actually make you more beautiful? Is this term just a myth? Is there a scientific explanation correlating increased sleep with increased beauty? There are countless benefits of sleep, is it possible your attractiveness is one of them?

We are told that in your sleep your body rejuvenates itself. Lack of sleep causes minor mutations in your skin, appearing to make the face look extremely tired. ” ‘Lack of sleep causes blood vessels to dilate, causing the look of dark circles,’ says dermatologist Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco” (webmd). According to Stephanie Watson, author for www.webmd.com, it is very obvious when someone does not get enough sleep through the tension shown in someones face, this lack of sleep can also make you more stressed creating this tension.

The importance of beauty sleep is to give your body time to rehabilitate after the long strenuous activities from the day. During the course of sleeping, older skin cells are replaced by newer ones. According to New York City dermatologist Doris Day, “It’s repairing and restoring and rebalancing.” With depletion of sleep, it is nearly impossible for your body to renew itself. However, a good night sleep aids other parts of the human body too. “Chronic sleep problems are linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and depression. That’s all the more reason to get your sleep back on track” (webmd). Even though it is very important to get about eight hours of sleep, there is such thing as too much sleep! As a result of too much sleep there can be a possible increase of skin cell breakouts. Beauty sleep is in fact a true aspect of life, just make sure you are not getting too much of it!

http://www.webmd.com/beauty/skin/truth-about-beauty-sleep?page=2

http://www.napnook.com/beauty-sleep-fact-or-fiction/

Everyone says the only way to get abs is to do typical ab workouts. But since I am the nonathletic type, I chose to take a closer look. There are plenty of myths about ab exercises, just like any other workout. However, there is an underlying truth to these workout mysteries, I decided to put lies like ‘8 minute abs’ to the test.

Everyone has abs, they are just hidden under countless layers of fat. “Strong abs aren’t the most important component of a visible six-pack; low body fat is. If you have too much subcutaneous body fat covering your abdominal area, then no matter how many hours of crunches or leg raises you do, you won’t be able to see your six-pack” (bodybuilding.com). A healthy diet is the answer to a lean look and a phenomenal six pack. Body fat needs to decrease in order to see any results, so doing cardio and eating healthy will be your ticket to success. Another common myth is that doing the same ab exercises everyday will show you results. This is not case, in order to see your wash board you must be diverse in your workouts, change it up a little bit from time to time.

Frequently changing your diet can also be a reason why your belly fat is still hanging on. “Many, many people go through crash diets and pre-contest nutrition plans in order for their abs to show. However, once they’re done with their contest season or diet, they start eating junk food, stop performing cardio, and say goodbye to their six-packs” (bodybuilding.com).

Of course the promoters are going to tell you their ‘brilliant’ ‘8 minute abs’ workout plan will give you results that exceed your expectations, but is this true? “While just 8 minutes a day may be enough time to put into exercising your abs, it won’t be enough to show a six pack. You may be building beautiful muscle but still hiding it under a layer of fat” (fitly.com) So that solves the problem, the answer to abs is not what you do a on the ab mats at the gym. It’s the cardio you do and the food you eat!

WORKS CITED

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ab-training-6-reasons-your-abs-arent-showing.html

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/exercises/does-the-8-minute-abs-workout-really-work.html#b

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

In 2015, everyone wants to be super model thin. After all, the ‘perfect’ woman is super thin, super tall, super tan, and super beautiful…right? Young teens as young as 11 are already obsessed over their body image. To keep the perfect physique, young teen girls go as far as not eating just to not gain a single pound. In other situations, women, and even men, try to stay slim by eating, but eating as little as possible. After noticing these situations for many years I could not help to find out if losing two pounds a week from not eating is actually good for you.

The problem with dieting is that after starving yourself for many weeks, once you begin to eat the same fattening foods again, all the weight will instantly fly right back on. “When people say the word diet, we know that they are referring to something temporary, and 99 times out of a hundred, they are also referring to weight loss” (Eric C. Stevens). In some cases however, your diet is actually making you gain weight! “When it comes to the human physique, anything that is temporary in terms of how we move it or feed it will have a temporary result. Study after study corroborates that diets are ineffective in the long run, which is of course the only run that ultimately matters” (Eric C. Stevens). When on a diet, weight loss can be referred to as a roller coater effect. Weight is gained, weight is lost, and the cycle repeats itself over, and over, and over again. Many people are living proof that diets are not the answer, after all, they are living proof!

It is more difficult for your body to obtain the proper proteins when the body consumes a low amount of calories on a day to day basis. “Dieting makes your body believe it is starving so it starts to save fat, as this is its best way to store energy” (boxing scene). After plenty of research, it is quite obvious that intense dieting should never be the answer. It seems like the easiest advice of all time, however it is difficult for many people to grasp that the proper way to weight loss is regular exercise and consumption of healthy foods. Stay away from Insomnia cookies and look into an apple, keep your body healthy the right way! 

WORKS CITED:

http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/why-dieting-is-harmful-to-your-health

http://www.boxingscene.com/weight-loss/1552.php

https://www.myfooddiary.com/blog/why-diets-dont-work

http://injoykitchen.com/why-you-cant-out-exercise-a-bad-diet/

With gay rights being legalized in June of this year, the homophobic population is hopefully decreasing. Everyone should be able to marry who they want, when they want, love always should win. If humans can be gay, can animals be gay too? I wondered this question randomly walking to class one day and immediately was interested in finding out the science behind this whole homosexuality and animals equation.

Inside every species, homosexuality exists, humans however are the only species that posses homophobia. Many different groups of animals have been practicing homosexual tendencies for years, how did I only realize this now? There are a handful of animals known to practice these tendencies. Giraffes, penguins, spiders and other bugs, killer whales, sea lions, vampire bats, snails, dolphins, bonobos, and flamingos. According to Joe Morgan, gay tendencies in giraffes account for 94% of sexual tendencies in the species. Even when females are present males will choose to gently rub their neck over other male giraffes completely neglecting the fact that any females are around at all.

Next, it is extremely common for male penguins to search out other male penguins when they lose their partner. It is said that these same sex penguins are actually great parents! Having done this research I have concluded that it is also possible for animals to have gay tendencies, without actually being gay. It is interesting to find out the way other animals live even if they approach the many things they do differently than humans.

WORKS CITED:

http://kanikasweet-amazing.blogspot.com/2011/11/can-animals-be-gay-too.html

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/so-it-turns-out-giraffes-are-gayest-animal-planet231014/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Cn4qN4yH8

Hi I’m Elaina Blair, I am from Long island, New York. Currently, I am in the College of Communications but I don’t really know what I am interested in doing inside of it yet.

Originally, I was placed in a Spanish class, but after realizing I had enough college credits to place out of the course, it was clear I had to find my credits somewhere else. There are not too many science classes that are interesting for someone like me who does not enjoy science at all.  After careful consideration I finally decided on this science class because it was the most interesting, and sounded like it would be the most fun.

I am not a science major simply because I do not enjoy science or math. My stronger subjects have always been classes with limited to no use of any type of numbers, measuring, and so on. In my opinion, some parts of science can be very interesting, but I also believe those parts are very very hard to find. Science has always been difficult to sit through, especially when there is any sort of lab, causing it to become a double period class. I am hoping this class will be very interesting and fun just like the course description suggests!

Here is a video about Penn State