Ants, sleep, food, dreams, eye-twitching ... and changing weather
Name: kate
Username: kamlin@brynmawr.edu
Subject: ants are cool
Date: 2002-12-01 11:55:40
Message Id: 3919
Comments:
South American Army Ants live in bivouacs, forming superorganisms that act communally. These colossal amalgamations of ants work together to find food, construct shelter and maintain their societies. What if humans focused more on the community and less on the individual? Would there be less hunger? Less conflict? Just a thought. Happy Break!
Name: Laura Silvius
Username: lsilvius@brynmawr.edu
Subject: Hunger and Sleep
Date: 2002-12-01 16:03:27
Message Id: 3921
Comments:
I've been looking at my sleep patterns lately, and I've noticed something very strange. It seems that, for me anyway, it's a lot easier to go to bed later rather than wake up earlier. My body seems to have a predisposition to go to bed late. I can get myself into the habit of going to sleep by 12 and waking up by 8 or 8:30, but if I stay up later than 12 just once, or sleep later than 8:30 one time, I won't get to sleep the next evening until 2 or 3 am, I'll wake up at 11 or noon and all my good work will be ruined. And of course, my sleep patters affect hunger. If I'm in bed by midnight, I can get by with eating a full dinner at 6 pm and a small snack (like an apple or something) for the evening. But when my sleeping patterns get screwy, dinner at 6 is more like "lunch" than "dinner" because there's so much time left in the day. Does this make any sense to anyone?
Name: heidi
Username: Anonymous
Subject: work and sleep
Date: 2002-12-01 22:48:08
Message Id: 3925
Comments:
I have to agre with Laura about the sleeping pattern. For me it is also easier to go to sleep later than wake up early. I think this might be more psychological than one might think. If I think back to when I was a child (say before 14) I was out of bed at the krack of dawn and in bed with the sun. If you take a look now at older people (say anything after 40- i didnt say "Old" mind you) they seem to develop back to this pattern.
Here's my hypothesis: I know from myself and from other students my age that we are never really done working. There is no finish line if you will. Through that, it is hard to got to sleep with so much to do. When we had to get up, however, we are so tired that we care more about our sleep at that point.
After 40, most people have a regulated daily schedual. Here it is not important to say up and do work, at least this is the case with most jobs. right?
well, we are at that age when for us work is more important than sleep (or am i wrong?).
Name:
Username: Anonymous
Subject:
Date: 2002-12-01 22:50:09
Message Id: 3926
Comments:
sorry, i definately meant that i was in bed with the setting of the sun. wow...
Name: heidi
Username: Anonymous
Subject: eye twitching
Date: 2002-12-01 22:54:40
Message Id: 3927
Comments:
There is one more thing that i wanted to adresse. I have recently been experiencing this weird twitching under my eye. I remember having this some years back but never really took the time to find out what it was. Can anyone halp me out? Is it connected to sleep or something like that?
Name: Roma
Username: mhassan@brynmawr.edu
Subject: sore throats and such...
Date: 2002-12-03 12:13:20
Message Id: 3937
Comments:
Walking around Bryn Mawr it's quite evident that colds and sore throats are taking their toll on mawrters. Sneezing, coughing, not being able to speak and the consistent fevers have become a part of everyday life. The health center is giving flu shots at an increased rate.
Every single friend of mine seems to have suffered or is suffering from sore throat and coughing, and I myself have not been spared.
So what exactly is a sore throat? Sore throat is a symptom of many medical disorders. Infections cause the majority of sore throats and are contagious. Infections are caused either by viruses such as the flu, the common cold, mononucleosis, or by bacteria such as strep, mycoplasma, or hemophilus. While bacteria respond to antibiotics, viruses do not.
Most viral sore throats accompany flu or colds along with a stuffy, runny nose, sneezing, and generalized aches and pains. These viruses are highly contagious and spread quickly, especially in winter. The body builds antibodies that destroy the virus, a process that takes about a week. Whooping cough, canker sores, fever blisters, even measles follow. And in some extreme cases, "mono" can be seen, specially amongst college students, since the atmosphere is so conducive to spreading of viral infections etc.
