Health Benefits of Kissing

I happened to catch a Twitter post from "@MindblowingFact" that said "A kiss can be ten times more effective than morphine in reducing pain, as it's thought that it activates the body's natural pain-killers". Then I thought to myself; "is this why little kids always want someone to kiss their injuries to make them feel better? could this actually be effective?"

I found this article with some other health benefits:
1: Kissing helps prevent tooth decay
2: Kissing relieves stress
3: Exercising the muscles of the face can help keep you looking younger
4: Kissing burns calories
5: Kissing boosts your immunity
6: During a kiss natural antibiotics, and allergy antibodies are secreted in the saliva

It seems to be true, a report on the subject seems to confirm the 'mind blowing fact'. When someone is kissed endorphins are released which trigger parts of the brain that perceive pain. Much like an orgasm, a kiss can stimulate the release of these endorphins and create a sense of euphoria and pleasure, even when a person is in extreme pain.

All of these benefits are quite interesting to me and when reading, kissing is a bonding behaviour for most humans and even some animals. It was quite interesting to find that some populations find kissing actually revolting. The perception around exchanging saliva is considered grotesque. These populations found in South America, and the Himalayas are not convinced that there are many benefits to locking lips with their loved ones.

Do you consider any of these benefits when kissing? Or is kissing simple a natural expression of intimacy between yourself and someone you love? I admit that I had never thought of the benefits besides the sense of connection created.  

Sir David Attenborough

How many times have you flipped on the TV and before you even see what's on you hear the voice of Sir David Attenborough's and know that you have just turned on a witty naturalist program worth watching?  Attenborough's voice is unmistakable and is known to viewers worldwide.

If you have never heard of Sir David Attenborough, watch a few of his videos clips here, you will be amazed.

Sir David Attenborough is a naturalist from Britain who started his career in broadcasting over 50 years ago. Attenborough "studied natural sciences at Cambridge" but grew to dislike lab work so after finishing his studies he joined the Royal Navy. Attenborough disliked the Navy life so he left and pursued a career in broadcasting.

Initially, Attenborough's application for a broadcasting job at BBC was declined but later he was offered the job at BBC. This opportunity opened a world of possibilities for Attenborough as he began to climb the corporate ladder. At this time Attenborough was in charge of "all non-fiction broadcasts" including several "natural history programs such as The Pattern of Animals and Zoo Quest."

In 1965, Attenborough became the controller of BBC2 which in later years lead to him taking the position of "Director of Programmes for  BBC1 and BBC2." But, with natural history being his passion, Attenborough returned to his documentary making naturalist roots in 1973.

Some of Attenborough's most famous documentaries are:

"Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Trials of Life (1990), The Private Life of Plants (1995), The Life of Birds (1998), The Life of Mammals (2002) and Life in the Undergrowth (2005)."

 I have seen several of these videos and in my opinion no one can produce a nature documentary as well as Sir David Attenborough. Not only does Attenborough narrate the documentaries, he also writes the script and produces many of them.

Sir David Attenborough's ability to teach about nature in a way that is witty yet informative is unique and unmistakable. He is an inspiration to naturalists everywhere.

"The Life Series" has been ongoing for many years but has come to a close with the final documentary being "Life in Cold Blood."

I have a feeling that Sir David Attenborough will not retire yet and I can't wait to see what he does next!

What Happened to Bill?

Do you remember Bill Nye the Science Guy from those cheesy videos we all seemed to watch in grade school? At that time I wasn't very interested in Nye's scientific background. Recently however, I was thinking about the Science in Seconds' approach to informing people about science through intriguing online videos, and it made me wonder what we had before Science in Seconds. I came to the conclusion that we had Bill Nye the Science Guy on VHS tape or television as our intriguing guide to the world of science.

 This got me questioning who is Bill Nye and what is his scientific background. I did a bit of research and found that Bill Nye is a very distinguished scientist with several honorary degrees. Nye has a "Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering" from Cornell University, as well as honorary degrees from Johns Hopkins University, Goucher College, and Rensselaer Polytechnic.

Also, I discovered that Bill Nye the Science Guy was one of Nye's earliest works of media in which he was not only the host but also the writer and producer of the series which ran from 1992-1998. From the years of 1986 to 2009 Bill Nye has been host, and/or writer, and/or producer for 8 different television series with a focus on children's channel science series.

Before the television series, Nye worked as a licensed Mechanical Engineer at Boeing in Seattle, Washington.

I can't forget to mention that in his spare time, Nye wrote 5 children's books all about science.

It's funny to think that when I watched Bill Nye the Science Guy all I saw was a goofy, comical man who loved science. I have to admit that this research is very enlightening for me because I can now see that Bill Nye was being goofy so that children would remember the science lesson at hand and so that they could find science just as fascinating as he does.

