Are Video Games Good or Bad for People?

      http://dana.org/Cerebrum/Default.aspx?id=39414
         You're parents always say that video games are bad for you. Some studies support that while others say that video games can help develop a child's brain. Both are correct according to this study. The "right" of video game will help develop a kid's brain. But, violent games, such as Battlefield or Call of Duty are known to make children more  violent. 
        In a study where 33 laparoscopic surgeons were brought together to train their surgical skills, they used a video game related simulation. The game had better predicting and testing abilities than regular training. On the other hand, in studies where kid's and even adults were exposed to violent games, they patients were prone to addiction and obesity. This brings another issue into question. How long should we spend playing this games? 
       The study does not suggest what we should do, but only gives suggestion on how we should judge the amount of games we play. The most important factors are Content, Structure, and Mechanics. The amount of time is also considered, but it is based upon the the former 4. Content refers to what the video games contain. Obviously educational games are good for the person, but in teenagers, how many of us really enjoy educational games over thrill-inducing ones? In non-educational games, there are many categories. A video game’s on-screen structure contributes to its effects. For example, some games require a player to scan the screen constantly for small changes, such as signals announcing the sudden appearance of a “dot,” and to respond quickly to these changes. (ex. Cytus) The mechanics of a video can affect the player motor skills (ex. Cytus). The mechanics is usually beneficial for the player as it improves hand-eye coordination, and in some cases, reaction times. The things need to be taken into consideration when judging how long one should play a video game. 
        However, it still leaves lots of doubt and controversy of whether video games are good for you or not. What do you guys think?

New Research Shows That Hugs Prevent Stress and Infection - Sanchit Kumar

Throughout the years of your life, you have probably heard that hugging each other relived stress and somehow helped reduce the symptoms of an infection. The question is if this statement is actually true, or if it is just some old wives tale told throughout the years. This question was tackled by a team from the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences who was lead by Sheldon Cohen who is a University Professor of Psychology in CMU's. With this question in mind researchers found that greater social support from people you know and trust can protect agains the increased susceptibility of infections that can harm you and resulted in less severe symptoms also causing less stress. In order to test this theory farther Cohen decided to do a social experiment. People dealing with ongoing conflict are less likely to fight disease and people receiving more social support are less likely to develop anxiety and depression. Based on this information Cohen brought forth 404 healthy adults in order to test his theory. Each one of them were assessed by a questionnaire and the frequencies of interpersonal conflicts and receiving hugs were derived from telephone interviews conducted on 14 consecutive nights. After this the test participants were each intentionally exposed to the common cold virus and monitored in a quarantined situation to assess the signs of the sickness that they were shown to. The results that were shown were astounding, the people with perceived support reduced the risk of infection. What is even more surprising is that hugs accounted for 1/3 of that perceived support. With all of this information brought forward Cohen came to the conclusion that being hugged by a trusted person can somewhat protect you from the harmful effects of an infection. This shows what has already been know, the less stress that you put on yourself, the more likely you are to stay away from infection. Strange that something as easy as a hug can help keep you healthy.

Works Cited:
Article - Carnegie Mellon University. "Hugs help protect against stress, infection, say researchers." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 December 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141217101316.htm>.

Picture-  Pelaez, Jose Luis. "Mother and Daughter Hugging." GettyImages. Getty Images, 
     n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/ 
     mother-and-daughter-hugging-high-res-stock-photography/103051648>. 

Should We Eat Five or Six Times a Day? - Jackie Li

Throughout the centuries, it has become a norm to eat three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with the exception of a couple of snacks, of course. But through the course of data analysis, it is shown that eating smaller portions of five or six meals is healthier to your body, rather than eating three huge meals. This is all due to the fact that your body, with the fluctuating feeling of fullness and emptiness in your stomach, resulting in sleepiness and exhaustion, struggles to digest large amounts of food at one time. An example to show how much the stomach and digestive system struggles is when people start bloating after eating a large amount of food. Bloating is a build up of gas inside the body when, for example, eating too much food at once, while swallowing air unintentionally, which will lead to mild discomfort. With the five or six smaller portioned meals, there will be less bloating, due to eating less at a time, and there will also be a smaller influx of hunger, while working and waiting for the next meal. This will lead people to be more able to cope with their duties of the day, without feeling the urge to fall asleep. Eating in these portions will also help us burn more calories at a time; with eating less but more often, we will be able to burn more calories by walking briskly without starting to feel nauseous, and much more!

