Brilliant Stuff! » Physical science

Resistance Training-debunking the Myths

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:53:22 +0000

By: Robert Rayburn Jr

RESISTANCE TRAINING – DEBUNKING THE MYTHS

By Rob Rayburn, IFPA Personal Fitness Trainer

Resistance training (strength training) has been largely misunderstood by so many people for decades, I suppose. There are several myths that I want to address in this article that have come to be part of some conversations concerning the merits and benefits of resistance training.

Myth #1

Conventional thinking used to suggest that seniors should not participate in any form of resistance or weight-bearing exercises at all for fear of breaking a bone or suffering a major injury of some kind. Obviously, this type of thinking is completely erroneous, given what we now know concerning the human body and physiology.

Fact #1

While a significant percentage of older Americans indeed suffer from Osteoporosis (Brittle Bone Syndrome), through the miracles of modern physical science we have realized that resistance training actually promotes increases in bone density. Furthermore, you can continue building bone density at practically any age that permits physical activity. This is significant because the end result is less fractures from falls or accidents.

Myth #2

Working as a personal trainer for more than a decade now, I have spoken with women who’ve voiced concerns about becoming “muscle-bound” as a result of resistance training. Even today, when I suggest resistance training to women, I often hear, “no, I don’t want all those muscles. I just want to lose some weight.”

Fact #2

Although it is possible to pack on slabs of lean mass in the gym, this absolutely has to be the intent; otherwise, it’s not going to happen. In other words, in order to gain significant muscle mass, you have to utilize particular training methods and train with a great deal of intensity for a prolonged period of time. There are folks (competitive athletes and everyday people who are currently underweight) who would tell you that it can be incredibly hard to make significant muscle mass gains. I hear just as many young guys griping that they can’t seem to put on that weight as I hear people saying that they can’t keep the weight off. To have the physique of a bodybuilder, you have to train like a bodybuilder trains.

Myth #3

There was a time when weight loss was thought to be attained only through some form of step aerobics, jogging, swimming, or other form of specifically aerobic activity. The prevailing thinking seemed to be that resistance training is used primarily for those seeking to gain weight. Why should I lift weights or perform resistance training if my goal is weight loss?

Fact #3

Circuit training is a form of resistance training performed at a pace that promotes the burning of stored body fat, intended to do two primary things:

· Decrease overall body fat / lose weight

· Strengthen and tone existing muscle tissue

This form of resistance training is so versatile, in that, it not only helps you lose weight and burn body fat, but it also allows for basic strength and definition gains. We now know through the wonders of modern science that muscle tissue requires more energy than fat. What’s the end result? The more lean mass you have on your frame, the more calories your body is capable of burning daily, even at rest. Circuit training is one of the most efficient forms of personal fitness training employed today because it allows for superlative results in a relatively minimal amount of time.

Physical Science Products: Learning about science in a hands-on environment!

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:48:01 +0000

By: Christopher Cameron

Hands-on science products are both fun for children and highly educational. There are many science products and supplies available on the internet and finding these science products isn’t difficult. You can simply perform a search online for the topic you are interested in. Through this search, you can identify products that will teach children about different aspects of physical science and the world that we live in.

Most of the science products that you will find do come with specific directions on how to perform the experiment and will also come with explanations to account for the outcome. This explanation is what makes these science products so effective for teaching children. These science products allow your children to learn about the world around them and understand why things work the way they do, by taking advantage of other people’s discoveries. Of course you will be able to draw some your own conclusions from the experiments as well.

These projects often are connected to specific aspects of science and you will be able to select the category or topic that you wish to cover before choosing a project. Most websites will have the projects broken down so you can merely choose the topic you wish to cover and then will show you the list of possible science products that you can purchase to create a corresponding experiment. Some of the more common topics would include magnetism and electricity, electrostatics, simple circuits, density and thermal expansion. Of course the topic you choose should be age appropriate. There would be no sense in trying to teach a first grader the laws of quantum physics, when they don’t have the background to understand it.