Just in case you have forgotten Bill Nye the Science Guy, have a look at these videos as a refresher of his humor and love of science in these "Consider the Following Videos."

A Reason to Delay Becoming a Father

http://frank.itlab.us/photo_essays/wrapper.php?nephila_2002_dna.html

Since today is father's day, Sunday June 17, 2012,  I found this article to be interesting. The study that was done indicated that how old a man is when he has kids may affect the lifespans of his grandchildren. It was concluded that men who were older when they kids, resulted in longer telomeres in their kids and grandkids. It has been found that in comparison to people with shorter telomeres, people with longer telomeres have a lower risk of dying over a given time period.

The results of the research showed that the length of the telomeres of the children increased with each year that a man delayed having children. This result was still true when the researchers took into account factors that could affect telomere length, such as children's birth order, body mass index, household income and age at which the blood samples were taken. The effect of longer telomeres was found to be additive over generations.

Some studies have showed that those with shorter telomere length have a higher risk of dying of infectious diseases and cardiovascular disease. However, more research is needed to show whether those with longer telomeres suffer from fewer health problems.

Radiation From Mocrowaves

http://www.elfwood.com/~timvangorp2/Radiation-Sign.3289399.html

Radiation is defined as "the complete process in which energy is emitted by one body, transmitted through an intervening medium or space, and absorebed by another body." Many of us come in contact with radiation everyday. In a household, many radiation sources can be found. For example, the TV, the smoke detector, and a microwave.

  http://www.google.com/imgres?q=household+microwave&hl=en&as_st=y&biw=907&bih=668&tbs=sur:f&tbm=isch&tbnid=P7isHkhWVpOMYM:&imgrefurl=http://sayonara.komakino.ch/&docid=YLQ2iaHq1fAjJM&imgurl=http://sayonara.komakino.ch/images/microwave.JPG&w=900&h=557&ei=Lq_eT4-dNIPM2gX8qujhAQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=458&sig=113013620842434162201&page=1&tbnh=124&tbnw=185&start=0&ndsp=14&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:84&tx=97&ty=40

A microwave is found in a typical household. As I placed my food into the microwave a few days ago, a relative, whose older in age, began saying how unhealthy microwaves are and how much we use them. At that time, it came to mind how often we are exposed to hazardous materials from day to day activities. Yet, all these sources are considered to be safe.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety explains that in general, a high level of exposure to microwave radiation, of which most is absorbed by the body, where it is transformed into heat. Body parts which are sensitive, such as the eyes and the brain, are not able of getting rid of the extra heat which would cause it to build up. However, it also mentions that the amount of radiation that microwaves emit is not enough to cause this bodily harm.

In the past, microwave radiation caused problems to people with pacemakers. Interaction with oyhrt electoral sources, caused the pacemaker to malfunction and send incorrect information to the heart muscles. Now, properly maintained and operated microwaves should not cause this problem. As an additional precaution, electromagnetic shields have been put into the new pacemakers.

Caffeine Effects

http://capl.washjeff.edu/browseresults.php?langID=14&photoID=1043&size=m

I know how easy it is to grab a coffee or a chocolate bar while drowned in studying, or while running around from one thing to the other throughout the day. I'm sure i'm not the only one, and I acknowledge how unhealthy that could be. Although the presence of caffeine in my system does some good sometimes, such as keeping me alert, I know that it's side effects are great if consumed in large quantities.

Health Canada reports that because caffeine tolerance differs between each person, and thus causes various health effects to arise, it is difficult to link the precise level of caffeine to health effects.
The recommended daily intake of caffeine is,                                                  
children aged 4-6: 45 mg
children aged 7-9: 62.5 mg
children aged 10-12: 85 mg
Determining how much caffeine a person 13 and older should consume has not been developed as because of the lack of insufficient data, but Health Canada recommends that no more than a daily intake of 2.5 mg/kg body weight should be taken.

The presence of caffeine can increase heart rate, dilate pupils, tighten up muscles, and cause the release of glucose into the blood stream, which is used for extra energy. These symptoms can be considered beneficial, especially when one is looking for a jump in their energy. Another effect of caffeine that could be considered as good, is that caffeine causes a raise in dopamine levels which stimulate the pleasure parts of the brain. The downside to this is that this may also be the answer to why caffeine is addictive.

Caffeine has many side effects, such as stimulating the central nervous system and can produce restlessness, headaches, irritability, and also increases heart rate and blood pressure. Caffeine is also diuretic and causes a loss of fluid, leading to a dehydrating effect. Another long-term problem is the effect of caffeine on sleep. Caffeine has a half-life in the body of six hours. If caffeine is ingested a few hours before sleeping, that person may bot obtain the restful benefits of deep sleep. 

The Definition of Pseudoscience

Pseudoscience is defined by Wikipedia as:

"a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific but does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status."

