Sunday, May 26, 2013

3 Reasons Why A Zombie Apocalypse Is Possible


  • Parasites- A parasite's main function once it attaches to something that could be a host is self preservation. It will take over the body to preserve itself and then transform it to feed as it needs as well as provide the host with abilities, antibodies, or skills to function as it does so that it can live longer. As long as the parasites are maintained, they will live a long and healthy life. A possible parasite that is easy to acquire comes from cat feces called Taxoplasma.
  • Viruses- Like in the movie Contagion, (kind of), a virus or other illness can spread quickly. It doesn't take much for a disease to transfer from person to person, especially if you don't know you have a virus. Once it starts it will be difficult, if impossible, to stop because it will take control quickly and spread quicker-- especially if it really does feed on brains.
  • Animals- Animals contain a completely different set of illnesses and diseases, most of which humans cannot get. However, there are a few that can be passed from animal to human such as rabies. A transference from an animal could bring on animalistic qualities that would make humans hunt each other.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Humans have 9 senses not 5




1. Seeing or vision describes the ability to detect light and interpret it as 
"sight". There is disagreement as to whether or not this constitutes one, 
two or even three distinct senses. Neuroanatomists generally regard it as 
two senses, given that different receptors are responsible for the 
perception of colour (the frequency of light) and brightness (the energy of 
light). Some argue that the perception of depth also constitutes a sense, 
but it is generally regarded that this is really a cognitive (that is, 
post-sensory) function derived from having stereoscopic vision (two eyes) 
and is not a sensory perception as such. 

2. Hearing or audition is the sense of sound perception and results from tiny 
hair fibres in the inner ear detecting the motion of atmospheric particles 
within (at best) a range of 20 to 20000 Hz. Sound can also be detected as 
vibration by tactition. Lower and higher frequencies than can be heard are 
detected this way only. 

3. Taste or gustation is one of the two "chemical" senses. It is well-known 
that there are at least four types of taste "bud" (receptor) and hence, as 
should now be expected, there are anatomists who argue that these in fact 
constitute four or more different senses, given that each receptor conveys 
information to a slightly different region of the brain. The four well-known 
receptors detect sweet, salt, sour, and bitter, although 
the receptors for sweet and bitter have not been conclusively identified. A 
fifth receptor, for a sensation called "umami", was first theorised in 1908 
and its existence confirmed in 2000. The umami receptor detects 
the amino acid glutamate, a flavor commonly found in meat, and in artificial 
flavourings such as monosodium glutamate. 

4. Smell or olfaction is the other "chemical" sense. Olfactory neurons differ 
from most other neurons in that they die and regenerate on a regular basis. 

The remaining senses can be considered types of physical feeling. 

5. Tactition is the sense of pressure perception. 

6. Thermoception is the sense of heat and the absence of heat (cold). It is 
also the first of the group of senses not identified explicitly by 
Aristotle. Again there is some disagreement about how many senses this 
actually represents--the thermoceptors in the skin are quite different from 
the homeostatic thermoceptors which provide feedback on internal body 
temperature. How warm or cold something feels does not only depend on 
temperature, but also on specific heat capacity and heat conductance; e.g., 
warm metal feels warmer than warm wood, and cold metal feels colder than 
cold wood, because metal has a higher thermal conductivity than wood. Wind 
feels cold because of the heat withdrawn for evaporation of sweat or other 
moisture, and because an isolating layer of warm air around the body blows 
away; however, in the case of hot air, wind makes it feel hotter, for a 
similar reason as the latter. 

7. Nociception is the perception of pain. It can be classified as from one to 
three senses, depending on the classification method. The three types of 
pain receptors are cutaneous (skin), somatic (joints and bones) and visceral 
(body organs). 

8. Equilibrioception is the perception of balance and is related to cavities 
containing fluid in the inner ear. There is some disagreement as to whether 
or not this also includes the sense of "direction" or orientation. However, 
as with depth perception earlier, it is generally regarded that "direction" 
is a post-sensory cognitive awareness. 

9. Proprioception is the perception of body awareness and is a sense that 
people rely on enormously, yet are frequently not aware of. More easily 
demonstrated than explained, proprioception is the "unconscious" awareness 
of where the various regions of the body are located at any one time. (This 
can be demonstrated by anyone closing their eyes and waving their hand 
around. Assuming proper proprioceptive function, at no time will the person 
lose awareness of where the hand actually is, even though it is not being 
detected by any of the other senses). 

