Imagine this. You are pulling an all-nighter to study for final and you are beginning to feel exhausted. You contemplate whether to take a nap of grab a cup a coffee. It turns out you might want to do both! Have you ever heard of a coffee nap? A coffee nap is the practice of drinking coffee, then immediately taking a nap for 20 minutes before the caffeine kicks in. Who thought of such a thing and why are people doing it? It turns out, some studies are showing that taking a coffee nap is more effective in keeping you awake than drinking coffee alone or taking a nap alone. Lets see if there is any reason to believe coffee naps can live up to the hype they are receiving.

To see if this theory even makes sense, I did some research on what makes us sleepy. Humans make a chemical called adenosine. Adenosine continues to build up the longer a person stays awake. Adenosine plugs in to receptors inside your brain cells that indicate to the body you should be feeling more and more tired. This produces grogginess and is supposed to help you realize you need sleep. Adenosine levels drop as soon as you get that rest. Since caffeine has a similar chemical makeup to adenosine, it fits into these adenosine receptors, which blocks adenosine from entering. Since caffeine does not make you feel groggy, you never experience adenosine’s effects. It all comes together when you combine the two activities. Now, as sleep clears the brain of adenosine, the caffeine has no other chemicals to compete with to fill these receptors.

In theory this makes sense, but what is the science that this actually works? I found a study that tested 5 different treatments on their effectiveness of curing mid afternoon sleepiness. The 5 different treatments were drinking caffeine followed by a nap, being exposed to bright light for a minute after napping, washing the face after napping, taking a nap, and not napping at all. The subjects in each group were measured by their reaction times to an online memory test before and after their naps. It was found that the group that had caffeine before their 20-minute nap had an increase in reaction time on the memory test by 9.1 milliseconds. The group that just took a nap had an increase in reaction time as well, but only by .1 milliseconds. Also, the group that did not nap had a decrease in their reaction times by 11.6 milliseconds.

There were a few things I liked about this study. First, the design seemed logical as each person went through each treatment. This would control for third confounding variables such as the slightly different ways caffeine affects each person (some people have caffeine tolerances). It sort of levels the playing field. Also, doing a before and after test was much better than doing one test after the nap since each group had a baseline of comparison.

Unfortunately, there were many more issues with this study than good parts. For one, the sample size was only ten people. This is not a large enough sample to extend any conclusions to the population. Also, the changes in reaction time were in milliseconds. It is unclear to me whether 9 milliseconds is grounds for concluding that caffeine plus sleep is any more effective to keep you awake versus just taking a nap. Finally, this experiment may suffer from the Texas sharp shooter problem. There was no need to measure bright light or face wash after napping in this experiment. Bright light, face wash, and caffeine are all so different, it leads me to believe the researcher may have just been looking for something that stands out in the data. I realize 5 is not a huge amount of treatments to be sure this is suffering from the Texas sharp shooter problem, but it is still a red flag that all of these treatments were measured in the same study.

This one experiment is not enough to convince me coffee naps definitely cause a greater reduction of sleepiness than coffee or a nap alone. I would like to propose a more focused experiment that would involve three groups. The first group would drink a 12-ounce cup of coffee plus take a 20-minute nap. The second group would drink a 12-ounce cup of coffee. The third group would take a 20-minute nap. I would want at least 30 people in each group, making for a total sample size of at least 90. Also, I would measure their brain activity before and after the treatments using a multiple sleep latency test. The amount of brain activity a person had would be an indicator of their sleepiness. This way of measuring sleepiness is probably less prone to error than a reaction time test.

So what does this all mean? Though there is no conclusive evidence that coffee naps are effective in keeping you awake, it is one of those instances where it can’t hurt to try it out. There is no immediate risk in coffee naps, and since there is a possibility it may help you stay awake, give it a try! Just be aware more research needs to be done in order to see if there is actually a causal relationship between coffee naps and wakefulness.

Here is the video that inspired me to write about this topic!

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Well, if you’re looking at it in a tangible or physical sense then… yeah.

Race plays a vital role in historical and modern cultural and political dynamics but what is race really? From a societal perspective this is by no means a simple question to answer. One must take into account the complexity of expectations and stereotypes associated with race, race vs regional identification, institutes of oppression, global and local relations – it is almost impossible to pin down. But when one attempts to observe race from a genetic stand point they may be surprised to find that they find nothing. For all of the cultural and political implications carried by race, the concept just doesn’t appear within our genome, “Dr. Venter and scientists at the National Institutes of Health recently announced that they had put together a draft of the entire sequence of the human genome, and the researchers had unanimously declared, there is only one race — the human race” (Angier).

I have to admit that this sounds uncomfortably close to the sentiment of ‘I don’t see color’. If we take it in that sense then the conversation is extremely short. Instead, let’s look at why this is the case. The article explains that the human species is still very young, mobile, and wide spread that it hasn’t had the chance to truly divide into biological ‘races’ in any other term that topically. This makes it essentially impossible for something such as skin color to appear within the human genome.

When one looks to interpret this, I would encourage them to consider that race – being a social construct – can be changed in the way it manifests. If one recognizes that the position that race has been forced to fill is nothing but words and ideas perhaps we can begin to move forward and improve the status quo.

Sources:

Angier, Natalie. “Do Races Differ? Not Really, DNA Shows.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 22 Aug. 2000. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <https://partners.nytimes.com/library/national/science/082200sci-genetics-race.html>.

This issue is probably one of the most talked about and controversial topics that is out there today. You either have a side that you feel strongly about or you have no idea what your opinion of it is. Abortion. We have heard the discussion a million times and the nation still hasn’t come to a consensus of what is right and wrong. Many have protested and researched for a solution to this constant battle of two opposing sides and after years, it continues. I honestly don’t know what side I am on because I believe in both side’s arguments and some of the things that they stand for. This can be somewhat explained and resolved using science and critical thinking so, lets go.

Should a fertilized egg be given legal personhood? So basically should a fetus have the same rights as a living human? The amount of articles and websites that are on this subject are endless, but most of them are saying the same thing. Most people believe that it is the women carrying the child’s choice to do whatever she wants with her body. Although lately, this mindset has been changed because of all of the attention that this subject is getting. More people are learning about this issue and staying strong to their opinion, or switching sides when more info was given to them.

According to the chart below, most women believed in “pro-choice” which means the women has the choice to do what she wants with her fetus. But as shown, this side has lost a lot of supporters in recent years and now more people are “pro-life” which means that the life of a fetus is an actual life and should be treated as such. So basically, if you get an abortion it is considered murder and you would be charged with such. There was a law that was looking to be passed recently in Mississippi called Initiative 26. This law stated, “Initiative 26, which would change the definition of “person” in the Mississippi state Constitution to “include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the equivalent thereof,”

I am unsure about this law because it really depends on each person’s individual situation. There are certain situations where I can see why people are “pro choice” such as the many reports of getting pregnant after being raped. I could never imagine the amount of suffering a woman would have to go through to have that baby not only physically, but mentally. This is why I am unsure about which side I take, because I do believe that a fetus is a life, but in certain situations I would completely understand why abortion would have to be considered.