Merriam Webster's Online Dictionary defines pseudoscience as:

"a system of theories, assumptions, and methods erroneously regarded as scientific"

I choose to give two different definitions because pseudoscience is a very debated topic with a lot of controversy and bias. I am making the assumption that with Wikipedia, conflicting opinions of editors will create a definition that allows the editors to meet in the middle. Merriam-Webster is a very reliable dictionary so I am assuming that their definition is unbiased as well.

A few examples of different types of pseudoscience or partial pseudoscience include: astrology, creation science, crop circles, paranormal activity studies, Ufology, aromatherapy, colonic hydrotherapy, homeopathy, magnetic therapy, and chiropractic manipulation to name a few.

Personally, of these listed I have experienced chiropractic manipulation and it helped with back pain caused by an injury. I am aware there are believed to be dangerous side effects associated with chiropractic manipulation even though I have not experienced them myself. Before you try chiropractic manipulation it is important to discuss it with your doctor to become informed of the potential risks and rewards of a chiropractic treatment.

Many of the other types of pseudoscience or partial pseudoscience I have no personal experience with so I cannot give a fair personal opinion. I do however, believe that there are some things that science has not explored and that the scientific method cannot explain. More research should be conducted on the different types of pseudosciences or partial pseudosciences in order to provide a fair assessment.

Pseudoscience is a very debatable topic that tends to get quite heated as people often have strong opinions.

I would like to open up the comment area to debate about pseudoscience. Do you have an experience relating to pseudoscience?

Time Travel

Have you ever wished if only you could travel back in time and do something different? Or maybe travel into the future and see how your life would be 20 years from now? There have been many science-fiction movies that revolved around time traveling, for example The Time Traveler's Wife. With all the technology advances, one would think that by now there would be a time machine that would allow time travel.

http://nikhewitt.blogspot.ca/

An article from Clifford Pickover, Traveling Through Time, mentions that time travel is possible. He gives an example explaining that if one was to "travel into outer space and return, moving close to the speed of light, you could travel thousands of years into the Earth's future." But that theory only indicates the possibility of traveling into the future, not into the past. Physicists admit that traveling to the past will not be easily attainable. 


The Star, an online news site, published an article in which scientists rejected any possibility of time travel. Shengwang Du, an assistant professor of physics who studies quantum optics and the interaction between photons and atoms, suggested that "time travel based on photons or optical methods is impossible, but we cannot rule out other possibilities for time travel, such as wormhole and black holes in general relativity." 


Time travel into the past may not ever be possible, or not even into the future, but there will always be moments when I wish it was. 

Garden Update #2- Dill

Well, I think there has been a total of two days of warm and sunny weather in the past two weeks. Other than those two days the weather has been rainy and miserable unless you're a duck, in that case it would be quite pleasant.

June 17, 2012 Grey Sky
Photo by: Holly Harley


As mentioned in my previous post, Garden Update, I am waiting for my corn to grow to 4 inches tall, as recommended by Renee's Garden "Celebrate the Three Sisters: Corn, Beans, and Squash." At this point in time my corn is about 3 inches in height, so only one more inch to go before I can plant my beans. Hopefully we will get some days of hot summer weather soon, or else my harvest of beans won't be very successful!  



Corn plant (Left and front) Squash (Right)
Photo by: Holly Harley

  As you can see in the photo below there are some new editions to the garden, solar powered bulrushes. You can learn more about solar power in my post "Solar Power".



Garden with the addition of solar power bulrushes
Photo by: Holly Harley

As well, I have also added dill weed plants to my garden, as you can see in the photo below.





Dill weed plants (bottom two plants)
Photo by: Holly Harley



Dill weed, also called dill, has the scientific name of Anethum graveolens. Dill is commonly know to gardeners as an annual or a biennial, meaning that it will grow for only one year or two years respectively. I choose to plant dill in my garden as it is an excellent herb that I use in many culinary dishes. I am unsure if Native Americans planted dill in their gardens with the three sisters but it seemed to fit well in my own garden.

 Traditionally, dill has been grown for thousands of years for culinary and medicinal uses where "the earliest known record of dill as a medicinal herb was found in Egypt 5,000 years ago."  Gladiators also ate meals seasoned with dill before they fought as it was supposed to give them courage in battle.

As well dill seeds were referred to as 'meeting seeds' as they were often chewed during church services to keep the congregation awake. As well, dill is said to "freshen breath and quiet noisy stomachs."

In an article "Dill Herb & Heart rate" the author Janet Renee explains some of the positive health benefits of dill weed. Dill is believed to "treat indigestion, headaches and to control heart rate." The author warns that very little clinical research has been done on the effects of dill weed so be an informed consumer and discuss your health concerns and treatments with your doctor before using dill as a treatment.