Best option is to go for prevention and get a flu shot as early as possible. I was asked how effective flu shots are and while I don't know the exact workings behind a flu shot, I told my friend it would work like any other vaccine and she would never know till she got one herself and isn't prevention always better than cure? Why endure the pain and misery when you can prevent it?
Name: Mande Maclay
Username: Anonymous
Subject: Smokey Den of Sin
Date: 2002-12-03 14:56:37
Message Id: 3942
Comments:
Looking at our lab today in which we discussed locaitonal communites and their differances i discovered that these differances are apart of eth conditions in which these locaitons offer. For example, my room is very warm and smokey making it hard for me to stay awake therefore my surrounding affects the way i feel. so, if everyone stopped talkign about their work adn made their room like mine then we coudl all sleep.
Name: Diana Isabel Fernandez Gonzale
Username: Anonymous
Subject:
Date: 2002-12-03 15:08:05
Message Id: 3946
Comments:
I am from new mexico and the only plants i could keep alive were cacti, i found this interesting because my lab partner and i chose deserts as our biological community to study. The fact that even i could keep a cactus alive says a lot for its fortitude and ability to withstand harsh conditions, including my smoky room.
Hey and here is a special holiday cactus:http://www.growinglifestyle.com/article/s0/a131411.html
Name: Kyla
Username: kellis@brynmawr.edu
Subject:
Date: 2002-12-03 15:30:19
Message Id: 3948
Comments:
To answer Heidi's comment from above (I know it was awhile ago): I've actually heard that as we go through different stages of development, our natural sleep patterns change. Actually, the first time I heard about it was at my admissions interview for Bryn Mawr. My interviewer told me that children typically wake up at five am and go to bed at eight. As you grow into your teens your body functions better if you go to sleep and wake up later in the day. By the time you're our age, the best thing to do is to go to sleep at one or two and wake up at ten or eleven am. Makes sense to me!
Name: Annie Sullivan
Username: aesulliv@brynmawr.edu
Subject: on sleeping
Date: 2002-12-03 15:51:43
Message Id: 3950
Comments:
On the subject of sleeping--this seems to be a very popular topic of discussion at Bryn Mawr, since most of us never seem to get enough. As Laura and Heidi have noted, it's easy to become accustomed to a particular sleeping pattern--and when such patterns are disrupted, other seemingly unrelated aspects of our lives also change (eating habits, stress level, etc). It really is strange how interconnected all of our biological functions and lifestyle habits are. Most of the time, we don't even realize this relationship until we make a small change that yields greater results in different, surprising areas of our lives.
Another weird thought: When I start thinking and analyzing my sleep habits, I find that I'll usually end up feeing worse physically. Once I acknowledge my sleep deprivation, I psychologically start to feel more fatigued and sluggish. It's much better, I find, to NOT count your hours of sleep or think too much about how behind you are on sleep. Again, the connection between the mind and body, here, is quite evident.
Name: Anastasia Michals
Username: amichals@brynmawr.edu
Subject:
Date: 2002-12-04 11:04:38
Message Id: 3953
Comments:
To comment on the point that we always have work and we never reach an end to the work we are doing, I think it is necessary to set limits on yourself in order to succeed in a healthy life. What I do, maybe this will help some people, is I make a list of all the work that I know about that I have due. Then I make a second list of the work that I am going to complete that particular day. If I complete this work, and feel like doing more I do. If I don't feel like doing anymore than what I had written on my list, then I don't. That way you feel as if you have accomplished something and you complete assignments. It is also important to get the little assignments out of the way. You know, the ones that just nag you to death and they are really unimportant in the big picture. If they are done, then you don't have to worry about them and it reduces the amount of work that you have. Also, I find it is helpful to work ahead. If I know the work that I have for a class due on Friday I start it on Monday and complete it early in the week. Don't start it Thursday night at midnight. This also helps to reduce the stress levels you put yourself under. I don't know, maybe that will help some people.
Secondly I just want to comment on what we talked about in class yesterday. I can't believe that our bodies perform stuff like the Krebs Cycle. It seems so complicated and it is only one of the things our body does. I just think that is pretty impressive.
Name: kathryn bailey
Username: kbailey@brynmawr.edu
Subject:
Date: 2002-12-04 13:41:03
Message Id: 3954
Comments:
I am also perplexed by eye twitching. Why does this happen? It seems like my eyes twitch whenever I don't get enough sleep or I am really stressed out. Although this only happens off and on for a few day period, it is pretty bothersome. Does this have anything to do with eye strain? Is it related to twitching in the leg or arm after a hard workout. Is it a sign that one might need glasses?