This video really opened my eyes and made me question my beliefs in the issue. Unfortunately science can only inform us on the technical details of this issue and can’t determine a definite right or wrong answer because this is such a moral issue. Which side do you take?

http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/

http://www.alternet.org/story/152876/legal_rights_for_fertilized_eggs_how_a_terrifying_law_could_lead_to_jail-time_for_miscarriages,_birth_control_bans,_and_the_end_of_legal_abortion

http://www.pandys.org/articles/rapeandpregnancy.html

http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1686729,00.html

Ever since we were little we were told that candy is bad for you. It causes cavities and gives you a sugar rush. All of that is true but not all candy is bad for you. Dark chocolate has been known to be good for you heart. Although it is not as good as milk chocolate and people tend to like the flavor less, it is a much healthier choice than regular chocolate.

The cocoa is correlated with creating “anti-inflammatory compounds that improve blood vessel functions”, according to a post by Katherine Harmon Courage on Scientific American. A presentation at the American Chemical Society explained the benefits from the microbes in the gut absorbing the fiber and antioxidants from the cocoa. It was found that it can improve insulin sensitivity as well as vascular function. The daily consumption of dark chocolate can lower blood pressure by two to three times compared to those who don’t consume dark chocolate at all. But why is this dark chocolate better than milk chocolate? Dark chocolate has less sugar and therefore less fat.

As well as dark chocolate improving heart health it can also help with learning and memory. At Loma Linda University, a research was conducted by Lee Berk. The studies showed that cocoa flavonoids build up in the brain where learning and memory is associated which, “promote nerve cell growth, increase brain function and brain communication, improve blood flow and promote the formation of blood vessels in the brain and sensory systems.” After this study was done questions such as, is this correlated with dementia or age-related issue? Research is still being done to further answer them.

Harvard researchers have found that the consumption of dark chocolate lowered the bad type of cholesterol, LDL, and increased the good kind of cholesterol, HDL. Other foods such as fruits, tea, and vegetables also have the same impact on heart health but cocoa is different since it contains flavonoids.

Next time you’re at the grocery store or craving a chocolate bar think about getting dark chocolate instead. It can seriously make a difference in your health.

As the brain sleeps it clears out the harmful toxins in our brain and may even reduce the risk of alzheimers disease. During sleep a fluid in the brain known as cerebrospinal fluid increases dramatically and essentially acts as a “dishwasher” washing away all harmful waste proteins that usually build up between brain cells when awake.

Scientists discovered the brain cleaning itself while studying the brains of sleeping mice. The scientists discovered there was a increased flow of cerebrospinal fluid circulating through the brain and nervous system. With mice, when they sleep their brain cells shrink, facilitating the fluid to circulate. When the mice was awake, the brain cells enlarged, and the flow between cells decreased. This could explain our reason for not being able to think as clearly after a night of no sleep, and explains why prolonged lack of sleep has the ability to kill both an animal or human. Nedegarrd, one of the scientists states, “Isn’t it interesting that Alzheimer’s and all other diseases associated with dementia, they are linked to sleep disorders.”

This study was particularly interesting to me because when you think about it, as college students we don’t get much sleep. Currently sleepless nights, and lack of sleep could be increasing our risk of Alzheimer’s disease. This is a huge phenomenon, and one to be fully aware of the consequences.

Although in the study the researchers didn’t actually observe humans brains, but instead conducted an experiment with mice and analyzed the mice brain activity, this brain cleaning process could lead to a new way of understanding human diseases. According to an additional study, normal tissue in the brain in comparison to brain tissue affected by Alzhiemer’s disease are from the frontal lobe of both hemispheres of the brain. Brain samples were conducted, 25 samples were taken and 18 participants with an average age of 73 years old with confirmed alzhiemers disease and 26 samples from 15 participants with no signs of alzheimers disease. Those with no disease were known as the “normals”, and those with disease were the variable to scientists were trying to control (Elemental analysis of the frontal lobe). The findings were scientists noticed significant differences in concentrations between concentrations in normal and Alzheimer tissue.

Since one of the waste products removed from the brain during sleep changes depending on sleep and whether a person is awake, the mechanism measured here can be identified as the beta amyloid. Beta amyloid concentrations increase when a person is awake, and decrease when a person is sleeping. This raises a strong chance that someone who controls their sleep pattern can improve sweeping out the beta amyloid from the brain and preventing amyloidosis which scientist believe can lead to Alzheimer disease.

Works Cited:

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/10/18/236211811/brains-sweep-themselves-clean-of-toxins-during-sleep

http://www.akademiai.com/doi/abs/10.1007/BF02034435

http://journals.lww.com/alzheimerjournal/Abstract/1998/06000/Silicon_Reduces_Aluminum_Accumulation_in_Rats_.5.aspx

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If you ever had a surgery before, you definitely received anesthesia. An anesthesiologist told you to count backward from 100 and you soon drifted into a nice slumber. Several hours later, you woke up unaware as to what all happened during the surgery. My question is what exactly happens to the brain of the patient under anesthesia? This is something I have always wondered and decided to take the time to figure out.

Anesthesia, what is it? Are you really going to sleep or in a coma?

First thing to know before finding out what anesthesia does to the brain is to know exactly what it is. Anesthesia is a medicine that makes patients unconscious, immune to pain, and keeps them immobile during a surgical procedure. Research states that anesthesia is not a deep sleep as most doctors tell their patients. Dr. Emery Brown, a professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School and a practicing anesthesiologist as Massachusetts General Hospital, had numerous responses to this topic. He strongly emphasized in this article that general anesthesia, sleep, and coma have their similarities, but are very much different. Brown defines anesthesia unconsciousness as a “drug-induced, reversible condition (coma) that includes specific behavioral and physiological traits such as unconsciousness, pain numbing, and inability to move.” The sleeping brain throughout the night cycles through three stages of non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and alternates with REM sleep, which is when most dreaming occurs. Each of these have a distinctive EEG (electroencephalography) pattern, which reveal electrical activity in the brain. These patterns found not resembling the EEG of the brain under general anesthesia. General anesthesia activity was actually most similar to that of a comatose brain. Thus, the reasoning of which Brown emphasized that general anesthesia is a “reversible coma.” He said, “Sleep is not the state you’re going in, nor would it be the state in which someone could perform an operation on you. We need to perform a procedure very invasive to put you in a state which we can readily reverse.” Dr. Brown speaks with much detail on these similarities and differences in this video.

What happens to the Brain during general Anesthesia?

All people who received anesthesia wonder this question. Brown and his team have conducted imaging studies on volunteers under anesthesia to see how different parts of the brain change activity levels as the volunteers lose then later regain consciousness. Different drugs create different patterns in the brain. Propofol, for example, is one of the most widely used anesthetics that is a very strong (hypnotic) drug. It was later found that Propofol binds to GABA (which are involved in controlling sleep and alertness) receptors. The European Journal of Anesthesiology published a study in 2011 indicating that instead of suddenly switching off, consciousness actually fades away between the multiple parts of the brain (GABA). Brown spoke on how the receptors that the drug binds to are all over the brain and central nervous system.

Anesthesiologist often give patients anesthetics with an analgesic effect, which acts as painkillers. Other times they use the drug ketamine. In lower doses, the drug turns the brain highly active, and in higher doses, the brain does the opposite effect. Brown told how when the brain transitions through the active state, it frequently hallucinates or has a sense of euphoria. Ketamine does not induce anesthesia or forgetfulness, but instead blocks NMDA receptors, which are important to learning, memory, movement, and the neutral shape of the brain. The two drugs, Propofol and Ketamine, work together to calm patients and provide painkilling comfort during the surgical procedure.