Nutrition and the health of ones' body has always interested me throughout my entire life, starting when I was in the third grade. I was always obsessed with my body and how I would become healthier when I was a little kid and this sparked my research on diets, disease, and exercise. Through researching these topics, I feel as if I know more which will help boost my caution with living better.

Link to the Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-53111/Why-eating-little-best.html

Carnivorous Plant

Cephalotus follicularis by Angela Shaw

also called the pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant found in the swamps of SouthWestern Australia. This plant is known for it’s unique leave, hence the name the pitcher plant. Like all carnivorous plant the Cephalotus follicularis consumes insects, it’s adaptation to consume these insects is very unique. The  Cephalotus follicularis produces two types of leaves.

In the spring this plants produce normal leaves, this helps the plant store carbon through the process of photosynthesis. These normal leaves last for approximately a year, afterwards, when the leave production is at it’s peak the plant produces pitcher like leaves, that help the plant obtain the trap like form. This plant is approximately 3 cm. tall when producing normal leaves, and it’s maximum height when producing pitcher leaves is approximately 6 cm. The leaves/lid of the Cephalotus follicularis is normally open, exposing the digestive fluid; however if the plant is drying out, then the lid is closed to protect the digestive fluid.

The Cephalotus follicularis has a deceiving smell of a sweet nectar, coated along side the lid, this lures insects such as ants into it’s trap.  Another adaptation of this plant that allows it to survive in it’s ecosystem is the hair along side the leave that gives it protection from other organisms.

I found this article interesting because it explained the different adaptation a carnivorous plant must perform to survive in a competitive ecosystem. I also found it interesting that this plant has a seasonal routine, that includes the production of different leaves that help the plant store energy and protect itself from harmful factors in an ecosystem.

Article Link: http://botany.org/Carnivorous_Plants/Cephalotus.php
Pitcher leaves    

Normal leaves             

Life on Mars: Possible or not?- Beatriz Feijo

There has always been a great debate in astronomy whether or not there is life on Mars. Recent studies on a martian meteorite, broken from the surface of Mars by an asteroid, could be the answer to the big mystery of life on the Red Planet. The Tissint meteorite, found in 2011, underwent further analysis, which caused the discovery of carbon, which is essential to life, in the rock. This finding has brought more discussion between scientists with different views of the discovery of carbon in the meteorite. Some argue that the carbon was formed by nonliving causes, while others state that the carbon came from life on the planet. Many missions were sent to Mars in search for signs of life, and this may be one sign to life on the planet. Life on others planets is one of the greatest goals for humans, and the search for evidence has been complex. We have spent years searching for different signs of life outside of planet Earth, and invested billions of dollars on several missions to other planets. Mars, being one of the closest planets to ours, has been one of the most searched. This new meteorite might lead search for life on Mars to a whole different level. 

I have always been interested in the subject of astronomy and space, ever since I was small. Movies that contained these topics always seem to fascinate me because there are so many mysteries in our immense universe that we have not discovered. These mysteries, such as life on Mars, always make me curious to learn more. I believe that one day, perhaps when we have more developed technology, we will find life on other planets. It may not be Mars, but the Universe is so huge I think there is another form of life that we are not aware of. The discovery of this meteorite leads us one step closer to figuring out the mystery of the Red Planet.

If you want to check out the article, click here:

http://www.livescience.com/48994-mars-meteorite-life-debate.html

  

Did Birds Really Evolve From Dinosaurs Or From Something Else?- Achyut Kasi

     It was widely known in the past that birds evolved from dinosaurs on the ground. However, that idea is starting to have a closer investigation with the discovery of a new fossil found in Inner Mongolia. Personally, I would have never thought that there was a link between ground-dwelling dinosaurs and flying birds. Instead, I would have thought that there could have been a relation between a type of flying dinosaur to birds. The article goes on about how with a thorough examination of the newly discovered fossil, these researchers were able to determine that the fossil is of an early type of bird called Scansoriopteryx. This bird is closely related to tree-dwelling archosaurs who seem to have mastered basic aerodynamic maneuvers such as gliding. Also, these archosaurs lived way before the dinosaurs so the birds are not directly related to dinosaurs at all.
     I chose this article because I have always been interested in the past and findings such as this pique my interests. It was always fun for me to find out how one species was created as a result of evolution of other species. The links between the different species was fun to look at because you can see the progression from one organism to another and some possible advantages that could have came out of the evolution. 
     I found this article to be interesting because I like when people prove something to be incorrect. What gets me excited is the fact that something that was widely believed to be true was simply wrong through intensive, detailed investigations. The time of dinosaurs or anytime in the past is a beautiful mystery. No human was there to witness anything but it is important to find out and understand the past so that we, as humans, can learn everything there is to know about our sacred home, Earth.


