Noise Induce Hearing Loss (NIHL) has become a real concern for people of all ages in the last few years. According to www.myhearinghealth.com, NIHL is the number one cause of hearing loss in our society today, affecting over 36 million Americans – a figure that is expected to grow by 52% in the next 25 years.
Since the advent of the ubiquitous iPod, and now cell phones that allow users to plug in and listen to their favorite music, audiologists are worried that the incidence of hearing loss is rising.
Experts agree that sustained sound levels above 85 decibels (db) can cause permanent hearing loss. You may be asking how loud 85 decibels really is. Well, in reality, 85 decibels is a fairly low level of sound when you consider that most conversations are around 60 decibels. A truck rumbling by will produce sound levels around 80 – 90 decibels, and a rock concert generally measures in at 110 db.
Many blame the iPod’s earbuds for creating hearing problems as they plug directly into the user’s ear. However, physicians blame the high sound level produced by portable music players for NIHL. IPod’s sold in the can currently reach a decibel level of 120 – equivalent to a 747 jet during takeoff.
Recently, a man from Louisiana has sued Apple for producing a product that has the potential to damage one’s hearing. Although the outcome of this suit has yet to be determined, Apple has already responded by producing a downloadable program for its fifth generation iPods that will limit the maximum volume to 100 decibels.
Often, iPod users use their music to drown out the surrounding ambient noise – such as traffic and conversations. However, using your music to block out these other distractions may contribute to permanent hearing loss. A better solution to blocking out these noises is to use noise canceling headphones; those that block ambient noise without the need to crank the volume.
Many of us have already permanently damaged our hearing by going to loud house parties, bars, concerts, or simply by mowing the lawn. One telltale sign of damaged hearing is a ringing in the ears following exposure to loud noises. If you find yourself needing to constantly turn up the volume to enjoy your music, you’ve already experienced some degree of hearing loss.
There are several measures that you can take to prevent future hearing loss. One includes monitoring the volume at which you listen to your portable music player. Additionally, you can limit the time you spend listening to your music. Durations less than one hour decrease your risk of damaged hearing. The next time you go to a concert, consider bringing earplugs to help block out the extra 25 decibels of sound
that can cause permanent damage. Finally, consider purchasing a set of headphones that cancel out surrounding noise. These will allow you to enjoy your music without needing to adjust the volume to block out ambient sound.
A final suggestion to those who use portable music devices – if others around you can hear the music that you’re listening to, the sound level is far too high. Turn it down a bit, and enjoy hearing for a lifetime.
Within the last two months, The Board of Health made New York City the first major metropolitan city in the nation to ban artificial hydrogenated oil (trans fat) from all restaurants. This ban will encompass all food serving business – from bakeries to major chains.
The Board of Health initiated the ban on trans fat to help promote healthier citizens. Many health officials believe trans fats to be equally unhealthy as smoking, and even unhealthier than saturated fat. Although this ban comes as a relief to many who enjoy
healthier eating options when dining out, restaurant owners throughout the city are furious that legislators have banned this oil. Dan Flesher, spokesperson for the National Restaurant Association says “we don’t think that a municipal health agency has any business banning a product the Food and Drug Administration has already approved.”
In the wake of the trans fat ban in NYC, many of the nation’s leading fast food chains have voluntarily opted to go trans fat free. Some of the most notable chains include Wendy’s, Taco Bell, KFC, and McDonald’s; with Burger King following suit later this year. Despite the prevalence of trans fat in these restaurants’ menus, they all claim that customers will not notice a difference in taste when new oils are used to cook their food.
Trans fat is created industrially when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil in a process known as hydrogenation – hence hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. The process of hydrogenation allows foods containing these oils to maintain a longer shelf life while keeping a consistent flavor. Hydrogenated oils are found in many common baking ingredients such as shortening and margarine. In turn, many of the foods that we enjoy so much: pizza, cookies, and crackers all contain this unhealthy fat.
Although the average American consumes much more saturated fat in his or her diet, the amount of trans fat consumed every year is still shocking. The FDA estimates that most Americans consume roughly 4.7 pounds of trans fat yearly.
This staggering amount equates to extremely unhealthy consequences to our bodies. Trans fat is thought to lower the good cholesterol in our bodies (high density lipoprotein or HDL), while simultaneously raising levels of bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein or LDL). Medical researchers believe HDL to be responsible for
moving cholesterol deposits away from the heart which could potentially prevent a deadly heart attack. LDL on the other hand is responsible for accumulating in arteries that supply the heart and brain. When combined with other substances in the blood, a plaque like substance will form on the linings of arteries. Over time, this plaque can limit or completely cut blood flow to the heart, resulting in a heart attack.
