It’s usually a satisfying when you clean your ears with a q-tip and see that something came out. The feeling itself is actually pretty soothing for me at least when cleaning my ears with a q-tip. I’m trying to find the words to describe it but I just can’t, it’s really just an experience like no other. But recently, I’ve been a little more concerned about the (un)healthy habit that is ear cleaning. Why are q-tips so dangerous and warned against? We’ve all heard the old “ear drum” argument but is that all it really is? I had to find out before I cleaned them again.

According to Fox, cleaning your ears with a q-tip and going too deep in the canal can cause you to puncture your ear drum with a q-tip sized hole. This results in bleeding and massive pain. The hole could heal in a week-a few months but if not, surgery is required. In an even worse case, it can result in hearing loss. If this did happen to occur, putting water in your ear could cause a detrimental infection.

Written in the same article, it really isn’t even all that necessary to clean your ears regularly. If ear wax causes your hearing to be bad, that is when you should clean them but, naturally, the ears canals clean themselves. Having a little ear wax in your ear is totally normal. If you do still feel the need to clean your ears, use an ear syringe. (Side note, I didn’t know what an ear syringe was either so I put a picture below.)  This is a safer way to clean ears and is similar to what you’d clean a babies ears with.

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Ear wax isn’t even all that bad to have! There are essentially two types of ear wax, “wet and dry” as found in this article I found on Google Scholar. Too little ear wax can cause infections whereas too much can cause hearing loss, etc. So therefore, it is beneficial to have some in there, don’t try to scrape it all out with a cotton swab!

So while the “ear-gasm” may feel great, think about a painful infection or losing your hearing for life. It just isn’t worth it! Your ear wax is there for a reason!!

All my fellow egg eaters know the question you get when you order an egg sandwich or eggs at the diner. “How would you like your eggs done?” I usually always say scrambled. I really enjoy eggs in all forms though, sunny side up, scrambled, hard boiled, poached– they all appeal to me. But sometimes I wonder, and this may sound kind of stupid, do eggs in all forms have the same nutritional value? As well as that, why do some people advise you stay away from the yolk of the egg while others say it’s good for you? I had to figure it out.

What I found out from Livestrong.com was that cooked eggs have the same amount of protein as raw eggs. Now, unless you’re putting raw egg in some kind of shake, I don’t know who would eat these but that’s beside the point. Cooking the eggs allows protein strands to break up and therefore digest better, making them only slightly better for your body. Some may say that hard boiled eggs are healthier for you than an omelette or scrambled eggs but that isn’t because of the actual egg. Most omelettes require a pan to be greased as well as ingredients like cheese and bacon to be added into it. Likewise, scrambled eggs are typically made with a buttered pan and milk mixed into the eggs. These are the only reasons that they are thought to be “less healthy”, but really there is no nutritional difference.

People also seem to be concerned with the egg yolk. I used to get egg white omelettes but soon after I stopped caring. Should I though? I read an article from Harvards School of Public Health. Apparently, there is in fact a correlation with egg yolk and heart disease due to the cholesterol content in the yolks. After the schools study and research, they came to the conclusion that one egg a day is generally safe for your body. They also stated that 3 eggs a day in an omelette per se is not the best idea (which concerns me and my breakfast choices.) And as well as that, the Harvard Public Health school suggests no more than 3 yolks PER WEEK. Yikes.

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Another question that came over me was “which type of egg is the best to eat?” My dad always bought white eggs but my mom always purchased brown. Does it make a difference if its brown, white, organic, free range, etc.? According to this Times article, there is no difference between white and brown eggs. So what does it matter which ones you buy? And as for organic and those fancy, more expensive kind of eggs, it really just depends on personal preference. 

So what can you take out of this? Eat a healthy amount of eggs but don’t over-do it. (Kind of contradicting, huh?)

