Science & Health – Page 5 – The Daily Opinion

Did Dinosaur Farts Cause Global Warming?

It seems strange to be talking about heating the world on your own, but there may be something to it as another group of animal has already managed to do it: the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs supposedly managed to heat the planet through their flatulence.

The Liverpool John Moore’s University, the University of London and the University of Glasgow came together to carry out a study on this, and they published their results in the science journal Current Biology.

They investigated the wind output of the cows of today, came up with a figure, and then scaled it up to match the Sauropods from millions of years ago. For those not in the know, Sauropods are the type of dinosaurs with long necks, large bodies, and small heads; just think of the brontosaurus.

They then compared the output of one Sauropod and scaled it up to match the estimated population of the dinosaurs. This then led to their final figure that the dinosaur population produced a massive 520 million tonnes of gas each year; which is handy for heating the world.

This may seem like a massive figure, but what we have to remember is that these animals were simply gigantic. They were taller than most of our buildings and the tops of trees could barely reach a Sauropod’s shoulders.

But why do these gases supposedly heat up the earth?

The answer is that whilst the gas produced from one’s rear-end is filled with many things, it also contains traces of methane. And methane is a greenhouse gas that heats up the earth. If you have lots of this then, in theory, the whole planet can be heated up by a population of dinosaurs. And its effects are well-documented as the Earth was supposedly ten degrees Celsius hotter than it is today, previous studies demonstrated, even if they didn’t know exactly why this was the case.

Furthermore, what we have to remember is that livestock and its methane emissions have been shown to have an impact on the global temperature. Granted, it pales in comparison to the impact that humans and their technology have on the environment, but it’s still there.

520 million tonnes a year is what they produced back then, and an estimated 500 million tonnes are what we have now. This may seem like there was very little difference between the two, however the difference is in who is producing it. The 520 million tonnes came purely from the dinosaurs themselves, whereas the 500 million tonnes is from everything currently on the earth. This can only mean that there would have been millions and millions more tonnes of unaccounted emissions in the time of the dinosaurs.

Obviously technology isn’t the only method used when heating the world. There are going to be more questions than ever now, though. If the dinosaurs could eclipse our emissions with all our technology then surely the potential impact of global warming isn’t as large as we initially feared? Perhaps there really is something to the argument that the current weather patterns are only as a result of the natural environment cycle of the Earth?

Schools Put Girls Off Playing Sports

No, it’s not because they would much rather be making their man a sandwich in the kitchen, it’s because of their treatment at an early age. I think that all of us will remember those old-fashioned PE lessons where some old man/woman who obviously couldn’t teach would scream and yell things at the fat kids because they couldn’t bench press one of their peers over the banister of the stairs. And this is apparently what has put many girls off of sport.

The research carried out by Loughborough University measured the differences in attitudes to sport between girls and boys. The figures showed that around 60% of girls and boys aged eight did at least five hours of exercise each week.

However, for 14-year-old girls this had been halved down to 31%, whereas 50% of 14-year-old boys completed at least five hours of exercise a week. In other words, this means that girls are generally being put off sport by the time they reach the middle of their high school education.

Common complaints included things like many girls weren’t confident of their sporting ability in PE lessons, they didn’t like exercising in front of boys, and they felt that teachers generally didn’t pay attention to those with less sporting ability.

All of these things are valid complaints as we all know that those who are useless at the conventional sports, such as hockey and football, are going to be laughed at by their peers. This only leads to a lack of self-confidence and a reduction in their desire to continue with sports of any kind.

Let’s look at another complaint. They don’t like exercising in front of boys. In the past this wouldn’t be a problem as being a gentleman was more of the done thing. That doesn’t happen now because now you have sex-charged maniacs who think that it’s ok to sexually harass members of the female gender. I’m not talking about rape or anything physical, I’m talking about the verbal abuse and the other comments that girls all around the world, and of all ages, have to put up with on a near daily basis.

And finally, the fact that teachers generally won’t pay attention to those girls who are no good at sport is something that has persisted for generations. The only way many of these teachers can motivate those who are not interested is to scream at them, and that only pushes them further away. The solution to this problem is that you need to find teachers who can actually teach PE lessons, as screaming is the sign of a teacher who can’t teach without descending to the motivational techniques of the white supremacist who drives a vehicle to work which runs off the bodies and broken dreams of an African-American family.

Screaming teacher — WHICH PART OF NON-STOP 16 MILE RUN DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!?!

As the research suggests, people need to accept that not everybody is interested in competitive sports. But it’s still important to remain as fit as possible, and this doesn’t have to come as a result of competitive sports. Walking, cycling, and dance classes are all perfectly valid forms of exercise.