The growing conditions for dill requires the soil to be moist and in a location where the plant can get full sun for optimal photosynthesis.  Dill is sometimes susceptible to aphid infestation and root rot so it is important to keep a close eye on your plants to ensure this doesn't occur.

Personally I'm growing dill because it is a very tasty herb in a salmon or chicken dish and it can be frozen for storage, ensuring a fresh taste throughout the winter. The fact that dill is nutritional and natural is an added benefit that makes cooking with dill even more rewarding.

Plastic Bags, to Ban or not?

For most people, plastic bags are a part of everyday life, but their effect in marine life, landfills and the environment has attracted the public’s attention. As we know, recently, Toronto has approved amotion to prohibit retailers from giving out, or even selling, any plasticshopping bags.

According to a new public opinion poll which sampled 1,019 Canadian adults, fifty-nine percent of Canadians think it is a good idea to forbid retail stores from handing out single-use plastic bags to customers, while thirty-nine percent think it is a bad idea.

SOS
Provided by Xinhe Miao

However, in my opinion, even though I know that it must be a good idea to ban the usage of plastic bags, it would be hard to put into effect. Nowadays, more people carry “green bags” or “reusable bags” when going shopping. But the truth is, in California alone, about 19 billion bags are distributed each year. From this astonishing number we can imagine how people rely on plastic bags, which means it would be very difficult to prohibit totally. Starting from recycling plastic bags won’t be a bad idea.

Sea Turtles Eating Plastiv Bags
Provided by Guangzhou Daily

There are many benefits of recycling plastic bags. First of all, recycled plastics could be used to produce new bags, as well as building and construction products. This helps reduce the need for wood materials, which preserves a large amount of trees. Also, the preserved energy from making new plastics could be converted to heating energy. Secondly, recycling plastic bags reduces the amount of plastic garbage, which protects environment and cleanse the lands and oceans. In some countries, plastics could be commonly seen along roadsides and the bags have become a kind of their “national flower”. Those bags blown into the ocean sometimes are mistaken by fish or sea turtles, clog their intestines and kill them.

Can Sugar Pills Relieve Pain?

Pills
Provided by Propaganda

Placebo effect, it was a new “technology” I had never heard before. That was I learned from a science class. That class was started with a YouTube video: a group of volunteers stood outside the hospital and each of them swallowed a whole bottle of “sleeping pills”, waiting for any symptoms. Surprisingly, ten minutes passed, half an hour, one hour, they were still happily and excitedly chatting there without any symptoms falling asleep or feeling dizzy. This kind of homeopathy could be the most ridiculous medicine I had ever heard. According to the manufacturer, even though it is hard to find any active ingredient in those pills, they could relieve pain and heal some diseases, including cancer!

However, the following lecture changed my mind. The placebo effect is a strong mind of patients to get better even when they only get dummy treatment or sham treatment, so that can mean a sugar pill, a sham ultrasound, or a fake operation. The amazing thing is, when people get these fake treatments, they often get better. The placebo effect shows the psychological power of the body, which really can relieve pains and make the symptoms better. They just build up your memory and increase your expectation.

The Thinker
Photo by Karigee

Not only the adults, children and animals could respond to the placebo effect because the people around them have higher expectations of dummy treatments that being given to them, and it is quite natural to expect your children to react to your expectation that they will get better.



Injection
Provided by Wikipedia

There have been several different studies about pain on the placebo effect, and they show a salt water injection having no active ingredient in it is a more effective treatment for pain than dummy sugar pills. The interesting thing is, there are no drugs in neither the injection nor the sugar pills. But maybe the injection feels like a dramatic and serious treatment, that’s why people expect more pain relief than dummy pills.

Because it is just a power in mind which has the effect to heal your diseases and pains, I don’t think people should rely on it. Some patients may delay the best time for treatment, and make their diseases worse.

Cigarette Pack in the United Kingdom
Provided by Google Wikipedia

If impossible, in the future, the government should consider putting “smoking is good for health”. Due to the placebo effect, cigarette won’t be harmful anymore!   

Whether or not to Vaccinate

In 1796 the first ever vaccine (for Smallpox) was produced. Now, there are over 28 vaccines available for various diseases. A vaccine is "any preparation used as a preventive inoculation to confer immunity against a specific disease, usually employing an innocuous form of the disease agent, as killed or weakened bacteria or viruses, to stimulate antibody production".

Vaccines help us to save lives by preventing the spread of disease. In fact, vaccines allowed for smallpox to be completely eradicated by 1977 with no further known cases. However, many people still choose not to vaccinate their children and get immunizations themselves.

One of the major reasons people choose not to vaccinate is that they feel vaccines are unsafe. There are chemicals and toxins in them that may do more harm than good. The pharmaceutical companies producing and selling these vaccines may decide not to disclose this information. Essentially, a vaccine is a dead or manipulated version of the virus that one is trying to protect against. What happens if a mistake is made and the wrong strain of virus gets into the vaccine?