Walking back into my dorm to my roommate was such a great feeling. It was nice to be back into the typical routine and seeing our cozy room the way we had left it. The one thing that disturbed me, though, was a strange odor lingering. I checked the garbage which was empty as I had suspected, but as soon as I was in the vicinity of the refrigerator, i gagged (literally). The two of us opened the door to the fridge part and saw mold infested jars and drinks. Milk, cream cheese, pasta sauce, yogurt–everything was thrown out. The thing reeked (it still does). How could we be so stupid to unplug our fridge?! Major Freshman rookie move. *Insert insults here*

But it didn’t end there, the freezer was even worse. Ice cream had spilt over and spoiled, making our room smell like cheese and/or a dead body. Horrific. It still smells, despite cleaning it multiple times and putting baking soda in it. Now to the point, how long does it take for food to spoil and why does it smell so foul?

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Since most of the products that got disturbingly rotten were dairy, I decided to start my search of how long Milk lasts outside the fridge. This website explains the FDA guidelines to dairy consumption after it being out in various temperatures. Milk is only consumable outside the fridge (or in a temperature over 40 degrees Fahrenheit) for only two hours. I found that pretty shocking, it can’t even last a day?! (Makes our 10 day milk and ice cream situation seem even more horrifying.) Likewise, if milk is left in a 90 degree area, it will only take an hour before having to toss it. Keep this in mind if you ever leave milk out on the counter on accident!

I’m sure it wasn’t just the dairy that stunk up our fridge, and I’m sure it wasn’t just the food that did it all itself. This article states that most of the scents on our rotten food consist of spoiled microbes. These include bacteria, yeast and mold. Some scientists suggest (but it is not proven) that microbes create these scents so that they can take over and consume the food and frighten humans away from it. Interesting theory, but who knows if it will ever be proved. And while some foods go back and stink, some may go bad and have no smell at all. This does not mean it’s safe to drink/eat. Likewise, milk for example can stink but not yet be spoiled, so pay attention to expiration dates and temperature the product is and needs to be stored at.

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If anyone has any other tips to get the smell out of our fridge, please let me know!! I’m desperate.

My go-to drink at any restaurant is a water… with lemon. If they forgot the lemon I let them know. I’d rather not drink it without one. I figure this tastes great, is low in calories and it’s free. It’s a win, win, win! All my life I’ve been taught that lemon water also has health benefits, so I wondered, what were they? And to what extent are they beneficial? I did my research.

Lemon water is at it’s peak beneficial properties when drank at room temperature, according to this article. While you may enjoy lemon water while out to dinner in a tall glass that is containing mostly ice, the ice cold water makes the lemon more difficult to digest in your system and is not all that much of a benefit. Likewise, piping hot lemon water isn’t all that great either. While it may be a nice alternative to tea and seem very “healthy”, the hot water wipes away some of the key enzymatic properties in the lemon juice, so you’re not getting a lot of nutrients there either. Plain old room temperature water is the best option for lemon water drinkers who are looking to get the most out of the benefits and not just the taste.

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There are a lot of benefits of lemons that I have never heard of until researching that make it such a healthy drink. While I thought that lemons just contained a vitamin or two, they appear to be much more than that. As shown in this article, lemon’s have many properties that make it a great flavor for your water. One of these properties are that they rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C is what works against sicknesses like the cold or flu, so drinking lemon water around these times of the year would do you well. The citric acid in lemons can help to dissolve kidney stones which is a major blessing in disguise. Lemons strengthen both your eyes and your blood vessels. They are also beneficial for cleaning your bowels by promoting waste elimination.

I kept reading up on lemon water and saw over and over again that it “helps you lose weight” or “helps shed pounds off”. When I looked up if this was true or not, I was shocked at my results. This health website wrote a specific article on three beverages that help you lose weight more efficiently as opposed to drinking lemon water. The three drinks listed were ice water (which shocked me the most), green tea and coffee. Who knew?! These drinks apparently speed up your metabolism faster than lemon water ever could. While ice may not be good to put in lemon water to get the most out of the lemons benefits; it certainly is still great for your body!

