How Tense Are Your Senses?

          As soon as I stepped outside, I felt a sudden rush of heat strike against my face, almost throwing me off my gentle balance. Squinting my eyes tightly, trying to shield them from the strong glare of the Sun, I worked my way up the garden, towards my favorite corner by the sea of Star Jasmines, that have taken over the fence. I placed myself on the warm brick wall, which separated the hill from the verdant, plush grass. The chirping sound of the carefree birds on the pomegranate tree mixed with the discordant sound of the pool pump, created an unusual symphony of harmony and dissonance which was not too unpleasant to hear. All of a sudden, the intoxicating smell of the Star Jasmines took over all my senses. All I could see, taste, hear, and feel was the heavenly, sweet, and warm smell of this exotic plant that took over my mind and soul. Suddenly, I was jolted back to reality by the intense heat of the Sun piercing through my skull, trying to drill its way towards the most protected, sacred center of my brain. I tried to protect myself from the aggressive and scorching rays by placing my hands over my head. Seconds later, the overpowering antagonist burned its way through the layers of my skin, once again reaching and drilling viciously towards my brain. I desperately tried to seek refuge by looking for a shaded spot. It was too late. This powerful invader had taken over my entire garden and was shining its intense rays down upon the garden, with all its might. I had to leave. I had to get away.

 

Can You Really Have a Heart -To- Heart With Fido?

By Rebecca Morelle
February 20, 2014
bbc.com

            Man’s best friend is always there to comfort and protect its owner. Is this instinct or do they really understand human emotions?  Through a series of experiments, the Hungarian Academy of Science found that the canine brain reacts to voices the same way that the human brain does. That explains why most dogs comfort their owners when they feel their owner is sick or upset. Researchers at the university conducted MRI scans on both dogs and humans. The dogs were placed on an MRI scanner and were played 200 different sounds, ranging from environmental noises, such as cars and whistles, to human sounds, such as crying or laughter. The researchers conducted the same experiment with human volunteers. The results were astounding. They showed that the temporal lobe was immediately activated by the sounds in both dogs and the human volunteers the same way. Many researchers claim, “it is the first time we have seen this in a non-primate.” However, the results only showed that dogs and humans react the same way when it comes to sounds. What about words? The scientists at the Hungarian university are hoping to conduct another similar experiment except with words. If the dogs react the same way to the words, then this will create a true understanding between the man and his best friend.

How Connected Are You?

              Moral values are the most important values in society. These values give us our sense of individuality and, simultaneously, how to socially behave in a community.  Even though I have been following a separate individual life that suits my special culture and personality, however, because of my upbringing and culture, I have always felt a sense of responsibility to give back to my community.   Volunteering my time at the hospital has made me realize that I am contributing to my community. I look forward to making a difference, no matter how small of a contribution it is. Whether it is registering new patients, giving them a warm blanket, or delivering diapers to new moms, I do whatever the nursing or administrative staff needs. I have also realized how small our daily obstacles and problems are in comparison to the patients who come in with life-threatening diseases and injuries. This is how I feel a part of my community, I serve this community, and how I am connected to this community. However, I see a lot of people who are disconnected from their communities and feel isolated, following an individualistic life. Fortunately, the solution is so simple and accessible that anyone can feel a part of their community by volunteering their time, supporting a special cause, or engaging in activities in relation to their religion, occupation, and athletic interests.

Is Beauty in the Mind of the Beholder?

By James Gallagher
bbc.com
"Mathematics: Why the brain sees math as beauty"
February 12, 2014

         Exquisite, beautifully crafted, and magnificent mathematical formulas. Can formulas be truly described in this manner? According to researchers at the University College of London, mathematical formulas can evoke the same sense of beauty as artistic masterpieces and music from the greatest composers. These researchers have conducted experiments where mathematicians were shown equations while in a brain scanner. Results showed that the same emotional brain centers, used to appreciate art, were being activated by “beautiful” formulas. Therefore, it was concluded that there may be a neurobiological basis to beauty. This means that when mathematicians consider a formula beautiful, their medial orbito-frontal cortex is activated. Strangely enough, this same part of the brain is activated when the mathematicians were admiring artistic masterpieces like music and paintings. To the untrained eye, there may not be much beauty in e^i∏+ 1= 0, but in the study, it was the formula of choice for mathematicians. When the mathematicians were asked why they chose this particular formula, there were various explanations; “It is simple to look at and yet incredibly profound”, “It accompanies the five most important mathematical constants: zero, one, e, and pi”, “It also contains the three most basic arithmetic operations: addition, multiplication, and exponentiation.” This beauty of math has been missing from schools. The children have been trained to think that there is no beauty in math.

