Sugar Makes Kids Hyper

Throughout my childhood, my mother would always deny my siblings and I any kind of sugar loaded snacks past 8 o'clock at night. When we begged and complained she would stand her ground and say "No, you can't have any (cake, candy, doughnuts). You'll be up all night!" We would eventually give up and walk away, moaning and groaning, knowing that we wouldn't get our way. Many of my friends parents had the same rules for their kids as well: no eating snacks loaded with sugar late at night. It would just make them hyper and keep them up all night. But how does this make any sense?

According to Milich, Wolraich, and Lindgren(1986), it doesn't. Their empirical research on consumption of sugar shows that it has no effect on children's behavior. According to Milich, etc., parents are not aware of the need to control for covariates. A covariate is another variable that is associated with the variable of interest but might not be noticeable. In this case, sugar would be considered the covariate. Fiorello(2001) says parents need to look at the situations in which children eat a lot of sugar, such as Halloween or a birthday party, not take notice of the excitement level that these events bring to the children. The kids aer more likely to be excited and hyper due to the actual event taking place than they are due to their consumption of a lot of sugar.

Fiorello (2001) also points to another covariate: parents who let their kids do whatever they want, whenever they want. These parents tend not to restrict the sugar intake of their children and let them run wild at all times. These kids will certainly make you think that it is the sugar that is making these children misbehave, when in reality it is the parenting. A counter example is a parent who restricts the sugar intake of their child and teaches them self restraint and obedience. These kids will not be seen running around to and from all corners of the room. A look at these children will leave one to believe that they aren't on any sugar at the moment.



In conclusion, there is no strong scientific evidence that supports the claim that sugar intake by a child will make them hyper. As a result of this lack of evidence, I think that it is fine to allow your children sweets and sugary snacks once in a while and not have to fear about the child becoming to excited. I don't have any kids yet, but if that day comes I will be sure to remember this information in the event that my kids want a little candy before bed.

Sources:
Fiorello, C.A. (2001, May/June). Common myths of children's behaviors. Skeptical Inquirer, 25, 37-39, 44.
Milich, Richard, Mark L. Wolraich, and Scott Lindgren. 1986. Sugar and hyperactivity: A critical review of empirical findinbgs. Clinical Psychology Review 6, no. 6:493-513
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A82iltc4ICQ

The 10% Brain Power Myth.....Or Truth?!

I have heard numerous beliefs that I immediately deem myths due to their sheer impossibility, but there are still a few common sayings that truthfully, up until this course I was unsure whether they may be true. The 10% brain myth was one that I could not deem false without the knowledge from this course. Now I not only understand why it is indeed false, but why I believed it was true!

The 10% brain myth is a belief that humans can only naturally tap into 10% of their brain power. With extensive training or unusual power, however, one may be able to break the barrier and gain supernatural powers such as psychokinesis. If only 10% of the brain is used, though, what is happening to the other 90%?

The myth is proven false due to the proven fact that if a part of the brain is not used or developed it begins to atrophy. Evidence has been seen in children that were neglected early in life. The early years are a crucial period in a child's life, in which their brain requires extensive stimulation. Children must be offered tools to expand each area of brain development. The areas that are neglected consequently deteriorate and may never fully recover to achieve their full potential. These effects can be correlated to the 10% theory. If 90% of the brain was not used wouldn't it undergo similar degeneration?

The myth is again disproven due to knowledge of how the human brain is built and wired. The brain would need to be holistically built if the 10% theory could even be proven a possibility. The brain, however, is built in sections, such as language areas, sight areas etc. Each part of the brain has its own responsibility. This is why stroke victims lose specific abilities such as speaking after a stroke; the blood clot caused death to that specific area. If the brain were holistically wired, the part of the brain not affected would simply compensate; unfortunately, we know this does not happen. If it was true that 90% of the human brain was not used on a daily basis, humans would lose almost all of their abilities that are based in that area of the brain.

Why do people hold onto the belief that we only use 10% of our brain capacity? I believe that people want to hold out hope that they have power beyond measure, that they can tap into with training. "People have a desire to be more talented, influential, and prosperous". We want to believe that our full capabilities are not yet reached.

Sources:
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/tenper.html
Scientific Perspectives on Pseudoscience and the Paranormal

Psychic Detectives

By: Gregory Elliott

Divination and fortune telling have been around for thousands of years in one form or another, in our time these “powers” are called psychic abilities. These powers appear in different facets of our society, mostly involving entertainment but the largest example of serious use of psychic powers would be in the realm of law enforcement with psychic investigators.