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While I now know that lemon water may not be the best for losing weight compared to other drinks, it still tastes good and doesn’t harm you,  so I will go on enjoying my favorite drink!

Standing at a whopping five feet tall, I have not seen a change in my height since 6th grade. Ironically enough, that is when I started drinking coffee. My boyfriend always tries to tell me to stop drinking coffee because it “stunts your growth”. I always tried to tell him that I didn’t believe that and I’m only petite because of my genetics. My parents both aren’t very tall so I’m not very shocked that I’m not either. But being that I am significantly shorter than the two of them and my 16 year old brother, I wanted to see if coffee had any sort of effect on my height.

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The first link that popped up when I typed it into Google was a New York Times article that right from the get-go stated that coffee does NOT stunt your growth. Apparently, this has been a long standing myth. When the New York Times explained where this myth had come from, they said it was probably started due to a claim about caffeine affecting height. Early studies detected that drinking too much caffeine could reduce bone growth and mass and perhaps even cause Osteoporosis (a medical condition in which the bones lose mass/tissue and strength due to a lack of calcium or vitamin D). The article discusses a study in which they tracked children’s caffeine intake for six years. Within this time, they noticed that within the two control groups (one drinking more caffeine than the other), there was no difference in their bone mass/heights. This proves that they don’t believe coffee has any affect on height.

An article from Harvard Health also stated that coffee is not proven to stunt your growth. Some of their reasoning was that at the age that most people begin drinking coffee, they are already at the maximum height they will remain at for the rest of their life. You can’t just undo bone growth by drinking a cup or two of coffee per day. Girls are fully done growing between ages 15-17 and boys are done a little after that but, I know I started drinking coffee much earlier than that so I can still be skeptical. (And like we learned in class, you always should be skeptical). Harvard also makes a great point that drinking coffee won’t make you shorter and not drinking coffee won’t make you taller.

Harvard Health even stated other health benefits of coffee. For instance, it reduces your risk of abnormal heart rhythms, type II diabetes, Alzheimers disease and Parkinson’s disease; just to name a few. As well as these, it can promote healthy weight loss in people and obviously enough giving you an energy boost.

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So, when people try to tell you that coffee stunts your growth, don’t believe it. You are safe from Osteoporosis by taking the proper measures, getting enough calcium/vitamin D and maintaining a healthy diet (for the most part). No need to fear coffee, it is such a popular and loved drink for a reason!! Enjoy it!

It’s very rare that I’m not wearing at least a little bit of makeup everyday. A little bit of powder and mascara to class and I’m usually good. Going out though is a different story. I have to have a full face of makeup including eye shadow, eye liner and a Kylie Lip Kit of my choice. Why is it that girls try so hard on their makeup? Why do we even bother wearing it?

Red Lips

It is told to be true that men are most attracted to girls with red lipstick on. As perhaps vulgar as it sounds, this article states that red lips can represent the woman’s labia when it is aroused.. probably not most guys first thought. It also says how red lips should be topped off with some lip gloss to make them look “moist and shiny”. According to Psychology Today, woman at a bar wearing red lipstick were approached faster than women with other color lipstick or none at all.. strange. Even Jessica Rabbit who has been named the “sexiest cartoon character” on multiple occasions is a bearer of red lipstick. No coincidence there.

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Aging

Women tend to put a main focus on eye makeup. On and around the eyes are a typical spot for aging to be seen, so getting a focus away from wrinkles and putting it on shades of eyeshadow and a dark liner can perhaps make a woman look more youthful.  The same goes for foundation. This liquid makeup is put on the entire face covering up all blemishes and wrinkles to the best of its ability.

Blush

When women are going through their ovulation cycle, they are more sexually aroused (Psychology Today). This arousal causes them to blush and causes men (or other women) to be happy about that. Therefore, by females wearing blush as a part of their makeup routine, it can turn someone on to them signaling that they are ovulating even when they are not.

