Author Archives: Karly Grace Kneidinger

Treating Acne

Many teens revert to birth control in order to achieve clearer skin. Some also use antibiotics for treatment. But, which works better, if any?

acne

It was found through research that both antibiotics and birth control worked equally effectively.

Dr. Kelly H. Tyler said, “Antibiotics have anti-inflammatory properties, and OCPs do not have those same properties, so the reduction of acne is going to be more gradual and less dramatic in the beginning.” The Office of Women’s Health claims that birth control “slows down overactive oil glands in the skin.”

Both antibiotics and birth control were found to effectively reduce acne. But with success, also comes failure. Both substances also have possible side effects. They can cause allergic reactions and blood clots. There are methods to take in order to prevent negative side effects such as caring for your skin with mild facial products.

In this scenario, is it worth the risk?

That depends on the individual. If someone has severely bad acne and has a strong desire to fix it then it may be worth it to risk possible complications that come wth taking birth control or antibiotics. On the other hand, if your acne is mild, it may be better treat it with a good face wash prescribed by a doctor rather than taking pills of birth control or antibiotics into your body.

Meals

As my meal plan seems to drop faster and faster by the day, my meal schedule keeps changing. This may also be due to my busy work load schedule with finals approaching. Sometimes I find myself eating a small breakfast and lunch, and then a large dinner. Other days I am just snacking throughout the day in attempt to spend as little as I can. In contrast, at the beginning of the semester I found myself eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted because my meal plan seemed like it would never run out… but that does not seem to be the case.

My endless struggle with meals got me thinking, how many meals should I be having and how large should they be in order to have optimum health?

Over the years there have been various statements of how many meals to have a day. Traditionally, it has always been said to have 3 meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. But, I have also heard that it is healthier to have 5 small meals each day, evenly spread out throughout the day. Webmd states the claim that eating small meals throughout the day boosts the metabolism, maintains blood sugar, and forces one to eat less then they would if they had 3 meals a day. This belief is in fact a myth. According to the University of Ottawa, it was discovered that weight loss is not affected whether one eats 6 or 3 meals a day. It was also found that eating 6 meals a day actually caused people to increase their food intake.

A meta-analysis study that tested this debate discovered that there is no correlation between how many meals you eat throughout the day and what is healthier. They stated that the optimum health of meals is determined more by what types of food you intake rather than at what time you eat it.

It was found that meal frequency, with the same amount of caloric intake, had “no difference in metabolic rate and there are no changes in weight loss” after testing two groups. Weight gain and health is primarily determined based on caloric intake.

Despite these facts, there may be positive factors to having more than 3 meals a day. Often, if you wait too long to eat when your body is trying to tell you that you are hungrier, this can lead you to increase your caloric intake. Dietitian, Amy Jamieson-Petonic states that “after about 3 hours without food, blood sugar begins to fall. And after 4 hours, your body has already digested whatever you sent down there. Once you’ve crossed the 5-hour mark, your blood sugar begins to plummet, and you grab whatever you can to refuel.” Based on this statement, it would be a good idea to eat something every 3-4 hours.

The issue of how many meals should be eaten per day is very debatable. In the end, the best way to be healthy and maintain weight is to focus on what you are putting into your body. It’s important to focus on the amount of calories you intake as well as the types of foods. These factors determine a healthy individual. In conclusion, the amount of meals a person has depends on their needs, personal life and schedule. Everyone has a different metabolism so it is important to focus on yourself and what works best for you.

Getting the Most Out of Studying

It’s crunch time. With the end of semester approaching and finals just around the corner, the majority of us will be spending hours away studying to rack up the most amount of points we can in order to pass this semester. As we begin to spend hours studying and draining the last bit of energy we have, what is the best and most productive way to spend this time in order to save us from complete desperation?

giphy

giphy.com

As I was studying for a test that I already had when returning from Thanksgiving break, I began to think about my studying habits. I wondered if using more than one of your senses helps to increase your ability to obtain the information. As I was studying Spanish vocabulary on Quizlet, I started to use the option of hearing the pronunciation of the word simultaneously while reading and remembering the flashcards. By doing so, I wondered if listening and looking would help me to learn better or just create more of a distraction.

I began to research studying and the senses. It turns out that our ability to learn goes back to our early development. “Learning is Multi-Sensory” and studies have shown that using more than one sense can “help information processing.”

