If you are like me when you take selfies, you take about 100 at a time. That might be a slight exaggeration, but you still take a hefty handful of them. Out of that large amount, it’s lucky if I like two of them let alone even one. Many people, like myself, obsess over their selfies and over analyze them because we think we look bad.  That perception has to do with the brain.

Our brain is used to seeing ourselves in a mirror from our reflection all the time. It has trained itself to become familiar with that image. According to Pamela Rutledge from the Media Psychology Center, familiarity leads to liking, and our brain has a fondness for that exact image.

How do I look one way in the mirror and the total opposite in a selfie? Eileen Shim at Mic notes it’s simply due to a flipped image. When taking selfies or pictures of yourself, some photo apps flip your image. This may be confusing to the viewer. The selfie appears and orients as others would see the subject.  Due to the brain becoming accustomed to viewing images in a specific way, any image that strays from the preferred image looks odd and is ill-received. Take this example of Abraham Lincoln.

True image of Lincoln.
Source: http://www.radiolab.org/story/122613-mirror-mirror/

Mirrored image of Lincoln
Source: http://www.radiolab.org/story/122613-mirror-mirror/

The image on the top is the image most people are aware of and familiar with.  However, the flipped image just isn’t right. Our brain is so accustomed to seeing the one version  that the other image is unfamiliar. The reversed image could be that of a long lost twin, but it’s not the same Lincoln that we know and recall. Of course, it is the same exact picture but in mirror image, but our brain associates them as being very different. Our brain also does this with our selfies, as our faces are not symmetrical.

Tabitha Leggett notes in her BuzzFeed post, that our faces are a combination of two asymmetrical halves. She documented and credited the work of photographer, Alex John Beck with proving this point. If one were to take two halves of their face, in replication, and combine them to form a whole or complete face, the results might be unexpected. So, paired mirror images will produce differences ranging from subtle to very clear, as demonstrated in the photo below. Often, this result is so deforming or odd, our brain automatically dislikes the selfie.

source: https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2014-02/enhanced/webdr04/9/8/enhanced-3714-1391953299-1.jpg?no-auto

Lastly, selfie images are distorted due to camera angle and proximity, and not different lenses. Daniel Baker, lecturer in psychology, notes distortion occurs due to the fact that facial features closer to the camera appear to be larger or exaggerated. So, distance, according to Baker, position of the camera is an important part in the quest for a perfect selfie. The more distance one can put between the face and the phone will result in a much better outcome. A perfect selfie comes from knowing these facts: we have an innate desire and fondness for a perfect mirror image, the face is not symmetrical, and utilizing more distance while taking a selfie, may all result in that perfect shot.

In today’s society, smoking marijuana has become almost as common as drinking alcohol. Many people from teenagers to middle- aged men and women use it for both recreational and medicinal purposes. The subject of pot legalization has been extremely controversial and debated among several politicians and state governments. This controversy surrounds all the negative side effects of using marijuana however, there are also many benefits.

Image found here.

The first of many benefits being the prevention and treatment of glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and can lead to a loss of vision or even blindness. This disease can create intense pressure inside the eyeball and smoking marijuana actually helps to decrease that pressure and prevent further loss of vision (Business Insider).

Another study found that marijuana may prevent cancer cells from spreading. Cancer cells replicate a gene called, Id-1, that helps them spread throughout the body more rapidly. Researchers found that smoking marijuana makes this gene inactive and thus, stops cancer cells from spreading. It may also be possible that the components of marijuana can eliminate cancer cells completely (Business Insider).

It is also suggested that smoking marijuana may aid in the treatment of Inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory bowel disease occurs when the walls of the intestines are weak and “leaky” making it easier for bacteria to seep through and cause an inflammatory response within the intestines. Smoking pot creates tighter bonds between the cells within your gut and therefore, the walls are stronger and less likely to let bacteria through. Researchers at the Society of Cannabis Clinicians found that patients suffering from Inflammatory bowel disease that were treated with marijuana had improvements in hunger, nausea, and fatigue while also experiencing less symptoms. (Medical Marijuana).