The fact that the use of psychic detectives is even still considered as an option to investigators amazes me. The information gained by such attempts is hardly ever useful and if it ever even is useful its almost negligibly important information. The modern “psychic” has probably been around since the 1800’s sometime and since then no scientific proof has come up to support psychic claims. I think the reason psychic powers are still considered by police departments may be something to do with their line of work than its effectiveness. Police departments are very stressful places to work, typically things happen that the officers have no control over and the job then becomes reactionary. Constantly dealing with the unknown or uncontrollable as well as the terrible situations police are constantly exposed to may predispose police to be more open to the idea of psychic abilities. Let me explain, when humans are forced into situations that they don’t understand for whatever reason they try and rationalize it the best they can. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “there are no atheists in a foxhole” you may understand. People in chaotic situations will look to religion or try to improve “luck” to help them selves out and gain a feeling of control. When a police department turns to psychic investigators this may be this seeking other worldly powers to try and get a handle on a situation they might not have much control over. To them it doesn’t have to make sense it just has to work. Many high stress jobs, especially those that involve the risking of ones life, I feel predispose people to act this way.

With this predisposition psychic investigators can easily take advantage of the situation either maliciously or not, to make them selves look better. Because of this many psychics reports of proof of psychic ability are highly contested as they seem to stretch the truth when talking about what they’ve done, who they have worked for and the chances of success they have had.

some interesting links refuting a very popular "psychic detectives" claims-

http://noreenrenier.com/index.htm

http://www.commentarybysherlock.com/commentarybysherlock/runwaypart3.asp

Does Acupuncture really work?

Through out my life I have always heard of famous people or even sick people in need of an alternative treatment, using acupuncture because they believe it truly works. Well, I am here to tell you that it doesn't. Growing up I always thought that all things doctors or practitioners said was true and as I got older I learned that was anything but true. Actually after reading a lot about pseudoscience it really showed me the other side of ideas and things that I thought to have been true; acupuncture being one of them.

Acupuncture is claimed to be an ancient system of healing which has developed over thousands of years as part of the traditional medicine of China. The aim of the treatment is to restore the balance of the universal energy Qi ( which is pronounced chee) in the body, through the painless application of fine needles into strategic points on the body. Why people honestly want needles inserted all over their body, I'll never know. Qi consists of Yin and Yang which are complete opposite forces that are also complementary. They are said to work well together until something sets them off. These forces need to be in balance otherwise disease or illness occurs in the body. Acupuncture needles are then used in specific areas which release energy and can keep the Qi balanced.

Acupuncture originated in China and has said to have been around for 2,000 years while others argue it has been around over 5,000 years. Regardless of when acupuncture came about it is pure pseudoscience. There is no empirical evidence to support the practice of acupuncture. There also is no scientific way to prove that their really is a Qi and a Ying and Yang part of the body. Studies have been conducted and it is almost impossible to replicate any data obtained and almost no one besides the "practitioner" can make it truly work. Most of what people experience is that of the placebo affect where they want to believe that this treatmhent will work so bad that they almost trick themselves into believing that it made a difference. In other words, there is little to no empirical evidence that shows acupuncture really works, regardless of the success that people tell of it.

Dream On

I once dated a girl who was really into dreams. Every time I mentioned a dream I had, she'd have me tell her all of the specifics that I could remember, then she'd try to analyze it. She'd try to break it down and find some hidden meaning behind it. Sometimes she'd even take it as a premonition of things to come. Safe to say, I've dated some characters.

In the world of the paranormal, placing significance on dreams is common. Countless books on dream analysis have been published, and even people who don't wholly subscribe to other ideas of pseudo-scientific nature tend to believe that there is something more to dreams. Freud would say that dreams are subtle hints to our repressed desires. Other people, generally of the tin-foil-hatted variety, claim that dreams can be prophetic-- that they can be used to predict the future. In my own opinion, I think our dreams are a lot like our waking thoughts, but we construct them into the broader scenarios that we are more familiar with.