Summary: 

Throughout my intensive research, I found out many things I did not know about anesthesia. The entire process is something that takes time and is very intricate. Anesthesia has more to it than spoken about. It is interesting to read that doctors are frequently mistaking “sleeping” for a few hours with anesthesia. The brain has so much happening to it all at once that people are thinking nothing actually happens to it. The fact that if there is a little under or over of Propofol and Ketamine could either relax or excite the brain during surgery is ridiculous. Dr. Emery Brown’s way of explaining how it is closer to comatose brain pattern makes all understanding of the brain under anesthesia clearer to understand. He speaks more over the subject in an interview here and gives great clarification for those who want more details. As I earlier stated with the count down from 100, I wanted to know why and how this works. Brown says here that, “You get a sense of how the drugs are affecting the brain from the count down. People rarely get beyond 90 because they stop remembering. If you think about it, we think of counting as a very simple process, but it’s actually fairly complex because you have to remember what you just said and then remember what the next number in the sequence is.” Then it all makes sense.

It is no secret that energy drinks have become very popular among all people. The caffeine in them plays a huge role in giving bursts of energy. The most popular way of supplementing caffeine has been through energy drinks. What I wanted to know was how much it really does help.

A recent study in Spain used two doses of an energy drink containing caffeine and then tested its effects on the muscles using a series of tests. The results showed that a 1 mg dose of caffeine did not show any significant effects on muscle performance, but a 3 mg dose increased the performance. Although this increase could be due to chance or third variables, it seems quite likely that this increase in caffeine affected the results.

The downside of energy drinks is that although they provide a boost of energy, it is short-lived. The growing popularity of energy drinks has some people concerned about the amount of caffeine within them. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that young adults should get no more than 100 mg of caffeine per day. They warn that too much caffeine can have many negative side effects including rapid heart rate and increased blood pressure.

Matthew Ganio, a researcher at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, wrote, “Caffeine is widely studied and well-known for making you feel more alert. But its effects come from being a stimulant, meaning it makes you feel energetic by offsetting the mental and physical fatigue that occurs throughout the day, especially during exercise.”

Energy drinks can be very beneficial, but people should be sure that they have a good tolerance for them and be sure that they are healthy enough to drink them. I myself have had energy drinks before and although they can be helpful, there always comes a point where its effects wear off. I try not to have them too often, but every once in awhile will not do any harm. In the long run, it may be more beneficial to get your energy through old-fashioned ways like jumping jacks.

I was eating lunch at the HUB today with some friends, and the topic of hated-foods came up. I had gotten Chik-Fil-A chicken nuggets with waffle fries, and Chik-Fil-A sauce to dip them in. My friend asked me what Chik-Fil-A sauce was, and I told him to try it and decide for himself. He did so, and immediately had a look of disgust and averse reaction to the flavor. I myself love the taste, and know many other people who are die-hard Chik-Fil-A sauce fans. It made me wonder, why do people really hate certain foods? I know many people hate foods such as mushrooms, cottage cheese, olives, but is there scientific reasoning behind it?

This girl is really disgruntled with broccoli.

First of all, its important to note why we like the foods that we do eat. This article explains that humans have “innate preferences” to tastes. From the time you are born, you naturally enjoy things that taste sweet and dislike bitter or sour tastes. This predisposition has allowed humans to live and evolve for thousands of years, because it steers us away from potentially poisonous foods that come with the bitter taste, and towards safe-to-eat sweet foods. Another thing that affects tastes is what mothers eat while their offspring are in the uterus. A study has shown that prenatal exposure to certain foods via the mother’s dietary habits leads to increased liking of those tastes or foods after birth.

One biological mechanism for why we perceive tastes differently is in our taste buds. Scientists categorize three different groups of people, based on genetics: ‘”super tasters”, “non-tasters” and “regular tasters”‘. Super tasters are those who have more “fungiform papillae” taste receptors, and can taste certain things like bitterness more intensely. This leads to a higher likelihood of aversion to foods that are bitter, such as green vegetables.

Other times, people develop aversions to foods after they have become sick from them. An article from the website io9 says, “This taste aversion is a survival mechanism, where your body is essentially trying to avoid a potentially poisonous substance.”

Taste likes or dislikes can also be attributed to culture. Some cultures often adopt certain flavors or tastes that are often used due to availability of certain foods and spices, such as curry in Indian foods. Growing up in a culture which often utilizes curry will make it more likely that you will enjoy the taste of it, as opposed to growing up in a place where the flavor is not used as often.

If you don’t like a certain food but wished you did, you’re in luck! Research says that you can teach yourself to like foods through repeated exposure to the taste. One study says that after around 10 to 15 tries of a “hated food”, you are likely to come around to the flavor. The science behind that is currently unclear.

There is a pattern to food aversions, however. Each individual has different tastes for foods, but collectively, there are a certain few tastes that many individuals dislike, such as dark chocolate, coffee, and brussels sprouts. So if you hate some type of food, you’re more than likely not alone!

Communication has been, and always will be, a vital part of the world we live in. Communication is just as important to everyone, no matter what language you may speak. But what influences the way our brains work when developing a language? Furthermore, what if you speak more than one? Researchers from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and the Montreal Neurological Institute have discovered that, “…even brief, early exposure to a language influences how the brain processes sounds from a second language later in life.” So what this means is, if an individual was born in Germany and spoke German, even for only 3 years for example, and then began speaking English, the way that they learned the new language and the way their brain interpreted it would be influenced by their previous language.

To conduct this study, researchers used 3 groups of children ages 10-7 with different linguistic backgrounds. The three groups consisted of a group born and raised in unilingual French-speaking families, a group adopted from China into a French family before the age of 3 who began speaking French instead of Chinese from that point on, and lastly, a group who spoke both Chinese and French fluently. The kids were asked to identify “French pseudo-words” and when they responded, “…the researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to look at which parts of their brains were being activated.” The researchers then found that each group could complete the task, but different parts of the brain were activated. Children who were not exposed to Chinese linguistics and only spoke French had activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus and interior insula. Both groups who spoke Chinese and French, even the group that stopped speaking Chinese at age 3 or younger, activated the right middle frontal gyrus, left medial frontal cortex, and bilateral superior temporal gyrus. These findings establish the connection that although a person may stop speaking a language at a very young age, their brain still recognizes the language and their brains still function similarly to bilingual people. Furthermore, children who adopt a new primary language process it differently due to their previous background in another language.

So what does this mean? These findings help scientists understand, “…how the brain becomes wired for language, but also about how that hardwiring can change and adapt over time in response to new language environments.” Knowing this, different forms of education could develop for people of all linguistic backgrounds. Better understanding the ways that the brain adapts to language will help the world in many areas, especially in the areas of language studies and language classes.

                    www.afsusa.org 

I think this study will genuinely help many schools, and people around the world, considering many people are bilingual. Understanding the differences in brain activation through people’s previous and current languages could also maybe help people learn more languages based on their primary language. I think it would be interesting to know how the brain is activated for people who are not fluent in another language, but are currently learning a new language. I found this study interesting because there are many bilingual people here at Penn State and knowing that each person has a unique brain pattern and activation based off of their previous and current languages, is pretty cool if you ask me.

