Thanksgiving Sleepiness. Zzzzzzz

I have noticed that on Thanksgiving, people tend to get sleepy after dinner. Some attribute it to the large amount of food in their stomach, some blame it on the turkey. I know that turkey is a natural producer of melatonin, a hormone that naturally induces sleep in your own body. However, I am a vegetarian. I don't eat the Thanksgiving turkey. Surprisingly (well, to me, anyway), I still find myself becoming very sleepy for a while after eating on that one special day of the year when you can eat like a pig and no one will judge :).

So I did some research as to how food amounts can affect your body's feeling awake and alert.

There are many myths concerning why our bodies seem out of energy when we have just finished a meal. A leading false explanantion is that it takes a lot of energy to break down our food. HOwever, we know this is not he case, because as we learned in biology class, the majority of ATP is released by metabolic processes, not consumed.

Interestingly enough, the reason you may get tired after eating a meal is because you are experiencing a food allergy. Many people have food allergies, but either the allergy, your exposure to it, or the amount you eat of it is mild and therefore you may not recognize it as a food allergy. When some one says you have an allergy, it means your body has a hard time processing, or is unable to process it. Your body builds up antibodies against it, and the antibodies getting rid of the "invader" is what expends much of your energy and causes your fatigue.

Another explanation for all those out there who stubbornly believe they do not have an allergy: your body is digesting. Have you ever heard the old wives tale saying that you should not swim right after you eat? It does not affect you as much as first thought, but it still could be a safety precaution. When you eat, much of the blood in your system flows to your stomach to provide your cells with a constant influx stream of oxygen and outflux of carbon dioxide for metabolic purposes. Your body is not neccessarily spending a large amount of energy on eating, it is simply ffocusing on the task at hand. Breaking down that turkey dinner is not wasting energy, it is just harder to direct your energy away from your stomach for a given amount of time.

So how did you guys feel after eating your turkey dinners? What did you think was the cause of your sleepiness?

Natural Selection and the Korowai Tribe

The Korowai tribe is an indigenous group located in southeastern Papua (southeastern part of western New Guinea). Until 1970, this group, consisting of 3,000 people, believed they were the only human beings on the planet Earth because of their isolation. Most Korowai clans live in tree houses. I know what you're thinking. Tree houses? Really? Before we begin to cling to our western ideals and judge their level of "civilization," let's try to open our minds. Are the Korowai people more efficient human beings than us?

Let's look at the facts. The Korowai are hunter-gatherers and horticulturalists. They have excellent hunting and fishing skills for gaining necessary protein. The Korowai literally survive off the good of the land. If an 8 years old child of the Korowai tribe was to get into a fight with a 8 years old American child, I think we know who would win. Mosquitos and age-old rivalry have forced them to build houses in the tree tops. Some are as high as 40 m. The Korowai are extremely fit due to the fact that they BUILD HOUSES IN TREES (which takes a lot of "all over body" strength), as well as live active lives. Their survival depends on the collective workethic of the tribe.

So... does natural selection favor the Korowai tribe as opposed to us, the members of a first world country?

My Answer: Yes. Just like malnutrition causes atrophy, or muscle wasting, the extremely active lives of the Korowai has probably caused them to have superhuman strength and power, compared to the average American. If the planet was to experience some extreme macroclimate change causing a decrease in food supply, I believe the Korowai be more likely to survive due to natural selection.

Here are more pictures: Enjoy!

Zero: The Robot Warrior of the Future

In the “Megaman X” series one of the most powerful characters is the Z-saber wielding Zero. Zero’s capabilities are beyond current technology by centuries, as demonstrated most by his reveal trailer for “Marvel vs. Capcom 3”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87YxnLULJ7I

With abilities like the Hadangeki: a fast moving laser slice, and the Sougenmu, a super move which makes a copy that shadows all of his moves. it is hard to believe a robot like this could even exist in the far distant future. However, I’m here to talk about one of Zeros lesser known abilities, dashing. Zero can perform a quick burst forward or backwards using small rockets in his feet, and I’m going to demonstrate the most accurate version, as well as a possible of modern recreation.

The end of the rocket is in the center of the sole of his foot, which is where the thrust is released. This is obvious; the real question is how do they work? Zero’s lower leg is notably shaped like a funnel which is where rods of gasoline are stored in a vertical octagon. Each foot as one of these assemblies, with the gasoline rods on tap for when necessary. The gas is flows from the bottom of one of the tubes into the mini-carburetor in which it then ignites. The resulting fire creates thrust with a force of about 15 feet per millisecond, which travels through the short channel in Zero’s foot propelling him forward.