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In conclusion to all those reasons, makeup just generally makes us girls feel more confident. If were having a bad breakout, we can just slap on some coverup and BAM, gone. (I bet guys wish they could do that sometimes). When we look better, we feel better. End of story.

If you ever see a magician on a boardwalk in the summer or doing a show, sometimes it’s fun to stop what you’re doing and watch for a minute. Most magicians who know what their doing have a way of surprising you with their long practiced talent. While all of their tricks have an explanation behind them, why can’t we pick it up right away or at all?

This magician above uses tactics that play with our mind. When she puts a main focus on something, we put all of our attention on it as well. This is a trick to make us distracted and with the hand she isn’t using, she can preform the “magic” with. In this video in particular, she puts ideas into the viewers minds to make it seem like she’s just being funny when really its her plot to strike with another move.

Why are people so inept to believe the whole card trick thing? If we “see it” we “believe it” most of the time. Vision is our most reliable sense according to this article. Based on what we see and the things the magicians say to us, we have a very good chance of being tricked.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxE4CVLetMc

This Cris Angel “levitation” trick fooled many. Cris explains in the article that he is stepping up out of the shell of his shoe and making it look like both feet are off the ground although one leg looks invisible. He also uses simple props. Audiences need to be kept behind him for the trick to look very real. Kind of hard to explain but long story short, it isn’t more than just a little illusion.

The graphic from this site shows horizontal levitation in which it appears she has no support. Everyones main fixation is on the woman floating so no one is really paying attention to the magician. Since the magician doesn’t move, you probably can’t tell that one of his “legs” is really a support pole for her to keep up.

While magic is so hard to explain and tricks us constantly, we can only hope that one day we’ll be able to catch a magician in the act.

Last night I was dreading going out as i ripped a hole through a garbage bag and threw it over my head. The torrential rain was on and off followed by huge roars of thunder and lightning illuminating the sky. I know we all kind of have a general idea of what makes up thunder and lightning and causes it to happen but I wanted to just make sure my idea of that was still accurate.

What causes lightning?

According to this article from Planet Science, the whole process starts with just a cloud. The ground below needs to be hot enough to cause vapor to rise up and form the cloud above. While the bottom of the cloud is warm, the top begins to freeze (with a temperature below freezing point) and it becomes icy. This begins the formation of a “thundercloud” in which the particles in the cloud are moving around, bumping into each other and forming a great electrical charge. The particles in the cloud start to separate. The heavy negative charges sink to the bottom of the cloud and the light positive charges stay up at the top. When a positive and negative charge collide, this collision causes lightning.

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What causes thunder?

Thunder is caused by this lightning. I found here that thunder is more or less a sound vibration caused by the electricity of lighting. Since the lightning is so very hot, about 6 times hotter than the surface of the sun (Planet Science), it pushes the air separating molecules and creating an even louder sound/vibration.

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We see lightning before we see thunder because light travels faster than sound. So when you hear thunder after, know that it really happened at the same time as the lightning! It just takes longer to get to us. Old myth tells that counting the number of seconds between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder can determine how far away the storm is. This has been proven not true (news to me). Apparently, the real way to determine how far away it is is to count the number of seconds between the thunder and lightning and then divide that by five. That number will determine how many miles it is away from you.

According to the NOAA, it is not possible to have thunder without lightning, they will always occur together. Maybe you’re thinking, “what about heat lightning?”. This is the same as regular lightning but it could just be so far away that you don’t hear the thunder, but it’s there!

This link is definitely one to check out. It lists the five ways people can get struck by lighting. I thought the only way to get struck was dead on or if you were near a tree or metal. Turns out even the ground can build up enough electricity to strike you.

So, I wasn’t too far off but walking around in that huge storm last night probably was not one of my smartest ideas..

Getting into class 15+ minutes early is vital for me. I run to my desk and take out my things right away. Yes, I am a Freshman, but I’m not naive and doing it for that sole reason. I need to make sure I get one of the few left-sided end desks in the aisle so I can somewhat peacefully get through the lecture. Not to mention, my biggest pet peeve is righties sitting in a lefty desk just because they want an aisle seat (don’t do it, I’m serious). Being a lefty can be really difficult sometimes, believe it or not.