Works Cited:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151201115233.htm

My senior year of high school I took honors physics and honestly probably couldn’t have struggled more. However, we wrote weekly articles on how physics was present in our everyday lives or in places that we observed. I used to figure skate for years and one day the movie ice princess came on and I was listening to the breakdown of the main characters explanation of how figure skating is physics, so I decided to try and understand it for myself. Figuring Skating is a sport that requires a large amount of precision.

Physics plays a large role in both large and small aspects of this sport. On a minimal level when a skater jumps into the air, it is the force of gravity that is pulling her back down onto the ice. Forces and energy are big components that factor into the success of a skaters routine and abilities. In preparation for a jump a skater will begin to glide on the ice and pick up speed.”A fundamental law of physics holds that momentum is always conserved, meaning that unless some outside force enters a system, its total momentum must stay constant”, meaning that the skater will continue to build and hold on to the speed she is picking up while skating. This skating is a form of kinetic energy and is used to propel the skater into the air so she is able to execute a flawless jump. The third law of newton explains this as well by saying that for every force, there is a force pair: each force has a pair force that is equal in size and opposite in direction. In this situation there is an equal amount of force between her skate and the ice beneath it propelling the skater to go upwards. This type of preparation can also be used for a spin.

Another aspect of a spin however is that keeping your limbs closer into your body allows for less air resistance, and enables the skater to spin faster and have more control. This aspect is explained by momentum,”which is basically how much force it would take to stop a moving object” (Moskowitz), because “with her arms outstretched her mass is distributed over a greater space” (Moskowitz), causing her overall momentum to decrease. This then segues how friction plays a role in figure skating. When a skater prepares to stop on the ice, he/she begins to firmly press down her skate on the ice.  Friction is “a force that resists when two objects slide against each other, dissipating their energy of motion. Friction arises because the molecules on both surfaces bond with one another, and resist when the surfaces try to move away and break the bonds”(Moskowitz).This can be explained by Newton’s first law of inertia stating that a object in motion will stay in motion, unless an outside force is exerted on it. The force she exerts creates friction between the ice and the blade of the skate, making the skater come to a stop. Ice has less friction than “a wooden floor”(Moskowitz), but it still does have some friction because “it would be impossible to skate if there wasn’t any”(Moskowitz).

Another way skaters lessen air resistance is to wear outfits that are aerodynamic. Which ultimately improves their performance. “Dresses are carefully tailored to a skater’s body and must be functional for triple axels and double toe loops”(Muther).These costumes, are tailored to fit the skater and the sport as any other uniform would for any other sport. The designers take into account the movement that will take place and how the outfit can best compliment the skater in feasibility first and style second.  As someone who figure skated for 9 years and dance for 12, I can understand the importances of a wearable and performance ready costumes that do not inhibit, but enable you to have full range of motion, be aerodynamic, and ultimately feel like you are wearing a second layer or skin. Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Gold medalist stated how as a skater “You want to be aerodynamic. You don’t want anything weighing you down, distracting you, or getting in the way”(Muther).

Works Cited:

Which is better for you, diet or regular soda? This is an argument that has been debated quite often. Personally, I am not a huge fan of soda so this topic doesn’t really apply to me. However, it does interest me because I have heard both sides of the argument. I wanted to do some research to see which in fact was the better, healthier option.
It is a known fact that both regular and diet soda are bad for your health. However, I was interested in seeing which one was worse. The truth is, they are both unhealthy in different ways. Soda has many different effects on people. It affects teeth, risk of heart attacks and strokes, weight gain, and much more.

One argument used in favor of diet soda is that it doesn’t create cavities because it uses artificial sweeteners instead of natural sugar. Even though it may not have sugar in it, it still contains acid that can, over time, leave the teeth more vulnerable to cavities. Another common misconception is that diet soda won’t make you gain weight because it is calorie-free. However, some research suggests that the artificial sugar makes people more hungry, causing them to eat more and thus gain weight.

James Hill conducted a study to determine which helped lose more weight, water or diet soda. The researchers found that over a 12 week study, people who drank diet soda instead of water lost on average 4.5 pounds more than those who drank water. Although there could have been errors or third variables in this study, it has eased the minds of many diet soda drinkers.

The main question when trying to see if diet soda is better than regular is whether or not sugar substitutes are healthier than sugar. Recent studies show that artificial sweeteners alter human metabolism and has links to diabetes. There could be third variables or other things that are affecting the outcome of this survey. However, there is no certain proof that diet soda is healthier. Therefore, you may want to think twice about going for the diet soda thinking it will be healthier than regular.

Coming from California, I expected to encounter many differences from coast to coast. One difference I did not expect is that on this coast, disposable paper toilet seat covers . At first I was disgusted. Why was I forced to expose my butt to the horrors of an uncovered toilet seat?

Firstly, using disposable toilet seat covers isn’t just limited to California. It seems to be the whole west coast. Washington requires employers to provide sanitary seat covers in the workplace. It is pretty rare that you encounter a public restroom without disposable sanitary covers on that side of the U.S. and if theres no cover, you hover.

collegehumor.com

Is hovering even worth the stress and the leg workout? According to a study done on sitting versus squatting toilets and their roles in transmitting infectious diseases, squatting toilets were found to have more microorganisms. So if thats what is going on underneath you when you don’t sit maybe going bareback is the way to go.

But if paper seat covers are as useless as many East Coasters claim, why are they still found in major stores like Target and places like the Philly airport? According to two separate studies disposable paper toilet seat covers are ideal for helping prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

After adapting to the paperless sitting experience, I can attest that I have yet to encounter any negative health effects. Thats certainly not enough to abolish these protective papers. It is very necessary for science to continue to explore this issue so the U.S. can reach a definitive answer. By neglecting this topic we continue to waste resources on a possibly ineffective product.

Though more data is needed, it would be very unethical to experiment with trying to spread a disease through toilets. Subjecting enough subjects to gain sufficient data would put a horrifically large amount of people at risk of contracting infectious diseases. Instead, observational work would have to be done, making finding a quick solution a tough process. Until then, use your best judgement. Or maybe, do it the old fashioned way.

As obesity is affecting people’s lives from many aspects, healthy eating become a popular phrase that indicates people to eat healthy. However, tragedies happened many times for there were some people who cannot distinguish what exactly is healthy eating. Many of them choose to buy food from organic shops while some choose to plant vegetables themselves. It is commonly believed that vegetables grow in the wildlife free is the greenest. However, recently scientists find that this is wrong.

In this article on society for science, it mentions that the hypothesis that we used to make about wildlife free grow vegetables is actually false that they carry more virus and disease-causing germs than vegetables grow in other place. In order to prove it, scientists do a research by collecting and measuring samples they gathered from different farms and the result shows that not only removing wildlife habitat did not improve food safety, in fact, pathogen levels seemed to increase. After this research, Dr. Suslow from the university clarifies that although the result differs from the original study, he will not change his general conclusion which is removing habitat from around farm fields prevents food-poisoning germs from tainting fresh produce.