Moving away from the main point, though, I will admit that the reduction in the number of people carrying out regular exercise is going to be partially down to the fact that our society isn’t one that encourages physical activity. Most of the technical advances of the last 30 years have been great, but they have also been simultaneously directing people towards doing less physically.

So all of this can’t be put at the feet of what happens in schools.

Tobacco Control Scotland Admits There Are No Real Deaths From Tobacco

The chairman of The International Coalition Against Prohibition (TICAP), Bill Gibson, filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act regarding deaths from smoking and second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure.The requested information was:

a)      All information on the actual number of adult smokers in Scotland for the years 2005 -2009 and the      source of the information, each years total to be shown.
b)      All information on the smoking cessation rates in Scotland for the years 2005-2009 and the source of    the information, each years total to be shown.
c)     All information on how the smoking cessation rates were calculated.
d)      All information on actual deaths in Scotland attributable to Second Hand Smoke otherwise known as       “Passive Smoking” , “Sidestream         Smoke” or “Environmental Tobacco Smoke” from the years 2000 –   2009
e)      All information held on “Third Hand Smoke”.

(For those unfamiliar with the term, third hand smoke is the smell left on a smoker or in a room that has had smoking occur in it. More information can be found here).

For years it has been asserted by those in the pro-choice movement that the deaths attributed to smoking are essentially fabricated – there are no real bodies that have been counted, but rather the estimated figures are created through a certain set of paradigms, from computer programs to dubious classifications – such as lumping any death of a smoker as a ‘smoking-related death’.

The FOI response went a long way in officially validating this, by saying that “We hold no information about actual deaths due to passive smoking. It is not possible to give precise figures on deaths resulting from tobacco use. However, it is estimated that each year more than 13,000 people in Scotland die from smoking-related diseases”.

And of course, by defining certain illnesses as smoking-related ones, there is a lot of room for manouevere to classify any of those deaths as a result of smoking. The FOI response further explained that “The numbers of deaths attributed to passive smoking are primarily estimated from studies comparing the rates of deaths due to smoking attributable diseases among similar people who have not had such exposure.” Or, in other words, using the wholly unscientific method of turning statistics and mathematical figures into real-life dead bodies. Which, of course, is not the way the world works.

This also leads to the questions: Is a full-scale war against smokers warranted when the only supporting evidence is hypothetical numbers generated from even more estimated numbers? If policy-makers are confident enough that smoking kills enough people to all but prohibit it, where are all the bodies?

The “Healthy Beauty” of Coconut Oil

The Health Side

Coconut oil is widely spread in the tropical continents of our world, but not widely spread in the Western world. Coconut oil originates from the kernel of mature coconuts. It is commonly used as a cooking oil in the tropics due to its stability to heat and its low unsaturated fat levels. It is known to be the best cooking oil for health benefits. Coconut oil is so vast in what it treats, including the list below:

Maintaining cholesterol levels
Weight loss
Increased immunity
Proper Digestion & Metabolism
Helps kidney problems
Helps with heart disease
Maintaining high blood pressure
Helping control diabetes
Helps with HIV
Helps with Cancer
Helps maintain bone health
Excellent for dental care
Helps stress

The benefits are attributed to the lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid present in Coconut oil. It also contains antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and soothing properties. Lauric acid in particular is used by our body in dealing with viruses and bacteria that cause harmful germs and diseases such as those above and common influenza; it also helps in the process of fighting the harmful bacteriums. Scientific research has been done on coconut oil’s health benefits and it is commonly used in alternative medicine and traditional Indian medicine. Coconout oil also contains vitamin K and minerals such as iron, which play their own way in our bodies.

The Beauty Side

Coconut oil doesn’t just treat us on the inside but also on the outside. It can be used topically on skin for cuts, grazes, burns and dry or rough skin. An excellent way to use coconut oil is on your hair! It makes an excellent pre-shower moisturiser on your hair or even used as a shampoo or conditioner. Because of its naturalness and a total lack of additives or harmful chemicals, it is a great method for healthy hair! Coconut oil can also be used as a shower gel because it has no harmful chemicals in it, so it makes a great natural alternative. It is so nutritious that it also helps with hair growth and providing a shiny complexion. When using coconut oil on your hair you should regularly massage your scalp with the oil and gradually run it through the full length of your hair. Massaging in into your scalp also gives the benefit of dandruff and lice-free hair. I get people often asking me when I tell them to use coconut oil if they can use it for their “hair type” and I reply saying how any hair type can use it; however, people with damaged hair or short hair would benefit mostly from it. This is because coconut oil contains the vital proteins needed for nourishing damaged hair and helping to grow short hair. In the Indian culture, coconut oil is commonly used as an after-washing product and, well, I don’t need to tell you how amazing their long black hair looks! As for a more in-depth look into the skin care side of coconut oil, its best benefit in this area is in preventing premature aging! It is also extremely handy to have in for skin infections, cuts and grazes. Because it is anti-fungal, antibacterial and has soothing properties it works a treat! It also helps in controlling and preventing wrinkles and sagginess of the skin. Don’t believe me? Try it yourself! Research it further!

