Why Do We Do That?

January 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The intention of this post is to provide insight into some of the more mysterious (and apparently  functions of the human body. Have you ever wondered—Why Do We Do That?

Getting goosebumps: Have you ever seen your cat puff up its fur at the sight of another animal? Well, what is going on underneath the fur is very much like what we like to call goosebumps. Furry creatures (and feathered ones, such as geese) use this function to scare off enemies and also to keep warm. When humans were furry creatures, what we now know as goosebumps served the very same function. This is why we get goosebumps when we are scared or chilly. But, now that we are fur-free, we just get kind of bumpy.

Having “the hiccups”: This is one of the most weird (and potentially embarrassing) extraneous functions of the human body. And it dates back even farther in our evolutionary past. When our evolutionary ancestors first crawled out of the water and started living on land, they had to be able to close their lungs again so they could go back in the water. These early amphibians would push the glottis down while breathing in water. While we can no longer breathe underwater, we do have the extraneous ability to push down the glottis while breathing in. Hence the hiccup.

Growing wisdom teeth: Why do most of us grow more teeth than we can fit in our mouths? Well the answer is that as we evolved, in order to make more room in our skulls for our gigantic brains, space had to be taken away from the back of our jaws. Unfortunately most of us still grow teeth as though we still had that extra space. But, fortunately, what we are left with is the brainpower to be able to extract them (hence the name wisdom teeth). Bigger brains for a smaller jaw? Sounds like a good trade-off to me.

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Study—Women’s Tears Turn Men Off

January 6, 2011 by Leave a Comment

A new study conducted this month has concluded that a chemical found in women’s tears made male subjects in the study less aroused. The study compared the effects of using actual women’s tears collected in vials from volunteer “criers” with a saline solution. Only the actual tears produced this effect.

The idea of the study was to research the possible evolutionary benefits of emotional crying, which is an ability unique to the human race. Researchers eventually intend to study the tears of both genders, but for this particular study the only volunteers they found who were good criers turned out to be women.

The original hypothesis of the study was that the chemical effects of tears would serve to enhance an empathetic reaction in the subject. The subjects were made to sniff either the tears or the saline solution—without knowing which was which—and then watched certain scenes. The scenes intended to elicit a sad response were equally effective with both the tears and the saline. But the study also found that the real tears caused male subjects to rate women as less attractive. It also lowered testosterone levels and reduced brain activity that has been linked with arousal, particularly when watching the racier scenes.

But what is the evolutionary purpose of this phenomenon? It is still a bit early to tell, but scientists have different ideas. One hypothesis is that women cry more during their menstrual period, which is a time when they are not ovulating and therefore procreation would not be effective. But other scientists say it remains to be proven that women do cry more on their menstrual period. Another hypothesis is that the chemical in the tears serves to reduce aggression against women who are weakened emotionally. But further study into the effects of the tears on aggression is required.

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Becoming a Scientist

January 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Do you excel at numbers and have an incredible understanding and grasp of mathematics or science? Do scientific theories interest you? Maybe you like the way elements work together. If so, there are many options available to you for college studies and future professions. Physics, astronomy, engineering, chemical engineering, and medical sciences or research–these are just a small sampling of the many majors and professions that require excellent skills in mathematics and science. Studies of the sciences is incredibly important for advancements in technology, medicine, transportation, environmental concerns, and more.

What is it about science that you find interesting? Maybe you are amazed with cells, or maybe it is the way that things work together, or maybe it is even just the thrill of answering a scientific question that has plagued humans for years? Does the idea of finding a cure for cancer intrigue you? Maybe you have an interest in topics related to astronomy or the composition of metal. Whatever it is about science that excites you, it is time for you to build on that interest and move forward with the next phase of your life!