Dashing however, is not meant to be used long term. Zero’s design had able to run faster than any human already, so why incorporate dashing? Why not use it to grant Zero full flight capabilities? Dr. Wily- Zero’s creator- most likely to included the dash ability as a tactic in two different ways: space control, and to pressure the opponent. The dash can propel forward and backward, and is useful for escaping attacks. He can also use it to jump higher as well as slow his decent. This adds a whole new strategy to how he would approach and escape his opponent. This can also be used to psyche the opponent out. Watching you enemy evade almost every attack on the ground and in the air would be a confusing and distracting spectacle, and would indivertibly lower said fighter’s guard, since AI at this time period has reached the point of mimicking human emotion. If Dr. Wily had intended to include flight in Zero’s design, Zero would have required wings or something like that, since the actual amount of fuel in Zero’s feet is not enough to create full fledged flight.

This is probably still very outlandish, and it is. Zero is a robot built in the year 200X to defeat Megaman. However he was stored away for 100 years, accidently released and became a Maverick Hunter, and became best friends with Megaman X (fail). However, this is the best time to compare Zero to his older brother Bass, so that you, the reader, can get a better understanding of the dashing ability’s past. http://www.wiinintendo.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/bass-megaman.jpg By looking at Bass’ helmet, you’ll notice that it has these wings on the side, resembling of the sides of the head of a cobra. These were most likely used for a gliding effect since they are not large enough for flight. Without them Bass’ dash would be difficult to control, since they were most likely too powerful in the initial design. Zero’s boosters are more controlled in his feet since he does not have any gliding part like Bass.

Over all, Zero is incredibly powerful, and one of my favorite characters in all of gaming history. His Z-saber and Z-buster hold many abilities which he has learned over time from the defeat of his enemies. There are still many mysteries about his design, such as how his sword is capable of stealing his defeated enemy’s moves, how his hand can quickly turn into a gun, and the biggest question, how did that hair get there, and most of these will probably remain unanswered. But as alien as he, and the world he lives in are, Zero proves that there is some science to science fiction.

How sneakers are made

Hello World! J If anyone knows me they know I looove sneakers. I love the look, feel .. even the smell of sneakers! But sometimes as I sit and look at my new Retro Jordan’s I wonder, how are sneakers made? I did a little research and here’s what I found out.

Before you get the beautiful sneaker that you see on the rack on at Footlocker, it all starts with a drawing of the design. The product designer draws up the initial design for the sneaker they want made. It’s not as easy as you think though. Thinking of a sneaker that millions of people across the world would want to wear is hard work don’t you think? Anyway back to the topic, the drawing is then place with a group of sneaker geniuses and they decide is this sneaker will be good enough to sell to the sneaker heads like me.

After the design is approve, it is then move to the factory where they can begin creating the shoe. The pattern master then draws the design on a last to make it 3D. The shoe shell pattern is then computed into the computer (haha computed, funny word) The shoe pattern is now in a digital format which they really really REALLY need to grade sizes. Now that it is all figured out on the computer, the shoe maker prints out the design and cuts out the different parts for the shoes. They trace the cut-outs onto leather and cut them out. After this they make the first sample pull-over like shown below.

After the sample pull-over is made, a last or a model of someone’s foot usually made of plastic or aluminum are used to make the shoe shape to a person’s foot. This is critical to the shoe because it determines its whole shape. You wanted want to get a sexy behind sneaker and have it not shaped right!! That’s not cool dude not at all.

Now that they got the shape of the shoe all figured out, they can start making preparations for the sneaker materials. This is important because they cannot start ONE stitch until EVERYTHING is PERFECT. Like the mesh, dye or leather used to make the shoe. It has to be inspected for quality, color and quantity before it can even think of being on a sneaker.

Okay the materials are ready, the logos are printed, and parts are cut out. The stitching of the shoe can begin. Stitching can require as much as 3000 workers. Crazy right? Each worker has a small job to though, so to make the inspector’s job easier. Isn’t he just lucky.

Now to the sciencey stuff, making the rubber. The rubber for the outsoles of the shoes is made from synthetic and natural rubbers. Man made rubber, synthetic rubber natural rubber and filler compound are all mixed together in a machine. A roller mill is then used to remove any trap air that might be left in the rubber. When it is all mixed up, the rubber is then rolled into sheets. The uncured rubber (taffy-like rubber that be easily bent or tore) is stacked up and left until it is needed.  If color is needed, then color agents are added when it is being rolled. The rubber sheets are then put through grip and abrasion test. Uncured rubber is taken to get prepared to be pressed. A metal cutting die is used to cut out the bottom of the sneaker from the uncured rubber. Hot knifes and machines are also used to cut the uncured rubber.

