Run to Heal a Broken Heart

Yes, Running Can Help You Get Over a Broken Heart. Here's How

By: Leigh Weingus

     Most people can say they have gone through a rough break up or the death of someone they know and have been left with a broken heart as a result. Going through grief is not easy and often times you don't know what you can do to help yourself or others. Fitness Instructor, Shauna Harrison, believes running is a great way to handle loss or a broken heart. A 2010 study revealed our brain's response to heart ache is similar to that of cocaine withdrawal. This is because your mind and body crave "feel-good" chemicals. Psychiatrist Dr. Ellen Vora, and psychologist Dr. Alice Domar, both recommend exercise during heart aches as it helps to reduce stress and release endorphins, some of the "feel-good" chemicals. Any exercise is great but running is unique. Alice says, "Running tends to occupy your mind more thoroughly than other less intense forms of exercise." There is no certain amount of running that ultimately "cures" a broken heart, as long as you listen to your body it will be effective. For those who are not strong runners, yoga is another alternative. Yoga is also a form of exercise that focuses more on the breath which aids in meditation and calming your mind and stress levels as well.

     I believe the author's purpose of writing this was to enlighten others. The author cares about exercise and what it can do for your body so I assume that she put this out on the internet to help others as well as teach them there's more to exercise than just losing weight. Evoking emotion was a secondary goal of Leigh. In the very first paragraph she describes what heart break feels like and being that I just lost a family member, I definitely felt emotional while reading this.

Fossilized Feces

Animal Makes a $10,000 Dollar Deposit, but not at the Bank

By: Robert Krulwich

     My last blog was about poop, this one's about poop. Sorry to anyone who is offended by poop. Fossilized fecal matter is called Coprolite. A man actually collects coprolites and is looking to sell them at an auction! People actually want to buy this stuff and it goes for thousands of dollars. At the very beginning of this article there is a picture of a 40 inch long coprolite, which the man is asking $8,000 to $10,000 for. That is just over 3 feet long! The winning bid for this guy was $8,500.

     I felt entertained at the beginning of reading this article because poop from dinosaurs is interesting. I am a little creeped out upon finishing this article because who would want to buy it? Studying it maybe to see how they ate or study other things about it not to buy it and decorate your house with.

Pooping in Outer Space is Hard

Pooping in a Spacesuit is as Complicated as it Sounds

by: Ian O'Neill, Seeker

     There is an actual transcript of the 1969 NASA crew discussing whose poop was floating right in front of them. One man grabs a napkin to get in and throw it away, while the other men laugh and discuss how the turd is definitely not theirs. While traveling in outer space, using the restroom is very challenging. With no restrooms on space shuttles, astronauts have to wait sometimes up to six days to reach an International Space Station to use the restroom. Usually, the astronauts can't remove their space suit during this time. This has become a sanitary issue which is why NASA is offering a 30,000 dollar reward for anyone who creates "an in-suit waste management system" NASA writes. This also includes a system for menstrual waste. Anyone who wants extra cash, invent a special diaper for these astronauts.

     I felt very entertained while reading this article. Pooping usually seems to be a taboo subject and it's nice to see that NASA and these astronauts have a sense of humor about it. While it is funny, it is also hazardous due to bacteria and NASA recognizes that and wants to do something about it.

Never go to Bed Angry

"'Never go to bed Angry': Sleep Makes it Harder to Forget Bad Thoughts

by: Agata Blaszczak-Boxe

     Each night when someone goes to sleep, their mind processes and stores the happenings of that day into their memory. If something bad happens, such as a fight with your significant other, and you go to bed angry it will be difficult for you to forget those bad thoughts and memories later down the road. In a study conducted by Yunzhe Liu, a PhD student in neuroscience at University College London. Basically, the researchers showed participants images of dead bodies, injured people and some pictures that were not bad along with a facial expression to associate those images with. The participants were then suppose to try and forget the images when they were shown the facial expressions. They were nine percent less likely to recall the terrible images compared to the other images that were not so bad. When the participants were asked to sleep on it and come back, and when shown the pictures it was even more challenging for them to forget the negative images. In extreme cases, this could lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

     I feel enlightened after reading this article. I have heard the saying, "never go to bed angry," but I never thought it could actually become a problem. I am also educated on the role sleep has with our memory, though I knew it was involved, I didn't realize it could make such an impact.

Changing Colors in Saturn's North

By: Tony Greicius

Changing Colors in Saturn's North Article

     

     Between 2012 and 2016 Colors in Saturn's north-polar region has went from blue to a golden color. Scientists are investigating potential causes for this change, and believe one of them may be due to Saturn's seasons. As the north pole approaches summer solstice, there is an increased production of photochemical hazes which may be the cause of the color change from blue to gold. Researchers think the north-polar hexagon acts as a barrier from haze particles produced outside it from entering. Because of this, the hexagon can become clear of aerosols produced by photochemical reactions involving sunlight and the atmosphere. Since 2009, Saturn's north region has continuous sunlight making it possible to produce aerosols inside the hexagon, giving it the hazy appearance.

     

     I definitely felt educated after reading this article and I believe that was the sole purpose of why this article was written. I had no that Saturn had a north polar hexagon or the ability to change color, which scientists are very close to finding the exact reason why. This was also entertaining as this is the first I have heard of a planet ever changing color.

Vegan Mom Charged With Child Endangerment After Underfeeding Her Baby

By KC Baker

http://people.com/crime/vegan-mom-charged-with-child-endangerment-after-allegedly-feeding-baby-only-nuts-and-berries/

     Elizabeth Hawk had become obsessed with with veganism and felt she should carry that lifestyle onto her child. Her 11 month old son was only fed a small amount of nuts and berries, The child was so malnourished, he developed a terrible rash from head to toe. He began to scratch his own skin off and was in so much pain, he became developmentally delayed and couldn't crawl from the pain of the rash. Hawk was given topical cream for the rash, but refused to put it on her son. Hawk's estranged husband, Jerry, took their 11 month old son to children and youth services to report the neglect. The child is improving now that he is with his father.

     The purpose of this article was to educate the readers on Hawk's crime. Reading about such a terrible event left me feeling sad even though that was not the intended purpose. At least the child is young and will not remember this happening to him. 

3D Printed Fish Fossil Offers Clues to the Origins of Human Teeth

Origins of Human Teeth Article

By Brooks Hays

     On September 30, 2016, Australian researchers excavated a fossil of a Placoderm, an extinct armored fish. Upon excavation, scientists couldn't tell whether this 400 million year old fish had a jaw or teeth. After taking a CT scan of the fossil they were able to create a 3D printed model and discover it had both a jaw and teeth. How and when teeth first appeared in evolution remains a mystery, but scientists believe studying the internal tissue structure of the teeth will take us one step closer. It was previously thought that Placoderms had "true teeth" or evolved teeth. More recent findings suggest that they possess a more primitive form of teeth. The research of the internal tissue structure of their teeth will determine if they represent a transitional stage in the evolution of teeth.

     When I think of teeth, evolution doesn't cross my mind. This article does pose an interesting question of when did our teeth start to evolve or even show up in the evolutionary timeline. It is very interesting to know that we can gain information from a 400 million year old fossil may help us determine when teeth started to evolve to suit humans.