If you have an aptitude for science and mathematics, why not consider getting formal education in science? This will allow you to work in a profession that you’ll really enjoy and will benefit humanity. Determine the area of science that interests you the most and pursue a career in that field. So, if you are considering a degree in science, there are many options available to you, whether it be studying at a traditional university or through online programs. Online degree options allow you to study at the time, place, and pace that’s most convenient for you. The opportunities for an individual with a science major are endless! So, are you ready to become the next great scientist?

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Personal Assistant Robots may be in our Future

November 30, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Growing up, a lot of children watched futuristic shows, such as the Jetsons, that had almost everything being done by robots. Even today, the thought of your household chores being taken care of by a robot may seem a little silly, and most definitely not in the near future. In that, you may just be wrong.

Currently, work is being done to help bring robots to help with daily chores around your home and office much more accessible and realistic. Currently, Cornell’s Personal Robotics Lab is working on robots that can help you do some fairly simple, but frustrating chores, such as clean up a messy room, load and unload the dishwasher, and even put together a shelf. These robots are being made to do these tasks without any intervention from the human!

The biggest problem that the companies working on these robots have encountered so far is how to give these robots the ability to learn and navigate in changing and uncertain environments. For example, having a robot to clean your house would be great for many people. Unfortunately, “teaching” the robot not only the layout of your house, but how to deal with specific items, can be a little daunting. Not only that, but the differences on a daily, or even hourly, basis could be drastic. Having a robot do the same thing over and over has been done. It is easy to have a robot do one exact thing a number of times. Trying to have them do something that is constantly changing is another matter, and much more difficult to figure out. Even with these setbacks, it is projected that these household, assistant robots may be available in as little as five to ten years. It is also projected that they may cost about the same as a car currently costs, possibly even a little less.

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SAM is Getting Ready to Head to Mars

November 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment
MSLRoverConfig2 vs MER
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If you are looking forward to hearing about the next big space mission, you don’t have too long to wait. In 2012, an unmanned mission to Mars is planned. Though there have already been Rovers sent to Mars, to help map the planet, the upcoming mission is a lot more exciting for many people interested in space, and space travel. Currently being worked on and close to completion, the instrument named the Sample Analysis at Mars, or SAM, is expected to give the world some great new information about the red planet.

SAM will be landing on Mars in 2012 on Curiosity. It will be accompanied by other instruments to help us understand the planet a little better. It is expected that the Curiosity mission will make some great and amazing discoveries for the world. You may be wondering at this point what exactly SAM is, and how it can help us understand Mars a little better.

SAM is designed to be a mobile, automated laboratory. It will be carried by the rover Curiosity, and the two of them will make their way across Mars. While there, SAM will be able to give us information and more of an insight as to whether or not Mars has the correct environment to be able to support life on a microbial level. In fact, it will be able to tell us if the plant has ever had this capability, and possibly even why it does not now, if it did at one point.

Currently the machine is in its final phases of testing. All of the components are configured to the condition that they will be in when the Rover heads to Mars. The final environmental testing has been started, to make sure that the mobile lab will be fully ready for both flight and the environment on Mars.

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Branches of Physics

November 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment
An overview of particle physics
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Physics is a science based in nature. It is the study of matter, and how that matter moves through space time. Force and energy are two important studies in the field of physics. Understanding how the universe acts and behaves is an important piece to physics. Depending on exactly what part of the universe is being studied, and how, depends on the branch of physics that is being used.

Thermodynamics studies the effects of temperature changes, pressure, and how much volume is on physical systems. The amount of energy used, and the heat and pressure that it creates is some of what is studied in thermodynamics.

Physical theory is used by theoretical physics. Theoretical physicists try to understand the world. To do this, they make models of reality, and try to rationalize, predict, and explain physical phenomena throughout the universe.

The study of motion of bodies of all different types and sizes of bodies is mechanics. Mechanics is studied at all different levels from too small to be seen all the way up to a universal level.

Astrophysics is a branch of astronomy. It studies universal physics, and more specifically, the physics of the universe. Galaxies, stars, and more are studied in astrophysics.