Between banging arms with people while eating with utensils or not being able to use regular scissors comfortably, us lefties struggle daily. Being used to it, I don’t really think about it until people ask “You’re a lefty!?” and make me feel like some kind of alien. I got to thinking about why so few of my peers and myself have to deal with being a lefty. Was it by birth? Upbringing? Early schooling? I began my research.

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I came across an article featuring Clare Porac, a psychology professor at Penn State. In this article it is stated that 85% of people are right handed. The rest of the people are lefties (like myself). I came across another article that discusses how the left and right side of the brain actually affect which hand you write with. Apparently, being a lefty or righty is a polygenic trait that is determined in early childhood development. According to this article by Psychologist World, only 26% of offspring will be lefties if both of their parents are, so therefore it isn’t all that genetic. There are two specific genes that are thought to be part of the reason that righties are righties and lefties are lefties. The typical gene thought to be in righties is PCSK6 and in lefties it is LRRTM1.

Then I just came across some interesting facts. According to a 2010 study published in Pediatrics, lefties have a higher risk of mood disorders, ADHD and dyslexia. This is because a lefty is more likely to be dominant in one side of the brain and scientists believe this leads to a higher percentage of lefties being affected. On the contrary, lefties are more likely to have lower cases of arthritis and ulcers in their lifetime. Found also in this article, lefty Neanderthals were also very much a minority. Research done at the University of Kansas studied the handedness of these ancient peoples from looking at their teeth! (Weird, right?) The people would hold things in their mouth, so seeing which side of the mouth and the teeth was more worn down somehow determined the hand they wrote with. Believe it or not, a good amount of United States presidents have been lefties! Obama, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, Ford – just to name a few, were left handed.

Alas, lefties! August 13th is OUR DAY. Named “International Left Handers Day”, lefties are recognized world wide. How? By spreading awareness to the struggles we endure everyday and hoping to find some solutions. I don’t know how effective this really is but, it’s the thought that counts.

In conclusion, I found that there is a slight possibility it’s due to genetics, chance or by environment. Where are my fellow lefties at?!

The other day my boyfriend texted me asking if I wore socks to bed. I quickly responded with “Absolutely not!! Why?”. I really thought he had asked this as a joke. He answered back telling me that he does indeed sleep with socks on. I was mind blown. I get way too overheated when I attempt to sleep with socks on, even in the dead of winter but my boyfriend can sleep with them every night, even in the summer?! I figured one of us had to be the crazy one so I did my research.

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Upon researching how and why someone is able to sleep with socks on at night, I came across some strange benefits. Apparently, found on this health site , socks are good to wear for a number of reasons. First off, it supposedly prevents night sweats and hot flashes from occurring in your sleep (I would have a heat stroke anyway I think). This is because it helps regulate your body temperature and putting you into a deeper night’s sleep. It also helps prevent dry skin on your feet and ankles. By applying moisturizer on your feet (or not!) it can prevent cracking or severe drying of the feet during the frigid winter months. And if you’re anything like my mom who has Raynaud’s Disease (where your fingers and toes turn white from being so cold/not getting enough circulation), get some socks on ASAP to prevent a Raynaud’s breakout in the middle of the night or the morning. There are even some other tips of things to put in your socks that can help throughout the night. For example, just to name a few, by putting hot peppers in your socks it can keep your feet warmer or by putting cotton balls previously soaked in apple cider vinegar, you can bring a fever down (I don’t know who would go that far though). Also, if your feet are cold at night, wearing socks is the best bet. It triggers vasodilation which means “dilation of the blood vessels”. This gives the body the mindset that it’s bed time and helps you sleep better.