With vaccines come risks. The vaccine for Hepatitis B can actually cause multiple sclerosis. Some people also believe that vaccines cause autism (see video below). As well, we often see vaccines first appear with outbreaks of a certain disease. Therefore, usually no long-term studies are done to show the effects of vaccines. Many vaccines contain heavy metals, cancer-causing agents, mercury, and genetically-modified viruses - none of which can be good for our bodies. However, for those of us who do vaccinate we feel the benefits of vaccines outweigh these risks.

Therefore, as we can see, there are indeed pros and cons to vaccinations. Whether or not you choose to vaccinate it is important to educate yourself about vaccinations in order to make an informed decision.

Video: Warning! Vaccines cause autism in children.

Uncovering the Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle is a region within the Atlantic Ocean near Florida in which supposedly an abnormally high number of aircraft and boats have said to have disappeared. Many of us have probably heard of the supernatural explanations for these disappearances, however, there are more natural, scientific explanations if you will, as well. I will explore some of these theories further as Bermuda is a popular destination to travel and I think they might of interest to people.

One explanation for these disappearances comes from the US coast guard. A compass usually points towards what is known as the Magnetic North, however, according to the US coast guard, Bermuda is one of only two places on Earth where a compass will actually point True North, a difference of approximately 1500 miles. Therefore, it is thought that if pilots/ship captains are unaware of this difference in angles they will indeed steer off course.
 (Photo by: Sebastian Niedlich)

A second common theory used to explain the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle is the weather patterns that are observed here. The Bermuda Triangle is prone to hurricanes and other volatile weathers therefore potentially causing planes to get lost and boats to capsize more easily. Many storms pass through Bermuda and due to the warm waters there, these storms can advance quite rapidly and with very little notice. Like any other place that is prone to hurricanes, the hurricanes in the Bermuda Triangle have caused irreversible damage and cost many people their lives.


 (Photo by: Roberto Pagini)

Many of us are more familiar with the supernatural causes behind the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle such as aliens or that it's a gateway to another dimension. Personally, I'm not sure I believe them but I think we gossip more about the supernatural reasons than some of the more scientific ones as they're more fun to believe.

The Bed That Makes Itself!

I was pretty excited to come across this story about a bed that is designed to make itself. That's right! Like in the Jetsons!

How awesome would it be to have a bed that makes itself? Well let me list the reasons:
1. It saves time.
2. It allows you to maintain a presentable domicile.
3. You never have to hear someone (probably your mom) say "That bed is never going to make itself!", again.
4. You won't have to feel the sense of judgement if someone sees your room (again that is probably for the most part your mom)
5. If you are disabled and making your bed is a challenge, this may ease that challenge.

What are the drawbacks to owning such a device?:
1. It would promote laziness.
2. You will need to buy a special bed, pillows, blankets and comforters.
3. Like any appliance there may be malfunctions. If you think about it, do you really want a device that may malfunction in your bed while you sleep?
4. It is probably a purchase that your mom would not be proud of you for making.

As I listed it would promote laziness but it would save time in the mornings if you did not have to make your own bed. How is it any different then paying a maid, or allowing your mom to make your bed? I have shown this article/video to a few friends and their reactions seem to be split. Some say that it is pathetic that there could actually be a demand for such an invention. Others that I spoke with seem to think it is a great idea and they would like it if they could own the device.

When I think about the necessesity to buy a specific bed, and bedding in order for the device to work, I realize that this is only a prototype. The inventor is seeking investment, and with the right investment the devices creator may be able to innovate and adjust the device to be adaptable to any bed, and any bedding.

Personally, I am not sure how I feel about the invention. A big part of me sees that the development of luxuries like this is simply surrendering control of our daily activities to even more technology. Then I contrast it with the thought of "what if they invented a dishwasher that put away the dishes when it was finished cleaning?" or "what if my washer and dryer folded and stacked my clothes?". Would it be so wrong to buy into those? Maybe some people feel like it is not necessary because it really is such an easy task to complete. That is not to say that it would not have a use. As I mentioned before, perhaps someone who is physically challenged has great difficulty with the task. I believe there are benefits to the development of a invention like this but I think we need to be careful and monitor how lazy society allows itself to become!

Post Workout Recovery Suggestions

Everyone has gone through the misery of aches and pains the day after a good workout. If you are trying to get into shape or find that you are consistently sore after your workout routine, then perhaps these recovery methods will be helpful. I have summarized a few articles that I believe are helpful in explaining the importance of proper recovery:

1. Warm Down or cooling down: means slowing down (not stopping completely) after exercise. Continuing to move around at a gentle, low intensity for at least 5 to 10 minutes after a workout has been proven to help remove lactic acid from your muscles and may reduce muscles stiffness.