                                                    A link to the article can be found here:
                                      http://scienceagogo.com/news/20140610064636.shtml

Pick Up the Pace! - Prat Palanichamy

     Everyone has grandparents or know elderly people that go walking because they believe it will make them healthier and be able to take on the challenges humans face at the later stages of their life, such as the inability to do things they used to be able to do and pains in their body. Although this is true, running regularly might be a much better alternative that fight back against aging in ways walking just can't. One reason why walking is not a good exercise for elderly people in the long run is because of the fact that as they get older, it becomes increasingly harder for them to even walk properly, and this leads to shorter walks, and soon, this exercise will come to a complete stop simply because the old body just can't keep up with these activities.

        According to a The New York Times article, researchers at the University of Colorado in Boulder and Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif. started wondering if this decline of older people's physical ease is inescapable, or if it can be reversed or slowed by other exercises, and running in particular. 30 men and women from Boulder were recruited in the age range of late 60's to 70's to conduct the university's research. 

     Fifteen of these volunteers walked at least 30 minutes or more for 3 weeks, and the other fifteen ran for at least 30 minutes or more for 3 weeks. The scientists then gathered the volunteers and had them all walk on special treadmills where their oxygen intake and how hard their feet hit the treadmill, to assess their bio-mechanics were recorded at the Locomotion Laboratory in the University of Colorado.

     As it turned out, the runners had more efficient walking than that of the walkers, because they required less energy to keep up with the pace of the treadmill. The runners did so well that the researchers compared the older people's walking efficiency to the walking efficiency of younger people who were conducted in a previous experiment. The researchers found that the walking efficiency of the older runners(ranging in ages from late 60's to 70's) had about the same efficiency of of a sedentary college student. 

      The reason for this is because of the fact that prolonged aerobic exercise, such as running, is known to increase the number of mitochondria within muscle cells. This increase in mitochondria provides more energy to move for longer periods of time with less effort. Also, the runners are also believed to be more coordinated than the walkers, and this allows for fewer muscles that are needed to contract during movement, which means less energy is spent.

      This study shows that there are better ways for older people to stay in shape and keep their body fit, and could really benefit the health of older people. I chose this topic because it goes along very well with the topic we are learning in class, which is energy balance and learning about how the foods we eat and the different types of exercise play a big role in our lives. Running can be a great exercise for people of all ages, as it burns calories and has many long-term benefits and keeps us in shape. Also, I really enjoy running, so this article was interesting to me. 

New York Times Article

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/run-to-stay-young/?src=me&_r=0

Another Case Against The Midnight Snack- Gabriella Hinks

   When pulling an all-nighter, it is never complete without lots and lots of food. The thing that many people don't realize is the effect these "midnight snacks" are having on their health. In a study done by the Sulk Institute for Biological Studies, they used mice as a representation of the effects the late night snacks have on a persons weight over a period of time. It was found that mice being fed a high-fat diet but with a shortened window of opportunity to eat, were leaner and healthier than the mice given the same options with no restrictions on when they could eat. This was shocking to me because I had always been told that a healthy and balanced diet was one of the keys to a healthy life. Now this is changing to not only what you eat but also when you eat it. This could change the lives of so many people significantly because as it has been shown our country has a higher obesity average than most. If we could simply restrict them from eating at certain times, we would be one step closer to our goal of each individual having a healthy and balanced lifestyle. It was shown that a simple restriction of time caused a body fat drop of 5% over the course of just a few days. Imagine if this was everyday.

 

   I chose this article because I feel this study will have significant affect on our treatment of obesity and help us gain our goals of a healthy and comfortable body weight and life style for everyone. I find it really interesting that no longer is it just what you eat that has an affect on your health but when you eat it too. So before you decide to cut all fatty foods out of your diet in hopes to "slim-down" why not try simply giving yourself a time window where you can eat the foods you enjoy.  