An example of one of these science products would be a floating and spinning magnet. This is a very popular science product for children, and explains a great deal about magnetic fields. The reason it is so popular is it meets more desires than simply the desire to learn. The magnet seems to float on air, almost as if by magic. Children are excited to know exactly why the magnet will float and are eager to touch it and play with it. This of course will lead to better learning, because children who have a hands-on learning environment will ultimately learn more than children who are taught using a text book.

Most science products will require some degree of setup and pre-planning to use. Teachers and parents are rewarded for these efforts though, because the enjoyment that children experience in this type of learning environment will inevitably lead to a better understanding of the scientific principles involved. This allows children to see that learning doesn’t always have to be tedious. Indeed, it can be quite fun and exciting. Interactive science products will help open children’s eyes to the world around them and give them a better understanding of physical science.

Need for Synthesis of Science and Spirituality- Part 1

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:24:04 +0000

By: Crestech

(An excerpt from my UN-mailed letter to Francis Crick Nobel laureate & co-founder of genes)

Dear Mr. Crick:

“In a way I succumbed to the famous “Crick’s Gossip Test”. I have been reading/talking/thinking about certain things for many years but only recently have decided to do something about them–as you would like to call it!

I have been reading and reading bits and pieces and this most unscientific way of researching has crystallised certain “pre-hypothesis”, if I may call it so, which I would like to share with you in the following inarticulate manner:

This world/universe/existence, whatever we may choose to call it, has been created out of knowledge. (You may call it awareness. Others might call it consciousness)

All thoughts (an altered form of knowledge) are possible to be converted into chemicals and vice versa.. In fact, they are converting this way or the other, on a continuous basis.

All human beings – and for that matter all animate and inanimate objects–as well as earth, fauna, flora, stars etc — are different configurations of thoughts and chemicals.

WE ALL ARE MERE THOUGHT CHEMICALS.

So, could we call “That” unalterable portion of thought in the thought chemical as SOUL? Maybe it is too immature to conclude?

Is the creator or God or whoever, KNOWLEDGE ITSELF?

Undeniably a spectacular knowledge system is at work! (I would like to hasten to add that knowledge is not information — and most certainly not data)

Take the example of DNA molecule. Is it an acid? And yet has incredible knowledge. And RNA messengers!!! How can chemicals (As we know them so far) behave in an intelligent manner? For that matter take all the nerve cell messages in our body. How does the cell know? How does the gene know? Is it not possible through unique thought chemistry?

How is the data or intelligence or information or knowledge, whatever you scientists call it, is stored in genes right through the ages? Are we not hinting that gene is intelligent if we say that it undergoes mutations? Can acids be intelligent? There has to be an “element” of thought in these chemicals.

Some experiments in particle physics are bringing us closer to the reality that the ‘myth’ about light being the fastest traveller — maybe is untrue after all. The obstructed particle (in one experiment) reaches faster to the other end of the tube than the unobstructed particle. Scientists are saying that the obstructed little guy produces its twin – across the barrier. How does a particle know? Isn’t it possible that it has a thought attached???

And closer home, haven’t we all noticed a change in mood (thoughts) with intake of certain chemicals. And of course, the converse that changes of mood (thoughts) alters the body chemicals!

The karmic code of the Hindus and the genetic code as explained by science, to my mind is the same thing. But then it is not a total explanation. In fact, reading Hindu and Tibetan mysticism, I’ve been seized with a desire to cry out EUREKA many a times — but then again, alas! It would actually be premature!

But the Oriental mythology has many potent indicators to offer. There is a need; yes there is a NEED for research and fact finding out here!

The only aspect where I thought my pre-hypothesis was failing was with the inanimate objects. Can a chair or a spoon be a thought chemical? But then reading about psycho-kinesis has changed my doubts into a certainty. Minds can move chairs/bend spoons only if there are similar thought-chemical receivers in these objects.