An article by The Jerusalem Post states that reading something you learned out loud or writing something down that you recalled learning helps to remember according to researchers at Ariel University. This study was based on the “production effect” which is the when the memory favors words read out loud rather than silently because it involves “numerous types of information processing, including seeing, speaking, sensing by moving the lips and hearing.”

In a series of these studies, researchers showed students a series of written words where some participants read them aloud and the others read them silently. Sounding out the words to the students expanded the experiment further and the students were told to recall the words and write them down. Scientists discovered through these trials that when the students physically wrote the words down they remembered them more than when they only used their hearing. The scientists concluded that “the more senses involved, the better they are recalled.” This goes back to the proven fact that students obtain and remember information better when they hand-write their notes rather than type them.

Researchers from Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences found that vocabulary is better learned if the brain is able to link a word with various sensory perceptions, the vocab is expressed using gestures, and learning with images that link to the word all help in the learning process. All of these aspects were discovered in a study where scientists taught an unknown, made-up language to women and men having them memorize such nouns over a span of a week. A series of experiments were conducted where the subjects heard a word corresponding with an image or gesture, or the subjects imaginarily drew the word in the air or made a gesture, and then were asked to remember the term at various stages of the experiments. The results found that the subjects best recalled a word when the individuals used gestures or observed an image simultaneously.

The conclusion of the study was that the brain does in fact recall words and learned ideas when other senses were involved in the learning process. This discovery may be because when more senses are involved this creates a greater reinforcement of the information therefore having a greater impact on the brain’s ability to recollect the information obtained. An example of this could be that someone who watches a sport on TV will most likely not be as good as someone who actually practices the sport requiring them to use more senses including sight, sound and touch.

The question we are left with then is whether if the more senses we use the better we will learn? …Is it possible that using too many senses could be overwhelming when recalling information resulting in recollection that is not as effective?

Basic listening or reading is one method of obtaining information, but when various senses are additionally used, the learning experience is further increased. So, as finals week approaches, remember to not only read and write to recall but also incorporate gestures and images to advance your studying routine and hopefully your grade!

Here is an article on how all the senses affect our thinking and creative process, possibly furthering our ability to recall and obtain information as well as create new ideas and maybe even help when studying for finals!

keep calm

uchicagocareeradvancement.wordpress.com

Do we really need flu shots?

Flu shots are common around this time of year. Left and right, you see displays and posters encouraging you to not forget to get your flu shot. I have yet to get a flu shot this year and I have maybe only gotten one a couple times in the past, but I have never gotten the flu (knock on wood). With cold season approaching and the urge for flu shots increasing, I began to wonder if we really need to get flu shots.

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Image from westvalleyurgentcare.com

Many argue and speculate that the medical industry often searches for profit rather than having the prime intention of healing people. It is highly recommended to get the flu vaccine every year. The flu vaccine is very controversial as many people are speculative of its necessity.

A study done in 2011 looked at data on the flu vaccine between the years 1967 and 2011, discovering that the flu vaccine was only about 60 percent effective in people aged 18-65. The Center for Disease control reported that deaths from the flu in a single flu season have varied from 3,000 to 49,000 people.

But, those who are at greatest risk for infection are the elderly and the majority of the deaths are in the older age group. The vaccine is said to only protect “about 2/3 of the people who take it.” Other factors that can determine who will catch the flu include age, immune system, and personal life.

Many people believe that getting the vaccine actually causes them to get the flu. But, it is impossible for the vaccine to cause the flu as it is made to prevent from it. Many people may believe they get the flu but actually catch another virus that is circulating. “An increasing number of researchers, academics and doctors are questioning the scientific basis for an influenza vaccine at all.”

Flu-vaccine

Image from eriklundquistmd.com

Many vaccines also include toxins making them risky. In a meta-analysis study it was discovered that on average, “one out of 100 adults that are vaccinated will get influenza symptoms compared to 2 out of 100 unvaccinated adults.” In determining whether to get the vaccine or not, these numbers are very close and getting vaccinated versus being unvaccinated have a small difference in risk. Many also push getting the vaccine to protect elders who are more susceptible to the virus as well as those with weaker immune systems to prevent them from catching the flu. Overall, it is for the sake of protecting the majority of people in the end by vaccinating everyone the can.