An additional, but certainly not final, benefit to smoking cannabis is the relief of arthritis discomfort. Smoking marijuana can help treat arthritis by making pathways called, CB2 receptors, active which are extremely present in the joints of arthritis sufferers. By activating these receptors, inflammation in the joints is decreased and arthritis pain is lessened. Again, researchers found that arthritis sufferers had a significant decrease of pain upon taking Cannabis medicine (LeafScience.com).

Although I never have, and never plan to, use marijuana for recreational or medicinal purposes, it is interesting for me to learn that there are several potential health benefits to using marijuana. It can help aid and prevent glaucoma, stop cancer cells from spreading, treat inflammatory bowel disease, and help decrease arthritis pain. While there may also be several negative side effects, marijuana may one day serve to be one of the biggest medical advances and help many people that suffer from various kinds of conditions and diseases. I hope to one day live in a world where nobody suffers, even if that means using what was once known as a “gateway drug”.

Sources:

Business Insider

Medical Marijuana

Leaf Science

Our beloved Penn State University was just placed in the top 10 of a category we don’t want to be in: Most Stressed Out Student Bodies (University Primetime). Out of all the thousands of schools in this country, Penn State was ranked 6th overall, above Stanford, Yale, MIT, Harvard, and just about every other university. We also took the #1 overall spot in a very different one of University Primetime’s lists: Top Party Schools. Could these two be related? A new study done by Canadian scientists says that could be very possible.

Researchers from Queen’s University sought to discover if there was a correlation between acute stress (stress caused by situations or events) and alcohol consumption, specifically among college students. Their study consisted of 75 students separated into 3 groups. One received unlimited amounts of alcohol, the other a placebo that tasted and looked exactly the same, and the last received a specified nonalcoholic drink. They were all put through the Trier Social Stress Test, which was deigned to provoke feelings of anxiety and stress. By testing the student’s stress levels before during and after the experiment, the researchers were able to determine that the students consumed substantially more alcohol while facing high levels of acute stress. However, those consuming the nonalcoholic drink and the placebo showed no increase in consumption after their stress levels rose. These findings led the researchers to conclude that the amount of alcohol being consumed by college students could very well be due to the high levels of acute stress they are put under. This would explain Penn State’s placement on both the Top Party School and Most Stressed Out Student Body list.

Most people would agree that both high stress levels and binge drinking are bad things. The question is, how do we fix this problem? It seems to me like the root of the problem is stress, so making alcohol less easily accessible should not be the answer. Closing down bars and making complicated rules about where and when alcohol can be purchased will not solve this problem. Instead this university, as well as universities across the country, should work on reducing the stress levels of their students. Creating a low stress environment on campus will promote healthier drinking habits among students.

While we all see Penn State as #1, we shouldn’t strive for first in every category. The combination of stress and alcohol is harming our student body. Alcohol poisoning, alcohol related sexual assaults, suicide, and many other serious issues that plague our university could be reduced by looking into this study and by making real changes on campus to reduce stress levels. A less stressed student body is better for the students, faculty, and the people of State College.

I view this as a very important issue and I’d love to hear some of my classmates views on the subject. Do you have any ideas on how to reduce the stress levels here on campus? Do you think stress is the true cause of binge drinking among students? Let me know in the comments section.

College is something that no class, teacher, parent, or friend, can ever really prepare you for. You receive a plethora of advice from your elders or even some peers that have already gone through a year or two of college. Things like time management, getting enough sleep, putting yourself out there, going to class, and getting to know your professors are common tips that a newly emerging college freshman will receive. Last summer, as I was getting ready to embark on the new adventure in my life, attending Penn State, I heard all of this and then some from everyone in my life. I felt ready to take on the next four years. My mom and I raided Bed Bath & Beyond so I would have everything colored coordinated from my bedding, to my desk organizers, to my pillows, to my shower caddy. This was followed by going to staples and leaving with notebooks and binders galore. I felt ready to take on this next chapter of my life.