Name: Michele Doughty
Username: mdoughty@brynmawr.edu
Subject: WHY SLEEP?
Date: 2002-12-04 14:32:15
Message Id: 3958
Comments:
All this discussion about sleep, but why? Is it really that deep? Yes, I know that sleep affects thinking, performance, and general disposition. But think about it, we only have one life to live. As far as we know, we have our whole after-life to enjoy sleep without any interruptions. So stop complaining! You'll get used to it by the time you're a senior....if you want to graduate at least. All this talk about not getting any sleep and you could be doing your work, so you can sleep- without that paper or test hanging over you- worry free! So pop your no-doze, drink your coffee, and quit your whining! This sleep deprivation will pay off in the future!
Name: The doctor is in
Username: dlafemin@brynmawr.edu
Subject: eye twitching
Date: 2002-12-04 17:08:57
Message Id: 3969
Comments:
Ok, nothing really interesting to post, I just want to help with the eye twitching. when your muscles twitch anywhere (except after strenuous exercise, of course), it usually means you need potassuim. Eat a banana and call me in the morning ;)
Name: Laura Bang!
Username: Anonymous
Subject: Randomness... :-)
Date: 2002-12-04 19:51:29
Message Id: 3972
Comments:
A few things...
Flu shots: Personally, I'm a huge fan of flu shots. See, I've had the flu (or at least a cold) every Christmas since I can remember, and it sucks! (One year I was so sick, I didn't even feel like opening my presents!) But last year, I got a flu shot and I didn't get sick! :-) So I got a flu shot yesterday, and hopefully I won't get sick again this year. But, of course, flu shots do not guarantee that you won't get the flu. But it does give you a better chance of not getting it. And, of course, it also helps to make sure you get enough vitamin C and wash your hands a lot. :-)
Sleep: Okay, I personally think sleep is a good thing. Sure, it's annoying when you have a lot of work to do, but if we didn't have sleep at all, we wouldn't have dreams. Now I never remember my dreams for more than a minute after I wake up, but that first minute when I wake up and have that fleeting glimpse of a nice dream gives my day a sort of magical start. :-)
Stress: Okay, all I have to say on this topic is: GOOD LUCK with all your exams and/or papers! You will survive, and everything will be okay -- we're Mawrters, that's what we do best: survive stress. ;-) And after this we have a lovely month off -- for hanging out with friends back home, and seeing your family, and curling up by a fire with a cup of hot chocolate (or just curling up with a cup of hot chocolate if, like me, you are from a place where winter is not that cold), and doing whatever you want to do for a whole month. We can make it!
Name: Catherine
Username: crhy@brynmawr.edu
Subject:
Date: 2002-12-05 00:56:32
Message Id: 3977
Comments:
Since a lot of us seem to be discussing problems:
Once in awhile I notice that my hands shake/tremor very badly, and it seems to have nothing to do with caffeine or physical exertion on that part of my body. Why does this happen?
I thought it may be sleep-related, perhaps, but I couldn't really find any evidence of it. Also, someone suggested that it may be hereditary, but my parents definitely do not have this problem. Maybe it's nutrition?
Name: Adrienne
Username: awardy@brynmawr.edu
Subject: Stress and Sleep
Date: 2002-12-05 23:54:21
Message Id: 3985
Comments:
I completely agree with you, Anastasia. Everyone should set reasonable limits on their work to reduce stress. I also like to make a list and plan what I am going to do on a particular day. I think that this really lowers your stress level, which contributes to your health. It is simply unhealthy to get very little sleep or worry excessively. Our bodies need sleep-it's a scientific fact
Name: Diana La Femina
Username: dlafemin@brynmawr.edu
Subject: nerves
Date: 2002-12-06 00:30:21
Message Id: 3987
Comments:
Tonight I sang my solo at the last chorale rehearsal before our concert. I got up in front of everyone and sang my song. Even though I know I've worked this song to death, even though I know I shouldn't be nervous and mentally really am not, my heart beat like I just ran a marathon and my breath came short...etc. You know the drill on that. When you sing, you can hear the nervousness in the voice, so not being nervous at all would greatly improve my performance. I'm trying to figure out why my body felt so nervous even though I really wasn't? How can this be?