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Color Film Footage From 1920s London



In 1927, Claude Frisse-Greene shot a series of film around London based on a color (or colour) technique that his father had experimenting with. His father, William Friese-Greene, was an early pioneer of cinematography. His process was called ‘Biocolour’ which produced the illusion of color by exposing alternating frames of black and white film with color filters, then staining the film again with red or green.
It produced a pretty decent illusion of color, but its downfall was a noticeable flicker and red and green fringing on objects in motion, so the films needed to be sped up.




Saturday, May 11, 2013

Two Types of Insomnia

Primary insomnia is basically the condition you have when no other “causes” for the sleeplessness are there, or can be found. Once all the other medical, medication, substance or sleep disorder (sleep apnea) causes are eliminated, this is what’s left. If the insomnia was “caused” by some depression or anxiety without a real medical issue present – than this is what you have.




Co-morbid or secondary insomnia is a type that is brought on or amplified by the use of some other factor – and it could be almost anything. Medications, nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, illicit drugs, pain, stress, rheumatoid arthritis, hyperthyroidism, brain trauma, anything. It’s important that we get these medical issue resolved first, or the insomnia issue may never go away.
The important lesson here is to find out whether the cause of your insomnia has got a third-party contributor –something that can be controlled. I’d say that things like “jet lag” are pretty hard to control, and so that would be considered short-term, primary insomnia. Something like taking amphetamines or your arthritis causing pain all night would be co-morbid.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

9 types of laughter

Types of Laughter

Fake Laughter
This type of laughter comes in handy when your boss tells a dumb joke and you have to laugh to make them less likely to fire you. Fake laughter is usually done by simply opening your mouth and pushing out a sound. It often sounds like: “ha ha ha”.
Sometimes I just forgo fake laughter all together and instead say something like, “That was so funny, I forgot to laugh!” The recipient typically understands and moves on.

Evil Laughter
Although evil laughter is generally pretty evil, it’s a lot of fun to imitate. This is the type of laughter a villain on a Disney movie is all too keen to let out. It stereotypically sounds like “Muhahhahaha ha ha ha!"
Once you hear any character on any movie laugh in that matter, you know without a doubt that they are in fact a “bad guy”. Sorry if that ruins any plot twists for ya.

Hysterical Laughter
This is a fun strand of laughter, can be quite contagious too. This type of laughter can surface in different ways. One way is lack of sleep. Everything and nothing is funny, that fact alone makes it even funnier.
Pretty soon, you’re laughing so hard that tears are coming out of your unsuspecting eyes. Your body also becomes an unwilling participant-getting hunched over and possibly doing a little laughter-jig.
Another way this type of laughter can creep into your soul is if when you’re laughing it is quite inappropriate…

Inappropriate Laughter
Smooth segue, Christine. Thank you. At one point in our lives or another we’ve all had the fortunate misfortune of inappropriate laughter.
Fortunate because laughter is fun (and good for your health , remember?). Misfortunate because this type of laughter could potentially offend someone else or ruin a particular mood.
Classic example of this is laughing at church during a serious sermon. Maybe someone farted, which is pretty funny. You’re the only one that heard it or smelled it, maybe you dealt it.
The point is: right now is not the time to break into hysterics, its just plain…inappropriate. Just the sheer thought of your laughter at this inconvenient time elicits more and more laughter.
If someone else hears your laughter they could be infected by it, because we all know that laughter is contagious…

Contagious/Infectious Laughter
This is the type of laughter that even just hearing makes you want to laugh. Oftentimes, this laughter can be inappropriate and make you laugh just because this is the case.
Research also supports the notion of contagious laughter as a bonding mechanism in social behavior. That is why comedy clubs love to pack their customers in tight: the laughter is contagious and brings about an overall better energy in the room.

 Baby Laughter
This is pretty self-explanatory. There is nothing more precious than the sound of a baby’s laughter. Aaliyah even used a recording of a baby’s laugh in her 1998 hit “Are You that Somebody?”

 Nervous Laughter
One of the more infuriating types of laughter for those on the other end of it. Imagine an adult scolding a child and the child can’t stop laughing. Imagine a girl questioning her boyfriend on some of his indiscretions only to be met with chuckles.
Ew, why are you imagining all of this stuff? Stop. Your thoughts are your reality, remember? The point is: this type of laughter seems to surface at the most inconvenient times.
This laugh may also be coupled with shifty eyes and an overall look of doom on the laugher’s face. Common laugh sound: “huh huh huh huh…huh..”

