Eye of the Tired

Photo credit: flickrPrince on Flickr

Do me a favor. Before you continue reading this post, get up and get away from your computer screen for a few minutes. The rest of this post will be waiting for you when you get back.

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There. Don’t your eyes feel better?

It’s “Save Your Vision” week in the US, and while most of us turn a blind eye to our health for the sake of computer screens, TVs, and smartphones, it’s time to take a step back – literally and figuratively.

Take a look at these facts:

• The average American adult spends more than eight hours in front of a computer, TV or other screen.
• Nearly 90% of people who spend three hours or more in front of a screen report problems related to eye strain.
• Optometrists report more than 10 million eye exams are done each year because of computer-related problems.

If those numbers make you perk up in your chair, good. The American Optometric Association recommends good posture as part of maintaining an eye-healthy environment at your computer. The AOA also recommends keeping the screen 20-28 inches away from your eyes, and 4-5 inches below horizontal eye level. As you did a few seconds ago, take breaks, too. For every two continuous hours of computer use, get away for 15 minutes, or try the 20-20-20 rule: 20 seconds of looking at something 20 feet away, every 20 minutes.

There are, of course, other ways to be kind to your eyes. Researchers have long recommended a diet rich in beta-carotene, which means orange-colored fruits and vegetables (carrots – it’s not a myth!), as well as certain dark green vegetables, like spinach and kale. You should also protect your eyes from UV rays by wearing sunglasses, and avoid developing chronic diseases like diabetes, which can affect your eyes. One other recommendation that’s gaining ground is taking omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish and fish oil supplements. A study published in Science Translational Medicine found that mice ingesting omega-3 fatty acids showed less abnormal blood vessel growth, which could be a factor in worsening eyes.

Whatever changes you might make in your daily habits, those small changes could make a big difference in your eye health. Risking one more lame pun, I’d say the facts are clear for all to see.

Macintosh Saves the World?

On January 24, 1984, Apple introduced Macintosh. Macintosh would launch a new philosophy toward computing, one that would eventually lead to the ubiquity of computers and proliferation of mobile computing.

The advertisement that launched this new product was nothing short of striking, profound, and groundbreaking. Some consider it to be the most effective television advertisement ever conceived.

The commercial was directed by Ridley Scott, who had recently directed Alien (1979) and clearly adapted thematic elements from the film to the Macintosh commercial.

In the first 10 seconds of the ad, we immediately get a sense of the world that Scott has created. It is bleak, monochromatic, orderly, and authoritarian. At the time, it was thought that this world was an allusion to the current business leader of computing – IBM – a company that was known for its strict standards that even applied to the style of ties that employees could wear. In sharp contrast is the heroine. She is the only female in the commercial and committed to rousing the proletarians.

The ad concludes with a reference to Orwell’s 1984. The implication is that Macintosh will ‘save’ us from the conformity and tyranny offered by Apple’s competitors. Clearly, Apple is making a profound statement and they did it in just 60 seconds.

Has Apple changed the world? What would the technological landscape look like without Macintosh?

A Haiku for You

A good poem can perfectly capture how the author and the reader are feeling, and then it just speaks to you. Funny or sad, short or epic, poems span the ages. Haiku is a popular Japanese style of poetry that consists of 17 moras, separated into three phrases of 5, 7, and 5 moras.

Though not technically correct, English-language haiku are typically written with 17 syllables: 3 stanzas of 5,7, and 5 syllables respectively. Haiku has become a fun pastime for amateur poets because of its short length and independence from difficult rules, like rhyming or rhythm--a haiku can be easily formulated in a matter of minutes.

I am challenging you to take a moment to create a haiku. Tell us what you think is important in verse. Please share it with the community via the comments section. Here are a few to inspire you:

From Kate:
Hope for the future
Seen through microscopes and slides
What will research find?

Research is vital
To live a healthier life
Tell Congress today

From Heather:
Communicate it
New Voices can show you how

Your voice must be heard

Comic credit: Doug Savage

New Life!

New Voices would be terribly remiss to not focus today's post on new life! This is quite a scientific discovery and people are talking about it far and wide. An arsenic-based life form. Here's how that breaks down (lego style):

Graphic courtesy of the Washington Post

Sort of makes me wonder if the classic Arsenic and Old Lace is going to be re-done in the style of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies or Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.