 

   

 

For more information here is the link to the article:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141202123735.htm

Googol and Googolplex - Siva Kuppa

*Note: Googol is not spelled google. It is just a common mistake.

When you are thinking of a big number, you might think of a million, or a billion, or even a trillion. However a really big number is googol, which is 10 to the power of 100. According to the video, googol quite bigger than you thought. An astonishing fact to put this into perspective, is that all the particles in our observable universe, which is 10 to the power of 80, is still less than googol. Imagine how big the universe is and how small the atoms and particles are. This for me is mind blowing. So now you might think that googol is big, however it is nothing compared to googolplex, which is 10 to the power of googol. Suppose you write a 1 and then use a particle to write down a 0. You would still not have enough particles to write down a googolplex. It is way too big.

I thought this article was very interesting. It made realize how big these numbers are and how small our universe actually is. Most people, including me, are unable to imagine the size of our universe, yet compared to googol the universe does not even measure up to the immensity of it. I found that this video had some really interesting facts and made me think about our world. I found this to be interesting because the actual facts and data were so large and shocking. I now have a whole new understanding on googol and googolplex. Although, it is not really useful to know how big googolplex is, I still enjoyed it.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GEebx72-qs&feature=etp-pd-n05-05

Training can lead to synesthetic experiences: Does learning the 'color of' specific letters boost IQ? - Gagandeep "Sunny" Mudhar

            Synesthesia is by definition the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body. In other words, this is a condition where an individual associates a taste for a word or "sees" letters as specific colors.  What fascinates me is the fact that people born with this "gift" have not only a higher intelligence quotient (iq) than most individuals, but also their cognitive skills far surpass those of the average human. In fact, a recent survey was conducted by the University of Sussex to lucubrate whether non-synesthetes could, with practice, faintly taste colors or associate a word for a color, and the results were indeed positive. The individuals not only acquired the basic fundamentals of synesthesia, but also on average had an increase of 10 points on their intelligence quotient score! Personally speaking, if I ever had the opportunity to practice this technique I would because of the multitude of benefits it provides albeit, never being able to reach the level at which the already borne with synesthesia patients have. 

           To learn more about synesthesia click the link below

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141118105522.htm

1. .

Is The Cost for College Worth It? - Oliver Chiriac

    Nowadays, all students worry so much about their future. They believe that if they get good grades, then they will succeed in life. Now, everyone's definition of succeeding is different. I know that my definition, is to love what you do when you grow up, have a family that you enjoy spending time with, and being safe and healthy. However, for most people, especially in this WW-P District, the grades are all that matter. Now, in my opinion this is because most parents put a lot of pressure on their kids to study in order to get good grades, which will allow them to get a good job, and make money in the future. Money is not everything. Money does not last. Money does not love. Money is not life. It cannot buy love, life, or success.

So, in this article, it talks about how the price per year for high level Colleges such as Yale (top right), Stanford (top left), and Harvard (bottom). I picked this article because it clearly displays the tuition for many of the high ranking colleges in the world. I believe that it is necessary for students to be educated about the money that is involved with going to college. Parents work hard to support and take care of the family, and part of their job is to try to send you to college.

Now, in my opinion, education is an important aspect of society, however $50,000 per year for 4 years of college is definitely not worth it. With that money, people could buy property to live in, and supply themselves with many basic needs. Life is not just about education, it is also about experiencing different cultures, traveling the world, understanding the universe, and many other things. 

I found this article very interesting because most of these high ranking colleges are in the US, which attract many people from all around the world that may pay the current amount of tuition involved. This article pertains to me because I will soon be in the position where I am applying for colleges, hopefully, and I will have to decide, along with my parents, as to which colleges I have in mind. Now, since I am currently a Canadian citizen, I have the option to attend colleges in Canada such as the University of British Columbia, for approximately $8,000 per year. My parents went to the University of Waterloo, which is not one of the high ranking colleges nowadays, and they turned out to be successful in what they do. So, keep in mind that it's not what college you go to, it's what you do with the opportunity.

Do you guys believe College is worth the price?