As college students, we live in an environment where we are more susceptible to various viruses and diseases. But, we also have stronger immune systems compared to other age groups. In the end, it is up to the individual to determine whether to receive the flu vaccine or not. When getting the vaccine, there is still a 40% chance of possibly catching the flu. One must way out the pros and cons of getting a flu shot to determine if it is in their favor. It is a controversial topic that must be left to the individual to decide if getting the vaccine is more risky than possibly getting the flu.

Digital Drugs and Binaural Beats

Music has always had a great impact on people and culture. People enjoy listening to various types of music as they can elicit different feelings and emotions. Recently, music has been discovered to possibly have some harmful effects.

beats

Image from play.google.com

Science has found a new way for teens to get “high”: music. There is a new concept called a “digital drug” where when it is listened to it elicits feelings similar to when under the influence of an actual drug. Digital drugs are defined as “drugs that are both dependent on and substantially constituted by multiple digital representations and connections, and whose use and effectiveness is strongly mediated through digital means.” Teens are participating in “i-dosing” which involves listening to sounds and tones, also known as digital drugs, on YouTube to give them a euphoric and high feeling.

Studies have been conducted on these “digital drugs” finding that they do not alter the brain as physical drugs do, but different tracks can elicit the effects of marijuana, cocaine, opium, and peyote. It is clear that these sound tracks can elicit some sort of temporary ‘high’ feeling but can they come with negative effects as well?

PsychologyToday stated that such sounds have been used before to treat anxiety and they do not consider them to be dangerous. These so-called digital drugs are actually not a new concept. In the 1800s, Heinrich Wilhelm Dove discovered the concept of the “binaural beat” where tones of different frequencies are played in order to alter brain waves to treat anxiety. Other claims have been made that these tones increase dopamine and beta-endorphin production therefore eliciting a “high.”

A scientific article by Tony Corford and Valentina Lichtner, entitled “Digital Drugs: an anatomy of new medicines,” states that the idea of a “digital drug” goes beyond teens searching for a high and “these initiatives seem to offer new possibilities for therapeutic improvement and innovation through digitally mediated ways of using drugs.”

Like any drug, it can be abused. In this sense teens can also abuse these digital drugs, but because they are said to not alter the brain in any way the question is whether they still can be abused like actual drugs. These digital drugs seem to have great possibilities for the future of medicine in a new and unique way than anything that we have seen before. The only fear that seems to come with digital drugs is the recreational use by teens in order to feel high. The use and ease of availability by teenagers causes these digital drugs to possibly be a gateway drug to actual drug use. Because digital drugs do not come with the effects of the actual drug, this can lead teens to believe that such drugs will not cause harm and that they are fine therefore increasing the possibility of drug use. Despite these negative possibilities, digital drugs are seemingly harmless and may have great future possibilities in medicine.

Digital drugs can be abused and lead to possible negative effects, but binaural beats, when used correctly, can lead to healing. These sounds cause the brain to produce “low-frequency pulsations in the amplitude and sound localization of a perceived sound when two tones at slightly different frequencies are presented separately.” Basically, the specific blending of sounds and tones causes the brain to produce a series of pulsations resulting in an impact on one’s mood. Various binaural beats are created to heal, clear focus, meditate and relax. There are many variations of binaural beats used for healing.

binaural-beat-diagram

Image from bebrainfit.com

 

Just like any method of healing and medicine, there is room for negative effects and abuse. These sounds can be abused as “digital drugs,” but they also have significant positive uses and effects. If used correctly, binaural beats open a new area of healing in the medical field and can have a very positive impact on the future of medicine. These sounds have minimal negative impacts, are not costly, and can help to heal in new ways. For the future, it is important to limit the availability and possibility of abusing the sounds. It is important to research more on the effects of binaural beats and digital drugs as well as test to determine how well they really work. More research must be conducted to also discover the future possibilities of auditory healing within the medical field.

Here are some examples of binaural beats and the effects they have had on people.

Is Vegetarianism a Better Option?

Humans were originally carnivores. In our modern world, increasing numbers of people are deciding to get rid of meat completely from their diet. Is straying away from natural human nature a healthier option in the end?

