To understand how memory works, lets start with the functions of different parts of the brain:

The prefrontal cortex processes short term memory, such as a sign on the highway or the room number of a hotel room.
The amygdala helps store conscious and unconscious emotions. It also stores emotional memories.
The hippocampus is used for transferring memories from short term to long term.

Now what is the difference between short term and long term memory anyway?

Short term memory lasts about 15 to 30 seconds and is supported by regular brain activity in the prefrontal cortex.
Long term memory actually has a physical presence in the brain, stored in the prefrontal cortex so that it can be accessed later.

There are two categories of long term memory:
Implicit– remembered habits and skills
Explicit- things that we are actively trying to remember. There are two types of explicit memories: episodic memories (things that happened to you) and semantic memories (general knowledge)

How does the brain actually store these long term memories?

a process called encoding. The hippocampus links all relevant information together into one memory by connecting neurons so that signals can pass from one to the other. Basically, it’ll connect elements of one event into single episode or memory so you don’t have separate memories of how that event smelled, looked etc. It also decides what information is important to keep in the long term memory. Priorities include memories with strong emotional components and memories rehearsed repeatedly in short term memory (which is how you retain the information you study, for example).

Once a new memory is formed, the neurons with that memory stay in the hippocampus for a while before moving further in the cortex. Long term memories are stored based on the strong component of that memory–for example, a spoken memory will probably be stored near the language centers. You can also have memories stored in multiple places.

Why are some memories stronger than others?

Whenever you think about a memory, you make that memory stronger in your mind. By reactivating the memory, you can cause the memory to be stored again in different part of your brain, literally increasing it’s “rent space” in your brain. Due to this factor, memories are always being changed and updated, so you won’t remember your memories as you did the day before (if you’re thinking about them).

If our memories changes, how can we be sure that we remember them correctly?

The answer is that we can’t be sure. Because our memories can evolve as we think about them, it’s very easy for them to change based on our thoughts. Studies have shown that many innocent people confess to crimes they did not commit because of a false memory that was implanted in their head. These people have no reason to confess–in fact, they have much more reason to lie; and yet, they are still convinced they committed a crime. As our memories are subject to change, they are by nature unreliable.

Sight

video here

Smell &Taste
*I presented them in class together so I have rerecorded it in the same manner*

Video here
*in the cup is melted plastic*

Touch

    *all aboard the party express*

Hearing

Sight, Hearing, Touch (together)

The Federalist Papers, originally known as “The Federalist” were a series of eighty-five essays written between October 1787 and August 1788 that argued in support of the newly drafted U.S. Constitution. The essays were written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, all under the pseudonym “Publius”. The pseudonym, chosen in honor of Publius Valerius Publicola, was picked by Hamilton, as Publius was essential to the founding of the Roman Republic. Hamilton felt that this would hopefully parallel the importance of the Federalist Papers in the ratification of the Constitution. The essays were published in a series of newspapers, The Independent Journal, The New York Packet,  and The Daily Advertiser and all were published anonymously. It wasn’t until Hamilton’s death in a duel with Aaron Burr that he was revealed as one of the authors. It is widely believed that Hamilton wrote fifty-one of the essays, Jay wrote five and Madison wrote twenty-nine. Jay was going to contribute more, but fell ill after writing four (numbers 2-5) and so didn’t write another essay until number sixty-four.  Madison disputed these numbers, claiming he had written more than his twenty-nine, but none of the authors ever released a breakdown of authorship, so the exact who wrote what is still up for debate, and will never be known for sure. Only seventy-seven of the essays were originally published, and the other eight were added in later when the collection was published. 

Hamilton masterminded the Federalist Papers as a way of garnering support for the Constitution. All three authors of the Federalist Papers were strong nationalists, hoping to increase public support for the new Constitution, which was written to replace the old Articles of Confederation, and it had to be passed by nine of the thirteen states. The Federalist Papers were written to counteract opposition that the Constitution would create a large, tyrannical central government that would infringe on state’s liberties. They instead argued that the proposed government as outlined by the Constitution would keep the Union from falling apart and would give the federal government the ability to act with authority in the national interest. They pushed the idea of checks and balances, outlining how the Constitution’s clear outline of defined powers of the government would be the best way to protect the individual rights of each state.

While it is not fully clear how much of an impact the Federalist Papers had on the public at the time (although, the Constitution was obviously ratified), they have since been compiled and are widely studied in conjunction with the Constitution as a great analysis and interpretation for the founding principles of the United States.

References

 FENG SHUI

The words “feng” and “shui” mean “wind” and “water”, respectively. These two natural elements together evoke balance, purity, and tranquility — all things that the feng shui practice is based on.