Geophysics on the other hand, studies properties and the actual physical characteristics of the earth. meteorology, seismology, and oceanography are all sub categories of geophysics.

Atoms and molecules are studied in atomic and molecular physics. The actual characteristics and structures of these tiny particles are what these scientists are most interested in.

There are also other physics branches that focus on different areas of the universe. Physics is known as one of the oldest forms of science, and is always evolving. Astronomy is touted as the oldest form of physics, and is still practiced today. Between the three main branches of science, physics, chemistry, and biology, we are able to study how and why things work together.

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Science – How Humans See Colors

October 20, 2010 by Leave a Comment
As yet, science has found no way to determine if colors appear the same to one individual as they do to another. Humans agree on what is yellow, red, green, etc., but that doesn’t mean that the experience of each color is the same for all individuals.

There are three kinds of color sensitive cones in the human eye. In an experiment reported in 2005, scientists were able to examine the retinas of subjects and determine how many of each type of color receptor were present in a small area. They had each subject adjust colors on a monitor, using electronic controls, to display the exact color he or she considered to be yellow. All subjects selected a nearly identical combination, according to the controls, yet the number of each type of receptor found in their respective retinas varied widely.

According to research published in 1965, nearly two-thirds of the cones are sensitive to red, almost one-third to green, and only about two percent to blue. The 2005 experiment showed that this is not so for every individual, with each person examined in this more recent experiment having a unique ratio of the three types of cones.

Another study had people from many different cultures, speaking many languages, classify 320 color samples. Among the subjects selected for this study were people from pre-industrial cultures; researchers hoped to include individuals whose color classification systems were not influenced by definitions of colors used in international business. Surprisingly, people from the various language groups grouped the color samples in similar ways. Scientists concluded that color perception occurs predominantly in the brain, not in the eyes.

Researchers in the science of color perception also noted that there are different ways to combine wavelengths of light to arrive at the same perceived result. Each precise hue that humans classify as the same can be produced with more than one “recipe” of wavelengths. That is considered further evidence that color classification is done by the brain in response to input from the eyes.

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Science – Swimming Pool Hygiene

October 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
backyard swimming pool
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If you’ve ever wondered why people are asked to shower before swimming, there are millions of reasons: microorganisms in the pool water that most people would rather not have there. Everyone has bacteria on their skin, and even though most of it is harmless, there are reasons to limit the quantity that gets into swimming pools. We also have bacteria in our digestive systems, most of which is useful to us, helping digest food. In fact, science has determined that the number of bacteria in the gut is greater than the number of cells that comprise the human body. A study of hygiene determined that for every 14 or 15 people who don’t shower properly with soap or shampoo, and rinse well, one gram of bacteria-laden feces is contributed to the pool water.

We all know that public swimming pools have filters, and chemicals, typically chlorine, to get rid of harmful germs. Some people may assume this cancels the need to shower before entering the pool. Our germs will soon be killed by chlorine, right? Well, that’s true, and many pools now have ultraviolet filters which also destroy germs. In these filters, water is pumped through a cylinder where bright ultraviolet light kills microorganisms. Ultraviolet filters are particularly important for getting rid of cryptosporidium, a parasite that causes diarrhea and is somewhat resistant to chlorine.

The problem with assuming chlorine will take care of bacteria is that when chlorine kills harmless bacteria, free available chlorine (FAC) is used up. The dead bacteria remain in the water, and the chlorine forms chloramines, which are the cause of swimming pool odor, and do not kill germs. More chlorine must be added to kill any harmful organisms still in the water. Besides bacteria, cosmetics, perspiration and urine combine with chlorine to form chloramines. The chloramines cause irritation to eyes and skin. If you can detect a “chlorine” smell, the concentration of chloramines is too high and there is not enough free available chlorine. Just shower well, and help keep the pool safe.

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