In my research I also came across an interesting study about socks in correlation to sex life. A poll done at the University of Groningen (Netherlands) revealed that 50% of women said their sex life could be better. They performed a study in which they gave one group of women socks to wear during sex and another group went barefoot. The sock group had 80% reach an orgasm where the barefoot group only had 50%. This proves that socks have a positive effect on relationships as well as sleep.

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At this point I was starting to worry.. Was I the crazy one? I looked further into the depths of the internet and could not find a single article about the benefits of sleeping with socks off. I know I can’t be alone. But are there such major drawbacks for not being able to sleep with socks? I didn’t find anything about it being bad per say, but there was definitely no benefits I found. What do you guys do?

*WARNING – CORNY POST BELOW*

As a wee freshman, leaving behind my high school boyfriend was super hard. Water works the night before, face-timing all the time, you get the gist. While we are still happily dating, my mom always says “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” She’s always said that since I was young due to the fact that we would have to spend time apart because my parents have split custody of my brother and I.  Just last weekend I went home to Long Island after a long and brutal bus and train ride (a seven hour ordeal) and when I finally jumped into my boyfriends arms at the train station, I felt a love I had never felt before. We were closer than ever that weekend. It sparked the question, does absence really make the heart grow fonder?

I found an article in which scientists share their opinions on the question. Sure enough, they do believe absence indeed makes the heart grow fonder. I don’t doubt it either! Some of what they mentioned included how long distance relationships have to communicate on a deeper level to keep the relationship lively and can’t be physical or sexual. This means a lot about discussing future plans, trust, and topics along those lines. It brings the couple together in a deeper way and if they have that trust, they can thrive in their current relationship.

They also talk about how technology is the reason why so many long distance couples can pursue their relationships. Go back 20 or 30 years and that would seem absolutely ludicrous. Cell phones were a big step for relationships, but now with iPhones, its hard to NOT be able to communicate. My boyfriend and I will always be texting or talking on the phone (which I prefer) and it really never seems so bad regardless of the fact that we are in other states. The article says that there is a psychological closeness that comes along with being apart. I would agree with that. It has made my boyfriend and I learn to trust each other and overcome the challenge of being apart.

So in conclusion and based on scientific data, I would say “yes”, absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder. What do you guys think? Is anyone else in a long distance relationship here with tips for me/everyone else?

Thats us at prom hehe

After a hard nights work of cramming for an exam or perfecting the closing paragraph on that essay, sometimes we like to reward ourselves with a little treat. Looking through the pantry or fridge, it can be difficult to pick the perfect 1a.m. snack. Sweet or salty? We want to indulge but at the same time we know how bad it is to eat at night.. or do we?

Since I was young I have been raised thinking that eating past a certain time was bad for you. I was told that your metabolism wouldn’t burn it off and naturally I believed it. My grandpa doesn’t eat after 7PM and for lent we would sometimes give up eating past a certain time. But looking at some research, I came to the conclusion that it really isn’t as bad as it was made out to be. According to this article , eating before bed can actually be good for you. For one thing, it will stabilize your blood sugar levels so that when you wake up, you will have energy for the day to come. It also can promote weight loss in a sense because it makes it possible to burn fat during the night.

The article even says how a snack before bed can actually give you the energy to burn off other food as well as give you the energy to get a good night sleep. And yes, you do need energy to sleep well which is a common misconception. But of course, it is the right food selection which is key. Obviously eating foods that aren’t good for you in the first place won’t magically turn better for you in the nighttime. Eating complex carbohydrates like whole wheat bread, fruits and vegetables, etc. These healthy foods will only benefit your night sleep whereas something high in sugar will not. As well as those, healthy fats are also recommended like peanut butter, nuts, avocado and so on. With the right combination of foods, your blood sugar levels can stabilize and Glucagon can do what it does best, burn fat.

After reading all of this, I don’t know if my mind will really change. I guess it could be worth a shot, but who’s midnight snack is going to be vegetables or nuts? (Definitely not me). During finals week though I guess it seems logical since we will be up late and would rather not gain weight. What do you guys think? Did you eat at night to begin with? Did you already know that eating the right foods at night wasn’t bad for you? Let me know! (And don’t be like this girl who’s eating a bowl of crackers out of the fridge.. what?)