New York City is pioneering the way to healthier eateries with other large cities nation wide following suit. Cities such as Chicago and Philidelphia are considering similar bans on hydrogenated oils. Eventually, there will be a nationwide ban on trans fat – hopefully benefiting the entire country.
In the midst of the cold and flu season, many turn to herbal supplements to help ward
off illness. Echinacea is an increasingly popular natural option to those who are seeking to prevent possible symptoms, or lessen the severity of a cold or flu.
Echinacea is thought to strengthen the body’s immune system by stimulating cellular respiration and lymphocyte activity. So what does this mean to you? It means that you could possibly prevent an infection, or shorten the duration of your cold or flu.
Echinacea is derived from the common coneflower which is native to the North American plains. Native Americans were the first to use Echinacea
treatment for a variety of ailments. Now, Echinacea is one of the top selling herbal supplements in the . You can find Echinacea at most drug stores such as Walgreens, or in the medicine isle at Target, Wal-Mart, or Woodman’s. A bottle of 150 tablets will only cost a few dollars. as a medicinal
So, you may be thrilled that you could easily kick the common cold or flu. However, you may be disappointed to learn that Echinacea may not live up to the hype as a cure all remedy. Medical researchers and physicians are unsure of the actual effectiveness. According to The New England Journal of medicine, Echinacea “neither prevented nor eased
cold symptoms in a large and rigorous study.” Other extensive research supports these findings, noting that patients receiving placebo pills showed the same severity of symptoms as those who received Echinacea.
When trying to fight a cold this year, Echinacea may or may not be the home remedy for you. Although the effectiveness has been limited in clinical studies, millions of Americans take this herbal supplement daily. The bottom line: Echinacea is a relatively inexpensive product that may help alleviate your cold symptoms this fall and winter. It is affordable enough to give it a shot to see if it works for you.
Recently, a female astronaut was arrested ad charged with attempted murder and kidnapping charges. Astronaut Lisa Nowak reportedly attacked and tried to kidnap a woman believed to be the romantic partner of fellow astronaut William Oefelein. Nowak, who is 43 with a husband and three children, was completely infatuated with Oefelein. In order to seek vengence on the woman reportedly seeing Oefelein, Nowak drove more than 900 miles from Houston to
Orlando Florida. During the trip, Nowak wore diapers in order to avoid bathroom stops along the way; she also wore a wig and trench-coat. Once in Orlando, Nowark "stealthily stalked" the woman - following the woman to her car and then reportedly spraying some sort of chemical into the car - most likely pepper spray. The victim sped off in her car to avoid further attack, eventually calling the cops. When police arrested Nowak, they found several dangerous items: a bb gun, knife, rubber tubing, a steel mallet, and pepper spray.
What ever happened to the idea of our astronauts being the best of the best and roll models for youngsters across the world? Please visit msnbc's .science editors blog for more insight, and a link to the full story.
Many of us have woken up in the morning following a night of heavy partying feeling absolutely horrible (myself included...unfortunately too many times). Yep, it’s a nasty hangover resulting from indulging in too much alcohol.
Hangovers can render you completely useless for an entire day as you reel in the pain of that pounding headache, upset stomach, and spinning room - generally stated as feeling like crap.
There are seemingly countless urban myths regarding hangover remedies. Asking my friends, parents, and other students from classes about their own hangover cures, I was given responses varying from eating greasy foods (i.e. Taco Bell and Little Caesars, The Spot) to drinking a Bloody Mary the next morning.
While a Bloody Mary or a pepperoni pizza from Little Caesars may be delicious, they offer little in the way of soothing a pounding headache or a sour stomach. In order to find a better solution to those “morning after blues,” it is beneficial to understand what causes a hangover.
When we drink alcohol, several changes happen within our bodies. Alcohol is a poison; thus, our bodies need to dilute the alcohol before it causes severe problems. Your liver takes on the role of the primary alcohol filter, with the stomach and kidneys assisting. The liver, stomach, and kidneys require water to dilute alcohol, which eventually dehydrates the body. It is also important to know that alcohol is a diuretic, which is the reason you have to run to the bathroom every thirty minutes. This frequent urination also greatly contributes to the dehydration of the body.
So, in reality dehydration is the main factor in causing a hangover. The lack of water in your system after a night of drinking is the reason you feel like doing nothing but sleep all day.
There are several methods that will really help you feel better after last night’s radical party. Drinking within limits is an excellent way for you to avoid a hangover the next morning. Additionally, drinking water throughout the night will also help the body replenish the fluids it is losing to urination and filtration. Finally, consuming large amounts of water or Gatorade in the morning will help to kick that hangover faster so you can get on with your day.