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese concept unrelated to religion that is also known as the ‘art of placement’. It is a practice that explores the relationship between a person and the objects around them. Not only does feng shui often mean the readjusting of furniture to create balance, it can also mean changing up the relationship between a person and their possessions. The goal of feng shui is that, through shifting the dynamic between the self and the environment, we can achieve a better state of “chi”, or life force. Essentially, feng shui is a practice that relies on the idea that harmony and balance in personal spaces can create inner peace.

One of the more interesting things about feng shui is that it suggests that all objects — both animate and inanimate — are alive, and are therefore able to change the energy in a space. The decluttering of a desk, for instance, could bring good fortune to the homeowner. Different variations of feng shui might include changing paint colors to mend broken relationships, or changing the direction of your bed so that your feet don’t face the door, which promotes relaxation and wellness.

Other principles of feng shui include implementing curved lines in the home and putting mirrors at the ends of hallways to allow “chi” to more easily pass through the house.

The concept of Yin and Yang is also crucial to feng shui. Yin and Yang are two opposite forces that cannot exist without each other. Whereas in the Western culture we have binaries in which one element is better than the other (for example, light is better than dark, good is better than evil), the Chinese culture stresses a harmony and coexistence between Yin and Yang. Drawing on the balance of Yin and Yang, feng shui encourages a balance between us and our surroundings.

Unfortunately, in more modern day applications, home decorators will often claim to be using feng shui when they have not been properly trained in the practice. Though many consider it to be a superstitious idea, Feng Shui is taken very seriously by many architects and designers. There is a school in Los Angeles called the American Feng Shui Institute that focuses on the more scientific aspects of feng shui using astronomy and philosophy.

Overall, feng shui is an ancient practice that has many modern day applications; I think it’s safe to say that it can’t hurt to try!

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Sources:

Trust, Deanna. “Tree of Knowledge: WHAT IS FENG SHUI?” Tree of Knowledge: WHAT IS FENG SHUI? Off the Beaten Path, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. http://www.saintsandcircles.com/pages/tree_pages/feng_shui/_index_whatis.html.

American Feng Shui Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2016. <http://www.amfengshui.com/faq/>.

“Feng Shui.” Feng Shui-Table of Contents. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2016. <http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/spring04/McDonald/html/tableofcontent.htm>.

Links to diagrams!

Desk Feng Shui – You can see that plants on the desk in the right corner can help with relationships, a notebook in the bottom left corners aids with wisdom, etc.

Bedroom Feng Shui  – Note that the foot of the bed doesn’t align with the doorway, and there are bedside tables on either side to create balance.

Electric Bicycles

When we talk about bicycles we usually imagine a network of metal rods, pedals, and wheels that someone drives along with their own leg strength. But, you would be surprised to know that there’s actually a whole world of bicycles out there that most people know little about! When you say “electric bicycle” people usually imagine a motorized scooter or even a motorcycle, but in reality electric bicycles are nowhere near close to that image. Most electric bicycles are simply standard bicycles equipped with a variety of electric components that are arranged in sync with the design. They are equipped with a battery, a motor, and a controller to charge the battery. The motorized components are not meant to replace human power, but instead they work with it to augment the total speed and power of the bike (EVELO, 2016). That means, you still have to pedal on an electric bike and steer like you would on any other bike. The oldest patent for an electric bike is by Ogden Bolton, Jr. of Canton, Ohio, which was filed in September 1895 and granted three months later (EVELO, 2016).

You might be wondering why anyone would need an electric bike to begin with. Why not just get a regular bicycle like everyone else and save the money? For some people, like the elderly or persons with disabilities, electric bicycles present an opportunity to use the standard mechanism of a bicycle without the entire physical strain of a normal, non-electric bicycle (Woodford, 2015). Plus, you can travel a lot farther without getting as tired as you would on a regular bike and it makes obstacles like hills a lot easier to manage. They also present a lot of additional conveniences than a regular bike—like faster speed—with the same economy and overall environmental-friendliness.

Electric bicycles have three main parts to them: a battery, a frame, and a motor (Woodford, 2015). The battery contains all the power that will drive the bike along. In theory, you could use any kind of battery on a bicycle. But, in reality, you want to use a battery that stores a lot of power without being too heavy or bulky. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting all your power just trying to drag the weight of the battery.  A standard electric bike battery makes about 350–500 watts of power, which is about a quarter as much as you need to power a toaster (which doesn’t really help me understand any better how much power that actually is…) (Woodford, 2015). Lightweight lithium-ion batteries, similar to those used in laptops and cellphones are now the most popular choice—granted they’re pretty pricey. A standard battery provides you with a range of 10–40 miles between charges (depending on the terrain) and a top speed of 10–20 mph. Although you can extend the range by simply pedaling more or free-wheeling along. You can typically tell an electric bicycle by its somewhat obvious battery pack mounted on the main frame (Woodford, 2015) (EVELO, 2016).