Rubber making machine

The cut uncured rubber is moved to the rubber cutting room where it is about to be molded into hot metal molds. Uncured rubber parts are laid down and are squeezed by a heated hydraulic pressing machine. While in the machine the rubber flows into the mold while the heat causes it to vulcanized or improve its properties i.e strength, hardness, elasticity. The finish product is the sole of the sneaker.

Heated hydraulic pressing machine

Months and months later after hard work in the factory, the upper part of the shoe is attached to the sole and Walla! You have your finished sneaker.

Source: The Sneaker Factory

Why does your breath smell?!

Everyone has had bad breath at least once. Whether it’s from when you wake up in the morning, from something you ate, or something that just won’t get away. Bad breath is a problem that is faced in our lives daily. For instance, you don’t want to have bad breath when you kiss someone, talk to someone, or go to an interview, etc. We have all been through it once, and we try to avoid it or tell them by offering them peppermints/gum, rubbing our noses, or just avoiding that person. It is hard to tell if you have bad breath if you are used to it, but there are methods to check if you have bad breath. Another reason why you don’t realize you have bad breath is because when you breathe you use your throat differently from when you talk (source). A sure way to test if your breath is minty fresh is through the lick test, scrap test, or dental floss test. Breathing in your palms won’t cut it.

Bad breath is caused by an overgrowth of bacteria on the surface of your tongue, also known as halitosis. The awful odor you smell is made by bacteria that bury themselves in your mouth, producing a build-up on the surface of your tongue and in between your teeth. The dead, dying, rotting, and fermenting bacteria cells from your oral cavity release a sulfur compound that gives your breath an unpleasant odor.

The most common time you find yourself having bad breath is when you wake up.

While you sleep, your salivary glands don’t function as much and provides your mouth with a lesser amount of bacteria – making your mouth dry. In a dry environment, bacteria are able to grow and generate the highly unpleasant area. This is why you should brush your teeth in the morning! If you allow the plaque in your mouth to build up, the plaque will create pockets that accumulate more food – allowing bacteria to thrive.

Honestly, most people only brush their teeth for no more than 45 seconds. In order to sufficiently clean the surfaces of your teeth, you should brush your teeth at least twice a day – for at least two minutes. Bacteria love to hang out on your tongue and between your teeth. So like your dentists tell you, don’t forget to floss or else you’ll cause a build-up of food and plaque between your teeth.

Another instance where you can have bad breath is because of dehydration. Long story short, as the amount of your saliva decreases means increasing the amount of bacteria in your mouth. This is also why people who smoke tobacco tend to have an unpleasant smell. Gross, right? So be sure to keep yourself hydrated (source)!

There are several myths to treat halitosis. These may consist of mouthwash, mints, and gum. Although they can make your mouth feel fresh, they do little to fix the main cause of bad breath (source). However, depending on the severity of the situation, certain dentist recommended toothpastes and mouthwashes can prevent the build-up of plaque which can prevent bad breath. Research shows that those containing cetylpyridinium chloride and those with chlorhexidine can prevent production of odors that cause bad breath. Other active ingredients, such as chlorine dioxide and zinc, are good at neutralizing odor-causing bacterial byproducts (source).

With this said, I heard that if you don’t brush your teeth before you eat, you can get cancer. Do you guys think this is true? Perhaps the build-up of bacteria and plaque is harmful to our system. Perhaps it’s just another myth. What do you guys think?

Global Warming: True or False

The words "Global Warming" get thrown around a lot these days but what do you really know about "Global Warming"? It's obvious that it is not the picture to the right. Or is it? Just yesterday on November 28th, it was warm in the afternoon when it was cold the whole week before. Sure, the temperature is always changing, but just because there is a sudden hot day in the week should you just assume it's "Global Warming"? Or could it just be the current position of the Earth facing the sun.

Lets take a few steps back. What does "Global Warming" actually mean? "Global Warming" refers to an average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes change in climate. So, what causes an increase in average temperature? The answer is holes in the ozone layer. The ozone layer is a blanket of molecules that protects the Earth from the Sun's harmful UV rays. So what happens when there are holes in our protective shield? The harmful rays beat down on the Earth increasing the temperature. Thus being one of the main reasons of "Global Warming".