Of course, the one method to completely prevent a hangover in the morning is to simply abstain from consuming alcohol.
Despite what you’ve heard about a cheeseburger and its ability to cure a hangover, or munching on Tums during the night, you are much better off consuming water at the end of your night of partying. As a final reminder, if you do choose to drink, please do so responsibly to ensure a safe and enjoyable time for yourself and others around you - you'll also be able to prevent yourself from looking like this guy!
Today I wanted to write about Sea Launch. I have personal connections to this company, as a close family member of mine is an assistant launch director for Sea Launch. Please read on to learn more about this amazing company and their recent unfortunate catastrophe.
Sea Launch Company LLC is a division of Boeing which launches commercial satellites - from the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Based out of Long Beach California, Sea Launch is an international operation consisting of American, Russian, Ukrainian and Norwegian partners. Seven years since its inception in 1995, Sea Launch has successfully put 21 satellites into orbit. These satellites serve to provide communication, internet, radio, and television possibilities (to name a few) to countries across the globe. Some of the more recognizable customers of Sea Launch are Direct TV and XM Radio.
Launching from the equator in the middle of the allows Sea Launch to achieve different geosynchronous orbits than other land-based operations. Additionally, the equatorial launch location provides the most direct and efficient means of placing heavy and extended lifetime spacecraft into orbit. In order to reach their destination in the Pacific, Sea Launch utilizes two vessels. The command ship (ACS), which serves as a floating rocket assembly plant while at port, also transports all essential crew-members to the launch site, finally serves as mission control during launch procedures. This massive ship (660 feet in length, 106 feet wide, 240 person capacity) is a specially designed vessel that allows Sea Launch to assemble rocket and satellite components.
The other vehicle (LP) is the launch platform itself. “The vessel is one of the largest semi-submersible, self-propelled vessels in the world at 436 feet long, about 220 wide, with an empty draft displacement of 30,000 tons, and a submerged draft displacement of 50,600 tons. The Launch Platform provides accommodations for 68 crew and launch system personnel—including living, dining, medical and recreation facilities. It is equipped with a large, environmentally controlled hangar for storage of the Sea Launch rocket during transit, and with mobile transporter/erector equipment that is used to roll out and erect the rocket in launch position prior to fueling and launch. Special facilities onboard enable the storage of rocket fuels (kerosene and liquid oxygen) sufficient for each mission” (http://www.boeing.com/special/sea-launch/slfacilities.htm). Despite the amazing success and consistency that Sea Launch has enjoyed (more than 20 completed missions), during the last launch on January 30, 2007, an unexpected catastrophe occurred. As the T-Minus count reached zero, and the rocket ignited for lift off, an undetermined anomaly occurred. The rocket fired, but failed to lift off of the platform, eventually fell onto the launch deck and subsequently exploded. The LP was engulfed in an enormous fireball as the liquid propellants instantly ignited. Luckily, all crewmembers were safely accounted for after the blast. Safety protocol mandates that the launch platform is evacuated during the launch with the command ship located a safe three mile distance from the launch site. At this time, the cause for the failure has yet to be determined. However, a review commission has been formed to analyze the event. Despite the enormous explosion, the LP remained relatively undamaged and is operating under its own power. Both the command ship and launch platform are currently traveling back to homeport in Long Beach California.
It's difficult to appreciate the size of these vessels through pictures alone. The rocket itself is roughly 14 feet in diameter and 200 feet in length (that's 50 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty). Additionally, the rocket has enough power to lift more than 13,000 pounds of payload into orbit.
For more information and technical specifications about Sea Launch, please visit their website at http://www.sea-launch.com/.
Hi everyone, and welcome to my blog. I have decided to create a blog about recent scientific breakthroughs, science in the news, and the importance of science in our culture. Hopefully, I'll be able to share some of my knowledge about the scientific community in a way that's interesting and possibly insightful. Please feel free to leave your comments about my posts.
By the way, I realize that this video isn't really scientific, but I wanted to add something interactive to my first post.
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krobby said:
[this is good]I have seen the "hangover" pills and on the box it states that in order for them to work you... read more
on The Science of Hangovers -
alliekolbe said:
There's this stuff called emergen-C, and even though people use it for colds it also works for hangovers. If you... read more
on The Science of Hangovers -
alliekolbe said:
This is hilarious. I used to want to be an astronaut... but clearly this profession turns you PSYCHO. I've changed... read more
on Astronaut Love Scandal -
Athena said:
I think this situation proves that there are cracks in the systems. Of course, according to NASA, there are series... read more
on Astronaut Love Scandal
This was really interesting. I literally just turned my ipod down after reading this, and then looked around to make... read more
on Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)