Pursuing Happiness

If I were asked at any given moment if I was happy, I might contemplate the answer “no.” I mean, my house can always be cleaner; I could always sleep more; I would love more time to relax. You know what I mean? But, if I really think about it, really stop and contemplate the question, then the answer is absolutely, “yes!”

When I hear the Declaration of Independence describe our unalienable rights--Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—it puts this sentiment more into perspective. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” We are lucky to have the freedom to put those paths in harmony.

So I challenge you to think about what makes you truly happy and to make an effort to pursue those aims. Many of us take for granted our true wells of happiness. Sometimes I need to stop worrying about the small things, like the clean house, and embrace the bigger picture, like my amazing family.

For me, happiness comes from feeling like I am contributing to society, being intellectually stimulated and spending time with my close friends and family. Notice that none of these things include having more money or material goods, and a clean house is never mentioned.

I am lucky to have a position that allows me to fulfill all of these roles, which keeps me happy on a daily basis. Although I am no longer a researcher, I am able to pursue my goal of advancing biomedical research. As a science policy fellow, I feel that I am using my knowledge and skills to benefit society—I can understand the science and translate it in order to advocate for better health. I am able to continue learning and discussing biomedical issues, my intellectual passion. And, though I have limited social time, I savor every moment with my friends and family.

There are many opportunities to contribute to your happiness outside of work as well. You just have to determine what really matters and find a way to incorporate it. Every day, strive to keep in perspective the most important things in life.

What are you afraid of?

Today we're trying to understand phobias, the extreme and irrational fear of something. Take a look at a woman with musophobia, the fear of mice.



We like to laugh, but phobias can be debilitating to the people who have them--and 10% of people have a phobia of something! Here you can hear a little about trying to conquer your fears.

No Paraskevidekatriaphobics Here

Paraskevidekatriaphobics is quite a mouthful. But what it means is relatively simple. An irrational, terrible fear of Friday the 13th. It's claimed by some to be the most widespread superstition in the U.S., even to the extent that studies have been done to try and confirm the fear. One in the UK showed a supposed higher risk of hospitalization due to car accidents on Friday the 13th as compared to other Fridays.

There are a lot of reasons people have for why the number 13 is unlucky. The two most common being that there were 13 at The Last Supper and Judas, being the first to rise, was the first to die. Also that the raid on the Knights Templar was planned for October 13, 1307, a Friday the 13th.

However, despite studies and reasons like these, I have no fear of this day. One reason? It's my birthday! I also turned 13 on a Friday the 13th, and everything was extremely pleasant. So whether or not you have triskaidekaphobia (and if you do, here's some helpful hints to get over it), make sure to have a safe and wonderful day!

Draft Beer, Not People

Did your pledge to celebrate international beer day yesterday result in waking up on a stranger’s lawn? Did your plan to just stop by happy hour to try the De Molen Donder & Bliksem Doppelbock later result in difficult questions like, “Where are your pants?" Did you sit down to a delicious breakfast of Tylenol and coffee this morning? If you answered yes to any of these questions, valuable information follows.

First the bad news - you have a hangover and no proven cure exists. The good news is that this is a research based blog and you owe it to the research community to try a few of the following possible hangover cures to confirm or deny these hypotheses.

Some ideas of known origins:

• Everyone’s favorite Roman, Pliny the Elder - raw owl eggs, or fried canary

• The Ritz-Carlton hotel, 1938 - Coca-Cola and milk

• Big time drinker Earnest Hemingway – beer and tomato juice

• The Paris World Exposition, 1878 – “The Prairie Oyster" (raw egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper)

• Wayne State University Study, 1957 – fried food, tomato juice, and sexual activity

Ideas of unknown origins (or suggestions no one will admit to)

Hair of the dog – This is the common idea that a little more alcohol will make you feel better. Scientists will tell us that the body is going through alcohol withdrawal and introducing more alcohol will only delay the inevitable. Does this explain how I can eat an entire pizza and still want more pizza the next day? Probably not.

Artichoke – Trying to get into one of these damn things might make you forget about your hangover, but an actual scientific study in 2003 proved that “artichoke extract is not effective in preventing the signs and symptoms of alcohol-induced hangover."