I know your wondering, how does our ozone layer develope holes? There are a couple of reasons for this. One of the reasons is solar activity. The ozone layer doesn't block all of the sun's rays or else the planet would be a frozen, desolate rock. The ozone layer lets some radiation in and the rest bounces off into space. Sudden solar flares can damage the ozone layer. The other reason for holes in the ozone layer is because of chlorofluorocarbons. Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs contain atoms of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon. Chlorofluorocarbons are used for cleaners and propellants. When used, CFCs find their way to the higher reaches of the atmosphere tearing holes in our ozone layer. For more information on the depletion of the ozone layer click here.

Sounds convincing right? Well some scientists think otherwise. Some scientists believe "Global Warming" is a complete hoax. In fact, over 30,000 scientists recorded say that they do not believe in "Global Warming". There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane or other greenhouse gases is causing or will cause a dangerous and sudden/gradual heating of the Earth. The heating of the Earth could also be due to the "Milankovitch theory". Which basically states that when the Earth orbits around the sun, three factors can contribute to climate change: the tilt of the Earth's axis, change in the shape of orbit and the shift of the equinoxes. For more on the "Milankovitch theory" click here. These orbital changes are actually normal and have been happening for millions of years and have also been used to explain many things that have happened throughout Earth's history.

Why have I put "Global Warming" in quotes everytime I mentioned it? For one reason, so I can let you decide whether you think the Earth is going through quote on quote global warming, or if you just belive it's lies, all lies...You decide...

How important is algae

Most people believe that land plants create the largest amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. That’s not true land plants only create a small amount of the earths oxygen while algae creates around 70 to 80 percent of the air we breathe. Have you ever seen that green slime being pushed onto shore near beaches? That’s what algae are.

 

But how do algae create 70 to 80 percent of the earth’s oxygen? The ocean contains algae which cover 71% of the earth and the land is about 30%. Compare the two and there are more algae then there are land plants. But how fast do algae produce oxygen? Algae produce the same amount oxygen as land plants.

There are some places where algae don’t grow and the same for the trees. Overall, the algae still covers more distance which means there is more oxygen created by the photosynthesis of algae then the photosynthesis of land plants.

-- This post is by Bobby from Block 4

Dog slide

 
Helping Dogs
Why do dogs always go and rub there butts on the ground?
Most people think that this is a behavioral problem but it is not.  Really it has to do with the dogs health researchers had found. Nine times out of ten it has to do with glands in the dogs butt. The other ten percent leads towards tapeworms. The tape worms are not really the case most of the time. When you go to the vet to check it out the first thing will be to check the glands and see if they are filled up with this liquid. The dog has two glands at the end of its butt. These glands are very important in a dogs health. When a dog poops these glands release liquids. Most of the time the all of liquid comes out but sometimes it doesn't. These glands will get filled up because it didn't fully let out all of the liquid form the last time the dog went to the bathroom. If the glands get filled it could lead to an infection. This could lead to a gland problem. This is not the only way a dog can get this infection. Another way is that the dog could have a irregular bowl movement. This could make them prone to gland problems in the future. Feeding them abnormal food can also lead to gland problems. There are many things that can give away that your dog has an gland problem.

Some symptoms that can give away these two problems is the butt rubbing on the floor and they will constantly try and bite or lick there bottoms. They will also be very sad, depressed, and would not want to do anything but walk around. One last symptom is they will give out a horrible fishy odor some of the time. This smell will also happen when you or the veterinarian squeezes the over filled glands to get the liquid out to help the pain and swelling. Those are the symptoms for a gland disorder. If the dog does have tapeworms there will be sores on its butt and it will most likely have back problems. This will make dogs weep when they walk and they wouldn't want to get up from where they are sitting or laying down. The treatment for the glands will also not work so they will also be scooting on the ground from the sores and dryness. Your dog needs help right away. The dog is in a lot of pain and is in a discomfort stage. If this gland problem is not treated right in some time there will be a rupture or abscess. This could actually kill your dog if not treated. So please watch out for your dog and you now know how to treat this problem if found and how to help the dogs pain and to get through this rough time for him/her.

-- This post is by Donald from Block 4

Monkeys!

We all like monkeys. Face it, they're mini people. They dance, play instruments, know sign language, and even help people with disabilities. Monkeys can do a lot to help people. Depending on how well you train a monkey, they can do anything you want. How closely related to humans can they be?