However, I believe you are never truly ready until you are actually there, emerged in the college culture. It’s a big, and sometimes scary, adjustment. In reality, nothing is stopping you from laying in your room all day, only getting up to get chicken fingers from the commons. Nothing is stopping you from going out every night until 2 in the morning. This new environment and responsibility can make it very easy to miss home and having your parents around, catering for your every need. I definitely felt this way the beginning of freshman year, as well as every time I come back after being home for a break. So I decided to look into the science behind being homesick.

What is homesickness?

 HERE Duke professor Mark Leary gives his take on homesickness describing how it is an emotion that comes with feeling out of place and without your usual support system. This is exactly what moving away for college is doing so it is easy to see how this is an emotion that a lot of college students have felt at one point or another. Professor Leary also talks about how it can just be a plethora of emotions merging together to put one in the state of being homesick. 

This article from CNN includes a personal story about Keila Pena-Hernandez and her experience when she moved from her home of Puerto Rico to the completely new environment of the University of Missouri. This is clearly a bigger move than someone like me who went from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, but still relatable. She talks about the hype and excitement of a new experience but after this honeymoon period the loneliness and anxiety start to hit you. The article makes an interesting parallel of how the emotion is the same for people of all ages and caused by the same type of change in environment. This was fascinating because I feel like the cause of certain emotions like sadness, fear, or happiness are different depending on your age, but that is not the case when it comes to homesickness.

How do you cure it?

There is no medicinal cure for homesickness but there are things you can do in your life to help alleviate the emotion. Obviously, as time goes on you will become more accustomed to your new environment. However, it is super important to get involved so you can build a support system at your home away from home. Keeping in touch with family and friends on a regular basis is important, but having people around you that you can call in a time of need, or just to hang out with will help keep you sane. Especially at a school like Penn State it’s crucial to find your place and make the big school feel small.

Sources:

http://dukemagazine.duke.edu/article/the-science-of-homesickness

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/16/homesickness.not.about.home/

Picture:

https://www.google.com/search?q=homesick&rlz=1C5ACMJ_enUS518US536&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=684&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiDxfaCzofPAhVJNSYKHZb-C_wQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=9FdZKEkwPMPZjM%3A

Let’s face it, in order to be a participant in society and function as a member of society, one must cover his or her body. To begin it, we wear clothing for the most basic of reasons, modesty. For the most part, humans do a great job in remaining modest and respecting others in regard to nudity and a sense of decency.  Identification and status, however, are linked to first impressions and perception. Perception may be superficial, but a first impression occurs within seconds of meeting someone or just through a casual glance. Clothing as identification and status, suggests employment, rank, power, and position within a society. It is worth noting, that self-perception and productivity is based on appearance, as well.

According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, Kraus notes clothing as an important force in business affairs and success. Men were asked to wear different forms of attire and enter negotiations concerning the sale of a make-believe factory. The control group wore clothing they arrived in, while two other groups were asked to wear dress attire and casual attire. Those wearing the dress attire were more successful and were less willing to back-down in negotiations. The control group was in the middle with results, while those men clothed in sweatpants and casual attire had the least amount of success and the most concessions. 

source: http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/clothing/style-tips/wall-street-journal-report/

In another recent study by Adam and Galinsky of Northwestern University, clothing promotes the appearance of professionalism and subconsciously feeling more professional. This would suggest  dressing in sloppy, loose-fitting clothes compared to business attire at the office greatly impacts work performance. Adam and Galinsky performed several experiments exploring perception as related to clothing and what they term, “embodied cognition”. This is merely the combination of thinking not only with our brains, but with physical experiences, as well.

Although several experiments were conducted, the one standing out the most, notes an increase in productivity in tasks and attention. In the experiment, participants were asked to wear what was suggested to be a doctor’s coat, a painter’s coat, or were just asked to view a doctor’s coat while looking for differences between pictures. The participants wearing the doctor’s coat were able to perform simple tasks and find more differences than those participants in a painter’s coat or not wearing a coat at all.