Name: Roma
Username: mhassan@brynmawr.edu
Subject: 2 things
Date: 2002-12-06 12:55:22
Message Id: 3988
Comments:
I don't think we have to pull all-nighters and undergo severe sleep deprivation to do well in our undergraduate careers at bryn mawr, it is true that bryn mawr works us very hard and we do tend to stay up late to study once in a while but that's just once in a while, it shouldn't become a habit. Personally I think it's quite possible to get my work done by midnight if I actually study instead of taking breaks every now and then to check email or answer IMs or just stare at my computer which can add up to a lot of wasted time, resulting in guilt and my staying up till 3am to get my work done and then having to wake up by 9am for class. It's all about organization and not procrastinating, but how many of us actually do NOT procrastinate?
I don't know if it makes sense for people our age to go to bed later and then wake up later, after all, when we enter the workplace, we'll have to wake up by 8am at the very least if we're gonna follow the usual nine-to-five work routine. So when we're thirty and have a job (hopefully!), how is it gonna work if we go to bed at say 4am and then wake up around noon? I think the human body functions best when we go to bed early and rise early as well, after all research shows that the human brain works best during early morning and is not that alert during the afternoon.
Name: Sarah
Username: stan@bmc
Subject:
Date: 2002-12-06 15:55:28
Message Id: 3989
Comments:
I also got sick over Thanksgiving break, some kind of massive cold that sucked the life out of me. And during that time, I needed so much more sleep than I usually do, even given that I had to "make up" sleep lost from before the break. There was one night I slept 15 hours and still woke up tired, and normally I can't sleep past 9 hours or so, even when I try. So the body also needs extra sleep on top of the regular necessary amount when it's not doing so well. I haven't done any research on this, though I think there've been a couple of web papers on sleep and sleep deprivation, but I am curious to know more about what goes on during sleep that the body needs more of it when it's under the weather.
Name: katie c.
Username: kcampbel@brynmawr.edu
Subject: sleep patterns
Date: 2002-12-07 12:31:47
Message Id: 3996
Comments:
so i was reading over what kyla had to say about the development of our sleeping patterns...
and i guess it all makes sense to me. but why does it matter when we sleep if we get the right amount? and i guess in general we can all make the assumption that humans develop into such patterns naturally, but i also think that sleeping times, etc is individual and perhaps even cultural (which i know we've all talked about is culture biologically determined???)
here are my reasons for questioning this...
i function best when i go to bed at 10 and wake up at 6. i love being up in the morning, getting things done and feeling like i've accomplished stuff before the whole day is gone. and i often feel the tiredest around 10 and the only way i can stay up later is to force myself awake until i pass 12 and i'm wired because of adreniline, etc.
and finally...in colorado...bed times are just naturally earlier. granted, yes, most high school and college students are up for forever and a day at night, but the news comes on at 10, most families are in bed soon after that...whereas here on the east coast, tv shows are on later, cities are alive later into the night, etc. so maybe it's geography or just the people who populate each region that determine the sleeping culture, but i also think that there are plenty of people all across the board so one sleeping pattern that's best at a certain age can't quite be determined...
Name: Bill Nye the Science Guy
Username: wcarroll@haverford.edu
Subject: twitching
Date: 2002-12-07 13:13:24
Message Id: 3997
Comments:
I'm glad the twitching thing came up. The Friday before Thanksgiving my right bicep decided to develop it's own irregular heart beat. The palpatations were irregular in strength and rhythm. It honestly felt like I had a heart in my bicep, and you could see it twitching - pretty cool actually. Anyway, I had heard about the potassium thing that Diana mentioned, but I felt like this wasn't really my muscle but my bracheal artery. I was under the impression that potassium helped with muscle twitching, and since it really felt like mine was artery-related, potassium shouldn't have necessarily helped. Is there another kind of twitching or did it just feel like it wasn't my muscle but it actually was? Anyway, so I went on a potassium eating rush because the twitching was actually quite annoying. I found out that bananas don't actually contain that much potassium, despite the legend that places them as the best source. Better sources of potassium are milk (skim is actually better than whole), potatoes, oats, fish, raisins, dates, and lots of your good veggies that I never eat enough of.