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We all know the setting. You’re sitting by the bonfire over the summer probably perfecting your s’more and all the sudden you have a sudden urge to slap your leg. You wonder if you killed that mosquito fast enough before it drew enough blood out of you to cause an itch. Sure enough, five minutes later it looks like a small tumor and itches like crazy. A little while later, you look down and your whole leg seems to have been bit..but your friend who was sitting right next to you doesn’t have one bite. You wonder why mosquitos are so attracted to you. That’s what I’ve been looking into.

After reading multiple articles, I came across this one written by Melissa Breyer which covers some of the factors that can cause a mosquito to be drawn to someone. Some people may automatically blame their blood. I know I’ve heard people say “mosquitos are attracted to my blood because its sweet.” While blood being “sweet” ,per say, may not be the answer; blood type definitely is a factor! The article mentions how mstudyosquitos are most attracted to Type O blood, then Type B and lastly Type A. (I can’t even tell you what blood type I am and I feel like thats something I should know.. oops). But how does the mosquito just happen to know what blood type you are even though its inside of you? Apparently humans secrete a scent that identifies their blood type (85% of humans). (I think that’s so cool).

Another strange factor mosquitos take into their feeding is pregnancy. Pregnant women exhale a lot of carbon dioxide and that attracts the mosquitos initially. As well as that, their bodies are typically warmer and if they sweat, that will do two things: give off their blood type as i mentioned before and make them moist/sweaty which mosquitos absolutely love. The pesky bug also has good eyes and can scope out humans by apparel. Wearing bright and easily visible clothes makes people an easy target for the mosquitos. Wearing camouflage clothes rather than a neon shirt will definitely help protect you against nasty bites.

As well as that, believe it or not, mosquitos have a strange tendency to be attracted to beer. Based on one study researchers found that mosquitos had landed on and bit people that had just drank a 12 ounce beer over someone that had not. This is because the alcohol in your system goes back to the thought of body temperature rising and tendency to sweat. To me, this means that someone that drinks any kind of alcohol should have the same reaction, not just from beer exclusively (but that’s just my hypothesis).

I hope this got you thinking about your summer attire or oder, but, my best advice for someone after researching this topic would probably be to wear bug spray, deodorant and pray that you’re not Blood Type O.

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Hi Class!

My name is Caroline Sorrentino and I’m a freshman. I’m from Long Island, New York so being around mountains and not beaches is an adjustment; but a good one! I’m in the College of Communications and when I was told I needed to take a science I was taken aback, I remember having to pick between this class and Insectology so, without hesitation, I chose SC 200 hardly even knowing what it was, but I just despise bugs. The advisor helping me create my schedule suggested I pick this class anyway and explained it to me by saying an example of a lesson was “Why praying is scientifically proven to work” which I thought was super neat. I was never great at science, it didn’t make sense to me because there were so many variables as opposed to history and english where everything was blunt and to the point. I think that I chose Communications and not Science as my major because I have a passion for people, whether it be helping them or conveying a message to them. Science has never and probably will never be my strong suit but that being said doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy trying to understand it and learning what it has to offer. That’s probably why I’m so grateful to be taking this course.

I am a huge fan of horror and Sci-Fi movies and shows though. I recently came across my new favorite show (which, I admit, I finished in two days), Stranger Things on Netflix. The new Sci-Fi drama features four boys who play Dungeons and Dragons and their fantasy world more or less becomes reality in a dark, chilling way. If you haven’t seen the eight episode series yet, I highly recommend it. From the 80’s inspiration to the acting, the show is bound to be a complete success and I’m already anticipating the next season.

Wondering if the show is for you? I attached a link of reasons why you should be watching it here http://www.realclearlife.com/2016/08/17/all-the-reasons-why-you-should-be-watching-stranger-things/