Actually, this experiment, although seems well conducted and designed, is an observational research. This means that the result of it may be affected by third variables in great possibility such as the nearby environment of the plants, chance and so on. Conclusion is mainly based on the observation from the data of the research, even if this research in done in reverse, the possibility of she to get the same conclusion is pretty low. What’s more, the researchers mainly get their conclusion from the images, there may exist a correct or false positive which affects the final conclusion. Moreover, from the last paragraph of this article, there exists the possibility that the conclusion is influenced by the drawer problem which means whether the conclusion may be affected if it does not fit the public’s opinions. As mentioned in the passage, although the result of experiment is the opposite of the hypothesis, Dr. Suslow choose not to change his mind which makes the former hypothesis not trustable. On the other hand, due to lack of evidences and data, the research mentioned in the article is also doubtable, which means further experiments on the wildlife free grow plants should made to make the correlation more convincing.

Early in the semester I went through a rough patch and got really stressed out. I was walking downtown when I thought, hey maybe listening to some soothing music will help out my stress. I went on Spotify and choice a classical music playlist. It was weird at first but then it quickly grew on me. All of a sudden i felt soothed and calm again. I then thought since this distresses me then maybe it will do the same when im doing homework or studying. Ever since then I listen to classical music every time i do homework. I quickly started noticing how much more focus i had with this kind of music playing in the background. I then wondered what is it about this kind of music that makes me focus so much more? And what are the benefits to this?

A Finnish study tested the enhancement in gene activity after listening to classical music. The article explains how, “Researchers performed genome-wide transcriptional profiling from the peripheral blood of participants after they listened to classical music — and again without music exposure.” The study went on to having two groups of participants were asked to listen to Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major for twenty minutes while the other group was required to not listen to anything or avoid listening to any type of music. The results of this showed that those who listened to classical music had higher levels of dopamine.

Another study that was done at a university in France showed that the increased levels of dopamine classical music can cause increased students’ emotional state which made them more receptive to information in a lecture compared to those who did not listen to any type of music at all. It was found that classical music can also lessen anxiety. Researches have made men going under biopsy listen to Bach and they reported that they experienced less pain.

If you want to improve your concentration and feel like you need to relax just sit back and listen to some classical music. It’s been proven to lower blood pressure, release stress levels, improve sleep quality, enhance memory and alertness, and help fight depression and pain.

Obesity has become a more and more concerning problem that affects the whole world. Not just in the US, Europe and Asia all have to face the trouble of growing number of obesity people. Obesity not only affects people’s personal health status, but also has influence on the society. Obese people cannot work properly which causes economy loss while they have less money to pay for their medicines that leads to a negative loop. Recently, scientists find that obesity can affect people’s heart can increase the possibility of having heart diseases.

In the article from society for science, it is mentioned that people who have obesity usually have a bigger heart than the health people which will influence their health levels. They do a research by selecting 40 volunteers and divide into two groups, one full of obese people and one with the normal ones. Then they detect and scan their hearts’ images and analyze them. Form the data they collected, the scientists make the conclusion that there does exist a relation between obesity and heart. Obese children have enlarged hearts that interfered with how well blood pumped throughout their bodies and obesity changes their left ventricle to be thicker. Thus the scientists warn people about the negative consequences of obesity. On the other hand, the good news is that the rate of obesity people remains almost the same for many years.

Although this experiment seems well conducted and comprehensive, it is mainly an observational research and all the data collected are primarily from observations. This leads to the possibility that the final result can be affected by third variables such as original health status of the children, chance and so on. In other words, if this experiment is done in a reverse way, the possibility of getting the same conclusion in the end is less than 5%. In order to make this correlation more trustable, more researches should be made to prove and find the relation and causation since correlation does not equal to causation.

If the conclusion that obesity increases the possibility of getting a bigger heart which causes heart disease is true, it does reminds people to be aware of obesity. Just like what the article says, there is currently no solution on how to reverse heart disease in obese children, we should be careful on our health and be aware of the potential treats to our body.

In now days, the music is a huge part of our life. Whatever we do, and wherever we go, the music is always next to us. When people want to feel better, they usually find the music, which their favorite to control their mind. Also, people already know about the benefits of music. It reduces our stress, changing mood and raising states of consciousness. Then, how music affects to us? There are some of the benefits of music.

Before I said that, the music affects many different parts of the brain.

The first effect of music is that it can improve visual and verbal skills. Already in several studies proved that the music education at an early age stimulates the child’s brain and it helps to improve their visual and verbal skills. The children who learned the music lessons, had a greater ability to communicate and smile more frequency to other people.

Also, the music makes the brain healthier. Listening the music or playing the music is like exercise the brain, so it helps to have better memory and mental sharpness. In this activity also using to people who got a hurt the brain.

The third effect that I introduce is the music boosts your immune system and reduce pain. According to research, listing the music in 50 minutes uplift the levels of antibodies in the human body increases.

The last effect of benefit is the music improve sleep quality. The sleep quality is deeply related with stress and anxiety. Also, the music has an ability to reduce both of them. From the research, listening music is promotes better sleep pattern and provide more restful sleeps to people.

Image : http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–Yv67IeYh–/19750v1qk99cujpg.jpg

Video : https://youtu.be/fDfVsFxJXms

Water is a term that no one would live without. There is around 70 percent of our body are made of water, and in other words, the quality of water plays the big role if determine our health. However, many of us do not really know how to choose the water to drink, and what kind of water is best for our health.

“Best” is a subject term that varied by the people from different lifestyles, finances background, or living environment. However, every company would like to say their water is the best. And, based on the common senses and scientific agreements, the good water has to have a good taste and safe to drink. If it can contribute our body in micro-mineral, then it will be better. “Drinking clean, healthy, chemical-free water is the foundation to health.” The cumulative effects of unhealthy water is dangerous, and those chemicals will gradually harm to our body in unnoticeable way. Therefore, what are the standards that the healthy water should have?

The Healthiest Water Is Mineral Rich

There is a common agreement by water experts, that “the healthiest water is produced by home water filters”, because the water filtration systems has selectively  kept the natural minerals and removed the contaminants. And, the reverse osmosis and distilled waters is also supported by the benefits of pure. “De-mineralized water is not found in nature. Nor does is promote growth or health of living organisms.” The conclusive argument among the experts are the healthiest water is the mineral rich water. In the matters of fact, the de-mineralized water are considered  as “dead” water, and in the opposite the mineral-rich water is labeled as “living” water.

“Dr. Mu Shik Jhon, considered by the scientific community to be the top water expert in the world, writes that the best drinking water contains a balance of essential minerals. In his book The Water Puzzle and the Hexagonal Key, Jhon says that from a biological and medical point of view, de-mineralized water is simply not healthy to drink.”

The scientific research shows that if a person is drinking distilled water for a long period of time, the body will show uncomforted and potentially dangerous to early death. The distilled water has special property of being able to actively absorb “electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart beat irregularities and high blood pressure. ” In experimental conclusion, the distilled water is only fit for temporary drinking but not long period drinking. For further studies, the water can be discussed by brands, by price and by nutrition. The water can be cartelized by its brands and taste, and discuss what consumers always buy and why they like to buy those specific brands of water.