There is no concrete answer on the exact reason why we dream. Science has shown that dreaming is associated with REM sleep, and that select parts of the brain become more active while we dream. It's been theorized that our dreams are nothing but random thoughts and impulses guided by our higher brain functions. I have to say, that's probably one of the more sound theories regarding dreams. Others have said that we dream to organize our brains, to cope with trauma, or to help think through our problems. Then there are those who delve into the realm of the fantastic and would say that dreams have hidden meanings about life and the future. Whatever the true reason behind dreaming is, until we have some type of actual scientific proof of its causes, it will continue to be subject to this sort of speculation.

So, what's your theory?

Sources:
Modern Theories of Dreaming
Why Do We Dream - Theories of Why We Dream
What Are Dreams?

Nostradamus

I have always heard Nostradamus who lived many hundreds of years ago predicted many monumental events in history. For example many people believe that he predicted events like the Assassination of JFK, Adolf Hitler, terrorist attacks on September 11, and Hurricane Katrina. Nostradamus is obtaining more of a following recently due to his prophecies indicating that the world is going to end on December 21, 2012. After reading about him in chapter 7 and doing some outside research, I now realize that the Nostradamus predictions were more hoaxes then accurate prophecies. I learned that Nostradamus was a master of using indistinct or vague words and that his words are so unclear that it is hard to attribute it to a specific event until after the event actually occurs. For example, his prophecies about war can be really applied to any war that occurred in history. Also, many skeptics believe that by writing many prophecies involving negative events, Nostradamus maximized the chances that someone confronted with a crisis might look for and find something in his prophecies that would remind them of their own current crisis.

Another interesting theory I encountered while researching was that Nostradamus described not future events but events of his own and earlier times, and that he disguised "them in a sort of coded French" because "in his troubled period" he was "under constant threat".

The Potential of Wormholes

Building on my previous blog post (The Theory of Time Travel) is The Potential of Wormholes. Wormholes are often mentioned when the topic of time travel comes up, and for good reason. Wormholes may be mankind’s best chance at making time travel a possibility. Hypothetically, a wormhole is a tunnel which connects two difference points in space which could make it possible to take a shortcut from point A to point B, as illustrated by the picture to our right.

Wormholes were first called Einstein-Rosen bridges, named after Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen back in 1935. Now simply known as wormholes, they still hold their association to Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

Although these wormholes hold a potential for traveling space at ultra-high speeds or even traveling inter-universe (meaning the wormhole could connect two different universes), theorists are still skeptical on whether or not matter would be able to travel through them. Wormholes are believed to be highly unstable with a probability to collapse instantly if even a single photon were to pass through them. More recent calculations have offered a possible solution, exotic matter. Exotic matter is a negative energy which could act as a balance to offset the matter which travels through the wormhole.

These theories are certainly quite undeveloped at this point in time, but that will certainly not slow down the human imagination. If you have even seen the cult classic film Donnie Darko, then you have at least some idea of the imaginative possibilities associated with these bridges. Until we figure out exactly how to travel through these “shortcuts”, I suppose it will just have to be the ordinary way of travel.

Your Future is in the Stars!

If you are one of those people who is obsessed with checking your daily horoscope either via the newspaper or facebook, etc., then you will probably find this post interesting. I know I never believed in my horoscope, although sometimes I wished it were true, because I never quite understand how the stars and planets could be responsible for telling my future.

Astrology is an ancient science, predating both astronomy and psychology; it is the study of the interactions of stars and planets, based on intricate mathematical cycles. Astrology has been around for thousands of years, with the earliest known astrological records dating back to Babylon in 1645 BC; the earliest horoscope dates back to 1410 BC. Other known traces of origin of astrology are Egpyt, Rome, and Greece, each of which used Astrology in different ways, such as calendar science, to write text books, and to make up laws.

When literacy became more widespread during the Renaissance, almanacs began to publish astrological information for the public to read. Galileo and Copernicus were two notable figures of the era, and both were practicing astrologers and founders of modern science. However, astrology began to slip away from the minds of the public when myriad predictions about the great conjunction of 1524 did not "come true". It wasn't until 1930, when Princess Margaret was born, that astrology came back to life; the London Sunday Express contained an astrological profile of the princess in order to celebrate her birth. This is how horoscope columns in the newspaper came about.

So why do people believe in astrology if it, in reality, has no real scientific evidence? Most likely for the same reason they believe in other "superstitions"; astrology offers numerous desirable things for people: information, and assurance about the future, a way to make them feel more comfortable and satisfied with their current situation and future decisions, and a way to feel connected to the entire cosmos. People like to believe that nothing in life is coincidental, everything happens for a reason, so to say. Astrology backs up this belief.

