Day: 11/26/2015

Facebook affects stress hormone levels in adolescents

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Facebook use can both spike and regulate the levels of stress hormone cortisol in teenagers, finds a new study by researchers at University of Montreal, Canada.

Having more than 300 Facebook friends increased teenagers’ levels of cortisol, the study found.

Facebook

On the other hand, teenagers who act in ways that support their Facebook friends – for example, by liking what they posted or sending them words of encouragement – decreased their levels of cortisol, Techvibes.com reported.

“While other important external factors are also responsible, we estimated that the isolated effect of Facebook on cortisol was around eight percent,a said lead researcher professor Sonia Lupien.

Participants were asked about their frequency of use of Facebook, their number of friends on the social media site, their self-promoting behaviour, and finally, the supporting behaviour they displayed toward their friends.

Along with these four measures, the team collected cortisol samples of the participating adolescents.

“We were able to show that beyond 300 Facebook friends, adolescents showed higher cortisol levels,” Lupien added.

None of the adolescents suffered from depression at the time of the study.

“We did not observe depression in our participants. However, adolescents who present high stress hormone levels do not become depressed immediately. It can occur later on,” Lupien said.

NASA’s Says Indian Scientist’s Theory Is Correct, Black Holes Don’t Really Exist

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American space agency, the NASA had recently observed flares of X-rays from a black hole, which goes against the conventional notion that they are compact particles  with such huge gravity that even light can’t escape.

NASA

Last month NASA announced that two of its space telescopes caught a huge burst of X-ray spewing out of a super massive black hole.

These flairs appeared to be be triggered by the eruption of a charged particle from the black hole, which according to conventional belief doesn’t let anything out.

The latest findings are in accordance with the theory of  Indian astrophysicist Abhas Mitra who had theorized that the black holes are actually ultra hot balls of fire like our Sun.

NASA

Mitra was earlier the  head of theoretical astrophysics at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre  in Mumbai and currently Adjunct Professor at the Homi Bhabha National Institute.

“Gas streams pulled inward by gravity get extremely hot by friction and may radiate X-rays,” he explains his theory on black holes.

Last year even famed British physicist Stephen Hawking contradicts his own theory and says that Black Holes in the real sense do not actually exist.

NASA

According to scientists a black hole is formed when a star reaches the end of its life cycle. After a black hole has formed, it can continue to grow by absorbing mass from its surroundings. By absorbing other stars and merging with other black holes, supermassive black holes of millions of solar masses  may form.

Taking LSD for breakfast ‘can cure anxiety and insomnia’ | Metro News

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Taking LSD for breakfast ‘can cure anxiety and insomnia’
Taking LSD for breakfast ‘can cure anxiety and headaches’ 

It’s breakfast time. Would you rather A) have a cup of tea, or B) take the powerful hallucinogen which inspired most of the freakiest music of the Sixties?

If you answered B) you’re in good company.

A growing movement of people are ‘microdosing’ LSD in the morning – taking 10-15 micrograms, instead of the larger doses used for drug trips – and claim that it can cure anxiety and insomnia.

Psychedelics researcher Dr James Fadiman – who worked with LSD until it was banned until 1966 – said, ‘People do it and they’re eating better, sleeping better, they’re often returning to exercise or yoga or meditation. It’s as if messages are passing through their body more easily.

Fadiman told Vice, ‘This is total guesswork, but so many different conditions that I’ve seen are improved, it looks like it rebalances those pistons which are not in balance.

‘This may be in your central nervous system, it may be the brain stem, it may be that it’s improving function of mitochondria. One woman who had painful, crampy periods started microdosing and when her period came, she had no problems.’

Fadiman has been sending out instruction sheets (not drugs) to people on how to ‘microdose’, and getting them to record their experiences.

Fadiman says, ‘But what many people are reporting is, at the end of the day, they say, ‘That was a really good day.’ You know, that kind of day when things kind of work.

‘You’re doing a task you normally couldn’t stand for two hours, but you do it for three or four. You eat properly. Maybe you do one more set of reps. Just a good day. That seems to be what we’re discovering.’

In Fadiman’s book, a user named “Madeline” offered this report: ‘Microdosing of 10 to 20 micrograms (of LSD) allow me to increase my focus, open my heart, and achieve breakthrough results while remaining integrated within my routine. My wit, response time, and visual and mental acuity seem greater than normal on it.’