How Great Was Luhrmann's Gatsby?

         Visually dazzling, spectacular over-the -top parties, and an unforgettable soundtrack fills the mind of the viewer for the first half of the movie. These fantasy filled, money-no-object parties blended into each other, creating a world like no other. This paled in comparison to the parties and festivities described in the first half of the book. However, when the main characters actually meet for the second time and the story begins to unravel, there is a huge letdown for the audience. The movie becomes focused on two characters that had limited chemistry between them. Even though Gatsby focused on proving his worthiness to Daisy, however, Daisy is unmoved by all of it and does not care what Gatsby actually feels. She is self-centered and absorbed in her own world. Although the movie stayed true to the book, yet, it was a world away from the actual book. The only thing really connecting it to the creative work of Fitzgerald were his actual words depicted on the movie screen. Even though this movie was entertaining and exciting in the beginning, however, it managed to show the bittersweet, tragic characters going towards their inevitable fate. The movie was entertaining yet dragged out towards the end.   

How Funny is Zimbabwe's Money?

By Brian Hungwe

February 5, 2014

bbc.com

"Zimbabwe's Confusion"

        Zimbabwe’s economy is in an intensive care unit (ICU). For the past year, Zimbabwe has stopped using their currency because of a hyper-inflation. Instead, they have been using U.S dollars, British pound, Japanese yen, Chinese yuan, Indian rupees, and a few other currencies. Chaos and long lines have become the norm. This has caused huge confusion for the cashiers who are trying to deal with many different exchange rates simultaneously. To add insult to injury, Zimbabwe does not have a coin currency either. Instead, people are handed candy and pens as change. Although some people find this system acceptable, many are frustrated and long to have their own Zimbabwean currency back. These people believe the Chinese currency has taken over their economy completely. The Chinese are taking money out of Zimbabwe but they are not investing in the country. Many believe this is a new form of colonization. However, Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Mugabe, unmitigatedly opposes the idea of bringing back the Zimbabwean currency. He believes it would lead to the return of hyper-inflation, which in turn could lead to the destruction of their almost nonexistent economy. There may be a light at the end of the tunnel if Zimbabwe can somehow attract investors to their country, in order to revive their lifeless manufacturing industries.

 

 

Who's in Charge of Cleaning Up the Earth??

By Ella Davies
January 31, 2014
bbc.com
"Seven Surprising Facts"

          Ugly, bald, and morbid creatures, yet they are crucial to our ecosystem. Perhaps they should be respected not dejected by mankind. They feast upon the carcasses left behind by wild animals, stopping the spread of diseases and also limiting the population of other scavengers. However, these important creatures now face endangerment in India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Elephant and tiger poachers kill vultures by the dozens so they do not alert the authorities to the whereabouts of the poachers.  The population of vultures has plummeted ninety five percent in these countries. Vultures are the infection control agents of the ecosystem. They also have some unique qualities that most animals do not possess. Vultures are known to have a huge appetite. Regular hunting animals consume thirty percent of their prey while vultures clean up the rest. These creatures also have a dirty little secret; they urinate on their legs every time after a good meal.  The urine of a vulture consists of acids that sterilize the bird’s legs after standing in rotting flesh.  The most unique characteristic yet of a vulture is its ability to eat anything. The stomach of a vulture is known to contain strong stomach acids that dissolve anything from bones of a wild animal to destroying bacteria such as cholera, anthrax, and also preventing them from getting ill off of a diseased carcass. Vultures deserve at least a little respect for what they do because without them, the Earth would be filled with disease and putrefying carcasses.