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities

Kinetic Light Sculptures

Kinetic Light Sculptures by Paul Friedlander : 

Combining Science and Art 

           Friedlander,, a student of math and physics, decided to bring his two talents together when he was inspired by a kinetic light show in 1970, and from then on, he began pursuing a passion for making his own light sculptures. It is a relatively simple setup : pinning strings and chromastrobic light. "Chromastrobic light is light that changes color faster than the eye can see, causing the appearance of rapidly moving forms to mutate in the most remarkable ways," according to Friedlander. If you want to see some of his handheld sculptures in action, check out this link.  

photos and quote form Huffington Post

3D Printing Reveals The Power of Shark Skin -Thanmayee Maddipati

Did you know scientists have the ability to make an exact replica of shark skin using a printer? 3D printing of the newest and growing technologies has been able to simulate different material in order to be used for testing. 

After reading this article I was amazed at how advanced our society has become. For instance, when scientist 3D print shark skin they can use it's roughness/texture to test swim suits. The idea of 3D printing interests me is that the way it is done. Though its more easier said than done, by gathering materials and watching be created layer by layer can help science in many ways accurately, which has not been common before. Not only can u just print the material you are able to tweak it and add functions. 

The reason I share this article is because I don't think 3D printing is talked about much, as it is still a developing technology. It also shows how our country has progressed in such a short period of time. Not only can Shark skin be printed but many other materials as well that can help with other discoveries.

Although this is not directly connected to my life as a student, I do find it to be a beneficial technological device for the future that can turn into something that can benefit in regular life. 

The link to the article: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27409836

Birth Season Affects Your Mood in Later Life, New Research Suggests - Victoria Francois

New research shows that the season you are born has a significant impact on your risk of developing mood disorders. People born at certain times of year may have a greater chance of developing certain types of affective temperaments, which in turn can lead to mood disorders (affective disorders). This work is being presented at the European College of CNP Congress in Berlin.

Seasons of birth have traditionally been associated with certain personality traits, such as novelty seeking, and various folklore justifications, such as astrology, have sought to explain these associations. Now a group of researchers from Budapest, Hungary, are presenting a study which links birth season with temperament.

According to lead researcher, Assistant Professor Xenia Gonda, "Biochemical studies have shown that the season in which you are born has an influence on certain monoamine neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, which is detectable even in adult life. This led us to believe that birth season may have a longer-lasting effect. Our work looked at over 400 subjects and matched their birth season to personality types in later life. Basically, it seems that when you are born may increase or decrease your chance of developing certain mood disorders."

"We can't yet say anything about the mechanisms involved. What we are now looking at is to see if there are genetic markers which are related to season of birth and mood disorder."

The group found the following statistically significant trends:

• Cyclothymic temperament (characterized by rapid, frequent swings between sad and cheerful moods), is significantly higher in those born in the summer, in comparison with those born in the winter.

• Hyperthymic temperament -- a tendency to be excessively positive -- were significantly higher in those born in spring and summer.

• Those born in the winter were significantly less prone to irritable temperament than those born at other times of the year.

• Those born in autumn show a significantly lower tendency to depressive temperament than those born in winter.

Commenting for the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Professor Eduard Vieta (Barcelona) XY said: "Seasons affect our mood and behavior. Even the season at our birth may influence our subsequent risk for developing certain medical conditions, including some mental disorders. What's new from this group of researchers is the influence of season at birth and temperament. Temperaments are not disorders but biologically-driven behavioral and emotional trends. Although both genetic and environmental factors are involved in one's temperament, now we know that the season at birth plays a role too. And the finding of "high mood" tendency (hyperthymic temperament) for those born in summer is quite intriguing."

Click link to read the article on Science Daily .

I found it amazing that there are so many factors apart from the genes we inherit that contribute to what shapes us into adults. I always knew about zodiac signs and how it is thought that your personality is based off of the month you are born in, and this article really highlights that popular belief with this study shown.

The Need for Sleep (Adolescent Version) - By Elyse Jo

Have you ever woken up in the morning and considered going back to bed?  Many teenagers feel the strain of homework and after school activities which result in them going to bed later and later.  However, the start times of schools just get earlier and earlier.  What’s the result?  Sleepy youths with barely enough brain power to get dressed for school.  

While in previous studies it was proposed that early beginnings in schools help students’ education, it is now being reevaluated to show even greater evidence that children will be able to work more productively getting more sleep.

Students should get about nine hours of sleep, but with the daily excursions of being a teenager, many only get around five or six!  Researchers posed ideal sleep times (from eleven- eight-thirty) for kids but many of these students will sleep later and get up earlier due to the philosophy “the early bird gets the worm!”