For example there's a guy, named Ned, who's paralyzed. He's 23 and became paralyzed from a car accident. To become paralyzed the spinal cord or other nervous system cells are damaged enough to prevent action potentials from traversing it. When these cells are damaged, they can not be re-grown like skin cells. When Ned drops his TV remote, his helper monkey Sharon is trained to pick it up when Ned asks for it. "She is going to allow him to have a world outside of his wheelchair and his bed," says Ned's mother Ellen Rogers. (Click me for more stories!)
Monkeys are used so much, that someone actually created an organization, that you can help out. (Wanna see their website?) The most common monkey to be used for a helper is a Capuchin Monkey. They're hands are similar to ours, and they are extremely smart. Although the organization Helping Hands trains these monkeys and uses them as helpers, they do not advertise them as pets. Their brain closely relates to ours to the point where they become "evil little people" at the age of 5 because, that's the age that they mature. Yes, they're extremely cute and fluffy; but they have the ability to rip your face off if you make them mad enough.
They use Capuchin Monkeys in movies a lot. There's an older movie called Monkey Trouble, if you remember that movie you're awesome! In the movie the two main characters are a girl and this little monkey. They trained this monkey to do certain things at the exact point in time they needed him to do these tasks. He was an evil little monkey in the movie, and that's how they behave in the wild. This type of monkey can be trained to do anything, like put a DVD into a DVD player, turn to a different station on the radio, turn a handle on a music box and dance to it, or even climb on the top shelf to get a box of crackers. Monkeys are smart, some smart enough to learn sign language.



I believe a lot of you have at least heard of Koko the Gorilla. She knows sign language. Gorillas play, act, and maybe even think just like humans. Sure, they walk differently and have more hair than us, but they're like people too! Koko is the prime example as to how gorillas are so closely related to humans.

Koko originally started out as a project. She has a working vocabulary of over 1,000 sig

n. She also understands approximately 2,000 words of spoken English. Her main human companion(Dr. Penny Patterson), tested her IQ and the results came back that Koko's IQ is between 70 and 95. The average human IQ is 100. That's very impressive for an animal. Koko initiates most of the conversations she has, and creates sentences and statements tha

t are averaged to between three to six words. Koko enjoys painting wonderful pictures. She painted

her pet fledging blue jay from memory once. Below you'll see an interview between her , Dr, Penny, and an FCM member, to the right you'll see Koko and Dr. Penny.




FCM Question to Koko: You use a lot of red in your paintings. Is red your favorite color to paint with? Why do you like it?

Dr. Penny Patterson: Why is your favorite color red?
Koko: There. (pointing to her doll's pink dress) Lip. (Koko

rubs her lip and her doll's lip)
PP: Oh, because lips are red!K: That red red. (pointing to red flower on fabric)
K: Nipple there Nipple. (pointing to the piece of paper Penny has with the interview questions on it)
PP: Yes, questions from people. (Koko often uses the word nipple to mean people.)




Sometimes she has trouble answering or Dr. Penny has a hard time reading Koko's signs, this is still remarkable. There's another gorilla named Michael who paints pictures, and talks too. Here's an interview with the same FCM member, Michael, and Barbara Weller.




Michael Painting.







FCM: Has Koko made any comments that relate to dreaming, and what happens when you die?

Koko has sometimes signed unusual things in the mornings which Penny thinks relate to dreams. I don't have any specific examples of these, but here are some conversations Michael had with his caregivers regarding dreams.


With Barbara Weller 3/8/81
BW: How did you sleep?
M: Sleep do pull-out-hair
BW: Pull-out-hair?
M: Pull-out-hair
BW: Bad night? Any Dreams? What happened?
M: Out teeth sorry
*( Mike had a disturbing dream that affected his sleep. By his statement it is possible he dreamt about his teeth falling out. This is a fairly common theme in human dreams where the loss of teeth symbolizes an actual loss or fear deep in the sub-conscience.)

With BW 3/10/81
(Lisa brings some body lotion for Mike)
BW: Where want oil?
M: Feet
(BW squirts some lotion on Mike's feet and he rubs it in)
BW: Any dreams last night? Dreams?
M: Why. Why do you trouble quiet?
BW: Any dreams last night?
M: Dream cat bird eat taste
BW: Oh dear, bad dream about cats eating birds?
M: Sad. Cat devil
*( Another dream description of a cat eating a bird. Especially interesting because he uses the word "Dream" in his recounting of it.)




As you can see, these gorillas are so human-like, its fascinating. For more interviews with Michael or Koko, click here, also you can see more of their paintings here!




Now, do you believe monkeys have the ability to become as smart as humans? Or will they forever be one step below us? Why?