Hope you do not grossly disagree with my thoughts. I have much more to share on this, and I shall do that very soon.

Thanks

Love.

Seeker of truth

http://www.pegomag.com

What Is Natural Health Science?

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:29:19 +0000

By: Trinity

Natural health sciences have taken on a whole new dimension with the creation and expansion of the large assortment of healing arts schools and colleges available today. Health care is the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well being through the services offered by the medical, nursing, and allied health professions.

The foundations for the Health Sciences fields are as old as the human race. Humans have always been in need of solutions to address illness, injury, and various health related issues such as childbirth. With modern technology and the backing of the pure sciences, the scientific accuracy of these fields has greatly improved.

Applied health sciences also endeavor to better understand health, but in addition they try to directly improve the health of individuals and of people in general. Some of these are: alternative health, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, clinical laboratory sciences, medicine, nursing, nutrition, pharmacology, pharmacy, public health, psychology, and physical therapy.

Health research builds upon the basic sciences of biology, chemistry, and physics as well as a variety of multidisciplinary fields (for example medical sociology). Some of the other primarily research-oriented fields that make exceptionally significant contributions to health science are alternative health, biochemistry, epidemiology, and genetics, natural health.

Dietitians educate people about proper nutrition, particularly specific dietary needs of populations such as people with diabetes, breastfeeding women, and people with celiac disease. Other less common medical areas include first aid and triage. Therapies that were once suspect to your average medical doctor, like chiropractic care and acupuncture, are becoming mainstream and are considered complementary to standard medicine rather than in competition with it.

Why Can’t a Novice Perform Physical Data Recovery?

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:00:49 +0000

By: Simpson Raid

Novice user can’t perform data recovery from the physically failed hard drive, that’s a fact and the subsequent details will support this statement. However, the logically failed drive is under control of data recovery by a layman as data recovery software don’t offer any sort of operational difficulty for the user. But, the rule gets totally flipped, when it comes to physical data recovery. Complexity and technicality that’s what a physically failed drive asks for data recovery.

Data recovery service is an intricate part of science and this has been analyzed that after years of regular efforts, this has sprouted as an individual Information technology industry, which entirely moves around different ways of data recovery. Now the ways, in which a drive gets failed and affects which are drawn on, are different from case to case and so no two data recovery methods complement each other exactly. The natural emergencies such as flood, fire, earthquake and others have heavy impacts, which may even render the drive unrecoverable, while, a mere component failure is less threatening to the data.

Data recovery services is available for all storage media like hard drives, CDs, DVDs, floppy disks etc., but this has been found that majority of users experiment their data recovery techniques only on hard drives. This may be due to the fact that hard drives appear sturdier than any other. Moreover, there are more physical components to play. But, let me clear to you that as soon as you open your hard drive, its sensitive facet steps in.

The internals of hard drive are extremely fragile to the dirt like particles of environment and the suitable protection can only be given, when treated under Clean Room surroundings. Physical data recovery may be followed by logical data recovery, but if it can be successfully repaired, no such recovery is required.

Hard drive structure is complex, comprising of bundle of components, which may appear tricky to understand for a novice. Read/write head, circuit board, actuator arm, platters, shaft, motor and list goes on, these parts are pretty complicated in their design, but a data recovery expert knows how to deal. Practices, like freezing the drive, shaking it vibrantly and trying to run it, are venomous to the data.

Data recovery is not what you get from the set of books, but it’s the practical application of comprehensive and technically built tools and techniques. So, this is completely a fantasy that a non-expert person can come out with complete success. But for data recovery services , this is possible and hence you should choose the correct company for getting your data back.

At Stellar Information Systems Limited, you would find the maximum data recovery chances as of the well-built tools and procedures. Class 100 Clean Rooms add to the power and data recovery experts make it feasible with the possible results. Stellar has a solution of each data loss circumstance.