Judgement and perception will always play an important role in dressing man. What a person wears affects how he or she is perceived, even self-perception. If one dresses for success and respect, it would seem that first impressions would be good, followed by success. Clothing offers a sense of trust, an implied level of respect, and better performance. You decide, at an upcoming appointment to have a root canal, would you rather have your dentist greet you while dressed in a casual pair of sweatpants and a beloved PSU t-shirt and sneakers or a white medical jacket or some sort of medical attire?

Hey everyone my name is Mike Szawaluk and I am a freshman from Glen Rock New Jersey, just about 25 minutes outside New York City. I chose to take this course because it was recommended to me by my academic advisor as being a very popular Gen Ed. Although I am not very good at science in general the course description of SC200 really caught my eye because I have always been interested in topics “bigger than science”. As I applied for PSU I wanted to go into Physical Therapy or something along those lines, but my sophomore and senior year in high school I took Chem and Bio and absolutely despised them. After Bio I knew I would not be able to keep up with college level sciences so I have chosen to go down the business path with the intent on being a finance major. I don’t necessarily have a hard time knowing what is going on but have always been more interested in the bigger picture stuff, the stuff that is interesting.

Another reason why I am not pursuing a science major is simply the amount of work. And yes, I know no matter what major I choose there will be an incredible amount of work and studying, but just something about memorizing a bunch of long names just never suited me. I have always been more of a statistics guy, or a sabermetrics guy for all you stoolies out there, and being in a book all the time was just not my thing.

And just like this course, I have always been drawn to obscure science related topics that can be found anywhere. I love playing poker and have gotten pretty good at it since my friends and I used to play all the time. Lets just say that things got heated. And just like some of the creative topics that have been discussed in this class already, the science of poker is a fascinating one. Many think it is a game of luck and that the “house” always wins but it is a game of high skill and intelligence. The science of pokerHERE is a one that goes overlooked.

Egg whites are all the rage nowadays. From McDonald’s to Chick-fil-A there are many companies and brands that have been making efforts to appeal to the growing number of consumers who feel that leaving the yolk out of their eggs is a healthy choice for them. Is there validity to this line of thinking, or are egg whites just an example of another diet fad that shall soon pass?

Argument for egg whites:

According to the Livestrong Foundation, an egg without the yolk remains an excellent source of natural protein with more than two thirds of the protein that is found in a whole egg. In other words, it is wrong to assume that ditching the yolk means sacrificing the protein benefits of egg consumption. Additionally, egg whites are completely fat free, making them an excellent snack or breakfast add-on for anyone who wished to lose or maintain weight. According to Livestrong, natural protein sources that are also fat free is an excellent way to lower the risk of heart disease. Another benefit of ditching the yolk is that by doing so you also do away with the very large amount of cholesterol found in them. A single egg yolk nearly reaches the maximum daily cholesterol intake recommendation of 300mg.

Argument for keeping the yolk:

As it turns out, cholesterol isn’t the only thing being tossed away with the yolk. According to a nutrition facts chart found here, to save a little bit of fat from the yolk one must sacrifice a host of valuable nutrients that can be beneficial to health. For example, the yolk of an egg contains all of its vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and almost all of its calcium. If you take a look at this chart from Harvard University, it becomes apparent that the vitamins in the yolk of an egg has the potential to do things such as reducing cancer risks and revitalizing hair, skin, and nails. The yolk of the egg is also rich in omega 3 fatty acids that have a whole list of their own health benefits. When a dose of health antioxidants is added to the list, it seems pretty illogical to discard an egg yolk on account of saving a couple grams of fat that can actually be healthy.

What to do?!

At quick glance, eating egg whites seems to give most of the good and almost none of the bad associated with egg consumption. This is a dramatic misrepresentation of the truth. The yolk of the egg, despite having cholesterol and a few grams of fat, also happens to be the source of many great health-enhancing vitamins and oils that should be a part of any nutritious breakfast. Unless you are diabetic and need to cut cholesterol or there is just no room in your diet for a few grams of fat, disposing of the yolk is definitely not the healthier choice. Eat the yolk and look elsewhere for some fat savings if necessary!