The Honey Badger

The Mellivora Capensis, or Honey badger is the only remaining species of the Mellivora genus. The honey badger has the reputation for being Africa's most fearless animal. They are primarily foraging carnivores and have very few natural predators due to their tough skin and reckless mentality. They are solitary hunters and react little with their own species and when left undisturbed will not seek out human contact.

The social and behavioral aspects of honey badger communities are very interesting. The only interaction with a member of their own species happens during mating and after that the father will have no part in raising the offspring. The males are not very territorial, having an average home range of 500 square kilometers, and overlap other males on a frequent basis. There is a heirarchy among the males, as the dominant males in the region often have much greater control over the female community, as well as a greater influence on habitat selection. When the females are in oestrus, the male will follow her scent and protect her during the short period of time they are mating. The dominant male in the region can be the father of upwords of 50% of the local cubs, showing the impact of having dominance.

The predators of the Honey badger are not numerous and the majority of deaths happen in the infant community. Leading causes of death include infanticide (by other males), jackles, leopards, and lions. It has been recorded that honey badgers have chased lions off of their kills.

I find the most interesting fact is their immunity to snake venom. An evolutionary asset, as their interaction with snakes is great, this immunity allows most honey badgers the freedom to attack cobras, pythons, and many other poisonous snakes. Even when injects with the most poisonous of cytotoxins these animals will simply pass out, later to wake up and finish the kill.

The honey badger and the greater honey guides, bird species, are cited to be an example of mutualism. It is reported that these birds often lead honey badgers to bee hives, allowing the badger to ravage the hive. In return the honey badger leaves scraps for the birds.




How do we know that the honey badger should be classified as one of the meanest animals on earth? Well for one they have been know to emasculate larger animals when attacking them. Their effort to castrate the animal shows the utter disregard for other animals and the lengths they go to bring pain to them.




This video shows the honey badger in action.





If you want to know more about the honey badger visit this website.

Fecal Transplants... Yes They Are Exactly What You're Thinking

There are a few problems that arise when taking antibiotics, one of the more detrimental ones is getting infected by Clostridium difficile. Before going into detail about C. difficile, let me explain one aspect in which intestines work. They contain friendly bacteria that maintain a “seesaw balance” which prevents pathogenic bacteria from causing infections. When we take antibiotics this delicate balance is disrupted and thrown out of whack, but this side affect is only temporary as the balance is restored. However, in some cases of taking antibiotics, this delicate balance is disrupted permanently. Antibiotics can cause the good bacterial communities in your intestines to lose their ability to return to normality when disturbed, and may even cause friendly bacteria to die. When this occurs, the organism C. difficile is able to take over and eat away at the inner lining of one’s intestines. The result is painful chronic diarrhea

As of right now, the common treatment is to take more antibiotics, such as metronidazole or vancomycin, which will suppress C. difficile. Initially these antibiotics will succeed as the diarrhea will go away, however the antibiotics are ineffective as they are unable to suppress all of the C. difficile and therefore the chronic diarrhea will recur. Due to failure after failure with antibiotics, many patients are willing to try anything to cure themselves of C. difficile, which brings us to fecal transplants. Yes, it is exactly what you think. Another person’s stool is injected into you. To go just a little more in depth with the procedure, the donors stool is grinded up and then filtered to remove any solid materials. From there, the stool is placed in a sterile saline solution. Once suspended, the solution is injected into the patient’s colon. The reason why this procedure works is because the bacteria found in the stool is able to take over the gut and outcompete the C. difficile. Thus the transplanted bacteria is able to restore the body’s natural health. The success rate of the treatment is uncanny as over 90% of patients whom received fecal transplants have recovered completely. However, one problem stands in the way of fecal transplants, the FDA.

To be studied by the NIH, the substance being studied must be granted investigational status by the FDA. This poses a problem as feces do not fall in the realm of the major categories studied by the FDA. This problem may prevent fecal transplants from becoming a common procedure. If the FDA does not grant fecal transplants permissions to be studied then I fell blood transfusions should not occur either. I say this because one’s blood also does not fall in the realm of major FDA categories, but yet blood transfusions are common. Like blood transfusions, donors of fecal transplants go through tests to ensure that they are healthy and to prevent any complications from occurring. Also, you cannot deny the success rate of fecal transplants as over 90% of patients have recovered completely. Even animals perform a similar action as dogs, pigs, elephants, gorillas, rabbits, hamsters and many more animals practice coprophagia, the consumption of feces. For many the reason is unknown but one would not be surprised if it was to maintain their intestines. I feel as though a simple test can be done to show the affects of fecal transplants. Once this is done, it should become a common procedure. If anyone disagrees, please do tell why.