Borosilicate Glass — A Brief History

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:46:22 +0000

By: Nick Frese

From the laboratory standpoint, there are three main types of glass used today; borosilicate, quartz and soda lime or flint glass.

What is borosilicate glass, how is it different from other glasses, and why is it used so widely in laboratory research?

History

The formation of glass and glass products goes back to the beginnings of recorded history.

The invention of borosilicate glass is usually credited to Otto Schott, a renowned late 19th century German glassmaker. It was apparently first sold under the name “Duran” in Europe in 1893. In the United States, “Pyrex” became synonymous with borosilicate glass after Corning Glass Works inventor Joe Littleton introduced it to the English speaking world in 1915.

Though borosilicate glass was at first widely used for kitchen glassware, thermometer glass and railroad lanterns, there are now very few companies using it for that purpose, simply because it is more difficult to produce, and hence more expensive. And in the kitchen, the costs to the consumer more or less outweigh the benefits gained. There are, however, several small companies in the U.S. and abroad still offering colored borosilicate glass for the art glass market, and that market is still viable because of the durability and flexibility of borosilicate glass. It is also easy to work at low temperatures.

Because borosilicate glass melts at a higher temperature than other silicate glass, it was more complicated to bring into industrial production, and new techniques were required. New burners, using oxygen and natural gas, were developed. And for the most part, the manufacturing process has remained the same for the past 100 years or so. Borosilicate, because of its wide temperature range, strength and chemical resistance, became “The Glass” for the laboratory.

The unofficial U.S. “capital” of glass blowing is Vineland, NJ. The reason Vineland got this distinction is very simple: The first production factory in the U.S. started just a few miles away in 1723. It was located there because of the proximity of necessary natural resources such as sand, seashells, and the evergreen trees of the New Jersey Pinelands. And of course, the subsequent proliferation of manufacturing firms and jobs in the area brought large numbers of glassblowers to the area, where they have remained throughout the years. The glassblowing techniques were handed down from grandfather to father to son.

Nowadays, very few glass companies actually “melt” borosilicate glass in the U.S., even in Vineland. Instead, virtually all area companies, such as Chemglass, Ace Glass, Wilmad-Lab Glass and Kimble-Kontes, are fabricators, purchasing “blanks” from large firms like Schott, Corning and Kavalier Glassworks and creating custom laboratory glassware such as round-bottom flasks, distillation apparatus, condensers, and much more.

Physical Characteristics

While “soft” glass is traditionally made from sand, sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate. Thus the name “soda lime”. Boron is added to a much purer type silica sand in the manufacture of borosilicate glass. The composition of borosilicate glass is generally about 80%% silica, 10% boron oxide, 8% sodium oxide, 8% potassium oxide, and 1% aluminum oxide.

Borosilicate glass used in labware has a very low thermal expansion coefficient (32.5-33), which is about 1/3 that of “soft” glass. This reduces material stress caused by changes in temperature, and hence, the glass is more resistant to breakage. It is NOT invincible, though — it will break or crack if dropped or otherwise impacted. Fortunately, it is much more likely to crack or snap rather than to shatter. It has a softening point (at which the glass may slump under its own weight) of 800°C is where glass blowers normally work it. The annealing point (the temperature at which residual strain or stress will relieve itself) at around 560°C.

Under “normal” laboratory conditions, borosilicate glass can withstand extended temperatures of around 230-240°C. For very short-term use, it will generally survive temperatures around 400°C. But the absolute maximum operating temperature for the formed glass is 450°C. Temperature changes from very hot to very cold should be also be avoided — a maximum thermal shock differential of 160°C should be observed.

Borosilicate glass is very resistant to chemical corrosion, which makes it perfect for laboratory use. It can handle extremely volatile chemicals, and even nuclear waste! Everything has an Achillies heal and for borosilicate glass, it is flourines. Hydroflouric acid will etch borosilicate glass.