In America, 3.2 percent of adults follow a vegetarian diet. Many say they choose to become a vegetarian for moral reasons, environmental reasons, for food-safety concerns, to lose weight or simply to be healthier. But, a recent article titled “Vegetarians are ‘less healthy and have a lower quality of life’ scientists say” states the opposite. The article discusses a study conducted by the Medical University of Graz in Austria, where it was found that despite carrying healthier diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol, they carried increased risks of cancer, allergies and mental health problems.

With 330 vegetarians, 330 meat eaters that also ate fruits and vegetables, 300 normal eaters, and 330 heavy meat eaters, it was discovered that vegetarians consumed less alcohol and had lower body mass indexes but had a “poorer state of physical and mental health overall.” This study could also be due to chance as it only evaluated 1,320 subjects. This study could also possibly be suffering from the file drawer problem with publication bias towards meat companies, but according to the authors of the study, their research is not an advertisement for the meat industry.

Although stated that vegetarians suffer more from asthma, cancer and mental illness this could be all due to chance and more research must be conducted on the study.

Another article titled “Vegetarian Foods: Powerful for Health” states that having a vegetarian diet actually prevents cancer. Studies in England and Germany have shown that “vegetarians are 40% less likely to develop cancer compared to meat eaters.” Studies conducted by Harvard including thousands of men and women found that “regular meat consumption increases colon cancer risk by roughly 300 percent.” This article also states that practicing a vegetarian diet beats heart disease, lowers blood pressure, prevents and reverses diabetes, reduces the need for asthma medication, and reduces the chances of having kidney and gallstones.

The original study opposing vegetarianism does not have enough evidence in comparison to numerous other studies showing how vegetarianism can be healthier. This study, although states that it does not, may in fact suffer from the file drawer problem.

Many say that vegetarianism may result in a lack of a well-balanced diet. The lack of protein from meat consumption is in fact healthier as excess meat in-take is said to lead to an increase in the possibility of cancer, heart disease, and kidney stones. Becoming a vegetarian not only means avoiding a meat-filled diet, but it also means being more aware of what you intake into your body and making healthier decisions in general.

So, should you become a vegetarian? The answer would be that if you are able to then yes, as long as doing so would not result in an increase in anxiety and stress in order to achieve a meatless diet. Vegetarianism has proven many benefits again and again as long as one continues to make sure they are receiving all necessary nutrients. In the end, it is important to fulfill a healthy and nutrient-rich diet regardless if you eat meat or not.

Cigarettes and the Environment

Ever since I was younger I have always pondered on the question of whether cigarettes could pollute the air similar to the great polluted effects cars have on the environment. Recently, my thoughts on cigarette pollution were reborn when I noticed the large amount of e-cigarette smoke being released into the air. This brought back many of the questions I’ve had before which leaves me wondering whether either types of smoke, cigarette or electronic cigarette, pollute our atmosphere just as they can pollute our lungs…

A study done at the Fraunhofer Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut in Germany tested the smoke emissions from both regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes at 6 puffs each and discovered that the e cigarette produced increased levels of acedic acid, acetone, isoprene, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde into the atmosphere. This study also found that the amount of toxins released by an e-cigarette was that of ¼ of the toxins released by a regular cigarette.

The toxins produced from cigarettes and e-cigarettes are too minuscule to pollute the air but they do greatly impact the human body. As we discussed in class, it was discovered that there was a clear correlation between heavy smoking and lung cancer and “lung cancer increased when smoking rates did.”

A study examining the effects of e-cigarettes found that “E-cigarette vapor alone produced mild effects on the lungs, including inflammation and protein damage However, when this exposure was followed by a bacterial or viral infection, the harmful effects of e-cigarette exposure became even more pronounced. The e-cigarette exposure inhibited the ability of mice to clear the bacteria from their lungs, and the viral infection led to increased weight loss and death indicative of an impaired immune response.” E-cigarettes remove the burning of carcinogens that regular cigarettes have but they do have “free radicals introduced into the body that can alter the DNA and have cancer-causing effects.”

It is clear that decent amounts of cigarette and e-cigarette use leads to various negative health effects on the body. So, if the body receives negative effects, is the environment effected similarly?