Silent Laughter
One of my personal m.o.’s of laughing. This happens when you laugh so hard no sound actually comes out. It’s like the laugh gets confused and forgets to come from the back of your throat.
When I really get going laughing I can stay silent and hunched over for up to a minute! Well, I haven’t actually timed it out, but I’m pretty sure I could!
Another form of silent laughter is when you think something is really funny, but you know you can’t laugh (or else be deemed with inappropriate laughter). It’s usually at the expense of others.
This laughter stays lodged inside of your brain and you hear it loudly in your head. It may sound something like, “Ha! I’m glad you’re out of the competition now I can win! Ha!”

Teasing Laughter
Teasing laughter is the cousin of the ol’, “Nanna nanna boo boo!” This type of laughter is not the kind of laughter you usually like to hear.
Nelson, the bully character on the long-running animated series, The Simpsons has one of the most menacing, taunting laughs. He’s always too eager to add his trademark, “ha ha!” at the sight of another’s ill fortune.

6 types of smiles humans use

 
Sydney, Oct 22 (ANI): In a new study, researchers have identified six different types of smiles. 
 Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley, Emiliana Simon-Thomas, a neuroscientist and Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor, have described the smiles and their distinctive characteristics. 
 The Duchenne smile, a genuine grin, it's named for 19th-century French scientist Duchenne de Boulogne, whose name is associated with a form of muscular dystrophy. 
The flirty, coy smile, often, the person looks out of the corner of the eyes, head turned and the amused smile, it comes with the chortle after a good joke, with the head thrown back. 
While those three expressions obviously convey signals to other people, Simon-Thomas said they're essentially "self-oriented." "If you're making one of these smiles, you don't necessarily want to approach the other person to meet their needs," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted her as saying. 
Contrast that with three kinds of 'pro-social smiles' that convey a desire to bond, there is, the love smile, often with a tilted head and softened eyes, the interested smile, with raised eyebrows and a slight grin and the embarrassed smile, sometimes with the eyes cast downward. "The love smile is about embracing and caring, which we think is really different from the coy smile, which is more about getting sexual pleasure," Simon-Thomas added.

Tension and Cluster Headaches

 

 

Tension headache


Tension headaches, which were recently renamed tension type headaches by the International Headache Society, are the most common type of headaches.

The pain can radiate from the neck, back, eyes, or other muscle groups in the body.
Nearly everyone will have at least one tension headache in their lifetime.

Cluster headache

Cluster headaches are rare, extremely painful and debilitating headaches that occur in groups or clusters.


Cluster headache sufferers typically experience severe headaches of a piercing quality near one eye or temple that last for fifteen minutes to three hours.
The headaches are usually unilateral and occasionally change sides.
Cluster headaches are classified as vascular headaches.
The intense pain is caused by the dilation of blood vessels which creates pressure on the trigeminal nerve.

 Cluster headaches often go undiagnosed for many years, being confused with migraine or other causes of headache.

Color Meanings



  • Red: represents danger, warning, or error, but also warmth, love, passion, and intense emotion. Can also symbolize bravery, war, or blood. Some studies have shown it to stimulate appetite (which is why there's so much red at McDonald's restaurants) and improve accuracy on certain tasks.
  • Pink: the lighter shade of red represents love and romance, as well as femininity. Pink is generally considered to have a calming effect.
  • Yellow: this bright, attention-getting color is seen as a sunny, happy color, yet studies have also shown, paradoxically, that prolonged exposure to it can make adults lose their tempers and babies cry. Yellow is also the most fatiguing color to the eye.
  • Blue: seen as having a calming effect. Darker shades of blue (as in police uniforms and business suits) may suggest reliability and security. The color is also often associated with sadness. Studies suggest that the color blue can increase productivity and creativity, and may actually lower body temperature and pulse rate.
  • Orange: being a combination of yellow and red, orange is also a warm, stimulating and attention-getting color.
  • Brown: darker shades of red, yellow and orange are warm, but less stimulating. These earthy colors can suggest strength and security.
  • Green: a combination of blue and yellow, this color is generally a physically soothing color that may simultaneously produce an emotional lift. Green is the color most associated with nature, and sometimes signifies good luck or money (which may be why at its extreme, green is associated with envy).
  • Purple: associated with royalty, wealth, and luxury, as well as spirituality and wisdom. Purple can seem exotic, but sometimes overly so. In some instances purple can appear out of place or even artificial.
  • White: represents purity, innocence, and goodness (the good guy is the one in the white hat). White makes a room seem brighter and more spacious, but too much white can have a sterile, cold effect.
  • Black: represents death, mourning, and evil (think Darth Vader), but also sophistication, as in formal wear, and authority, as in a judge's robe.
  • Gray: literally a "middle-of-the-road" color, gray is a practical, timeless color, but also dull or even depressing when used in excess. Gray causes the least eye fatigue of any color.