Science Teacher Resources: Things Many Science Teachers Can’t Live Without

Tom — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:58:55 +0000

By: Christopher Cameron

Science teachers have resources that they use all the time for teaching their students and also for educating themselves on certain scientific subjects. A science teacher will often be required to know far more about the subject matter that they are teaching than the students who are being taught. This makes them more effective, by having a complete understanding of their subjects. This also allows them to answer almost any questions that their students may have. These teacher resources are often in the form of books, peers, or websites. There are also scientific products and supplies that they can buy, which come complete with a lesson guide.

These types of teacher resources end up being incredibly useful. In the end it means that the teacher can spend more time on other things, rather than trying to come up with a lesson on their own. These types of ready made science lessons are a wonderful resource for teachers, particularly those teaching physical science or physics. The best part of these science products is that they come with full instructions, not only on how to make the demonstration work, but also include a detailed explanation on how and why it works as well. This type of hand-on science learning provides a great tool for teachers of all grade levels, starting from a very young age. It has been well demonstrated that when learning becomes more interactive, retention levels increase exponentially.

The instructions and explanations that come with these scientific products and supplies simply mean that the teacher won’t have to spend precious time researching the subject for explanations on why each part of the experiment works. Teachers are also free to utilize these demonstrations as they see fit, using as much or as little of that information as they would like to. For example, when dealing with higher grade levels, they can be very detailed and study the phenomena with great detail. Alternately, when teaching younger children, a more simple explanation will do fine.

These types of teacher resources also come in a huge range of complexity and price. You can find experiments and demonstrations that use advanced physics like a Planck’s Constant measuring device, which demonstrates that energy isn’t a matter of intensity, but rather frequency. You can also find much more simple devices like magnets, color wheels and tape measures. No matter what grade or age the children are you are working with, you can find a suitable science product. The visual and hands on science experience often remains with people for years after their education is complete. In fact, if you ask most people about the things they remember from science class, often times it is only the hands-on experiments that they can clearly recall.

Each science classroom will have different needs, depending on the age level of the students and their individual abilities. In using these science products to teach physical science and physics, teachers can adjust the lessons, adapting them as they see fit for their students. A good science teacher will always have a variety of resources available to them, including hands-on science teaching products and supplies. Students will develop a better understanding of physical science and physics through the use of these hands-on science products.

Are Auras Real and Detectable?

Tom — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:37:09 +0000

By: Martin Eisen

Since antiquity, spiritual adepts have claimed an aura, or a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounds a person or object (like the halo of religious art) that some mystics are capable of observing.

In Qigong theory, three external Wei Qi fields supposedly surround the body. The first external energy field extends about one or two inches outside the body. It is related to the Lower Dan Tian and serves as a holographic energy template for the body. The second field extends a foot or more outside the body. It is related to the Middle Dan Tian and the emotional energy body. The third field extends a few feet to several hundred yards depending on the person’s spiritual evolution. It is related to the upper Dan Tian and the spiritual energy body. The dominant color of the aura surrounding the Qigong practitioner depends on which of the Dan Tians is dominant. The most powerful healers are considered to be those in which the Upper Dan Tian is dominant and the color will be white. Scientific research has attempted to find devices that will form pictures of the aura.

In 1911, Walter Kilner, M.D. of St. Thomas Hospital in London, saw a human aura, by looking through glass screens stained with dicyanin dye. It appeared to be a glowing mist around the body in three distinct layers: a 1/4 inch densest layer closest to skin; a more vaporous layer, 1 inch wide, streaming perpendicularly from the body, and a delicate exterior luminosity with indefinite contours, about 6 inches wide. Dr. Kilner’s book, The Human Aura, published in New York, 1965, describes how the appearance of the aura differs from person to person, depending on their physical, mental, and emotional states. He developed a system of diagnosis based on the consistent differences in the aura in persons suffering a particular disease.