A basic introduction to Yoga.

Yoga is a philosophy that thrived in the lives of our ancient ancestors, why you ask? Because Yoga not only clears the mind and makes our body stronger, but it also has so many health benefits! Yoga combines exercise, relaxation, meditation and breathing. It plays a vital role in the Mental and Psychical realms of our bodies, which helps guide us to self-realisation. It takes into account the relationships between our body, mind and health using our movements and posture.
There is no easy way to start to learn Yoga; it’s about finding you, finding your boundaries and limits. Learning to overcome your fears and your limitations is the greatest way to build your Yoga Lifestyle. The best method for beginners starting out Yoga is to train their mind into the Yoga Lifestyle by integrating themselves and traits into it and thus putting themselves in control of our minds; the outcome brings holistic effects, self-realisation, self-awareness, health benefits and a new attitude towards life. One cannot change their life without opening their mind to new things, new beginnings and realising their own potential. This is exactly what Yoga is all about!
The practice itself takes some getting used to; it can be low impact to high impact. Yoga is like a wonder practice; it can be adapted to each individual person and their uniqueness and can be tailored around their level of fitness or state of mind. Everyone can learn and develop in Yoga, which is why it’s so beautiful. To delve further down the rabbit hole the health benefits for the physical, mental and spiritual are so vast that one can feel the outcomes immediately. Each different pose has a different health benefit, whether it is beneficial for your kidneys or bowels or just for basic breathing.
Not only does yoga benefit our organs and body, but also our stamina, strength and to tone our core muscles. When we breathe in during Yoga slowly and deeply, we make more oxygen circulate through our bloodstream. Yoga is an exercise in itself, which causes our cells to be fed a fresh supply of vital nutrients and oxygen which is vital for our bodies, thus this increases energy, vitality and flexibility. Yoga can help a wide range of ailments such as asthma, depression, stress, menstrual problems and lactic acid build-up on our muscles. Some of the ailments that Yoga cures are age-related rheumatism, osteoporosis and arthritis.
However, everyone should bear in mind that Yoga is not a sole cure. One should adapt a good lifestyle and healthy eating to feel the benefits best. Even if people make Yoga a small part of their life it will be beneficial! When one starts to dabble in Yoga it becomes a necessity and a way of life. It’s like the missing key: it opens up your body to a world of new beginnings and no limitations. Yoga is for everyone so start now and push yourself and open up your awareness to your mentality, spirituality and physical body.

The Philips Light bulb: A 20-Year Idea

When somebody has an idea a light bulb bursts into life above their heads so everybody knows about it. Ok, not really, but what if we could create a light bulb that lasts for 20 years? Think about it, if you had a 20-year light bulb for every room in the house then by the time you have to replace it your kids will have left home. And that’s one less task to be dealing with.

But the future is already here because a 20-year light bulb has gone into production in America. The Dutch electronics giant Philips is the creator of this and has set its new invention for release on Earth Day. It was originally created as an entry for the Bright Tomorrow competition, which aimed to find an alternative to the 60-watt lights that will be phased out in America by 2014, and are already completely out of production in Europe.

The bulb is a change from your normal source of light, though, because it doesn’t use any filaments. Instead, it uses light-emitting diodes (LED) to light up a room. And it’s these LEDs that have created the long-lasting qualities and hefty price tag associated with this bulb.

In America you can expect to fork out the equivalent of £37 for one of these bulbs. Even though it seems to be quite hefty, it’s probably a good idea in the long-run because you have to remember that it’s £37 for 20 years. Now that’s good value.

And yes, I can already hear many people commenting on the fact that new bulbs in general tend to have very cold and sterile glows. But this 20-year light bulb was created to keep the warm glow and be more energy efficient.

The only issue is that we’re not sure how well this is going to go down with an average person as the only reason Philips won was because it was the only entrant in the competition. So really it won by default.

On a side note, I’m not sure whether the fact that it was the only entry means that Philips is the only firm capable of creating this sort of device or whether it’s just because most people couldn’t care less. I sincerely hope that it’s the former.

Nevertheless, if it works then expect to see these LED bulbs in houses all around the world quite soon. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t demonstrate the very worst of a cold and heartless modern world.