Propranolol – LOL This classic beta blocker will steady your hands, (just ask North Korean pistol shooter Kim Jong Su who used it to win two gold medals in the 2008 Winter Olympics), but won’t do a thing for that tequila taste permanently lodged in the of the back of your throat.

Sugar – there are some suggestions that fructose and glucose inhibit metabolic disturbances induced by alcohol. Don’t be stingy with the maple syrup on your next day’s pancakes.

Want more suggestions? Check out this video.

Have any full proof method's of your own? It's the weekend - you should share!


Want to read more?
Check out these posts from the New Voices archives: The Science of Beer and St. Patrick's Day Special: Beer.

The Chemistry of Fireworks

Chances are you saw some fireworks this weekend; felt the thump of the sonic booms as the dizzying array of colors lit up the night sky. If you missed them, here’s a short clip of my view of the fireworks on the National Mall.


If you’re the science-type, you probably know that the types of metals in each of the fireworks is what makes them appear different colors – but what chemicals are making what colors?

Table credit: http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/fireworks/fireworks.htm

So based on the table above, what chemicals do you think were in the fireworks Ryan and Alissa saw on the 4th of July?

Ryan's view from Antietam Battlefield in Maryland.

Alissa's view from Gahanna, Ohio.

Protect your Eyes? Aye.

Where did eye patches originate? You'd probably guess it was an early and low-tech way to conceal an unsightly eye injury. While this may be partially true it is more likely that patches were first used by individuals with two perfectly good eyes. There is speculation that sailors, in order to keep one eye adjusted to seeing in the darkness below deck, used an eye patch. Whether scurrying below deck to modify rigging or reloading weapons, keeping one eye adapted to seeing in low levels of light could save a valuable few minutes in a crucial situation.

Today eye patches are typically used as costume pieces or to protect an injured eye. Research has brought us a variety of innovative treatments for eye maladies, but many visual problems are caused by injury. Here are some of the most common injuries - some of which may earn you an eye patch:

Corneal Abrasion: A corneal abrasion is essentially a scratch on the transparent covering of the eye. Abrasions can occur from walking into foreign objects such as hanging tree branches, or by rubbing the eye when something like dust or sand is present. Abrasions are usually minor but the risk of infection from bacteria can be a serious threat. Antibiotic eye drops and a topical pain reliever is the most common treatment.

Chemical exposure: Being splashed by anything but clean water is a risk to the eyes. Many acids, such as vinegar, lemon juice, and some shampoos, may cause significant redness and burning, but can be washed out with no real damage. Chemicals that are basic (a pH over 7) such as bleach, ammonia, or lye, are a more serious threat but may not seem so as many do not cause immediate eye pain or redness. As soon as possible after exposure the eye should be flushed with warm tap water for 15 minutes. Long term treatment depends on the type of chemical exposure and if tissue damage occurred.

Swelling: What do moving baseballs, flying fists, bathroom sinks, and stepping on a rake have in common? They all can result in some mean black eyes. Being struck in the eye with just about anything causes swelling followed by discoloration. The swelling is the result of simple tissue inflammation, whereas the discoloration is due to swollen or ruptured blood vessels. The best treatment is to put an ice pack over the affected area to reduce swelling. Despite being an old wives tale, placing a steak or a pork chop on a black eye is not an effective treatment.

Eye bruising/bleeding: Being struck in the vicinity of the eye often causes the small, delicate blood vessels under the whites of the eyes to break and discolor the eye. This is called a subconjunctival hemorrhage and looks much worse than it actually is. It is quite common and despite its dramatic appearance, actually poses little risk of any long term visual or cosmetic damage. Other than looking scary for 7 to 10 days and waiting for the blood vessels to heal themselves there is not much of a treatment for this condition. Over time the blood clears on its own and the eye returns to normal appearance.

For more information about eye injuries the National Institutes of Health has a good online resource. This 4th of July be sure to keep the bottle rockets aimed away from your face.

Are You Positive You’re Negative?

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) over 20% of people infected with HIV in the US today do not know they have the virus. This means they are at a higher risk for transmitting the virus to others, because they do not know they have it.