Some researchers claim that Kirilian photography (KP) gives a picture of the aura. It is named after, Semyon Kirilian, who in 1939 accidentally discovered that if an object on a photographic plate is connected to a source of high voltage, an image would be created on the photographic plate.

Dr. W. Tiller does not believe that aura is seen and the photograph has a physical explanation (1, 2). When a Kirlian photo is taken, the object is placed either on a metal electrode or between two parallel metal plate capacitors that are separated by a small distance from a photographic film plate. An electrical current passed through the electrode or the capacitors produces a separation of charge, freeing valence electrons from the object and creating a small electric field that ionizes the molecules in the air around the object. Once this electric field is large enough, electrical breakdown of the air occurs and conducting paths in the visible light range can appear as the electrons recombine with the ionized molecules, emitting photons in the process. Different colors are generated based on the elemental composition of the object, since each element in the periodic table gives off it own unique color spectra. This is called a corona discharge by physicists and is not emanations of the supposed human aura. In addition to living material, inanimate objects such as coins will also produce Kirlian photographs.

In the 1970’s, Dr. Thelma Moss did extensive research in Kirlian photography when she led the UCLA parapsychology laboratory. One experiment designed to show the presence of energy fields generated by living entities involved taking Kirlian contact photographs of a picked leaf at set periods. Its gradual withering corresponded to a decline in the strength of the aura. However it may simply be that the leaf loses moisture and becomes less electrically conductive, causing a gradual weakening of the electric field at the drier edges of the leaf.

In another experiment, a section of a leaf was torn away after the first photograph. A faint image of the missing section remained after a second photograph was taken. The Archives of American Art Journal of the Smithsonian Institute published a leading article with reproductions of images of this phenomenon. However, this effect might have beeen due to contamination of the glass plates, which were reused for both the “before” and “after” photographs. The effect was not reproduced in later better, controlled experiments.

Dr. Moss correlated fingertip coronas with emotional states. Healthy subjects exhibit a blue-white corona with a deep blue band-from one sixteenth to more than a quarter of an inch wide, just beyond the boundary of the fingertip. States of relaxation lead to a blue-white corona. In states of arousal, tension, anxiety, or excitement, a red blotch consistently appears superimposed on the fingerprint. Other observations were that meditators had brighter and wider coronas and that acupuncture increased the corona width and brightness, depending on the specific point being treated.

Dr. Konstantin Korotkov of the St. Petersburg State Technical University of Informational Technologies, Mechanics and Optics, has devised a GDV (Gas Discharge Visualization) instrument based on the Kirlian Effect, for direct, real-time viewing of the human energy field (aura). The GDV uses glass electrodes to create a pulsed electrical field excitation (called “perturbation technique”) to stimulate objects so that they shine millions of times more intensely than normal. Sophisticated technology is used to capture the tiny pulses of emitted photons and measure their electro-photonic glow.

This technology claims to capture, by a special camera, the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual energy emanating to and from an individual, plants, liquids, powders, inanimate objects and translate this into a computerized model.

The Korotkov method is used in some hospitals and athletic training programs in Russia and elsewhere as preventative measurements for detecting stress.

Another method for studying auras is called Aura photography. It is completely different from Kirilian photography. In aura photography a colorful image is produced of a person’s face and upper torso by interpreting galvanic skin responses and adding color to the photograph using a printer. The images made with an Aura camera do not result from coronal discharge. In aura photography, no high voltage is involved as with the Kirlian technique, and no direct contact with the film is made.

In the late 1980’s, Harry Oldfield (3) developed a scanner which he thought would provided a real time, moving image of the energy field. His system became known as Polycontrast Interference Photography (PIP). He speculated that ambient (surrounding) light would be interfered with by the energy field both when the incident ray traveled towards the object and when the reflected ray bounced off the object.