Sources:

http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Egg-Whites-Healthier-Than-Egg-Yolks-364527

http://www.livestrong.com/article/252979-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-egg-whites/

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2014/05/30/egg-yolks-to-eat-or-toss

Warped fabric of spacetime (Source)

Start with the Massive

It has been more than 100 years since Albert Einstein finalized his famous Theory of General Relativity, describing his idea of 4 dimensional spacetime and redefining how mankind views its universe. In short, he was able to mathematically demonstrate that time is not linear as we once thought, but rather warped by gravity and relative speeds of objects to each other. For example, time moves ever so slightly faster at high altitudes on Earth than it does at low ones. The effects are almost negligible to humans, although GPS Satellites must be periodically adjusted to account for the fact the time moves faster for them than it does for slow-moving humans closer to the center of the Earth. If you had a twin that left at nearly the speed of light and returned, you will have aged and likely died while they would have only perceived a few minutes passing by (Read about the Twin Paradox). It seems like science fiction, but it is true. And it has been experimentally demonstrated through use of extremely accurate atomic clocks on fast moving planes and rockets (Example here). Einstein’s revolutionary theory describes well the universe on a massive scale (galactic, etc.) – but not at all on a minutely small one (subatomic).

Image source

Now the tiny

Fortunately, the physics of the very small did not go unexplored in the 20th century. The development of the mathematically and conceptually complex nature of what is called quantum mechanics has told us a lot about how the four fundamental forces act on a subatomic scale. It has led to the discovery of the building blocks of protons and neutrons (quarks), the understanding that light can also function like particles and matter like waves, and the discovery of antimatter, amongst other things. It helped us finally answer how gravity holds on to mass and observes that it can do so from an infinite distance (with gravitons). Much of the work of contemporary particle physicists has centered around observing and proving the existence of the many particles that govern the fundamental forces. In this endeavor, they have had a great deal of success in recent years. The search for particles to prove quantum theories is the main purpose of the famous CERN Large Hadron Collider in Geneva Switzerland. Much of quantum theory is very new and absent from many high school and college textbooks.

Elementary particles of quantum mechanics (source)

How do these two generally accepted theories come together?

Short answer: they really don’t- and that is the question that has kept physicists busy for the past century. The mathematics used by both are incompatible and inconsistent. Both theories have observational evidence validating them yet they do not follow the same rules of physics. The goal of modern theoretical physics is to develop what they call a Grand Unified Theory, thus bridging the gap between general relativity and quantum mechanics and unifying the forces. None of the most influential people in physics have been able to this. In fact, many believe that classical physics is not capable of such a theory.

So did they all give up?

Not at all. Though many have accepted the possibility that deriving a grand unified theory will require abandoning the constraints of the four dimensional reality that we can perceive. It is thought, for example, that perhaps gravity seems so weak compared to the other forces because most of its energy is manifesting in other spatial dimensions. One of the leading schools of thought on this are is Superstring Theory. It takes us much closer to a grand theory but its mathematics require the existence of at least 10 dimensions. Some theories require as many as 26. Opening our minds to this possibly might be the key to underusing the universe.

What would a 5th or higher dimension even look like?

Short Answer: We do not and probably cannot know. Our perception is limited to the 3 spatial dimensions (X,Y,Z) and the fourth, time (t). While we can continue to mathematically probe higher dimensions and gather more and more evidence of their existence, we will never be able to perceive and experience them. A helpful way to think about it is imagining a 2 dimensional being. If such a being existed (imagine a shape on a piece of paper), it would have no concept of what the third dimension could possible look or be like (Read about Flatland). Yet as third dimensional beings us humans can easily observe and manipulate something 2 dimensional. If a 3 dimensional object were to visit a 2 dimensional plane, its true form would not be perceived correctly (only as a 2D cross section). The same holds true with us and higher dimensions. If they do exist, we are just as oblivious to its reality as a 2 dimensional shape would be to ours. If there are 5th dimensional beings, we are only perceiving their 3 dimensional cross sections and are completely oblivious to their true form (pretty mind-blowing).