To be completely sure you are not carrying HIV, get tested. Find a clinic near you today. And while you may be thinking, “I don’t need to get tested, I know I’m negative.” Just beware of these facts. The top five states with the most visitors to New Voices for Research are also all high on the list of total cases of AIDS (according to the CDC):

• Maryland, #9 with 31,931 cases
• Pennsylvania, #6 with 35,489 cases
• Florida, #3 with 109,524 cases
• California, #2 with 148,949 cases
• New York, #1 with 181,461 cases

Not all HIV tests require a blood draw from your arm. Some can be much quicker and pain free.

Bottom line: Get tested. Today.

Research is like a box of chocolates

This is Ben, and he is a living example of progress made in the field of vision research. Little Ben suffers from a visual disorder called strabismus, and faced growing up “cross-eyed” in a world that would have appeared blurred. Now, thanks to years of research and development, a simple corrective surgery exists that will allow Ben to experience a normal childhood.

Strabismus highlights advances in vision research because it is such a common condition, affecting approximately 4% of Americans. The disorder can be caused by a lack of coordination of the eye muscles, or from neurological damage in a brain area that controls eye movements. Surgical treatment involves shortening, lengthening, or changing the position of one or more of the eye muscles, and depending on the reason for the misalignment, strong eyeglasses may also improve the condition. Famous individuals with strabismus include Abraham Lincoln, Barbara Streisand, Forest Whittaker, and the existential philosopher, Sartre, who probably found the fact that his eyes were misaligned hopelessly meaningless.

Research provides important breakthroughs often when they are least expected, and the story behind developing a treatment for strabismus is a classic example. Beginning in the late 1960’s, a San Francisco ophthalmologist named Alan Scott began exploring ways to align the eyes of strabismic patients. Dr. Scott experimented with a variety of chemical procedures in an effort to partially paralyze the necessary eye muscle in order realign the eyes.

In 1973, Dr. Scott identified a particularly effective neurotoxic chemical called botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A), and by 1980, he was finding success using BTX-A to treat patients with strabismus. As it turns out, BTX-A, or BOTOX, is a temporary paralyzing agent, effective for only four to six months. Requiring patients to return for treatment two or three times a year presented many clinical obstacles and over time doctors focused on refining surgical rather than chemical procedures to correct strabismus. The value of a research discovery may be unapparent at the time it is made, as with the case of BOTOX and strabismus, a scientist may not know what they're going to get. While Dr. Scott’s discovery of BOTOX was only one link in a chain of research discoveries that today allow doctors to easily correct misaligned eyes, nearly all of Hollywood is grateful for his contributions.

Just because you're not sick doesn't mean you're healthy

Attention readers with a Y-chromosome – this is the week to put down the bacon cheeseburger and pick up some carrots. This is the week to put down the remote control and pick up a tennis racket. This is the week to put out the cigarette and put in some time at the gym. This is the week to…well you get the point. By official Congressional Proclamation (seriously) June 14th to 20th 2010 is National Men’s Health Week.

Why should you care? Here are some facts that hopefully get your attention:

• Someone 40% overweight is twice as likely to die prematurely as a person of normal weight
• Despite the advances in medical technology and research, men continue to live an average of 7 years less than women
• The likelihood that a man will develop prostate cancer is 1 in 11.
• The death rate for prostate cancer has grown at almost twice the death rate of breast cancer in the last five years.
• African-American men in the United States have the highest incidence in the world of cancer of the prostate.
• Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men aged 15-34, and when detected early, has an 87 percent survival rate.
• Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease in middle age
  
• Men are seven times as likely as women to be arrested for drunk driving and three times as likely to be alcoholics.

Here are some useful men’s health related resources:

1. The CDC reviews science and research related to men’s health and wellness
2. Valuable information about prostate cancer
3. A good overview of a healthy male diet and nutrition
4. Facts about baldness from consumer reports
5. Everything from skin care to how to look taller

World Oceans Day

Photo credit: Heather Benson

For most of my life, I've lived within an hour of the Atlantic Ocean. I visit often (the picture is from my favorite beach in Ocean City, NJ) and consider myself pretty knowledgeable about tides, erosion, currents, and marine life. But it's going to take a lot more than the view from the shore to ever fully understand the world's oceans.

According to the Ocean Project the world ocean:

• Generates most of the oxygen we breathe
• Helps feed us (eat sustainably using one of these regional guides)
  
• Regulates our global climate as well as local weather
  
• Cleans the water we drink
• Offers us a pharmacopoeia of potential medicines
• Provides limitless inspiration!
  