Lastly, If one’s priority is to be healthy and to maintain wellness. One’s drinking water should satisfied these requirements to be the finest one. “1. Contaminant free.  2.Mineral rich. 3.Alkaline pH.  4.Micro-clustered. 5.Anti-oxidant. 6. Good taste.” We should take serious to the water we drink just as we do to or body. As the trend of healthy life, the importance of the quality of the water will be emphasized again and again.

http://beatcancer.org/2012/02/whats-the-best-water-to-drink/

http://www.mercola.com/article/water/distilled_water.htm

The best water to drink (and the types you should avoid)

http://www.webmd.com/diet/best-sources-drinking-water

It is completely obvious that men do not have periods. What I am saying is do males PMS like females do monthly? Yes, I am speaking for all the females by saying that we do get moody quite a bit around that time. What I am saying is males get moody and douche-y around certain times of the month. Therefore, it brought me to the question whether or not they do PMS, so I decided to do research to see if it really is a “Girl thing” or that Guys equally PMS (figuratively) along with the rest of us females.

What is PMS and what are the symptoms?

PMS stands for Premenstrual Syndrome. It has a variety of symptoms that are part of the female menstrual cycle. These symptoms usually occur about one week before the period begins and often disappears at the start of the period. Mood swings, cramps, bad skin, headaches, bloating, difficulty sleeping, sore breasts, and digestive issues are the most common symptoms. This website can help you with more information if you are seeking it.

IMS definition and symptoms

Men go through the male PMS: which is “IMS” (Irritable Male Syndrome). The definition says that it is a state of hypersensitivity, frustration, anxiety, and anger that occurs in males and is associated with biochemical changes, hormonal fluctuations, stress, and loss of male identity. Jed Diamond, a therapist and author of The Irritable Male Syndrome, has done searching in the past on the existence of male periods and believes that “men have hormonal cycles just as women do.” He also spoke upon the subject adding that men become violent when their testosterone, the hormone that gives them their mojo, levels go down, irritability, depression, anxiousness, and exhibit lower self-esteem play a role. Cosmopolitan Magazine says that the testosterone levels in young men fluctuate daily and it is at its highest during the morning and then drops as the day goes on. What is unclear is how these levels vary day to day and week by week. VoucherCloud (UK version of Groupon) decided to conduct a this study to explore the man period phenomenon.

The IMS studies conducted

VoucherCloud asked male survey respondents of over 2,400 (half men, half women) if they frequently suffered the same common side effect of PMS that women experience during their menstrual cycle such as tiredness, cramps, and increased sensitivity. As a result, 26% of men experienced these feelings on a regular basis, while more than 58% of their female partners believed them. The men identified several PMS elated symptoms as signs of their “man periods”, such as constant hunger to general irritability. About 12% of men confessed that they were more sensitive about personal weight while 5% suffered from cramps.

VoucherCloud also found that on average, males spend about an additional $124.63 on food and snacks per month, including on takeout, compared to those that did not believe they had man periods. The men who reported that they suffered from the menstrual symptoms spend an extra $97.35 per month in their increased food cravings. This study, conducted by Professor Karen J. Pine at the University of Hertfordshire in 2009, found that a women’s menstrual cycle influences her spending habits about 10 days before her period begins. Women are likely to go on a shopping spree or go overboard by $27. The research found that “women were shopping excessively as a way to deal with negative emotions they experience during their cycle to cheer themselves up.”

This study, performed 2004, suggested that men suffered from PMS symptoms actually as badly as women do. The results showed that the males scored higher in depression, hot flashes, pain, and lack of arousal.

Study Analysis: My viewpoint

The studies performed were not the best for they did not state ages of the participants. I assumed that they were all adults anywhere from ages 35+ married couples together for more than 10 years. However, since we do not know, we do not know if we can generalize these findings to all ages. However, earlier stated, they did say young men testosterone fluctuate about four times a day. Couples are marrying young nowadays and are together just as long as the mature ones are so this makes it difficult to decide which the focus. I would better the research by focusing in on one age group with similar partner details. Such as the time length they are together or if they have kids that could affect the study as a confounding variable. This could help find out if the relationship is healthy or destructive to the male in the sense of causing him to have these symptoms. If the relationship is not going well, the arguments or health issues between the two can cause the male to experience this triumph. The results showed that correlation but it does not tell us about causation. The studies found that men that who showed symptoms of PMS did prove that they were ongoing IMS and spent more in result of this. However, the statistical side of it all is not enough to make it mean something.  As discussed in class, it is possible that these studies are false positive, but we cannot know until there are experimental studies. This is the reason why questionnaires are not reliable, for they are not fully accurate. These results state that men are showing signs of these symptoms, but at the same time, more men are showing that nothing is happening than those believing that there is. I do not have confidence in these studies and consider that more studies are needed. I find that these are less reliable than an observational study because they were all questionnaires.

Conclusion

After all my research, Scientists are proving they found that men, even those who deny it, have some symptoms linked to female PMS. They equally show symptoms, spend money on food unnecessarily, and overall experience what is like to feel like the world is against you for about a week. The logic behind these studies seemed like they were on to something but the lack of specification in generalizability and numerical values of participants made the studies seem shaky. The take away message here is: if you are not a male, married, over the age of about 30, or finding yourself spending money you do not have then I can reassure you that Irritable Man Syndrome (IMS) does not pertain to you. On the other hand, if these do apply to you I can say that the likely hood of you having it is very slim for the statistics that are being shown are less than 30% of males. In addition, for the women with the “man period” spouses, there is reassurance that in case you think your significant other is going to “Sync periods” with you, the data shows a highly no. It is only possible with female-to-female cycles.

Addiction is caused by a dopamine response in the brain, “so whether it is alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, or whatever you have in you”(Walker), the dopamine response triggers pleasure and and creates a “reward circuit- having pleasurable associations with a particular substance, making you feel compelled to ‘reward’ ourselves by seeking it again”(Walker).

Many people have talked about how alcoholism is genetic and how other various addictions, such as drugs or other vices can also have a genetic component that makes it very difficult for a person to let go of their addiction or prevent themselves from becoming addicted to something in the first place. There has also been mention of one gene that is “the addiction gene” that can cause people to have or be more susceptible to having an addiction. That statement is false and has no scientific basis. Yes, there is a genetic component to addiction, but “like most other diseases, addiction vulnerability is a very complex trait”(Univ. of Utah). In addition, there are also many other factors that can contribute to a person’s vulnerability to addiction “Including both inherited and environmental factors”(Univ. of Utah). An article in Nature, states how “Joni Rutter, director of the Division of Basic Neuroscience and Behavioral Research at the US National Institute on Drug Abuse in Bethesda, Maryland, says that regardless of the drug involved, “about 50% of the risk is genetic, within a range of about 40–60%.”)”(Walker). Rutter also goes on to reiterate how genetics are one one aspect of addiction as I mentioned previously.

When scientists are looking for these “addiction genes”, they are looking for a “biological difference”(Univ. of Utah) that alters a person’s ability on whether or not they would be able to resist addiction. This is no easy process either since “not every addict will carry the same gene”(Univ. of Utah) and not every person who has an “addiction gene”(Univ. of Utah) will become an addict. However, it is made clear by Dr. Mohamad in an article published about his findings in an ABC News article because “Babies of alcoholics adopted into non-drinking homes have almost the same odds(9 times as likely) of alcoholism as they would if they’d stayed with their birth parents”(Lombardi). Although, one could dispute the fact that being “9 times a likely” to develop a drinking problem is a relative risk because the absolute risk is not being stated; the detrimental health, lifestyle, and overall difficulties that could result from an addiction are worth taking seriously. However, the fact that these babies have a higher risk just due to being born into alcoholic parents, and not even being raised by them, suggests that there is a genetic component at play controlling part of the outcome.