The physical smoke being released from a cigarette was not found to have a great impact on the air. But, it is said “up to 16 applications of pesticide are recommended during one three-month growing period” and “contributes to ozone depletion.” One tobacco farmer discussed his experience with the chemicals involved saying, “I used to get sicker than a dog, with fever, burning skin, and nausea, if I wasn’t real careful with the chemicals I sprayed on tobacco.” He also discussed it’s effects on the environment saying “You don’t hear bullfrogs or toads anymore, because we’ve poisoned the streams and creeks with our chemicals.”

There is clear evidence of the negative effects of various cigarettes on the environment and human health. The production of cigarettes, use, and disposal all carry minimal positive factors. The research I found did not provide evidence to the question I orginially asked which was whether cigarette smoke polluted the air. The production of cigarettes deplete the oxone layer and the only other air pollution I can think of is second-hand smoke people would inhale. Further research on this topic could focus on the effects of cigarette smoke and e-cigarrette smoke on the atmosphere. From this research, cigarettes and electronic cigarettes have a negative affect on human health alike and they greatly hurt the environment as well in more ways than one

.smokingearth_is_smoking_

 

http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/20/Suppl_1/i1.full

http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/smoking-environmental-and-social-impacts.html

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/6953/20140508/cigarettes-harmful-to-the-environment-not-just-to-your-health.htm

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/e-cigarette-vapor-shown-repress-immune-system

http://www.tobaccofreeca.com/smoking-problem/impact/environment/

Freshmen 15: Fact or Myth?

People constantly mention the freshman 15 and how prevalent it is for us new college students. My friends and family always somewhat jokingly say to “stay away from the freshmen 15.” I never worried about it as I always have been decently healthy and have had a high metabolism. But, since college started I have actually noticed myself having to watch what I eat and find times to work out at the gym. That leaves me with the questions of how real the freshmen 15 is or is it really just a myth that we stress about so much that it causes us to gain weight?

Studies show that on average students gain 3 to 10 pounds during their first two years of college.” Based on an article from our very own Penn State News, professor and head of the Department of nutritional Sciences, Gordon Jensen, said “The good news is that the ‘freshman 15’ is a bit of an exaggeration. Several studies within the last few years show that not everyone gains weight during their freshman year — some people actually lose weight or stay the same. For those who do gain weight, the average is closer to 5 pounds, instead of 15. But college is still a time where you can learn lifelong healthy eating habits, which, for some people, can be used to keep off unwanted weight gain.”

The “freshmen 15” can be caused by a variation of factors including increased stress and freedoms, a new unfamiliar environment, and the unhealthy food options. Weight gain in the start of college is real and can be serious. Factors that can influence weight gain leading to being apart of the “freshman 15” can include the inability to cope with stress, emotional instability, and even eating disorders.

It is important to know that it can be over come and avoided. There are numerous ways to avoid it and stay healthy. Here are some tips to avoid joining the infamous “Freshmen 15”… it is avoidable!!

DrEaMs

Recently I have found myself having strange, realistic dreams that are relatable. I asked my friends if the same was happening to them and most of them agreed. We are all freshman in different colleges who are starting new experiences in new places… could this be a possible reason for my strange dreams? Or are my dreams my subconscious that’s giving me information to help shape my future decisions? What is the purpose of our dreams?

Dreams remain to be a very blurred area of study in which we do not fully understand them. Some believe dreams are non-essential while others think they are necessary for our health. The reason why we dream remains uncertain. “In one study researchers woke up a subject right as they were starting REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) and found that those who could not dream experienced anxiety, depression, and weight gain.”

In terms of the meaning of dreams, it also remains uncertain whether dreams reflect our thoughts and emotions or whether they are unrelated stories created by our mind. The meaning of dreams is often unique to the individual and should also be interpreted individually. According to an article published by NBC News, scientists suppose that our dreams come from our “declarative memory,” which is stored information such as the name of your pet, and episodic memory, such as the day your grandma died.

Based on a study of people who have amnesia, which is loss of memories such as facts, information, and experiences, it was discovered that dreams come from “implicit memories.” Implicit memories are “memories that scientists can measure even when individuals don’t know they have them.” Procedural memory is one class of implicit memory and an example would be typing on the keyboard. Another type of implicit memory is “semantic” knowledge which involves “general, abstract concepts.” All of these various memory and knowledge realms give purpose to the brain and help it to make connections.