2. Replace Fluids: fluid loss while exercising should be replaced during exercise, but ensuring rehydration after exercise is another easy way to boost your recovery. Water supports every metabolic function and nutrient transfer in the body and having plenty of water will improve every bodily function. 

3. Eat well: After depleting your energy stores with exercise, you need to refuel if you expect your body to recover, repair tissues, get stronger and be ready for the next workout. If you are performing endurance exercise day after day or trying to build muscle, you should try to eat within 60 minutes of the end of your workout and make sure you include some high-quality protein and complex carbohydrate

 4. Get lots of sleep: Sleep is essential for anyone who exercises regularly. During sleep, your body produces Growth Hormone (GH) which is largely responsible for tissue growth and repair. Quality restful sleep is essential to any balanced lifestyle.

I hope these tips are helpful for some of you. For more information on any one of these recovery factors, just follow the links.

The Mysteries of Meteorites

Approximately 15 000 tonnes of space dust, known as meteoroids enters Earth's atmosphere each year. Did you know that whether this space matter is still in outer space, in Earth's atmosphere, or residing on Earth's ground it is called something different?

Outer Space	Meteoroid
Atmosphere	Meteor (shooting star)
Ground	Meteorite

We can learn a lot about our solar system from meteorites, including the existence of life on other planets.  "DNA Building Blocks can be Made in Space" is a NASA video showing some of the evidence that meteorites have presented us with for life in space or the theory that life on Earth originally came from outer space. What do you think? Do you believe there's life out there other than on our own planet? How do you think we got here? Creationism? Evolution? Personally, I am a person of faith but I believe in evolution. I think we all started from something very simple and evolved over millions of years to where we are today. Did we come as pieces of DNA from outer space? Perhaps, but then that leads us to more questions than it actually solves. How did DNA get into space for instance?

(Photo of meteor shower by: Joe Lencioni)

There are three main types of meteorites that typically pass through the atmoshere. These are in decreasing order of popularity: stony, stony-iron, and iron. There composition is stated directly by their name; iron meteorites are composed primarily of iron and nickel whereas stony meteorites are composed mainly of stone. Most meteorites are quite small, however, ones as large as 1.2Km in diameter such as the one that created the Barringer Crater have been recorded. It is also suggested that a very large meteorite was responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs? What other theories do you know of that may have caused dinosaurs to go extinct? I do believe that a meteorite hit the Earth causing an Ice Age and the extinction of the dinosaurs as evidence suggests.

Low Carb Diets: Take the Emphasis Off Meats

A new study shows that low carbohydrate diets that tend to focus on meats as a source of high protein intake may shorten your life. The study follows two large groups of men and women for 20 to 26 years. Some ate higher carb diets and some ate a lower carbohydrate diet. The people who replaced carbohydrates with meat were 23% more likely to die prematurely of heart disease and cancer.  On the other hand people who ate more veggies and plant based protein, lived longer by 26%.

I believe that people feel overwhelmed by all of the information and results of studies are being released. What it really comes down to is the quality of the protein or carbohydrate, as well as portion control.  For example when shopping for sources of protein it is important to choose cuts of meat that is leaner with lower saturated fat. When selecting cheeses it may be beneficial to go with varieties that are full fat, they tend to leave individuals more satisfied while eating less.

http://umami.typepad.com/umami/2007/10/revisiting-jose.html

When shopping for plant based proteins, some high quality options are quinoa, or beans. These sources of protein are high in fiber and stabilizeblood sugar levels and allow for individuals to feel full sooner and for longer. Many nutritionists promote balanced eating and are leaning towards recommending a larger portion of intake to revolve around foods with less ingredients and more natural in production.

http://moonstarsandpaper.blogspot.ca/2009/08/farmers-market.html

I believe this method and approach to eating to be healthy. The greatest factor in eating healthy is awareness of what your are eating. If you know that what you are eating is prone to cause illness down the road, and research healthy options, then I believe it is easy to take control of your diet and understand the ramifications of what is going into your mouth. 

Animal Testing

For centuries, animals have been used for scientific testing. Like all controversial topics, animal testing has two sides, those that support it and those that are against it. Animal rights activists believe that animal testing is cruel and unethical. While those that support the use of animals in experiments argue that it is necessary for medical advancements.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), is the world's largest animal rights organization. PETA members believe that by educating people on the importance of avoiding alcohol and cholesterol, the dangers of smoking, reducing alcohol and other drug consumption, exercising regularly, and cleaning up the environment, would save more lives and end suffering of the animals. Those that are against animal testing would agree with George Bernard Shaw when he said "You do not settle whether an experiment is justified or not  by merely showing that it is of some use. The distinction is not between useful and useless experiments, but between barbarous and civilized behaviour." They also realize that some medical problems probably can not be cured unless tests are done on unwilling people, but this is wrong and so it is not done, and they mention that this concern should apply to other living, feeling beings, regardless of the species. 

