The Science of Stress, Orgasm and Creativity: How the Brain and the Vagina Conspire in Consciousness “The more closely we analyze what we consider ‘sexy,’” philosopher Alain de Botton argued in his meditation on sex, “the more clearly we will understand that eroticism is the feeling of excitement we experience at finding another human being who shares our values and our sense of the meaning of existence.” But in his attempt to counter the reductionism that frames human sexuality as a mere physiological phenomenon driven solely by our evolutionary biology, de Botton overcompensates by reducing in the opposite direction, negating the complex interplay of brain and biology, psychology and physiology, that propels the human sexual experience. That’s precisely what Naomi Wolf, author of the 1991 cultural classic The Beauty Myth, examines in Vagina: A New Biography (public library) — a fascinating exploration of the science behind the vastly misunderstood mind-body connection between brain and genitalia, consciousness and sexuality, the poetic and the scientific. Wolf writes:
Manufactured Landscapes Manufactured Landscapes is a 2006 feature length documentary film about the work of photographer Edward Burtynsky. It was directed by Jennifer Baichwal and is distributed by Zeitgeist Films. Subject matter[edit] The film involves the photographs and videos of photographer and visual artist Ed Burtynsky's trip through landscapes that have been altered by large-scale human activity, captured with Super-16mm film.[1] Most of the photographs featured in the film are pieces that are exhibited all over the world are taken with a "large format field camera on large 4x5-inch sheet film and developed into high-resolution, large-dimension prints (of approximately 50x60 inches)"[2] While some would some call the his work beautiful, his main goal was to challenge notions while raising questions about the of interplay of environmental ethics and aesthetics. Critical reception[edit] Although most have praised the film, there has been some negative reception. Awards[edit] See also[edit] References[edit]
Why You Should Brush with Sea Salt and Baking Soda - Healthy Holistic LivingHealthy Holistic Living by DANICA COLLINS Whether you’re cued in to the health hazards of commercial toothpastes, or just looking for some bi-weekly TLC to add to your dental discipline, brushing your pearly whites with some sea salt and/or baking soda is a safe and natural way to ensure strong teeth and gums, break down plaque buildup, and protect against bad breath. Either used alone or together, sea salt and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) are inexpensive, time-tested treatments for tooth care. Let’s Talk Sea Salt Calcium, magnesium, silicon, phosphorus, sodium, nickel, iron—just a few of many trace elements and minerals found in sea salt. These nutrients strengthen gums, protect against tarter and bad breath, and may even whiten your teeth over time. You can either dip a wet toothbrush into a half teaspoon of sea salt and brush your teeth as you regularly would…or you can rinse with a saltwater solution. Let’s Talk Baking Soda Baking soda has long been praised as the natural way to whiten teeth.
Videos / What Was The Miller-Urey Experiment? - Stated Clearly Description This animation was sponsored by the Center for Chemical Evolution, NSF, and NASA: The Miller-Urey experiment was the first attempt to scientifically explore ideas about the origin of life. Stanley Miller simulated conditions thought be common on the ancient Earth. The experiment was a success in that amino acids, the building blocks of life, were produced during the simulation. Scientists now have reason to believe that the gases used in the Miller-Urey simulation were not actually the same as those of the ancient atmosphere. Many questions about the origin of life remain to be answered but these findings give strong support to the idea that the first living cells on Earth may have emerged from natural chemical reactions. The Miller-Urey Experiment: Original Paper from 1953 (free access to full paper) Biomolecules found in meteorites: Biomolecules form in asteroid simulations: Scientific Paper (free access to abstract only) Biomolecules form in Volcanic Simulations:
Women Who Have Children Older, Live Longer Between 1970 and 2006, the number of women who were age 35 or older when giving birth to their first child increased nearly eight times. There are a variety of factors involved with this, including advanced fertility assistance techniques. However, a study led by Thomas Perls of Boston University School of Medicine has indicated that a natural ability to have children later in life are more likely to live to be 95 or older. The study was in partnership with the Long Life Family Study, which analyzes the genetics and other factors of people with exceptional longevity. "Of course this does not mean women should wait to have children at older ages in order to improve their own chances of living longer," Perls said in a press release. The researchers speculate that the reason is genetic. "If a woman has those variants, she is able to reproduce and bear children for a longer period of time, increasing her chances of passing down those genes to the next generation," Perls continued.