Administrators may resist such an idea as it will be much work to change the whole schedule, however, the benefits greatly outway the costs.  Students will be more productive, they will be able to function later, and the stress of waking up early and memorizing data while it’s still dark out will merely be a thing of the past.  

Sleep is divided into five stages, one, two, three, four and REM sleep.  While these cycles occur for only ninety-one hundred fifteen minutes, there is generally more that one cycle where as the night goes on, stage four time will decrease while REM cycle time increases.  When children are deprived of sleep, their sleep patterns are disrupted and will change the next time they doze off.  This causes lethargy and insomnia.

I believed that this was the article that I would share because I feel like everybody wants to get another hour of sleep in.  No matter if it’s the all-nighter, the early bird, or the average joe, no matter how old you are the extra hour is like a heavenly blessing.  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/11/why-high-schools-should-let-kids-sleep-in/

To Infinity, (Death), and Beyond!

Many people are always exhilarated when the topic of space is mentioned. What some people do not realize, however, is that space is very damaging to the body in many ways. Too many back and forth trips to space could result in death and other serious effects. So before you decide to sign up for NASA, you might want to take note of the very dangerous challenge you are going to face. Without further ado, here are ten marvelous ways to die (in space!) and what you can do to avoid them.

1. Loss of oxygen: this could happen easily during a spacewalk if an astronaut gets disconnected from the cord that is binding them to their ship. In this event, the astronaut and his/her companions still have about eight and a half hours to help the stranded astronaut to get back to the spaceship -- if the suit functions properly. If not, well, let's just say that the person's flexibility for time has been reduced to just 15 seconds. At this point, the astronaut will lose consciousness and death will quickly follow. So, it's just best to not get carried away and take a plunge off of the spacewalk.

2. Next, we have something called depressurization. This is actually the effect of space that most people are familiar with. If even a small area of skin is exposed to the space vacuum, the astronaut whose skin is exposed will have their lungs ruptured due to the super-inflation of the gases in the lungs. Meanwhile all of the water inside the astronaut's muscles would evaporate, causing the body to swell immensely like a balloon. The organs inside of the astronaut would burst and spill out whatever was inside while bubbles would form in the bloodstream, halting blood flow to the heart and brain. To protect yourself from bodily harm, you must be careful about deciding when to remove your spacesuit and making sure that your cabin isn't open.

3. The Sun's energy in space is so strong that sunscreen will not protect you from getting a space sunburn. Ultraviolet radiation provides vitamin D for our bodies, but when we are exposed to too much of it, we can get awful sunburns, and that's not the only problem UV rays can cause for you. They can give you cataracts in your eyes, they can stop your immune system from working well, they can make your skin age quicker, and they can give you skin cancer. Luckily, spacesuits have been highly experimented on and they are good protection against these powerful rays. If you remain in your suit, you will be fine, but there are still plenty of things that your suit cannot protect you from.

4. Alright, so we've avoided sunburn, but there are also other forms of radiation that can harm you which your spacesuit is incapable of saving you from. If you stayed in space for too long, this radiation could kill you from radiation sickness and will later give you cancer. In fact, the human body is exposed to so much radiation in space that if they took a trip to Mars, they would face an equivalent of getting a CT scan (sort of like an X-Ray scan, but for muscles) every 5-6 days.

5. Big drifting pieces of spacial flotsam are always a threat to astronauts in space. Most of this junk is due to the remains of space technology designed by us that we never bothered to take down. Sometimes it is remains of an asteroid or another rock body. Sometimes it is even the leftovers of a tragic accident. Whatever caused it, space junk is always looking for a chance to create another tragedy, so don't give it that chance. Always be alert and on the lookout for anything coming your way.

6. Space dust is another problem for astronauts, but not as of right now. When the time comes that we will start sending humans to Mars for exploration, they will have to beware the dust particles on Mars, as these particles could stick to anything due to their static electricity. Inhaling these particles would make it chemically combine with water to create harmful chemicals. Although the suits will shield astronauts from this space dust, the dust will stick to the suits and will, consequently, get into the living area of the astronauts, where they take off their suits.