I love snow.
Name: Chelsea
Username: clphilli@brynmawr.edu
Subject: dream on
Date: 2002-12-07 13:57:39
Message Id: 3998
Comments:
Ok, thanks to Jodi:P here's my dream-
Once upon a time in my head,
Dudley Moore was horribly in love with me. We got on a space ship to save the world, and were joined by
Professor Grobstein, who I learned, had been the one to first introduce us. After we saved the world, the space ship turned into the magic school bus. Dudley proposed to me while all these little kids ran around screaming and Prof. Grobstein knitted an afghan. The end.
I think it must have been something I ate.
Ok, but seriously, are dreams a defense mechanism? Not this one, obviously, unless I really just needed to be entertained, but I have dreams all the time that something I'm worried about or am waiting to happen actually does and things turn out well...is that my brain's way of shielding itself from anxiety? I remember having the greatest dream one night, then realizing it was only a dream and waking up...but into the same dream, and having that really relieved feeling of "oh, it was real!" until i really did wake up...but what if we never do? Has anyone seen waking life? or dark city? it's really scary sometimes what our subconscious can convince the rest of our brain and body is real and what isn't- how would we ever know?
Name: Brie Farley
Username: bfarley@brynmawr.edu
Subject: something you ate?
Date: 2002-12-08 11:11:13
Message Id: 4003
Comments:
I'd like to comment on Chelsea's speculation that "it must have been something I ate." Yesterday, I attended a Nutrition Conference in Paoli, and I learned some very interesting, and disturbing things. Did you know that 99% of Americans are nutrient deficient? Did you know that almost any time something happens to your skin (break out, dry skin, etc.) it originated in your belly? Did you know that 80% of kids with ADD have a yeast problem? I learned that sugar is to yeast like water is to a plant. As soon as you give a child that already has a yeast problem some sugar, you are just complicating the matter. Instead of treating the symptoms, maybe someone should help these kids with yeast problems??!
Most health problems of any kind can be traced back to something in your diet. There is plenty more information, but it all boils down to eating nutrient dense foods. This doesn't eliminate meat, it doesn't say avoid chocolate- but there are good choices you can make when you eat meat, and good ways to eat nutrient-dense chocolate. The bookshop sells organic dark chocolate! Don't go to Wendys!
The biggest myth uncovered at the conference was that fat isn't bad for you! The average American consumes an added 32 tsp. of sugar every day! When you consider what you're eating to be important-that you really are what you eat, and that there are consequences (visible or not) to everything you put in your body, it should be clear that fat is not the enemy! Sugar is! Eat nuts over pretzels! I know this is a ton of information, but just open your eyes before you open your mouths! Eat healthy to keep your body going so that you don't crash after taking your finals and writing your papers! I know I want to have fun at New Years, don't you?! Then, we can all imbibe on wine-red wine-which has nutrients, too!
Name:
Username: Anonymous
Subject: Dreams
Date: 2002-12-08 13:09:08
Message Id: 4004
Comments:
I wrote one of my papers about dreams, and there are some theories which envision dreams as a defense mechanism, or as a "testing ground" for conflicts one may face in daily life. Some believe that in prehistoric times, cave men initially dreamt of the numerous struggles which threatened their survival in an attempt to try out different lines of defense without actually having to be in the moment. Now, since we aren't so preoccupied with survival, we instead have dreams which play out different emotinal scenarios.
Name: Elizabeth Damore
Username: Anonymous
Subject:
Date: 2002-12-08 13:09:50
Message Id: 4005
Comments:
Sorry, forgot to put my name on that last post.
Name: diana dimuro
Username: Anonymous
Subject: Spastic Boombastic
Date: 2002-12-08 17:03:52
Message Id: 4006
Comments:
Hey, to answer some of your questions about eyes twitching or eye spasms, I did some searching on the internet and found out that the condition is called Blepharospasm, also known as eye twitch or eye spasm. It is the repetitive contraction of eyelid muscles in a rhythmic fashion.
In some instances, the eyelid may repeatedly close or attempt to close. The most common causes of muscle twitching in the eyelid are fatigue, stress, and caffeine. Once the spasms begin, they may continue intermittently for a day to more than a week, then disappear. Most people experience this type of eyelid twitch on occasion and find it extremely annoying. It usually stops suddenly, without even noticing it.