How to overcome depression without anti-depressants

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Depression affects an estimated 14.6 million American citizens. It is typically described as a chemical imbalance in the brain that requires outside assistance, in the same way a heart with an irregular beat requires a pacemaker. As a corollary, many Americans resort to anti-depressants to treat their “mental disorder.”

The problem is, doctors do not have a biological understanding of the mind the same way they have a biological understanding of the heart. Consequently, anti-depressants produce more side effects than cures, which, in turn, requires more drugs to counter balance. In many cases, these side effects actually worsen depression. In other cases, anti-depressants merely numb, rather than treat the underlying problem. It’s a rabbit hole down Big Pharma Avenue.

Depression is so widely defined that nearly everyone qualifies as clinically depressed. This isn’t to say depression is a myth. We all experience blue spells from time to time. But just because you are experiencing a blue spell doesn’t mean you need a blue pill. Here are a few ways to, as the American actress Judy Garland used to sing, “forget your troubles, come on get happy.”

Exercise: Exercise is extremely important when it comes to uplifting your mood. In animal studies, exercise increases the secretion of happy feeling chemicals like serotonin. Some forward thinking agencies have even gone so far as to prescribe exercise, rather than anti-depressants, as a treatment for mild depression.

Charity work: Depressed people are fixated on their problems. Charity work is a great way to see your problems in a new light, from the point of view of the universe. Instead of focusing on your problems, your attention is focused on the problems of other people. Plus, charity work helps you get out of the house, make social connections and feel good in general. Studies have shown that volunteering gives people a deep sense of happiness.

Eat healthy: Depression is believed to be a chemical imbalance. This so-called chemical imbalance may be a product of a poor nutrition. In other words, a depressed mind is a mind deprived of vitamins. To ensure that you are getting your daily vitamin intake, make sure to eat a well-rounded diet consisting of whole foods, mostly plants, consumed in moderation.

Multivitamins are another way to ensure you get your daily vitamin intake. Don’t make multivitamins your primary source of vitamins, however. The bulk of your daily vitamin intake should come from food. Also avoid depressants, like alcohol, which can exacerbate the symptoms of depression.

Get enough sleep: Sleep is essential to human well-being, along with food, water and shelter. Whenever humans are deprived of sleep, it drastically alter ours mood, mostly for the worse. Too little sleep can actually worsen depression. If you’re not getting a standard eight hours of sleep, change your routine. Consider removing distractions in your bedroom that prevent you from getting enough sleep, like your television and computer.

Set goals: Depressed people often feel hopeless. It becomes the focal point of their attention. If you’re depressed, it’s important to keep your mind focused on something other than how depressed you are. This can be achieved by making goals. Goals give you something to look forward to and combat the feeling of hopelessness. Your goals can start out small, such as promising yourself you will run every other day, and build up from there. Depressed thoughts occupy less mental space the more goals you have in mind.

There are instances when depression becomes so severe that outside help is needed. In most cases, however, depression is relatively mild and can be mitigated by some simple lifestyle changes. Even medical doctors who prescribe anti-depressants will recommend you take note of the listed suggestions. With these nuggets of wisdom in mind, you can keep depression out of mind.

Pranayama: Breathe your way to health, beauty & peace

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http://www.speakingtree.in/slideshow/pranayama-breathe-your-way-to-health-beauty-peace-241069

‘Prana’ refers to the universal life force and ‘ayama’ means to regulate or lengthen. Prana is the vital energy needed by our physical and subtle layers, without which the body would perish. It is what keeps us alive. Pranayama is the control of prana through the breath. One can control the rhythms of pranic energy with Pranayama and achieve healthy body and mind. It’s an exercise without spending energy, and relaxation without any stimulation.

New Botched episode sees woman who has slimmed down by 10 inches using corsets .

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  • Penny appears on tonight’s episode of Botched, to ask Los Angeles-based surgeons Dr Terry Dubrow and Dr Paul Nassif to fix scars on her breasts
  • Dr Dubrow says Penny has the ‘highest breast-to-waist ration’ he has ever seen in his career as a plastic surgeon
  • Penny tells the doctors she waist training had taken her stomach from 38 inches around to 28 inches
  • She also admits that she once got her waist down to 23 inches by wearing her corset for 23 hours a day  

A woman looking to have the scars removed from her massive breast implants has left two doctors shocked by her unhealthy obsession with waist training, after she revealed that wears her corset for more than 20 hours a day to keep her mid-section as tiny as possible.