The next part of the electric bicycle is the frame. Electric bikes have a different frame than those of regular bicycles. The main part of the frame, which supports the majority of your weight, is made from lightweight aluminum alloy. The golden rule for electric bike frames is this: The lighter the frame, the lighter the weight of the bike overall. And the lighter the bike is, the longer you can travel without having to charge the battery. The battery that powers the electric bike is usually placed somewhere on the main frame to help balance the overall weight of the bike (Woodford, 2015).

The last part of the bicycle is the motor. The two kinds of motors are full-power motors and power-assist motors. Full-power motors are designed to reduce the amount of pedaling you do over a shorter amount of distance. They have large batteries and powerful motors, but also, as a result, tend to be bigger and heavier. Since the battery is engaged at all times and you provide no pedaling power, the range is limited to around 10–20 miles (Woodford, 2015). Power-assist motors (also known as pedal-assist motors) are the equivalent to hybrid cars. They are meant to be pedaled by you for the most part and are only really electrically-powered if you are too tired or if you are facing a big obstacle like a hill. Unlike full-power bikes, they don’t have a hub motor. Instead, there’s a separate motor mounted near the rear wheel that is significantly less bulky and lighter than a hub motor. Power-assist motors turn easily with little to no resistance when you pedal because the bicycle does not have a large hub motor dragging it down with its weight. They also have a much greater range than full-power motors going from 50–90 miles (Woodford, 2015) (EVELO, 2016).

Electric cars are certainly better than regular old cars, but they also aren’t the best thing out there when it comes to environmentally-friendly types of transportation. For one, batteries are a major source of pollution across the world. Their production and disposal leak harmful contaminants and chemicals into the environment. An electric bicycle also has to be charged using electricity that could have been produced in any number of environmentally-harmful ways. Electric bikes are certainly not better than regular, standard bikes because they require the production and use of potentially-unclean energy to run. But, if everyone used an electric bike instead of a car, pollution would be significantly less than its current state (Woodford, 2015).

In conclusion, electric bicycles are a relatively unknown part of the bicycle world. They consist of a battery, a frame, and a motor. Running on the power of a battery, electric bicycles allow you to travel faster than you could on a regular bicycle. They also present a good alternative for bicycle-riding for the elderly or persons with disabilities. While they present a good alternative, electric bicycles can also be potentially harmful for the environment. Because of the production and use of a battery and the need for electricity, electric bicycles can contribute to dangerous pollution across the world.

Works Cited

EVELO. “Electric BIkes 101 – Electric Bicycles: What They Are & How They Work.” EVELO Electric Bicycles. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <http://www.evelo.com/electric-bikes-101/>.

Tyley, Jodie. “How Do Electric Bikes Work?” How It Works Magazine. 19 July 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <http://www.howitworksdaily.com/how-do-electric-bikes-work/>.

Woodford, Chris. “Electric Bicycles.” ExplainThatStuff. 16 Oct. 2015. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <http://www.explainthatstuff.com/electricbikes.html>

Cool Link #1

Cool Link #2

Cool Link #3

Just outside of the Porta Maggiore, one of the main and few remaining 3rd century Roman gates, is the tomb of Eurysaces the Baker. Made in 50-52 A.D., his tomb is just outside of the city walls making it one of the most coveted and expensive burial spots. He was afforded this luxury due to his immense success as this legendary, celebrity baker.

Recipe for Cato’s Bread

• 500g Spelt flour
• 350ml Water
• A Pinch of Salt
• A Splash of Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the spelt flour and the salt in a large bowl. Add a splash of olive oil and then slowly add the water. Mix with your hands until you end up with a dough that is no longer too floury, but also not too sticky. Knead the dough well and form it into a round mound. Lightly score the bread with a knife, diving it into eight. Place your loaf on an oven sheet and find a way to keep the moisture in a contained space around the loaf, for instance cover it with an oven safe bowl. Bake for thirty minutes and then remove the container. Bake for another 15 minutes and test that the bread is done by knocking on the bottom, listening to make sure it sounds hollow.

Allow to cool and serve with honey or olive oil with a pinch of salt.

(Originally found then tweaked from here)

SIGHT – A Room Lit By Candles

TOUCH – Handed a Chunk of Bread

TASTE – Dip it in Sweet or Savory

SMELL – Blow out the Candle, Smell the Smoke

SOUND

Chanting of the tomb’s inscription “EST HOC MONIMENTVM MARCEI VERGILEI EVRYSACIS PISTORIS REDEMPTORIS APPARET” over recreated Roman music.