Those Who Make The Science of Sleep: Dreaming, Depression, and How REM Sleep Regulates Negative Emotions by Maria Popova “Memory is never a precise duplicate of the original… it is a continuing act of creation. Dream images are the product of that creation.” For the past half-century, sleep researcher Rosalind D. Cartwright has produced some of the most compelling and influential work in the field, enlisting modern science in revising and expanding the theories of Jung and Freud about the role of sleep and dreams in our lives. One particularly fascinating aspect of her research deals with dreaming as a mechanism for regulating negative emotion and the relationship between REM sleep and depression: The more severe the depression, the earlier the first REM begins. But what has perplexed researchers is that when these depressed patients are awakened 5 minutes into the first REM sleep episode, they’re unable to explain what they are experiencing. Brain imaging technology has helped to shed light on this mystery. This brings us to the regulatory purpose of dreaming. Donating = Loving
Meet Dreadnoughtus, The 'Astoundingly Huge' Dinosaur Discovered In Argentina Say hello to Dreadnoughtus schrani, a newly discovered dinosaur that was so formidable, it was named after a battleship that prowled the seas during the early 20th century. "It is by far the best example we have of any of the most giant creatures to ever walk the planet," Dr. Kenneth Lacovara, a paleontologist at Drexel University's College of Arts and Sciences and the scientist who discovered the skeleton, said in a written statement. "With a body the size of a house, the weight of a herd of elephants, and a weaponized tail, Dreadnoughtus would have feared nothing." The titanosaur's skeleton, which dates back 77 million years, was discovered in Southern Patagonia in Argentina, and unearthed over the course of four digs between 2005 and 2009. Rendering of the massive Dreadnoughtus schrani. At 85 feet long and weighing 65 tons, Dreadnoughtus sets a new record as the land animal with the greatest calculable weight. Dr.
Common Science Myths That Most People Believe There are a number of old wives’ tales out there regarding some basic scientific principles. Though most of them were refuted years ago, these rumors just won’t go away. Here are some of the top myths floating around out there that just aren’t true: We only use 10% of our brains. It's true that there’s a great deal we don’t know about the brain, but we certainly do know that we use our entire brain. Additionally, there is no evidence that someone was ever diagnosed with a brain tumor but was told: “Great news! While you might not be using every bit of your brain at all times, but you do use the entire brain over the course of the day. There is a dark side of the moon. Oh, Pink Floyd, how you have led us all astray. From our perspective on Earth, we are able to view about 59% of the moon’s surface (though not all at the same time). This confusion is due to tidal locking, which makes it seem as if the moon isn’t rotating. The full moon affects behavior. Sugar makes children hyperactive.
Louis Theroux's favorite documentaries How to Lucid Dream: 15 Steps Featured Article Categories: Featured Articles | Dreams In other languages: Español: tener sueños lúcidos, Deutsch: Einen Klartraum träumen, Français: faire des rêves lucides, Português: Ter Sonhos Lúcidos, Русский: видеть осознанные сны, 中文: 做清醒梦, Nederlands: Zo kun je lucide dromen, Čeština: Jak na lucidní snění, Bahasa Indonesia: Bermimpi Sadar, 日本語: 明晰夢を見る, العربية: رؤية حلم جلي, ไทย: ฝันรู้ตัว, 한국어: 루시드 드림 꾸는 법, Tiếng Việt: Mơ có Ý thức
Evidence That Friends Really Are The Family We Choose Sister from another mister. Brother from another mother. The family you choose. When it comes to describing your friends, those turns of phrase may be a lot more accurate than you think. Genetics researchers at the University of California, San Diego and Yale University have found that friends can share a lot of the same genes — the same amount of genes, in fact, as are shared by fourth cousins. “In a lot of genetics research, the assumption is that we are interacting with lots of people who are not related to us, so genes aren’t going to matter,” said study researcher James Fowler, Ph.D., a medical genetics professor at UCSD. Besides providing geneticists with a whole new set of human relationships to examine (beyond blood relatives), the findings could “completely change our theory of evolution,” Fowler told The Huffington Post. Say for instance, that you’re an ancient human who was born with a genetic mutation that allowed you to speak, Fowler explained.
True Films Scientists Are Beginning To Figure Out Why Conservatives Are…Conservative Scientists are using eye-tracking devices to detect automatic response differences between liberals and conservatives.University of Nebraska-Lincoln You could be forgiven for not having browsed yet through the latest issue of the journal Behavioral and Brain Sciences. If you care about politics, though, you'll find a punchline therein that is pretty extraordinary. Click here to read more from Mooney on the science of why people don't believe in science. Behavioral and Brain Sciences employs a rather unique practice called "Open Peer Commentary": An article of major significance is published, a large number of fellow scholars comment on it, and then the original author responds to all of them. That's a big deal. It is a "virtually inescapable conclusion" that the "cognitive-motivational styles of leftists and rightists are quite different." The authors go on to speculate that this ultimately reflects an evolutionary imperative. That's pretty extraordinary, when you think about it.