On a preview for tonight’s episode of E! reality series Botched, Penny asks Los Angeles-based surgeons Dr Terry Dubrow and Dr Paul Nassif if they can remove the scarring from her massive breasts. However, the doctors seem far more concerned with the ridiculous proportions of her tiny waist in relation to her oversized breasts, which are filled with 2,530cc implants.

‘Penny has got the highest breast-to-waist ratio I’ve ever seen,’ Dr Dubrow tells the cameras.

Body medication: Penny, who has had two breast augmentations, asks Los Angeles-based surgeons Dr Terry Dubrow and Dr Paul Nassif to fix the scars on her breasts on tonight's episode of Botched 

Body medication: Penny, who has had two breast augmentations, asks Los Angeles-based surgeons Dr Terry Dubrow and Dr Paul Nassif to fix the scars on her breasts on tonight’s episode of Botched

Extreme measures: Penny says her waist trainer has helped her take her stomach from 38 inches around to 28 inches

Extreme measures: Penny says her waist trainer has helped her take her stomach from 38 inches around to 28 inches

Extreme measures: Penny says her waist trainer has helped her take her stomach from 38 inches around to 28 inches

During her consultation with the doctors, Penny explains that waist training helped her take her stomach from 38 inches in circumference to 28 inches. However, she notes that she once got her waist down to 23 inches by wearing her trainer for 23 hours a day.

While Penny maintains that she hasn’t had any physical issues as a result of her passion for waist training, Dr Nassif admits he isn’t a fan of the process.

‘I don’t like the idea of waist training,’ Dr Nassif tells the cameras. ‘I have read about so many complications in regards to lung problems, intestinal issues.’

Penny goes on to say that in order to keep her corset on with ease, she eats small meals regularly and cuts out spicy foods and carbonated beverages.

Taking it too far? Penny can be seen telling Dr Nassif (left) and Dr Dubrow (right) that she has stopped eating spicy foods or drinking carbonated beverages because of her waist training regimen 

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Taking it too far? Penny can be seen telling Dr Nassif (left) and Dr Dubrow (right) that she has stopped eating spicy foods or drinking carbonated beverages because of her waist training regimen

Frighteningly dedicated: The doctors are stunned when Penny admits that she once got her waist down to 23 inches by wearing her corset 23 hours a day

Frighteningly dedicated: The doctors are stunned when Penny admits that she once got her waist down to 23 inches by wearing her corset 23 hours a day

‘It’s like a lifestyle, but as long as you obey the rules of having squished organs…’ she adds.

And while Dr Dubrow isn’t necessarily against waist training in moderation, he tells the cameras that he thinks Penny has taken her obsession too far.

‘If you do it in a conservative way, I am not completely opposed to waist training, but Penny is an example of waist training that could go a little too far,’ he explains. ‘She could suffer some of the complications like displacement of the organs into your lungs.’

In another preview clip, Penny explains that she first fell in love with waist training when she was living on an American military base in Japan with her husband who is in the US Airforce.

Looking for a boost: Penny, who is pictured when she was younger, says she got her first breast augmentation when she was 23-years-old 

Looking for a boost: Penny, who is pictured when she was younger, says she got her first breast augmentation when she was 23-years-old

Wanting more: Penny says she barely noticed a difference in the size or shape of her breasts after her surgeons gave her 800cc implants (pictured) 

Wanting more: Penny says she barely noticed a difference in the size or shape of her breasts after her surgeons gave her 800cc implants (pictured)

When he was deployed, she says she became ‘kind of depressed’ and one day she had the idea to take photos of herself to send to him.

‘When I first put on my corset, I was the heaviest weight I had ever been and something serendipitous just kind of happened,’ she recalls. It just fit me so perfectly. It felt so comforting and yeah I just kind of didn’t take it off.’

Penny notes that corsets are a form of body modification, which is something she enjoys.

‘You make yourself into a piece of art,’ she adds.

And while the doctors appear to be concerned about her health, Penny tells the cameras that ‘corsetry doesn’t really do anything to your body that being pregnant doesn’t automatically do’.

Go big or go home: Penny decided to have a second surgery and told her surgeon to put in the largest size implants that he felt were safe for her body 

Go big or go home: Penny decided to have a second surgery and told her surgeon to put in the largest size implants that he felt were safe for her body

After shocks: Penny loves the size of her breasts, which are filled with 2,530cc implants, however, she hopes the doctors can remove the scars on her chest 

After shocks: Penny loves the size of her breasts, which are filled with 2,530cc implants, however, she hopes the doctors can remove the scars on her chest

‘Like it might shift your floating ribs a little bit. It will move your organs, but all of those things are standard practice for the human body,’ she claims.