So, it is up to you whether or not you believe in Astrology. Although I might not fully believe in it, I still find it entertaining to read my horoscope from time to time. For others, it may just serve as a fulfilling and personally satisfying experience, which is perfectly fine, as well.

Links:
http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/skepticism/blfaq_astro_psych.htm
http://www.astrology.com/history-astrology/2-d-d-279653
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac32
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113521/lhis.htm

Do not go in the pool, you'll drown!

When I was just a little girl my mother would always tell my sisters and I that we could not reenter the pool for 30 minutes after eating. This is 30 minutes less then the common belief, but still my sisters and I would sit by the pool for what seemed like ages waiting for my mother to say it was okay. As I grew older I still thought that I would get a cramp and drown should I not follow this rule. However, I few years ago my mother finally told me that this rule was simply a myth. Feeling like my entire childhood was a lie I decided to look further into this topic.

According to my sources it is possible to get a cramp in your stomach after eating should you partake in any physical activity. The body pumps blood to the stomach muscles when the stomach is digesting. It also pumps blood to the muscles used for swimming. Should their be a lack of blood flow to the stomach, the muscles can cramp. That being said, it is very unlikely to happen unless you eat a huge meal and then decide to do laps. Also, cramping does not mean that you will automatically drown. As long as a swimming does not panic they can float till help arrives or even work out the cramp.

It is unknown the origins of this myth but it was sighted in a 1968 film. Personally I believe my parents wanted to take a break from watching us in the pool after they finished eating. It was a good way to keep us out of the pool and out of trouble. When I have children at least I will not be so worried should they decide to jump in the pool before the 30 minute mark.

http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/hourwait.asp

The Ghost of Emily

Growing up in Ocean City, NJ, The Flanders Hotel was known as a historical building where many local events would take place. It was also known for being haunted by a ghost named Emily.

I have heard of many of the stories about Emily over the years. Both staff and guests have made claims that they witnessed or heard from Emily. A painting has been hung in The Flanders, depicting Emily. Most people are not scared of the thought of Emily and The Flanders Hotel does not seem to lose business because of the supposed ghost. The entire town seems to be behind the idea of Emily. She is described as a happy ghost, which seems to put people at ease. She has been seen wandering the halls or heard laughing. Since there is events there daily, many pictures have shown odd lighting or shadows, who people say could be Emily.

I have never personally seen a ghost, but I support the thought of Emily because it adds a bit of fun to the town's already pretty exciting history. Now that their has been so many Emily sitings, it may be a figment of people's imagination if any one makes a claim that they see her today.

New Jersey has many tales, such as the Jersey Devil who apparently lives by Stockton, or so I've heard.There are many websites with stories of Emily, if anyone would like to read a little more in depth about her or The Flanders, which has a very unique/eerie history even without the ghost of Emily.

Sources:
http://www.ettc.net/njarts/details.cfm?ID=736
http://southjerseyghostresearch.org/cases3/05015.html

An Apple A Day

Everyone knows the old age saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Personally, when I was little, my parents always used to tell me that to keep me eating healthy and because they knew how scared I was of the doctor! I would do anything to avoid the doctor when I was little, so I ate apples often. But is this saying really true?

Personally, I think that if someone were to consume fruit everyday, it would benefit them greatly. Switching out unhealthy foods with fruits or of course, apples could be very beneficial since we all know how healthy fruits are for us.

In the article that I read, a doctor randomly tested 160 women between 45-65 and told them to eat 75 grams of dried apples a day for a year. At the end of the year, the doctor blood tested every woman. He found that the bad cholesterol dropped about 23%.

It wasn’t too surprising to me that people’s bad cholesterol lowered after eating apples everyday. If you eat healthy foods everyday, it’s almost impossible to have bad health.

In the second article, they explained how healthy apples are. They have vitamin C to protect the immune system, they are low in calories, could help prevent alzheimer’s and they also clean the teeth.

It could be very possible that if you do consume apples daily, you will keep the doctor away!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412131923.html

http://laboratorynews.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/an-apple-a-day/

Guatemalan Worry People

The legend of the worry people began in Guatemala, children and adults use these dolls, these dolls provide a huge comfort for the individuals who use them. The dolls come in their own homemade wooden baskets and come with a slip of paper that tells the stories of the individual Guatemalan worry people.