7. Space doesn't take kindly to the immune system. It is highly oppressive against the immune system, which yields a higher risk for astronauts falling sick. Micro gravity in space stops the activation and spread of T-cells, a kind of white blood cell. According to the article, if a person on Earth is infected, the body will release 99 kinds of genes which command the T-cells to attack the infection, while a person in space who is infected will have 91 of those 99 genes turned off. Scientists compared the severity of this to an HIV infection.

8. Muscles and organs aren't the only body parts affected by space. The skeleton, which is actually composed of living tissue known as osteoclasts (old-bone-destroyers) and osteoblasts (new-bone-creators), is affected by space as the microgravity increases the number of osteoclasts and decreases the number of osteoblasts. This upsets the balance and causes the bones to weaken quickly. On Earth, the osteoclasts and osteoblasts are balanced such that they work against each other at an equal rate. What happens in space on the bones also happens naturally on Earth as people get older, causing osteoporosis. In fact, studies performed on Russian cosmonauts showed that the test subjects lost one-fifth of their bone mass after spending some time in space. Lastly, space also messes up the spinal disks and gives astronauts backaches.

9. Forget about TV. Space is up for ruining vision as well! Space causes the optic nerve to swell and it also morphs the eye structure. Sometimes, the effects are so severe that it could nearly blind the astronauts and indirectly lead them into a fatal accident.

10. Many people suffer mental problems due to space. Being an astronaut is not fun and games. The work that people have payed a lot of money to send you up for is extremely stressful. There are also many people working on the same thing at the same time, which is known to cause claustrophobia and anger. People often also suffer from fatigue, sleeplessness, and mood/anxiety disturbances. A longer time in space means more stress for people.

This is why it is very risky being an astronaut. It is however an important job. I found this article interesting because I found many new ways on how space is dangerous which I did not know before. I recommend this to anyone who wishes to learn more about what astronauts face in space.http://science.howstuffworks.com/10-ways-space-kill-you.htm#page=1

Woolly Mammoth Mummy Yields Well-Preserved Brain - Rohan Krishnakumar

The mummified carcass of the 39,000-year-old woolly mammoth nicknamed Yuka.

The brain from the mummified woolly mammoth carcass in dorsal view.
Credit: Courtesy of Anastasia Kharlamova

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The most intact woolly mammoth brain was found on August 2010 in the Siberian Permafrost. The brain came from a wooly mammoth named Yuka, that was 6 to 9 years old when it died. The mammoth was kept in ice storage after being found.

A researcher named Anastasia Kharlamova wrote "Until now, there was no opportunity to examine the whole brain of a woolly mammoth, which might have had complicated behavior, similar to modern elephants,"

The size of the brain was smaller than it was originally because the cranial cavity had almost two times as much volume as the actual brain. Also scientists found that the brain structure of a woolly mammoth is similar to that of elephants because both species are part of the same family. 

Yuka was the first mammoth with an intact brain, but was not the first woolly mammoth to be found, there were two woolly mammoths found in 2007 and 2009. These mammoths died many years ago, so their brains were not very well preserved.

I found this article interesting because this is the first time people have had an opportunity to observe a full brain of a woolly mammoth. After finding this brain we may be able to compare it to modern animals, which can show us how closely related the woolly mammoth is to other animals. Also this will help us to learn more about what woolly mammoths were like before they went extinct.

Article Link: http://www.livescience.com/48625-mummy-woolly-mammoth-brain-revealed.html

First Solar Bike Path in the World- Trisha Sindhu

A $3.74 million dollar project, officially opening on November 12, a 230 foot bike lane near Amsterdam, Netherlands has been constructed with solar panels, the first of its kind. With panels built using square concrete modules fitted with solar cells and covered with tempered glass, although sounding delicate, can handle the weight of a truck.

The TNO (The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research) has planned to elongate the bike path another 328 feet by 2016, and by then the path should be able to generate enough power to light three houses. With the solar power that could be potentially used for anything, the bike path is going to be monitored on the amount of energy generated and how it is like to bike on the path, especially with up to 2,0000 daily riders.

I found this article interesting since I believe solar energy is the most efficient way to generate energy. 

Through the use of the worlds most powerful heat source, the sun, solar energy is sure to provide a sufficient amount of energy to provide for parts of our world. 

Starting on a small scale such as bike paths, we can slowly male driveways, sidewalks, roads, and eventually highways!

 link to article: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2014/11/05/worlds-first-solar-bike-path-netherlands/