As far as environmental factors go, there are many that can contribute to make an individual more susceptible to having an addiction. For instance, “a recent CNN medical segment [“Teenage binge drinkers are more likely to become adult alcoholics” 6/16/04″] reported that a study had found that teen binge drinking was linked to an increased risk for alcoholism by 3.81%”.  The study also concluded upon further analysis that the sooner an individual tries a sip or have “even a small drink…could [result in] a problem later on in life”(alcohol news). In addition Dr. Muhammad explained how parents who condone their children to drink or do drugs with them or who allow them to do so in the house are sending a message of false safety and that “getting high or drunk is a smart idea”(Lombardi). It is also important to note that environmental factors can be solely responsible in specific cases for triggering a relapse of a person’s addiction. For example, if a sober person is around drugs or alcohol like they once were when they were using, this can trigger the genetic factors to once again come in play and make it that much harder for a person to resist their chosen vice.

High school and college students are impressionable and are still trying to find themselves. College especially is associated as a time for experimentation and because of this, more environmental risks can at their respective schools can cause them to fall on the slippery slope to addiction. In a study done in 2005, analyzing “2,000 college students at 400 different schools”, from 1993 to 2005, the number of drinkers had not increased, but the “intensity”(CASA Columbia) of overall drinking had “jumped sharply: binge drinking rose by 16%, people who drank 10 or more time in a month rose by 25%, getting drunk at least 3 times a month rose by 26%, and lastly going from drank to getting drunk rose by 21%”(CASA Columbia). Lastly, “marijuana use more than doubled”(columbia) and use of harder drugs such as “cocaine and heroine rose by 52%”(CASA Columbia). Even more shocking is the fact that these numbers, especially those relating to marijuana usage have most likely increased since the drug has become legal in certain states.

The combination of genetic and environmental factors are what cause people to have a difficult time steering clear of addiction or not suffering from its detrimental effects repeatedly after attempts to become sober. The role of genetics in addiction is not anything to be taken lightly and should not be discounted by an individual thinking that this will not make them more vulnerable. In addition, being aware of how your “home, family, school, and friends”(National Institute Drug Abuse) can affect your decision making when it comes to drugs, alcohol, or other vices should also be taken into consideration. Anyone is vulnerable to addiction and some more so due to increased genetic and environmental factors, as college students it is important for each of us to keep that in mind when making smart and safe decisions.

Works Cited:

Walker, Regina. “So, Is Addiction Genetic? Or Not? | The Fix.” The Fix. 1 Sept. 2015. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <https://www.thefix.com/Genetics-addiction-connection-regina-walker0901>

“Genes and Addiction.” Genes and Addiction. University of Utah. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/genes/>

Lombardi, Lisa. “Is Drug Addiction Genetic?” ABC News. ABC News Network, 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/drug-addiction-genetic/story?id=25728024#5>

“Underage Drinking, the Statistics and the Solutions.” Underage Drinking, the Statistics and the Solutions. George Mason University. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.

<http://alcoholnews.org/Underage%20drinking.html >

“Drug Abuse and Addiction.” Drug Abuse and Addiction. National Institute Drug Abuse. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drug-abuse-addiction>

“Wasting the Best and the Brightest: Substance Abuse at America’s Colleges and Universities.” CASAColumbia. 1 Mar. 2007. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.

<http://www.casacolumbia.org/addiction-research/reports/wasting-best-brightest-substance-abuse-americas-colleges-universitys>

When space exploration kicked off in the 1960s, food quality for the astronauts was not at all top notch. They were limited to only tubed foods and pastes, for the food would spoil otherwise, and supplies would run out. Things got a little better by the Gemini missions of 1965, for the menu had expanded to nicer items, such as: “shrimp cocktail, chicken and vegetables, and butterscotch pudding.” Even though that doesn’t sound so bad, one must take into consideration the preparation of those foods. Again, to prevent spoiling, the food had to be dehydrated for the journey, then rehydrated upon consumption with a small nozzle in the packaging that would release a certain liquid.

However, after many years of being forced to eat less-than-satisfactory meals, astronauts finally get to enjoy something a little more fresh. For the first time in history, the International Space Station has produced fresh food, grown on the vessel itself.

The first successfully grown piece of vegetation is a crop of lettuce (seen below.) The lettuce, now known as Veg-01, was a result of Nasa’s plant experimentation system in May 2014.

How they made this work was through a “collapsible and expandable unit” that housed the plant under red, blue, and green LED lights. According to Dr. Massa, and agricultural expert working with NASA, the red and blue lights provide the energy needed for the food growth, and the green lights were so the researchers could analyze and observe the plants most efficiently.

Half of the lettuce was tested and eaten by the astronauts, and the other half was setback to America for a more in-depth study on its nutrition. Since those who consumed it responded so positively about the taste and freshness, similar projects are expected to be continued in the future. In fact, NASA has already come up with concepts involving vegetation growth on Mars.

Not only would this continued method of food production be extremely beneficial in providing fresh and nutritious meals to astronauts on long voyages, it also presents a promising concept of future food growth. Pictured above, Nasa hopes to install small vessels of vegetation growth to test the ability of food to grow in those environments. According to Dr. Massa, numerous experiments are planned to test “crop yield, nutrition, and favor” in these installations. I think this is a great technological advancement that will excel our understanding of food growth in space as well as efficient, sustainable meals for astronaut transportation.

The debate between nature and nurture and the effects they have on early development is an ongoing question. Some believe that a child’s development is based solely on their “nature,” or the traits and behaviors they are born with. Others, however, pose the argument that “nurture,” or the atmosphere, influences, and way of being raised is the main factor in shaping who the child becomes. Both sides of the argument present compelling evidence, making it difficult to come to a clear conclusion.   

Everyone knows that physical traits are hereditary. You certainly cannot change the color of your eyes or the shape of your nose simply by the way you are raised, so who is to say that the same does not go for behavioral traits? This is one of the most profound and factually solid arguments posed by those who believe that nature trumps nurture in the most influential part of a child’s development. An example of this is that if two parents who both have a learning disability have a child, that child will also most likely have a learning disability as well. This child will have this trait regardless of how they are raised, simply because that is how they were born. Today, we do not have the technology needed to be able to test if behavioral traits are hereditary. This does not mean, however, that we never will be able to. Based on the rapid technological advances in today’s age, it would not be a far stretch to say that performing these types of tests may be possible in the near future.

On the other hand, nurture certainly has a significant role in a child’s development, especially in the early stages. This is apparent immediately if a newborn baby is not cared for and shown that they are loved in the first few days of life, they will not survive even if their body seems perfectly healthy. In this case, nurture completely trumps nature because the only thing failing was the way the baby was treated. There are cases where parents do not care whatsoever for their child, and in extreme cases these children are classified as “feral children.” A feral child is a child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age. They have no experience of human care, nurture, or social contact. In severe cases, these children’s behaviors can resemble those of wild animals because they are the only contact they have ever had. It seems like a valid conclusion that if a child whose only contact was with animals begins acting like animal, then nurture must trump nature. Certainly there was nothing in the DNA of the child that could have resulted in animalistic behavior, so it must have been the effects of nurture because what other explanation is there? There are endless possibilities of ways that a parent could raise their child. Parents could nurture and love their child, they could absolutely spoil them rotten, they could coddle them so they are forever dependent, they could neglect them leaving the child with trust and self esteem issues, and certainly hundreds of thousands of other environments and situations. Each environment a child is raised in will produce a different type of child based on how they are treated while young, which means that nature will fall second to nurture.