The idea of worry people was first introduced to me through a friend. My friend brought them to me after she had returned from vacation, and brought me the small bag of homemade worry dolls. She told me that they were supposed to take my worries away, if I whispered my worries to the dolls, they would hold them for me and make them go away. However, in order for them to work, I had to place them under my pillow while I slept.
On the website, there was a story illustrating the beneficial effects of the worry people in schools and hospitals. Those schools and hospitals that have used the worry people, saw positive results, especially in children with life-threatening illnesses, and learning and behavioral issues. I think it would be very interesting to see more research and/or information about the usage of the worry people with children and adults.
I think the best reason to explain the continued usage of the worry people; can be compared to a placebo effect, common in psychology. Just like a placebo effect, individuals who use the dolls ‘believe’ their worries will go away, so they ‘do’. Whether you believe in the worth of worry people or not, I find them to be a nice idea for children who have a lot to worry about and need a way to make their lives better.

http://www.delaselva.com/sistema/mp01.htm
http://www.spectrumwellbeing.co.uk/guatemalanworrydolls.htm

7 years of bad luck?

We all hear superstitions everyday about many things like Friday the 13th, walking under a ladder, and black cats. I never believed in many of the ones my mother told me, but I didn't know why. I think it started out as I was being defiant, trying to do things like open umbrellas inside just because I was told not to, it was unlucky. So I decicded to do research on why some of these superstitions existed today. The breaking of mirrors giving 7 years of bad luck was one of them.

The origins of this myth date back to ancient times. It was believe that when someone looked into a mirror they would see their own soul. Back in those times, the human soul was connected to your future. They would take what they saw in a mirror and predict the future. The ancient Greeks believe that "whenever a person’s future was being gazed upon, if it was bad, a shattered mirror would represent the gods or goddesses way of not allowing a person to see into a terrible fate which waits." Because the mirrors held the future, if one was to break the mirror, they would be shattering their future. The Roman's believe that it there were cycles of health that lasted 7 years. If a mirror was broken that person would have one cycle of bad health. There is also a way to prevent the bad luck. They believed that if they waited before picking up the pieces and brought them outside in the moonlight, that the 7 years of bad luck would no longer apply.

I have broken several mirrors since I was a child, and my life has not been unhealthy or full of bad luck. We know that mirrors do not hold out future, but people still tell this myth to their children. Now it's more of a scar factor, so that children will be more careful with mirrors.

Sources:
http://www.suite101.com/content/the-origins-of-the-broken-mirror-myth-a217524
http://www.halloween-website.com/superstitions.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/why-is-it-considered-bad-luck-to-break-a-mirror.htm

Ouija

Many horror movies today use the Ouija board to help find and communicate with the paranormal. The most recent involves the movie Paranormal Activity. Most of us have seen that film, so we know how the board works, but for those of us who haven't I will briefly explain it. The Ouija boards came into effect during the mid 1800's and their name means something like talking boards. It is a combination of French and German words. The Ouija board was patented by Adolphus Theodore Wagner in 1854. He called it a psychograph because it was used to read the minds of people with nervous energy. It wasn't until 1861 that it was used to open communications with the spirit world. The modern boards were developed in 1966 by William Fuld. The new boards have the alphabet, numbers 0-9, yes, no, and goodbye written on them. The planchette is the pointer that moves along the board to spell and write things. The point of the board is to contact spirits. People use this to contact deceased love ones, or just because they want to try it out.

Some people believe that the board is just a toy, especially since it is manufactured by the same company that makes other games like Monopoly. But others disagree and swear by the board. One source I found that claims that its just a toy writes, "that a fully conscious person is controlling it under their own power." They say that the the Ideomotor Effect is to blame. This is a phenomenon where someone makes motions unconsciously. So if someone thinks about something long and hard enough, it starts to happen because of neuromuscular responses. However, most people aren't going to believe this. Especially since your supposed to have more then one person holding the planchette so you know that only a spirit is moving it.

It's hard to prove with scientific evidence whether or not the Ouija boards actually work. People have millions of personal experiences that they will never forget and that make changing their minds about whether or not they work impossible. Sometimes people get such astounding responses they are afraid for their lives, while others get a bunch of gibberish. It's so easy to obtain one of these for yourself. So why don't you try it and come up with your own opinion?


