Today's stumble seemed to come at the perfect time - before finals week, where sleep is almost as rare as an empty desk in the library. This article discussed research proving that napping is beneficial and essential in memory formation and the learning process.
The experiment consisted of 2 groups who were tested performing a task relating to the hippocampus, the scores were relatively the same. Then one group took a 90 minute nap while the other group stayed awake. The tests were performed again and "those who napped did markedly better and actually improved in their capacity to learn.
In order to better understand the way these naps work, they made a comparison we can all compare to- emails...“It’s as though the e-mail inbox in your hippocampus is full and, until you sleep and clear out those fact e-mails, you’re not going to receive any more mail. It’s just going to bounce until you sleep and move it into another folder,” Walker said.
Researchers believe the stage associated with this information is stage 2, which occurs before REM and consumes 50% of the time we spend sleeping. They hope this research and others like it will eventually lead to cures associated with memory loss, such as Alzheimers.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/3ixYg0/www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2010/02/22_naps_boost_learning_capacity.shtml
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Haiti Today
Over a year ago Haiti was destroyed by one of the most powerful and damaging earth quakes to occur. The already poor country was devastated by the disaster and thousands of people were left homeless with nothing other than their lives. America and other countries around the world scrambled to create relief funds and help the country rebuild, but the natural environment was largely ignored...
International Conservationists traveled to Haiti to gather information about the countries ecosystems, specifically in amphibians. They were surprised to find species of frogs who had been missing for over 20 years were appearing to make a come back. This discovery provided a sense of hope for the country, because if ecosystems are rebuilding and flourishing, there is certainly hope for the human population.
Critically endangered species were captured and transported to the Philadelphia Zoo where they will attempt to preserve the species by facilitation captive reproduction. Due to mass destruction from the coal industry, less than 1% of Haiti's original forest is left, which raises a whole new set of problems for the country.
To learn more or find ways you can help, check out the international conservation's website...http://www.conservation.org/Pages/default.aspx
International Conservationists traveled to Haiti to gather information about the countries ecosystems, specifically in amphibians. They were surprised to find species of frogs who had been missing for over 20 years were appearing to make a come back. This discovery provided a sense of hope for the country, because if ecosystems are rebuilding and flourishing, there is certainly hope for the human population.
Critically endangered species were captured and transported to the Philadelphia Zoo where they will attempt to preserve the species by facilitation captive reproduction. Due to mass destruction from the coal industry, less than 1% of Haiti's original forest is left, which raises a whole new set of problems for the country.
To learn more or find ways you can help, check out the international conservation's website...http://www.conservation.org/Pages/default.aspx
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