The takeaway here is that this is not science fiction. Math and logic point to the existence of higher, imperceivable dimensions that we might very well need to understand if we are ever to explain the true nature of the universe. But of course, as we learned in class, human intuition is extremely limited and it is always possible that we have been going about this all wrong!

Sources:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/11/29/einsteins-discovery-of-general-relativity-1905-1915/#.V9R6_zunVE4

http://www.livescience.com/33816-quantum-mechanics-explanation.html

http://phys.org/news/2014-03-elusive-graviton.html

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/mar/18/excitement-grows-over-large-hadron-colliders-possible-new-particle-lhc

https://press.cern/backgrounders/extra-dimensions

http://theory.caltech.edu/people/jhs/strings/str115.html

http://futurism.com/brane-science-complex-notions-of-superstring-theory/

Dogs are thee most amazing creatures that walk on earth. Do not fight me on this. Everything they do is spectacular, starting from the moment they are born to the day that they (unfortunately) are no longer with us. One of these breathtaking features is when they stick their heads out of the windows when driving around. While my dog gets WAY too excited when I say, “wanna go for a ride!?”, it’s only fair to say that I get just as excited when I see him plop his head out the window and beam with happiness.

Why?
One of the main reasons why dogs sticking their head out of the window is so common is because of sense of smell. As most people already know, dogs senses are miraculously better than humans to begin with. Their noses, in particular, are crazy. As Soniak describes as an “all-you-can-smell scent buffet”, dogs olfactory membrane have the power to pick up on the tiniest scents possible. With their receptors being so powerful and sensitive, alongside of the wind picking up scents on top of that, dogs practically have the ability to smell a hotdog from a mile away. Impressive, right? Also, the scenery is very refreshing, especially if your pup doesn’t get out much. Going on rides finally presents them with the opportunity to “explore” the unknown (Dr. Kelly Moffat) and expand their visual curiosity.

Pros:
I honestly cannot prove that there is scientific research supporting this claim, but one pro of dogs sticking their heads out of the window is that it is SO precious. Have you ever actually looked at your dog when they’ve done it? They automatically gain the biggest smile ever (or is it the wind pushing their face back? Hmm..) and you can just tell that they truly appreciate their life and everything at that exact moment. Dogs become so happy and that alone should be worth your wild. Don’t fight the sensation, accept it.

Cons:
Unfortunately, where there is beauty, there is said to be pain. In this scenario, lots of pain. Dogs sticking their heads out of moving vehicles is extremely dangerous. To begin, there is risk of objects flying into their face and damaging their eyes. Dr. Mike Paul goes into depth about how dogs corneas are more prone to lifelong damage than humans. For instance, if a pebble or piece of gravel was to fly into a dogs eye, it would be nearly impossible to fully repair their sight. Yikes.
Also, there is always risk of dogs jumping out of the car and hurting themselves. In personal experience, my dog was in the back of my dads truck and jumped out of the trunk, leaving his butt scratched and bruise. He could hardly walk for a few hours, and this was only going 5 mph into my driveway. Imagine the damage that could’ve been done if we were on the highway, or in this case even a 25 mph road. Nobody wants to see an injured puppy. Aside from running the risk of jumping out of the moving vehicle, picture how many times one slams on their breaks while driving? This sudden jerk of motion is sure to bring harms way to not only you, but more importantly your dog. We don’t want that.
Finally, the air coming from the motion of the car can severely impact dogs hearing. Dogs ears are naturally sensitive, so any added pressure can cause them to become deaf. Dr. William E. Monroe elaborates this subject more in the nature of sensory nerves.

Conclusion:
It comes with no doubt that there are more arguments against than arguments for having dogs stick their heads out of the window. Nevertheless, dogs are the most beautiful animals alive-let’s give them the respect they deserve. These alluring pups only live for so long, so might as well let them enjoy life while they’re still here. Regardless, it is still essential to stay cautious! Flop on.

Picture Sources:
Top two- my pictures
Slow-mo Pup
Flop