After researching the opposing sides of the nature vs nurture argument, I learned many facts and points that were continuously swaying my opinion between which factor I believed to be most important. After coming to a conclusion, I decided that both nature and nurture are tremendously important in the early development of a child. I believe that as a parent or any influential figure in a child’s life, you have a huge amount of influence over who that child becomes. If you nurture and care for them, hopefully they will be more successful in going through the normal stages of development. If you raise your child in a negative light or neglect them in any way, they will be unsuccessful in following these standard stages of development. I believe, however, that despite the influence you and the environment can have on a child’s development, this influence can only go so far. I believe that each person is born an individual, with different morals and different paths laid out for them. At the end of the day, you cannot change who you are. Nevertheless, here are still many factors that tie into the argument over nature versus nurture. If one or the other affects the developmental traits of a child, what explanation is there for twins who have different personalities? Twins have the same DNA, and most likely were raised in the same environment, and certainly sets of twins do not act the same. Even siblings in general, who have the same parents and more or less were nurtured in the same environment and raised in a similar way, why can siblings be absolute opposites of one another when it comes to behavior and development? This argument has been ongoing for hundreds of years, with even major philosophers and psychoanalysts such as Locke and Galton not even being able to come to a solid conclusion. Odds are that the debate will continue on as it has an infinite amount of factors and is for a large portion based off of personal beliefs and philosophies. 

As a Chinese major and someone who has always been interested in language and phonetics I have noticed that the sound of a word can often feel related to its meaning and that words in separate languages with the same meaning can share similar consonant or vowel sounds despite having been developed oceans or mountains away. Realizing that I am not an especially perceptive person, I was sure that someone much smarter than I am must have also picked up on this and investigated it further. I was right. The phenomenon that I just described is called sound symbolism and it is especially easy to notice when one is observing the expression of size in different languages, “In sound symbolism, the sound of words can bring images to our mind – think of pequeño, petit, or kleine (meaning small) as opposed to grande, grand, or gross (meaning large)” (Kannan). Since this crosses so many barriers within humanity, I was drawn to suspect that this must be a natural predisposed tendancy and I am not the only one, “I have proposed that sound symbolism, the non-arbitrary connection between certain classes of speech sounds and the meanings of the words or morphemes they are in, has a biological evolutionary origin” (Ohala).

So if this is an innate outcome, how does it happen and why? Madhuvanthi Kannan suggests that in the case of words describing size it may be the result of the actions of our mouths as we form the words. “When we say grand (French, for large), for example, our mouth expands as if to mimic the size of the object we refer to, whereas, when we say petit, the vocal tract constricts, and the word plants an impression of a tiny object” (Kannan).  I have seen this trend as well while studying Chinese where “da” (大) – a word with a rounded consonant sound and a wide vowel – means “large” and “xiao” (小) – a word that begins with a mouth pinching “sh” sound and ends with a closing “ow” sound – means “small”.

John Ohala suggests an alternative theory in which he believes that it may be linked to an evolutionary development, “Some light is shed on the above patterns from a study by Morton (1977) who examined the kinds of vocalizations some 28 avian and 28 mammalian species use in agonistic displays, i.e., signals given in face-to-face competitive encounters. In all cases it was found that the confident aggressor or threatener emitted a low-pitched vocalization whereas the submissive nonthreatening individual produced a high-pitched sound” (Ohala). This was an easy theory for me to visualize. When I think of a person talking to a baby or consoling a friend, they often raise the pitch of their voice which I agree sounds much more positive and non-threatening. In contrast if I think of people I often think their voices are low and gruff, a much more threatening intonation.

Both of these theories aligned with my experiences in using and studying language but after considering both of them I was left to wonder whether or not Ohala’s theory may have led to the Kannan’s. To me it seems possible that with certain pitches being able to evoke different responses earlier in human evolution that that process may have culminated into similar phonetic sounds when humans developed spoken language.

Sources:

Kannan, Madhuvanthi. “Some Rules of Language Are Wired in the Brain.”Scientific American. Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2015. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.

Ohala, John J. “Sound Symbolism.” Berkeley Linguistics. University of California, Berkeley, n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <http://www.linguistics.berkeley.edu/~ohala/papers/SEOUL4-symbolism.pdf>.

Have you ever been in the middle of a dream when all of the sudden you realized that you were in the middle of a dream? This phenomenon is called lucid dreaming.  Collin’s English Dictionary defines lucid dreaming as “a dream in which the dreamer is aware that he or she is dreaming and can sometimes influence the course of the dream.”

Taken from nathanielclaiborne.com

My interest in dreams began the first time I watched Christopher Nolan’s movie Inception.  I was fascinated by the thought of being able to control my own dreams just by realizing I was dreaming.  I have tried to induce a lucid dream many times, but I never had much success.  However, many people who practice the correct steps to induce a lucid dream are able to do it quite easily.  With even more practice, people can learn to control their lucid dreams.  When someone controls their dreams, they can do whatever they want while asleep.

One person who is beyond experienced in this is Beverly D’Urso.  She earned a Ph.D. in 1983, focusing on Artificial Intelligence.  She has performed experiments where she would enter a lucid dream and be monitored by scientists to see how her body was acting during the dreams.  According to Psychology Today, “She was the first person to have a recorded orgasm during a dream.  During her lucid dreams, she has tasted fire, visited the sun and overcome a writer’s block” (Brogaard).  They conducted an interview with her about her lucid dreaming.  In that interview she explained that the key to lucid dreaming is paying attention to small details during the day, and you will continue the habits while dreaming.  However, when you look at the small details in the dreams, they won’t make sense, and you will be able to realize that you are dreaming.

Picture taken from informermg.com

Another thing that could help induce a lucid dream is eating certain foods before bed.  Although the foods alone will not cause you to have lucid dreams, they will make dreams easier to recall and more intense.  Foods that are high in vitamin B6 and tryptophan will make dreams much more vivid (Turner).  They do this by increasing the level of serotonin in your brain which deals with your sleep cycle and the vividness of dreams.  The vitamin B6 must be taken through a B6 supplement pill because there are no foods that have levels high enough to affect dreams.  However there are some foods with high amounts of tryptophan: chicken, soybeans, turkey, and tuna to name a few.  I also came across some sources that said foods with high melatonin levels are the way to go.  Some of these foods would be: white mustard, black mustard, almonds, sunflower seeds, cherries, and flax seeds (Cope).

So through my research I learned that the best way to have a lucid dreams is to pay attention to small details in everyday life and eat certain foods before going to bed.

Works Cited

Brogaard, Berit. “Lucid Dreaming and Self-Realization.” Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 04 Dec. 2012. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.

Cope, Amy. “Foods for Vivid Dreams – Enhance Your Dream Life.” Amy Cope Bring Your Dreams into Life. N.p., 04 Nov. 2014. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.

Turner, Rebecca. “15 Foods That Enhance Your Dreams.” World of Lucid Dreaming. Rebecca Turner & World of Lucid Dreaming, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.