The video "Testing...One, Two, Three" shows visuals of animals suffering while being used for tests. It is mentioned several times that the results from animal testing can not be applied to humans because they do not have the same systems. It is believed by PETA supporters that there is no need to cause animals to suffer when more sophisticated, non-animal methods exist, such as cell-based tissue models. The video also mentions that it was wrong when testing was done on orphans, Blacks, G.I.s and Gypsies, and that it is also wrong when done to animals. Animals hurt, bleed, suffer, feel lonely and sad, and want to live just like humans do. 

On the other hand, there are those that support animal testing. They argue that animal testing is for the greater good of humans and animals, and that animal testing is better than the alternatives such as computer modelling and cell structures. The Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR) states that the use of animals in research and testing is strictly controlled, especially regarding potential pain. There are laws in place that regulate aspects such as pain, caging, feeding, exercise of dogs and the psychological well-being of primates. In addition to the rules, each institution must establish an animal care and use committee which includes a member of the public. This committee is responsible for approving the proposed use of animals and also for overseeing the care and use of the animals, and raising any concerns there may be.

Volcanic Gas Impacts

Last year, in 2011, the eruption of the iceland volcano, Grímsvötn, was all over the the news. The smoke that rose from the volcanic eruption caused numerous air flight delays. However, the smoke from the volcanic eruptions do not only impact flight times. 


The smoke that is released from volcanoes is volcanic gas. It is mostly composed of water vapour. Volcanic gas also consists of  carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen fluoride. There are also small traces of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and volatile metal chlorides. The concentration of each of the volcanic gases can vary significantly from one volcano to the other.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that may aid in global warming. Whereas the volcanic gas sulfur dioxide, can promote global cooling, ozone destruction, and polluted air known as volcanic smog. Volcanic gases are also harmful to humans. Exposure to these gases, such as sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, and hydrogen chloride, can damage eyes and mucous membranes along with the respiratory system and, under extreme conditions, can even lead to death. Common complaints to prolonged exposure periods to volcanic smog include headaches, fatigue, respiratory difficulties, and allergic reactions. However, the health effects to this situation are not well documented. In addition to all that, carbon dioxide is heavier than air and can collect in low, poorly ventilated areas. This has caused thousands of deaths in the past two decades from carbon asphyxiation.  


Volcanic gases also damage vegetation. Most plants can not survive direct exposure or long-term exposure to volcanic gas. Furthermore,  fume clouds are formed which are filled with droplets that would eventually fall as acid rain, and that could be destructive in many ways. While the droplets are in the air, they can cause corrosion of aircraft surface materials and engines. 

Memory

The human brain is an amazingly complex organ. One of it's many functions is to store memories, from facts which are read/studied to events from a past occasion. Short-term memory actives the pre-frontal lobe of the brain, which is the very front of the brain. Whereas long-term memory is stored elsewhere in the brain, the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a part of the cortex and is located in the inner-fold of the temporal lobe. By repeating new facts we pass them through the hippocampus several times. The hippocampus strengthens the associations among the new elements enough times for the cortex to learn to associate the various properties. This is what we call a memory.

Alzheimer's is one of the most known diseases related to memory loss. It is more likely to happen in older people, and to those who have close blood relatives who have experienced Alzheimer's disease (AD). Late onset AD is the most common type of AD. It occurs in people 60 years of age or older. The other type of AD is less common, called early onset AD, and this occurs in people younger than the age of 60. Early onset AD tends to get worse faster.

It is not necessary though to have a disease in order to forget. As a university student, I know how hard it is sometimes to remember some things, such as a fact that I have studied for an exam. There are some tips that can help in improving memory. 

• Drink in moderation-There has been some evidence that light to moderate drinking can improve memory, but more needs to be done
• Seek treatment for depression-A main symptom for depression is the inability to concentrate. Depression causes the increase in cortisol in the bloodstream, which causes an increase in cortisol levels in the brain. Doctors used brain imaging devices to show how cortisol diminishes certain brain ares, including the hippocampus. There is even a study that showed that a person who was depressed, even if it was years ago, has had 12-15 percent loss in the hippocampus.
• Get moving-Obesity is a risk factor of Alzheimer's disease. Exercise will not only be beneficial to the body, but also to the mind. 
• Visualization and association-Turning a list of random words into images may help in remembering the words better.
• Pay attention-Eight seconds is the time needed to completely focus your attention upon anything to effectively transfer it from short-term to long-term memory. 
• The name game-Researchers have found that there is a 30 percent better chance of remembering someone's name by repeating it as soon as it is learned. 
• Chunking-Breaking up a large amount of information into manageable chunks so that there is less to remember. 
• Method of loci-This memory device of associating things with a place or location.
• Use your environment-Manipulating things in your environment can help you remember. For example, switching a ring or watch from one wrist onto the other.