Sources:
http://www.allabouttheoccult.org/ouija-board.htm
http://www.trueghosttales.com/paranormal/the-truth-about-ouija-boards/

HeadOn Apply Directly to the Forehead

I'm sure that nearly everyone has seen those annoying advertisements on TV for HeadOn, a headache remedy developed by Miralus Healthcare that you rub onto your forehead. Despite being heavily advertised it seems that most people do not believe such a treatment can cure a headache. However, some people must believe that HeadOn is an effective treatment because it is still on the shelves of drug stores today and has even led to the spin-off products ActiveOn and and PreferOn that are supposed to reduce arthritis pain and reduce the appearance of scars.

I understand why people might believe that a product like this would help their headache. If its your head that hurts why wouldn't a medication that treats your head be effective? HeadOn is ineffective because it is very doubtful that its ingredients can pass through a person's skin and treat their headache. Also, what if its the back of your head that hurts? It is very unlikely that the ingredients in HeadOn are capable of moving from the forehead to the exact area of the head that hurts.

A chemical analysis of HeadOn has shown that the product is almost entirely made up of wax. The three active ingredients are iris versicolor (one part per trillion), white bryony (one part per trillion), and potassium dichromate (one part per million). Iris versicolor, a flower and white bryony, a vine are ingredients commonly used in homeopathic medicines, however, there is no scientific evidence that either plant is an effective pain reliever. Potassium dichromate also has no known pain relief effects, is a known carcinogen, and can irritate the skin in higher concentrations. Also, even if these ingredients had pain relief effects, the concentrations of these substances in HeadOn are not great enough to relieve a headache.

While HeadOn may seem attractive at first, further investigation will show that the

concept behind it does not make sense. With no scientific proof that its ingredients work, it is

likely that any apparent headache relief from using this product is simply caused by the placebo

effect. Also, even substances proven to treat headaches would not be effective in the extremely low

concentrations used in HeadOn.

Crystal Healing

Crystal Healing, as seen on the reality tv series The Hills, is the belief that crystals can be used to heal the body, guard against negative vibrations, smooth the energy flows of the spirit and the body, transform the spirit, and inspire intuitive insight. This is said to be possible because of the power that can be found in the crystal's structure that is a conductor of energy as a transmitter and a reciever (crystal cure).

The earliest records of crystal healing comes from ancient Egypt where the Ebers papyrus states the medicinal uses of many different gems. Healing with crystals is also recorded in India's Ayurvedic records and in traditional Chinese medicine from around five thousand years ago (health). Crystals have been used as a sacred object for thousands of years carried in pouches in order to guard negativity or even buried with the dead (crystal cure).

This belief continues today among New Age healers who use crystal wands in order to heal auras in aura therapy. Overall, most scientists and health professionals believe crystal healing to be psuedoscientific quack therapy. There is no scientific evidence that concludes that the energies found in these crystals can provide any type of healing or protection from negativity; all we have are testimonials that simply say crystals work for them, which make the placebo effect a possible explanation for any occurences of the crystal's "magical powers" (skeptic).

Energy from a Necklace?

You may have seen this necklace worn by many popular baseball players. This miracle necklace is made by a Japanese company called Phiten. Phiten claims that these products ease neck and shoulder pain, relax muscles and increase blood circulation. However, these great health benefits aren't limited to only your neck and shoulders, you also can buy bracelets and anklets that are said to reduce fatigue and enhance athletic ability. Not a fan of baseball? No problem. Phiten also has a NBA collection full of the same products. You can't forget about their line of titanium massage lotions and athletic tapes as well.

The idea behind the Phiten technology begins with their unique Aqua Metals. These special materials consist of metal pieces that are broken down into microscopic particles and dispersed in water. The Aqua Metals are then fused into the fabric of the jewelry. Placing these titanium necklaces on your body supposedly stabilizes the electric flow that nerves use to communicate actions to the body.