To see the body’s energy field with PIP, ideally the person is in a room with full spectrum lighting at a controlled output, standing against a white backdrop. The picture is taken with a digital video camera. A lead from the camera acts connects it to a computer. The sophisticated program analyzes the different light intensities being reflected from the person or object being scanned. The computer screen then displays the end project seen. Harry Oldfield believes that his PIP can see the energy field from and around the body in much the same way as people with gifts of vision can. His belief is based on the fact that some clairvoyants and mystics with their gifts helped him develop some of the filters in PIP which simulate what they see, including the colors.

The photographs cannot be used automatically. Experience and training is required to interpret them. Certain colors indicate illnesses. When a healer projects energy the colors indicating illness can be seen to change to colors indicating health.

Tim Duerden’s paper (4) explores the claims of aura producing devices. It argues that the images produced can be explained using concepts from the physical sciences. It is suggested that techniques such as KP, GDV or PIP currently offer insufficient reliable research evidence concerning their use as diagnostic or imaging alternatives. Consequently their clinical use is debatable. Kirlian photography and its derivatives may however be useful as a research tool by providing visual records of complex bodily responses to experimental situations, such as, responses to physiological or psychological stressors.

Some medical Qigong doctors base their diagnosis and treatment on the aura’s appearance and colors (5). Aura colors and patterns constantly change depending on the patient’s physical, mental, emotional, energetic, and physical health.

A simple test for the ability to see auras, the “Doorway Test”, appears in (6). A subject with a large aura is behind a wall so that he cannot be seen by the aura reader. He approaches the doorway and stands so that his shoulders are at the edge of the doorway and his body is not visible. The reader attempts to detect the subject’s presence by his aura, which will protrude into the doorway. Some people, who claimed to see auras, were only correct in detecting peoples’ presence, only a small number of times, as if they were guessing.

Some skeptics believe that there is no aura. Rather, the mystic suffers from synaethesia, especially if the ability is inborn. Synaesthesia is a condition found in 1 in 2000 people in which stimulation of one sense produces a response in one or more of the other senses. For example, people with synaesthesia may experience colors with tastes or smells with sounds. It is thought to originate in the brain. Some scientists believe it might be caused by a cross-wiring in the brain, for example, between centers involved in emotional processing and smell perception. Synaesthesia is known to run in families.

References

1    Tiller, W. A. Are psychoenergetic pictures possible? New Scientist 62(895), April 25. pp. 160 – 163, 1974.

2    Boyers, D. G., & Tiller, W. A. Corona discharge photography. Journal of Applied Physics 44(7), July. pp. 3102 – 3112, 1973.

3. Harry Oldfield’s Invisible Universe, Campion Books, 2003.

4.  Duerden, T. An aura of confusion Part 2: the aided eye—‘imaging the aura?’, Complementary Therapies in Nusing and Midwifery, Vol. 10, (2), pp 116-123, 2004.

5. Johson, J/ A. Medical Qigong. Int. Institute of Medical Qigong, Pacific Grove, Ca, 2000.

6. Tart, C.  Concerning the scientific study of the human auras, J. of the Soc. for Psychical Research, 46, No. 751, pp 1-21, 1972.

Music as a Science? It’s True!

Tom — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:47:07 +0000

By: Mark Romero

Music is a healing modality – and just because more people don’t know it, doesn’t mean it isn’t true! Can you imagine healing areas of your life and creating vast improvements in problem areas by simply listening to music?

Let’s explore what it all means and how it works.

According to scientists our bodies are made of energy. Energy is within us and all around us in the universe. We talk about environmental pollution all the time but one source of pollution that isn’t getting much attention is the energy pollution we are creating with all our new technologies. We have filled the energy space in the universe with radio waves, microwaves, cell phones, computers and artificial light. All of these electronics produce electro magnetic fields known as EMFs.