Penny, who is actually visiting the doctors about her breasts, not her waist, explains that she had her first breast augmentation when she was 23-years-old.

And while the surgeon gave her 800cc implants, she says the surgery ‘didn’t change the shape or the size all that much’.

‘I still wanted that extreme big perfect cleavage, so I needed to have a second surgery,’ she says.

Before her second surgery, Penn says she told her to surgeon to ‘go crazy’ and put in the largest size that he felt is safe.

‘I actually remember waking up and I had 2,530ccs and I was so excited, but I did have some scars,’ she says, adding: ‘It is something I’d like to see fixed.’

 

A Secret Gurdjieff Exercise – The Four Ideals

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http://www.slideshare.net/mobile/HolyYeshua/a-secret-gurdjieff-exercise-the-four-ideals

© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2013 DOI: 10.1163/15700593-13130202 ARIES 13 (2013) 173–203 ARIES brill.com/arie “Te Four ...

China ‘will clone one million cattle a year’ to tackle shortages

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  • The world’s biggest animal cloning factory is currently being built in China
  • £20million plant will churn out dogs, horses and a million beef cattle a year
  • Head of one of its co-founders said factory would start production in 2016
  • But social media users expressed scepticism over appetite for cloned meat

The world's biggest animal cloning factory is being built in China to churn out dogs, horses and cows. Pictured is a cloned calf in the US state of Georgia

The world’s biggest animal cloning factory is being built in China to churn out dogs, horses and cows. Pictured is a cloned calf in the US state of Georgia

The world’s biggest animal cloning factory is being built in China to churn out dogs, horses and a million beef cattle a year.

The £20million plant will develop pets, police dogs, racehorses and cows to be sold on an industrial scale.

Xu Xiaochun, head of one of its co-founders, the Chinese biotechnology firm Boyalife, said the factory in the northern port of Tianjin would start production next year.

He added: ‘Chinese farmers are struggling to produce enough beef cattle to meet market demand.’

But social media users expressed scepticism over the appetite for cloned meat, and pointed out that China was plagued with food safety scandals. One said: ‘Please make our leaders eat it first.

Another wrote sarcastically: ‘This beef definitely must first be saved just for the central government leaders; only after they and their families have eaten it for 10 years should they deign to give it to us, the people! Really can’t wait!’

Many worried about the ethics of the venture.

‘Is cloning even legal?’ asked one.

‘Insane. There are already enough stray dogs at the moment, so many that the unclaimed ones are euthanised. What will be done with so many more?’ wondered another.

South Korea’s Sooam Biotech, which is also involved in the venture, is run by Hwang Woo-suk.

He claimed in 2004 to have derived stem-cell lines from cloned human embryos, a world first, and was lauded as a national hero in South Korea before it emerged that his research was fraudulent and riddled with ethical lapses.

Sooam’s website lists instructions for what potential customers should do if they want to clone a dead pet dog.

A joint venture between Sooam and Boyalife started China’s commercial cloning market last year, Xinhua said, cloning three pure-blooded Tibetan mastiff puppies.

Britain’s first cloned dogs are pictured. Scientists in a South Korean lab took a skin sample from the older hound (right) to help create a genetically identical embryo. And the result was Mini-Winnie (left)

Britain’s first cloned dogs are pictured. Scientists in a South Korean lab took a skin sample from the older hound (right) to help create a genetically identical embryo. And the result was Mini-Winnie

 

This is the most dangerous drug in the world, according to science | Metro News

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This is the most dangerous drug in the world, according to science
Quite a party going on here 

What’s the most dangerous drug in the world? Crystal meth? Heroin? One of those ones which is still only known by its chemical formula?

Nope – it’s booze, according to IFLScience.

Two different studies – one published in the Lancet, one by European scientists BOTH rated alcohol as the worst, on two different scales.

Regardless of whether you rate drugs by the harm they do to the economy, or to people, alcohol is the worst.

Professor David Nutt explained his methodology in the 2010 Lancet study, ‘Ranking twenty different drugs on sixteen different harms – that’s the best method we’ve had.

‘There are two elements to it. Deciding on the various harms – the 16 parameters – most experts agree on that.

‘The more interesting question is how much you care about each of these different rankings; this is where the weightings come in. This could vary greatly depending on the group’s opinions.’