Most Valuable Resource-Water

Water is one of Earth's most valuable resources, as it is essential for all life. An article in National Geographic, mentions that in developed countries people don't think about the amount of water they use for drinking, food preparation, and sanitation. Whereas in developing countries, the search for clean water can be a "daily crisis." Many children die in developing countries because of diseases that are as a result of the lack of clean water and proper sanitation. It is estimated that 880 million people in the world don't have regular access to clean water. 


Humans are faced with challenges related to freshwater. About 5 000 children die everyday only because of the spread of diseases such as cholera and dysentery, which are caused by the use of contaminated water for drinking or cooking. Furthermore, approximately 70 percent of the freshwater is used for agriculture, and about 22 percent is used by industries. 


Looking at Earth from space, it looks like a blue dot. Over 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water. In the Scientific American Magazine, there is an image that is produced by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), included in one of its articles. The image shows a large blue circle over the western U.S., and this circle represents all in the water in the world, including salty ocean water and underground water. To the right of that large circle, there is a smaller circle, which is a subset of the bigger sphere, it represents freshwater in the ground, lakes, swamps and rivers. There is a tinier sphere next to it, barely visible, and it represents just the freshwater in lakes and rivers. Regardless of how small the freshwater sphere is, it's been sustaining the whole human population for years. In 2005, humans daily consumed 1.24 trillion litters of surface water and 312.7 billion litters of groundwater, and we continue to consume vast quantities of water.


Ways for efficient water management should be put into place, to prevent the excess use of freshwater. 

Olympic Drug Testing

This summer is the end of another Olympic quadrennial. The culmination of this event that most athletes have worked towards for their entire lives will have led them to London. With the passion to succeed there may also exist the temptation to cheat or cut corners?  The news story that I watched explains the methods of testing used.

http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-3351650343

Because of this temptation, and the advancements in performance enhancing drugs it is appropriate that the body in charge of running the Olympics should also put in place a screening process that would act as a deterrent and identify athletes that may decide to cut corners. Because of the high stakes and integrity of a competition as renowned as the Olympics, the officials of London have set up the most high tech doping lab in Olympic history. Thousands of blood and urine samples will pass through this lab north of London during the Olympic and Paralympic games.

Throughout the London Olympics, medal winners and over half of competitors will be randomly tested. A big question is whether this lab is having a deterrent effect.  I believe the existence of the lab is a strong deterrent effect. If athletes anticipate thorough testing, they will be less likely to take drugs and enable athletes to compete fairly at the games.

A positive test result will see medals canceled and a lengthy ban from competition. The lab is also keeping samples for up to 8 years for retesting, so that if a new method for detection is invented for substances that were not previously detectable then the lab can go back and re-examine the old samples.

What are your thoughts? Should athletes that are found to have been doping be completely banned? Or should they be allowed to return to their sport after a suspension?

Can Cranberry Treat UTIs?



Cranberry Plant
Provided by linluyihui

Most of the Canadians are no stranger to cranberries, which are a group of low, creeping shrubs found throughout the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere, especially North America. As a major commercial crop in United States and Canada, a small part of cranberries are sold fresh to the customs while most are processed into cranberry products such as juice and sweetened dried cranberries.

Dried Cranberries
Provided by Lehuo

As a kind of alternative medicines, cranberry especially cranberry juice has been consumed for decades because of the belief that it can prevent and treat urinary tract infections (UTIs). Last week I read a journal article which revealed the truth of these “magic” fruits: cranberries could effectively prevent UTIs in specific subpopulations. However, there is no evidence that cranberry can be used to treat UTIs.



Cranberry Juice
Provided by Dongfang

One of the important suggestions was that cranberries prevent bacteria from sticking to the urinary epithelial cells which line the wall of the bladder, which inhibit the bacterial infection. In order to assess the effectiveness of cranberries (particularly in the form of cranberry juice) in the prevention of UTIs in susceptible populations,  1049 participants in 10 studies were divided and evaluated in different groups (cranberries juice vs. placebo, cranberries tablets vs. placebo). From the results, researchers got the conclusion that Cranberries products significantly reduced the chance of getting UTIs over a year, and more effectively in women who had recurrent UTIs compared with elderly people and people who needed catheterization. Dropouts in these studies were high because many participants stopped drinking cranberry juice for various reasons. Also, it was unclear how long and how much people should take cranberries products to prevent UTIs. However, cranberries had not been shown to be effective as a treatment for an existing urinary tract infection.

Cranberries
Provided by nipic

As the website of Nation Center for Complementary andAlternative Medicine recommends, drinking cranberry juice products appears to be safe, but if you drink too much, it will also cause gastrointestinal intolerance or diarrhea. It is a good idea to drink some cranberry juice every day to prevent UTIs, but people who have had existing UTIs should go to consult health care providers for scientific treatments.