In summary, the NBC article describes dreams “like choosing an outfit by reaching into bins labeled “shirts,” “pants” and so on. You’ll rummage up something to wear, but it won’t be a perfectly matching ensemble.” This shows that dreams come from information that we previously know but may not necessarily be aware of. These memories and information come together to form our dreams and from there it is our individual place to make connections and discover the purpose and meaning of our dream. Sometimes it may not be very purposeful and just a random mix of memory and knowledge while other times dreams will combine memory and knowledge to make connections.

Although research continues to be done and scientists have differing viewpoints, the purpose of source of dreams remains unclear. For now, it relies on the dreamer him/herself and the inter workings of their own mind. Until we discover more about dreams, here is a clip many of us are probably familiar with that may (or may not) help us better understand dreams.

dreams

How legitimate are astrology and horoscopes

 

Many of us scavenge our way through the newspaper, magazines and books in search of our daily/monthly/yearly horoscopes. I know I personally find myself reading up on my star sun and my friends interested in how their horoscopes or star sign pair up with their true identity. I am almost always amazed by the accuracy of these statements and I excitedly want to read more. Being so nieve, I rarely doubted what I read and felt they seemed very legitimate. Over the summer I took an astronomy class and my view on astrology was swayed when my professor briefly discussed horoscopes saying they were all fake. He explained how they were purposefully written in a way that could apply to any person regardless of what their “sign” was. Since then I have questioned horoscopes and astrology and wondered how legitimate it all really was.

Horoscopes are based on the study of astrology. For starters, astrology is the study that the astronomical universe affects our human events. Astrology and astronomy are two very different studies (astronomy is the study of celestial objects). Within astrology, it is believed that elements such as the sun, moon, planets and constellations affect human and earthly events. Astrology has a deep history rooting back to ancient cultures of Asia, Egypt and Mesopotamia. Astrology dates to the 2nd millennium BCE as it was used in such cultures to “predict seasonal shifts and to interpret celestial cycles as signs of divine communications.” These concepts of astrology were combined with other areas of study including astronomy and meteorology but near the 17th century the legitimacy of astrology shifted to fallacy as “new scientific concepts in astronomy and physics called astrology into question.”

Although astrology started to decline in accuracy from this point onward, it still remains to be a popular “study.” People, especially in the western world, keep the popularity of astrology alive. I feel the term astrology simply sounds official and is very similar to the actual science of astronomy therefore people are easily fooled to believe these generic horoscopes and personality assessments. The concept of astrology is very appealing to people because it is basically like a fortuneteller that provides people with a glimpse into their future. In actuality, it is impossible to depict the future but people continue to be fascinated with these illegitimate horoscopes.

Here is a very interesting article about an “astrologer who realizes astrology isn’t real.” If you have a few spare minutes, check out this YouTube video that summarizes the truth about astrology. Finally, one more blog post giving insight to the truth about astrology

astrology

Is the heat unhealthy?

While sitting in my east dorm room with one tiny fan, sweat dripping down my face, and temperatures reaching 90 degrees, I started to think about this September heat. When will it end? It feels torturous and I started to question the effect it is taking on my health. The heat often makes me feel more tired and lazy. The question then is whether it is healthy to feel this way as we are sweating more and burning more energy or if this is unhealthy to be exposed to such heat. Does this weather also affect how we work, learn and function as well?heat-stroke

Many people can develop illness from the heat including heat stroke, heat exhaustion and heat rash. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety states that overly hot environments can “cause health problems and may affect performance.” Heat can increase irritability, lessen concentration and ability to do mental tasks, as well as lessen the ability to do skilled tasks or heavy works.

Extreme heat can lead to even more negative effects on the body. If the body is affected by extreme heat it can lose body fluids through sweat and can lead to your body pumping too much blood to release this heat rather than working to keep the body functioning properly. This can eventually lead to extreme health risks. Here is some more info on the heat effects on humans. There are many ways to stay healthy through this exhausting heat. It is very important to stay cool and hydrated. Here is more info on what you can do to stay healthy in the heat.

Aside from health risks on the body, it was found that “aggressive crimes of all kinds soar with the heat” and accidents and suicide attempts increased as the heat increased. This puts all people at risk of various kinds when the weather is in high heat. High temperatures were also found to increase hospital admissions for diabetes, urinary tract diseases, kidney stones, and respiratory ailments.