Let there be light

Something cannot come from nothing. Simple. Or can it? Researchers at the Chalmers Institute of technology were able to successfully create light from a vacuum. Now understanding conventional physics you may be thinking... "What? No, Impossible! How can this be? My sandwich is cold. Something cannot just come from NOTHING". Well...you would be right and wrong at the...same time. *Gasp* Quantum superposition? You see according to quantum mechanics the empty space inside a vacuum really isn't empty space at all. Subatomic particles actually bounce in and out of existence for a short time and then suddenly dematerialize. These particles are deemed "virtual" particles because their existence is so fleeting, it is almost as if they didn't exist in the first place. So while these particles aren't exactly "nothing" they don't really exist in our reality.

How did the researchers go from nothing to something? Well it's really quite simple(not really). In order for virtual particles to leave their virtual state and become real particles, they must become "excited". The researchers were able to pull this off by using a SQUID (Superconducting quantum interface device) and then changing the direction of the magnetic field around it several billion times per second, at nearly 25% the speed of light. As virtual particles bounce in and out of the vacuum, some collide with the vibrating device which acts as a mirror to reflect the virtual particles. When the virtual particles bounce back from the "mirror" they absorb some of the kinetic energy which stabilizes them and helps them materialize. The resulting particles appeared as photons, which were then measurable as light.

So...we ended up materializing energy out of nowhere! That's like an infinite source of energy. I mean imagine what would happen if we could tap into this and create energy out of nowhere! Yeah, not so fast there partner. If you recall correctly, it took energy to stabilize the virtual particles in the first place so no, we are not violating the 1st law of thermodynamics, as there is still a conservation of energy. We did not obtain more energy than what was put in, and in a non frictionless environment, the movement of the SQUID would have generated some heat which would have been lost to the friction. What does this say about the conservation of matter? The photons that were materialized were massless (well all photons are) which is why they were relatively easy to stabilize. However, the more mass you try and stabilize, the more energy it takes to do that. So, in reality, you could have virtual electrons, protons, neutrons but in order to get them to "de-virtualize" you would need to imbibe them with a much higher amount of energy. Yet if you are materializing mass out of existence and adding it to the universe, wouldn't that be violating the law of mass conservation? Well, yes and no. If you recall correctly with Einstein's equation E=mcHammer...no...E=mc^2. Basically the mass of a body is the measurement of its energy content. Some matter can be converted to energy, and some energy can be converted to matter. Now if we are pumping energy out of the universe in order to materialize matter, the whole problem of violating the conservation of matter can be avoided. In reality, the law of conservation of matter can be broken in special cases, such as nuclear decay, and by using a certain amount of energy to create an equivalent amount of matter the equilibrium between both is sustained. If we are getting more matter we must put energy in. If we are getting more energy we must put matter in. What I really want to know is, where the heck do these virtual particles even come from?

http://www.chalmers.se/en/news/Pages/Chalmers-scientists-create-light-from-vacuum.aspx

Why do people change when they fall in love? by Ashley

Why is it that when someone falls in love they become almost a totally different person?

I ask this because I've noticed how much people I know have changed after they fall in love. They become almost like totally different people, the way they talk and the way they walk even changes. So what causes this to happen to people?

Well what happens is as you start to have the feeling of being in love? Your brain starts to release large amounts of dopamine, which gives you almost a feeling of being high on drugs. It also makes a person feel like they can do anything and nothing can stop them.

Falling in love is a very powerful drug, because the dopamine gives a person a feeling of being able to do anything, the people experiencing this felling may try to do things that are dangerous or bad for them. A person may try drugs because they want to feel that kind of high, someone might also try to do something like skydiving or something like that. Just to have that kind of rush.

Men and women also have different reactions to the amount of dopamine that is being released in to their body. Women are usually more emotional when they fall in love, but they can also be more about sex when they fall in love, it all just depends on the person. Men on the other hand are usually more about sex when they fall in love, but they can also be very emotional about falling in love, it all just depends on the person.

So why do some people get more emotional when they fall in love, then other people? I think that most people who are more emotional when they fall in love are people who are more creative and artsy people, who seem to love deeper and longer. Nerds just seem to love people longer; at least that’s what I’ve seen from the people around me. Don’t get me wrong nerds are very sexual, but of my friends who are nerds, and are in relationships, have relationships that are more emotional.