The water beyond our shores has been getting media attention lately as a result of the BP oil spill (read: ecological disaster). So much of what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico right now is the result of not appreciating the intricacies of the marine environment, especially depth and corresponding pressure.

There are many things you can do to help clean-up in the Gulf and protect our oceans - many without ever leaving your house, including donating directly to saving wildlife:

Donors can send a text message with the code "WILDLIFE" to 20222 to automatically give a $10 donation to help wildlife affected by the oil spill.

Disasters aren't the only time to pay attention to 97% of the earth's water though, and research scientists are constantly at work trying to map and learn about the ocean. So far, we're familiar with about 5% of the world's ocean. That leaves another 95% to go, in case any of you are looking for promising careers of the future.

Most of us will only ever experience the ocean from the beach. Rolling waves, sweet salt air, sand between our toes. But if we don't protect the ocean, conserve and champion our shores and marine life, our children may not be able to enjoy the 71% of Earth covered by water as we have.

Photo credit: Heather Benson

Professional Check-Up

There are lots of things that have a once a year feel to them:

• Filing taxes for your financial health
• Getting a regular check-up with your doctor
• Spring cleaning for maintaining your domestic life

But what about your professional wellness? Annual reviews are a good indicator about how a specific job is going, but it doesn’t always encompass the scope of your full professional life or long-term career. Since June is Professional Wellness Month, we thought we'd share a few ideas on maintaining your professional health.

Update your resume regularly.
Resumes aren't just for applying for new positions. Keeping your resume updated makes applying for grants, submitting presentation proposals, and networking much easier, since you always have something ready to share.

Stay in touch with your contacts.
It's always good to stay in touch, since you never know when a contact is going to become important. If you don't have time for actually meeting with your contacts in person, using online programs like LinkedIn (and sending messages to check-in from time to time) can make all the difference.

Maintain a work/life balance.
Everything in moderation is a pretty applicable cliche when it comes to time management. You know how stress from work can come home with you and vice versa. Maintaining a balance between the two makes you a better person as well as a more effective professional.

6.02 x 10^23

Comic credit: Toothpaste for Dinner

The date is 06/02/10 today. Pretty sure this requires no further explanation. Have a good one!

Revenge of the Nerds...for a Day

As the picture on the right demonstrates, all geeks are NOT created equal. While some may display a healthy interest in math and science, others cover their bodies in tattoos of Boba Fett or the Linix penguin and would happily wait in line for two days for a new iProduct. Well, today is the day to embrace your inner geek, no matter where you fall on the nerd spectrum. May 25th has officially been declared Geek Pride Day and organized events are scheduled from Calgary to Tel Aviv.

The Spanish seem particularly engaged in geekdom. They not only organized a 300 person human pacman in Madrid last year, but in 2006 went as far as adopting an official Geek Manifesto (in English). The Rights and Responsibilities of a Geek outlined in the Manifesto can be found below.

Geek Rights:

1. be even geekier
   
2. not leave your house.
3. not have a significant other and to be a virgin.
4. not like football or any other sport.
5. associate with other nerds.
6. have few friends (or none at all).
7. have all the geeky friends that you want.
8. not be "in-style."
9. be overweight and have poor eyesight.
10. show off your geekiness.
11. take over the world.

Geek Responsibilities:

1. Be a geek, no matter what.
2. Try to be nerdier than anyone else.
3. If there is a discussion about something geeky, you must give your opinion.
4. Save any and all geeky things you have.
5. Do everything you can to show off your geeky stuff as though it were a "museum of geekiness."
6. Don't be a generalized geek. You must specialize in something.
7. Attend every nerdy movie on opening night and buy every geeky book before anyone else.
8. Wait in line on every opening night. If you can go in costume or at least with a related T-shirt, all the better.
9. Don't waste your time on anything not related to geekdom.
10. Befriend any person or persons bearing any physical similarities to comic book or sci-fi figures.
11. Try to take over the world.

We leave you with an unknown - but probably oft-used in certain circles - geek quote:

"My Pokemon brings all the nerds to the yard, and they're like you wanna trade cards? Darn right, I wanna trade cards. I'll trade this but not my charizard."

Happy Nerd/Geek Pride day everyone!