More severe contractions with closure of the eyelid are thought to be caused by irritation of the surface of the eye (cornea), or the membranes lining the eyelids (conjunctival irritation). This type of eyelid twitching is common, especially in certain seasons.
Another form of blepharospasm, lasts much longer, is very uncomfortable, and can close the eyelids completely. Now stop and think about that one; that's a pretty damn scary thing to consider.
Name: CR
Username:
Subject: Sleep
Date: 2002-12-09 00:20:39
Message Id: 4009
Comments:
I'm personally an advocate of getting enough sleep -- not that I always manage to by any stretch of the imagination, so maybe I'm something of a hypocrite too, but anyway I do try to remember that sleep is important. If I don't get enough sleep, I don't end up awake enough to really enjoy things or to be clear-thinking and efficiently productive. And, I know that if I become too tired, things which needn't be become overwhelming or depressing.
Also, as far as the sleep patterns of people our age ... I do tend to believe that for a lot of us it does feel more natural to go to bed late and get up late (tho probably not for all of us, and I'm not sure to what extent this is biological and to what extent this is the result of psychological and social conditions). I know that I naturally function that way, so I intentionally avoid scheduling myself for early morning classes when possible.
Name: Sarah
Username: sfrayne@brynmawr.edu
Subject:
Date: 2002-12-09 01:19:25
Message Id: 4013
Comments:
I have a couple fairly unrelated comments to add:
(1) My first comment pertains to Kate's observation about the way ants act in a fashion akin to communism in order to better the community instead of the individual ( The Once and Future King?). I agree that it sounds nice, but if I have learned anything from modern economics ( the readings upon readings that refrence the oh so praised invisible hand phenomenon) it is that working for the good of the individual is often also best for the community. The most lucrative ( not just monetarily speaking, of course, economics simply most clearly states the way such a theory works) scenario is often one which employs of individuals working in groups in the the name of self interest ( Beautiful Mind anyone?).
(2) Secondly, I wanted to suggest that people look in the paper today- there was an article about the changing weather. The article outlines the prediction that as a result of increased global warming, a chilling phenomenon will ocurr. Researchers expect that the northeast will become colder as a result of the changed run off..... well, its a little complicated and you can look up the article online. My point is merely that this drives home a point Grobstein has been serving to us most consistantly in class and lab: at all levels ( from the cells we looked at in lab, to the biomes we saw on the internet) smaller units are connected in a delicately and deeply intertwined sytem that funstions as whole ( the cells are arranged differently, the biomes are dependent on an equelibrium of abiotic and biotic features). Just another reminder that we have to pay attention to how we treat the earth and the things that live on it because everything is interdependent ( although, I will recognize the ability of things to adapt in some cases) and thus everything is inherently gravely important.
> pause here, while I unwrap my arms from the tree I am sitting next to<
(3) Although I promised myself going into this I would not help to perpetuate the dialog on sleep and stress that seems to saturate everything associated with Bryn Mawr, I find myself irresistably drawn to the crowd and overwhelmed with an urge to join the in the mass soiree- so I will briefly, for your sake, share my thoughts on the whole subject (which may or may not work for you, its simply an offering up of my mantra):
Relax!!! Enjoy your time. Sleep when you feel tired and worn... stay up when you are excited about what your doing. Take joy for your work and remember that you are choosing ( and paying) to be here. We are young and liberated and sitting in one of the best schools in the nation with our entire lives and before us. Carpe Diem! Get wrapped up in it, revel in it, walk into it swinging! And if at the end of the day, if your frayed and tired, think about what in the world, at this moment, you would choose to be doing with your time... and just maybe you will find you are living it.
Name:
Username: amaclay
Subject: ants
Date: 2002-12-10 14:55:55
Message Id: 4029
Comments:
after lab today i realized that ants are very interesting bugs. a friend informed me that some species of ants pretend they are dead, so that when carried to other colonies, they can wake up and eat teh queen. taking over teh colony. also, through lab we discovered in the ant expereiment that selfish ants tend to take over populations fo altruisitc ones. is this similar to human nature? and if so, is this inherent in all animal nature?