People who are more about sex and not that emotional when they fall in love, are people who are more likely to play sports, not play video games (or if they do play video games they only play Call of Duty), or people who only think about themselves. People who are seen as jocks from the people that I know, don’t really seem to care about the relationship has much has they care about the sexual aspect of the relationship. A lot of the jocks that I know have very short relationships, and after they break up they don’t really seem to care. Also please don’t think that I’m trying to lump everyone together, I’m just going off over people that I know.

I think that nerds usually fall in love harder and faster, is because if the things they do everyday. Like because a lot of my friends don’t have as much to do have school they can spend more time with the person they’re dating, and because they spend more time with them the amount of dopamine released may be larger then someone who can only spend a short amount of time with the person they are dating, or it could be the total opposite. It all really depends on how much you like the person that you are with.

Surgery that can turn Brown eyes Blue

Surgery that can turn Brown eyes Blue?

        Ever wish you had blue eyes but Mother Nature overlooked you? The eyes are considered the gateway to the soul after all and, though brown eyes are beautiful, they are opaque while blue ones enable you to see deeply into them. Dr. Gregg Homer has designed a surgery to turn these opaque eyes into clear blue ones. "We use a laser, and it's tuned to a specific frequency to remove the pigment from the surface of the iris".  Homer says this turns eyes blue because, underneath the brown pigment, everyone has blue eyes. This procedure simply changes the pigment tissue, causing the body to shed the altered tissue, and allowing the blue pigment to become the top layer- turning the brown eyes to blue within two to three weeks.

Homer has been working on this surgery for 10 years, using 15 different types of tests, to make sure the procedure is safe. So far there have been no side effects except one: it’s permanent. Once you go blue you can never go back. When your body sheds the top layer of cells on your iris, they will never regrow. While this enables your eyes to become blue, it also makes this procedure irreversible. However there are no signs of any tissue damage from this surgery- one of the main worries of the scientific community. When asked about any sign of damage from this surgery Homer replied “There is no sign of it whatsoever (but) is it possible something happens down the road? It is possible.”

Homer still has another year of testing and researching to go. It’s estimated that this procedure will be available outside the U.S. in 18 months and inside in three years.  This procedure is also estimated to cost patients around $5,000.

Will this surgery be popular or even wanted though? Almost definitely. Studies show that about 80% of the human race has brown eyes and that over 17% of these people would make the switch to blue if they could. Already Homer has received thousands of e-mails from possible patients stating why they want to make the switch as well as congratulating him on this discovery. 

But is this surgery the best option? After all there are other ways to change your eye color. Colored contacts, coming in different shades of natural blue and green to crazy white and purple, are a great option. Contacts are not permanent, so if you tire of the color you can buy new ones or let you natural eyes show. They can be bought both at stores such as Bj’s as well as online. A great website that sells colored contacts is http://www.bestcoloredcontacts.com/, they have not only gorgeous natural eye colors (Personally I like the ‘dual tone aqua’ type.), but they also have crazy Halloween-type contacts! (I prefer the ‘black wolf’ and the ‘green devil’ ones.) The price of contacts varies depending on where you buy them- though they normally range from $30 to $50 a pair- and can be worn on average for 14- 30 days (depending on the brand). That means you could buy 100- 167 pairs of contacts for the price of Dr. Gregg Homer’s surgery!

While Homer’s surgery is permanent and takes your body up to three weeks to recover, contacts do not. You can put in and take out contacts at your leisure and can swap them for different colors. Eye color can also be like a tattoo- it’s a cool trend for a few years but when you get older you’ll wish you’d never gotten that potato on your back or that eagle on your arm. In ten years you might loathe your blue eyes and yearn to have your natural brown ones back.

True you could get brown colored contacts, but wouldn’t that surgery then be a complete waste of time and money?

 There are some drawbacks to contacts. They can’t be worn when you have an eye infection and can be rather uncomfortable during allergy season. Some people find poking their eyes weird and gnarly. Contacts are also not good to wear at the beach (sand can scratch them) or to the pool (water can wash them off your eye).  Also, most contacts are not prescription, and the ones that are normally range to a couple hundred dollars a box. Homer’s surgery changes your actual eye color; it won’t matter if you have allergies, get splashed in the face, or sand in your eye...okay maybe it will but that won’t make you go back to your natural brown eyes.

(Homer's surgery on half of a human eye, to show the difference in color)

Details concerning the surgery as well as an interview with Dr. Gregg Homer can be found here à http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/02/brown-eyes-turn-blue-iris_n_1070429.html?1320242812&icid=maing-grid7%7Chp-laptop%7Cdl17%7Csec1_lnk3%7C109432