Studies have shown that EMFs are linked to cancer and various other diseases. They weaken us – mentally and physically.

In depth muscle testing has been run on people exposed to these EMFs and it shows that their energy weakens with continued exposure. However, if music is played while they are being exposed to EMFs their energy strengthens.

The music is able to not only balance out the negative energies but actually strengthen people. Let me explain… The EMFs actually interrupt the energy in our body resulting in this weakened stated, but the music creates a vibration that actually shields the body, in other words makes the energy interrupters null and void.

Through muscle testing scientists are able to demonstrate the impact of the music.

Muscle testing may sound foreign to you, but it is really a simple concept. It is used to test the muscle response to stimulus. Scientists have demonstrated that muscles respond to both physical and metal stimuli. Your mind/body connection has such a powerful survival mechanism that your muscles react instantly to what is good for and what is not good for you. So what is good for you strengthens you and what is bad for you causes the weakened state.

It’s really easy to test this yourself, just follow these instructions:

Stand on one foot with both arms out to the side, and someone else tries to push down on your arm and knock you off balance. In order to create your baseline you need to do this without music. Then you turn the music on and do the same thing. Tests have shown that people are stronger and it is much harder to knock people off balance while they are being exposed to the music.

Now imagine all the different possibilities for music that does all this? When you are dealing with stressful situations you could listen to the music to build strength. This musical healing and strengthening can literally be used anywhere from your home to hospitals, the workplace, schools, wellness centers. Imagine the benefits in places like shopping malls or airports – where people are often running around stressed and agitated. Imagine what balancing our energies could do.

Music has long been a part of every day life and now it can be part of a healing and transformational process!

Science Toys For Kids Of ALL Ages

Tom — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:44:50 +0000

By: James Lee

Almost every toy was a science toy first! Electricity, tops, yoyo’s, motors and light were at one time all brand new science inventions.   Even today, toys follow soon after discoveries and inventions are applied to industry. You can find toys that use lasers, plasma physics, the latest robotics technology and embedded computers for a few tens of dollars.

Science toys come in several styles, and each has their own charm and benefit.   Many toys are fully assembled, many science toys come in kits, and other toys are described in build-it-yourself howto science books. You can search for and select science toys in any of these categories.

First, you can buy completely assembled toys in all fields of science. Biology science toys might include fully assembled microscopes, magnifiers, stained slides for anatomy and physiology, even ant farms or venus fly traps. Chemical science toys could be slime or silly putty, chemical rockets, rocks and crystals, or boing balls. Physics and electronics science toys comprise gyroscopes and tops, the yo-yo, plasma balls, magnets, motors and lasers.

Second, you can buy build-it-yourself kits. These kits of course include the timeless chemistry set and the classical lego blocks, but many electronic kits are do-it-yourself to help you learn the science as you build. Robot kits and robotic addons to lego toys are good examples, and electronic kits usually come with a workspace, or breadboard, and lots of parts that plug into the breadboard to make fully working electronic — or even computer — circuits.   Biology science toy kits might be a dissection set or slide mounting set, to help learn anatomy or microscope technique. Physics science toy kits include optical assembly kits where you build your own telescope or make your own holograms.

Third, you can buy science books that show you how to demonstrate science. Many of these books show experiments that can safely be performed by grade school kids. Examples include how soap bubbles work, how plants grow and how plants adapt to different environments, how household chemicals react — the classic vinegar and baking soda trick! — and how to make solar power toys with parts you can buy at the store. These books are often the easiest way to start learning science by fun. You can literally find hundreds of science tricks in these books, and can often make these projects for free.

The internet is your best resource for learning about science toys. It used to be that you had to shop through catalogs and toy stores to find your science toys, but now you can browse toys by category — assembled, kits, how-to books — or by science — chemical toys, biology toys, physics toys, or robots — right online, and select toys based on the best price or the most reputable merchant. There is no better way to make learning science fun than to get these science toys and start to play!