This company makes claims that are similar to that of the Q-Ray and numerous other miracle products. There is no scientific evidence that supports the claims of Phiten. Although they mention several scientists and a million dollar research budget, they have yet to provide any published reports. Maybe these athletes should start believing in the placebo effect as much as they believe in the Phiten.



http://phitenusa.com/
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1108643/phiten_necklaces_do_they_work_pg2.html?cat=25
http://scienceline.org/2008/10/ask-fox-phiten-necklace/
http://www.titaniumexposed.com/phiten-titanium-necklace.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAKfkROSd7k

The Bermuda Triangle

Remember the Bermuda Triangle? The much talked about area of water located between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda seems to have lost its flare in the past few years with its most recent occurrence being in the year 2000. The Bermuda Triangle is responsible for many ship and plane disappearances that travel over or near the area with no known causes.
The first known suspicious activity occurring in the Bermuda Triangle was during Christopher Columbus’s voyage in October of 1492. He recorded in his log book during the time that he was in this area that there were “strange dancing lights on the horizon” and “flames in the sky.” He also recorded that his compass began to act strangely. Mysterious occurrences continued to arise in this area with the most famous being Flight 19. When the plane lost all of its communication and disappeared, search parties were sent out to find the missing crew only to have the same result as the previous flight. No one was able to recover any of these missing planes.
Many theories have arisen as to what causes these disappearances, some of which are aliens, gas, time warps, the lost city of Atlantis’ technology, pirates, weather, and loss of fuel. Some of these theories have caused people to panic. The media has fabricated reports leading people to have a fear of traveling over the area of the triangle and believing illogical theories. In reality, there have been more successful travels over the Bermuda Triangle than there have been disappearances.
When investigating the disappearances of these aircraft and ships, researchers have created ideas as to why and how these planes and ships disappeared, however none are facts so their true causes are, and will remain, unresolved. As stated, these are just theories. The mysterious Bermuda Triangle is still amazing people with its wonders and still remains a mystery to scientists, researchers, and paranormal theorists.

Sources: Lethurin, Vance. "The Bermuda Triangle: Facts and Theories." Socyberty. 9 June 2007. Web. 2 July 2011. http://socyberty.com/paranormal/the-bermuda-triangle-facts-and-theories/.

"Partial TimeLine of Incidents in The Bermuda Triangle." Mystery Railroad. Web. 2 July 2011. .

The End of the World

Why are so many people infatuated with the end of the world? For years there has been talk about when the world was going to end, and some believe it was supposed to end as recently as May, 21, 2011. The same man who predicted this date, now says it will occur on October 21, 2011. For the most part, the year 2012 is what seems to scare people the most, but why? Because the Mayans and/or Nostradamus said so? Since when does the world believe in the Mayan calendar. Last I checked, no one went by what the Mayans said until it meant the end of the world.
Is 2012 just another myth that people use to spook themselves and others? Y2K never happened, yet it caused a big scare around the world. And as far as I know, the world was supposed to end many times in my 24 years and probably many times before that.
If the world were to end when predicted on 12/21/12 which time zone will it occur in? Australia and the U.S. are many hours apart, so it could possibly end a day earlier for the U.S. or a day later in Australia depending on when the Apocalypse occurs.
Dictionary.com defines a myth as:

a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.
Does anyone believe that 2012 is going to become reality or do you believe it is just a myth that in the end will probably just boost sales in the economy?

Aromatherapy

I found chapter 5 about Aromatherapy to be very entertaining. I had absolutely no idea that some people genuinely believed in the strength of aromatherapy. Personally, I do enjoy taking baths with some scented oils. But never once did I believe that if i put essential oil in a warm bath while sipping chamomile tea will make me fall asleep instantly. It’s mainly because I just took an hour long hot bath relaxing! I found it funny when Lawson quoted another author saying “For stress, Lavabre recommends relaxation, a better diet, nutritional supplements, more exercise and a few drops of an oil blend” (116). Well obviously! Anyone would be happy and healthy as a horse if they followed that regimen; without the ‘oil blend.’

I really like that the author doesn’t only show what people have claimed that essential oils do for someone, he provides his opinion AND also researches the claims to see just if jasmine cures postnatal depression, etc. I also liked that the author explained how, if essential oils worked. The paragraph about ‘smell is the most direct route to the brain’ really interested me. He said that scent can take to back to a good and happy place, like smelling chocolate chip cookies could remind you of your grandmother. “What they don’t tell you is that the sight of grandma’s photo or hearing her voice can do the same” (118).

Unless essential oils get more researched, I think they’re bologna! Yes I do think the the scent of oils can relax you, but then again can’t any scent that you enjoy relax you? Maybe I would buy lavender scented bubble bath, but I would never buy the oils in hope of being a stress-free individual. I won’t believe in the powers of aromatherapy until more research is done!