With all of these factors in mind, it seems as though we should take more consideration into the weather and its affect on our health. As college students, staying focused and getting good grades is one of our top priorities but the heat seems to be slowing us down. We should look to invest into more air conditioning in the residence halls and classrooms. Heck, maybe they should even consider canceling class with all of these side effects to high temperatures!

“Going Green”

After a little bit of creative writing, some stress eating and a lot of self confliction, I have decided to focus on a topic that is clearly science related just to keep a central focus on the blog post at hand. Although I’m free to pick any topic that you can think of, I felt I needed to set a few standards for myself and narrow my thinking into a clear science topic with particular consideration to environmental studies and caring for the earth. I have always been interested in environmental studies so I guess I am not completely steering clear away from a possible science major.

I was inspired to blog post about environmental science due to the large amount of environmental sustainability found throughout campus. Everything from the recycling to the water fountains to the recyclable carryout boxes, “going green” is a key part of the Penn State experience. Since being here at Penn State I have been more conscientious of my recycling habits and I definitely have put more thought into sustaining the environment. The real question then is how much of these “green” practices are actually making a positive effort in our world and in the end are they actually worth all the effort?

“Going green” is said to help the environment, reduce energy consumption, and it is a healthier lifestyle. Many people are going green because of global warming, but there still remains a group of people who don’t believe in this issue, so should we not be “going green” then?

Maybe people just don’t want to get out of their old habits and/or make a little bit of effort to be considerate of our actions and their effect on the world. Here are some concepts that battle the idea of “going green.” Despite the select few who disagree with global warming, it seems as though the evidence that global warming is happening and that we in fact are polluting the earth with chemicals greatly outweighs any evidence against it. It is almost impossible to find any valid sources that support “not going green.” Here are some various sites that give evidence to the importance of helping the environment.

psu green bins

Look familiar?

We often throw away our trash in the designated, and infamous, recycling bins found throughout campus, but we also sometimes just dump it in the landfill bin out of laziness. We trust the bins to correctly recycle our items but where is all of the trash actually going? Is it actually being recycled? The reason I question this is because at my high school we had a select number of recycling bins throughout our classrooms but a couple of my teachers told me that nothing was ever recycled, they just made it appear as if we did by having recycling bins throughout school but never actually recycled. Hearing this made me even less concerned about recycling and helping the environment. The shady acts of my high school makes me question where all of our college waste actually goes….

But, Penn State’s initiatives towards helping the environment and efforts towards sustainability seem to be strong and legitimate. They seem to have strong support towards “going green” and helping the environment. Unlike my shady high school, Penn State also has loads more of funding ($$$$) that can be put towards such efforts in helping the environment. Didn’t notice how “green” Penn State was? Here is a link that shows their efforts towards sustainability, check it out!

It is important to realize how our actions affect the environment around us as well as how our environment affects our actions. Penn State’s initiatives towards sustainability have affected my viewpoints towards the planet and “going green.” It has encouraged me to be aware of my actions and their effect on the environment. So, next time you go to dispose your trash in the landfill, take a second to think about the various other bins next to it and the couple extra seconds it will take to make progress in recycling and helping the environment in order to make for a healthier and greener community.

Initial Blog Post

Hello everyone! I’m Karly and this is my first blog post Yay 🙂

I’m from Erie, PA (about 3 hours away from PSU) and I am in the Division of Undergraduate Studies as a freshman. After having my first 2 classes in Science 200 it is quite different then what i expected! I guess going into it i didn’t know much about the class and was encouraged to take it when scheduling my courses in order to fulfill my credits. But, i came to realize that i have high hopes for this class as the topics are very interesting and engaging. I am undecided on my major but i do know that my strong suit has never been in the science/math area. Science, for me, has always been very research/analysis/math/data related and personally i am not very interested in those topics.

UNIVERSAL_SETUP
…..NOT!…

Although, i believe science is very important and i am more drawn to learning about environmental science, psychology or studies minus all the data and calculations. Experimenting and finding new information on your own is exciting but the thing that always pushed me away from science was the rigorous calculations and analysis that is apart of it. I like experiments like these alot better than these ….. Basically i don’t like the “cookie cutter” idea of science. Science 200 seems to put a twist on the basic idea of what a science class would be and i am excited to see what the future of the class holds!