Name: amanda maclay
Username: amaclay@brynmawr.edu
Subject: ants
Date: 2002-12-10 14:56:31
Message Id: 4030
Comments:
after lab today i realized that ants are very interesting bugs. a friend informed me that some species of ants pretend they are dead, so that when carried to other colonies, they can wake up and eat teh queen. taking over teh colony. also, through lab we discovered in the ant expereiment that selfish ants tend to take over populations fo altruisitc ones. is this similar to human nature? and if so, is this inherent in all animal nature?
Name: Anastasia Michals
Username: amichals@brynmawr.edu
Subject:
Date: 2002-12-10 16:33:47
Message Id: 4035
Comments:
Just wanted to say that for those of you who dont think that sleep is important, it has been proven that you can die from lack of sleep.
Anyway, I was thinking about how animals lie in communities. What attracts those animals to those communities? And what attracks humans to communities? It seems that animals and humans are attracted to things that they are familiar with, but I have found that humans sometimes are attracted to different things that they are unfamiliar with. Why is that?
Name: heidi
Username: hadlermi@brynmawr.edu
Subject: tryptophan, milk, and sleep
Date: 2002-12-10 17:03:06
Message Id: 4037
Comments:
one more comment about sleep. It seems to be THE issue lately.
Personally I didn't sleep last night. Eventhough I went to bed at 1:30 i could not fall asleep. This would not worry me too much if it had not been the 4 time in 2 weeks. I don't know what the problem is, you would think that my mind would appreciate the chance to rest but instead it wont even let me take napes.
I talked to my father and here is some fatherly advice for anyone experiencing the same unsettling scary phenomenon: get some milk from the dining hall, warm it up, and drink it 20 min before you go to bed. Apparently it contains the amino acid Trypophan (C11H12N2O2)
that calms the nerves in the brain. Aside from its role as one of the limiting amino acids in protein metabolism, tryptophan serves as a precursor for the synthesis of neurotransmitters (like serotonin), as well as for the synthesis of the vitamin nicotinic acid and the hormone melatonin. Through involvement in several pathways, tryptophan regulates neurobehavioral effects, such as appetite, sleeping-waking rhythm and pain perception as well.
Try it!
Name: Maggie
Username: mscottwe
Subject: more sleep theory
Date: 2002-12-10 20:34:51
Message Id: 4040
Comments:
I know that there are theories about how we go through stages of growth that cause different sleep patterns. But I really think we have more control over our sleep schedule than those theories imply. When I was in high school I generally slept from midnight until 8, a rather run-of-the-mill sleep schedule. Last year I got sucked into staying up ridiculously late (3:00 was average) and sleeping right up until I had to get up for class (with maybe a nap later in the day). Now this year, mostly because of my friends, I generally wake up and go to sleep earlier than I did in high school. I've never had difficulty adjusting to different sleep schedules. I think mostly you just have to put up with a few days of getting up while you're dead tired. Then eventually your body will get tired when you need to go to bed instead of when it is used to going to bed. At least, that has been my experience...
Name: Diana Fernandez
Username: Anonymous
Subject:
Date: 2002-12-12 00:50:37
Message Id: 4057
Comments:
My friend who is doing her thesis on ants told me that ther is a type of parasitic ant that pretends that it is dead, so that ants of a different species will pick it up and bring it back to the hill. The ant then, having cleverly infiltrated the hill, will kill the queen and assume domination of the hill. I never realized to what extent other creatures will go to perpetuate their line!
Name: kathryn bailey
Username: kbailey@brynmawr.edu
Subject:
Date: 2002-12-12 16:38:02
Message Id: 4059
Comments:
I had no idea that there were parasitic ants that play dead to infiltrate another ant hill. I cannot escape the thought that this tactic is a bit extreme. Why would an ant want to take over another ant hill? What is wrong with their own ant hill? Do these types of ants have a queen ant who sends them out to conquer other ant hills? I realize this tactic promotes the perpetuation and expansion of the parasitic ant's line, but couldn't this get out of hand? What happens when all of the ant hills have been taken over by these parasitic ants? Do the other types of ants live or are they killed by the parasitic ants? Perhaps I am having difficulty understanding the point of this tactic because I am a pacifist. What is wrong with cohabitation...why must some organisms wish to be all powerful, akin to the Romans and the US?
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