Author Archives: Jackson Grey Hope

Does Music Help Performance?

As one of many students at Penn State, I can honestly say there is rarely a time of day where I am not listening to music. Whether it’s Rihanna, Drake, or any other artist making hits, I’m sure you all love listening to music too.  Maybe you even listen while trying to study for an exam to make you happy, and to forget about your stress. Maybe you listen to music to get you pumped up before a big game.  Personally, music makes me feel free, and I am constantly singing at all times of the day.  Before athletic games I would always blast music through my headphones, visualizing myself making great plays in the game I was about to play. Every time I would walk into the weight room, even if I was feeling tired, if I heard music, a new switch turned on.  I believe that music helps me perform better on the field, but I have always wondered if this is actually proven to be true, and if so why is this the case?


In many cases, research has shown that listening to music before a competition has a positive impact on focus and cognition, due to the fact that it increases arousal and motivation.  This research also suggests that music creates an exertion for physical activity, even acting as a stimulus.  A recent experiment conducted by Eliakim attempts to prove that music enhances athletic performance.  In this study, 24 athletes, 12 male and 12 female, partook in two different exercise sessions in a week, one containing music, and the other without music.  The null hypothesis being tested in this case was that music would have no effect on athletic performance and the alternative hypothesis states that music does indeed play a role in enhancing athletic performance.  The participants were required to pedal on a bike for 30 seconds, testing anaerobic power.  It was found that peak performance for those who warmed up with music was higher than those who hadn’t, and it was also found that these participants were believed to work harder. Therefore, it can be believed that music increases motivation, which may increase work efficiency.


Another study was conducted with 30 participants ranging from ages 18 to 63. Fast and slow music were both played as participants ran on the treadmill for a duration of ten minutes.  A direct correlation was shown between the tempo of the music and the speed of the treadmill, concluding that the up-tempo music motivated the participants to run faster.  Results also prove that the groups with the up-tempo music had a 5bpm higher heart rate.

Do these studies mean that listening to music will 100% make you perform better? Not at all, but there is certainly a correlation between listening to music and work ethic and motivation. Also, it depends on the type of music and type of person as well. Some may like to listen to soothing music before competition to relax their nerves, and other may like to blast hip hop and rap to get them fueled up.  At the end of the day, we all have our specific preferences, but ultimately, music is a great way to enhance motivation, which for some of us may have a direct impact to athletic performance.

Drink a Glass a Milk a Day… They Say

Every year at my annual visit to the pediatrician for my physical examination, I am always asked how much milk I am consuming daily.  Doctors always stress that is is imperative to drink milk in adolescence because this can aid the bones as the body progresses into the elderly years, when the bones grow weaker. I frequently hear that proper calcium intake is necessary when your bones aren’t fully developed to prevent harmful factors like injury, and sickness, and that the consumption of milk and calcium will follow you through your entire lifespan. Personally, I try to consume my daily dose of calcium by drinking milk and putting it in my cereal. Everyone believes this assumption that milks make the bones stronger because we hear it multiple times a year and just assume this is true because this is what experts are telling us. Should we as a society believe this, or is this just another example of how our intuition is lousy, and tend to believe things based on what people are telling us without doing any research?

In recent years, researchers have been taking a closer look into how calcium intake really affects the bones, and overall health in general.  Critics believe that milk consumption actually makes bones weaker, and increases the chance for osteoporosis in elderly ages.  They argued that milk may actually make bones lose calcium, due to the thought that milk and other dairy products are acid products which may promote health problems and disease.  These researchers looked into a correlation between countries that have a higher dairy consumption, and osteoporotic fracture incidence.  They tested the pH of urine and found that with the more consumption of milk, the more acidic the urine became. However, the pH of urine does attest to the pH of the body as a whole.  Although these researchers may have found a correlation, this does not imply causation at all, and as a matter of fact, they have no scientific evidence to back their research.


A longitudinal study was conducted by Harvard Nurses Health study that looked in to the fracture risk attributed to milk consumption. This study included 77,761 women between 34 and 59 years old. They concluded that the women who consumed the most milk, actually had more fractures than the women who rarely drank milk.  So I’m sure many of you are wondering the mechanism behind this research.  In present times, cows are injected with a bovine growth hormone, which increases the amount of milk a cow would normally produce.  This shoots up the insulin level in the blood, which happens to be associated with different types of cancers.


What can we conclude from these studies. Well, since I failed to find an actual randomized controlled experiment that shows a strong correlation with a low p-value between the consumption of milk and it’s negative side effects on the strength of bones and health, nothing can be assumed in this case. However, some of these observational studies do imply a correlation, and if drinking milk is your only method of getting calcium into your body, you may want to try other sources of getting the proper nutrients.  For example, eating fruits and vegetables are a great way of getting Vitamin D and calcium into your diet.  Also, it might be a good idea to try yogurt as well, where you will still be getting the same amount of dairy and calcium, but at the same time will be putting less acidic substance into your body.  Before looking into this research, I was ignorant that milk may have negative side effects on health and bone strength. Although this research did not make these assumptions definite, it definite rose curiosity. I am still going to continue drinking milk, however, I will be more cautious on the amount that I intake, and will definitely look to other options for calcium on top of milk.


Is Football Causing CTE?

In recent years, CTE research has been rapidly growing, and there has been a huge question over the safety of the sport of football. I have been playing contact football since the 2nd grade and I know from personal concussions that they are very dangerous, and precautions must be taken over head injuries as they can negatively effect the health of one in the future.

CTE stands for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.  This is a disease suffered from several blows to the head.  I’m sure several of you have heard about the tragic death of Hall of Fame center Mike Webster.  The autopsy of Mike Webster’s brain revealed that he had CTE which caused major dementia and depression in his post football days.  This autopsy opened the doors to worldwide curiosity and research, not only in the NFL, but in football at all levels.


With the NFL being such a substantial industry, many officials have gone into denial over this research, and refuse to believe the fact that their multi-billion dollar industry can be causing such a traumatic disease to their players.  One of the major contributors to this research, is Dr. Ben Omalu, a neuroscientist who knew very little about the game of football, but looked into the autopsies of ex-NFL players, Mike Webster being the first victim. In his observation, the null hypothesis would be that football does not have any effect on the brain and does not cause CTE.  On the other hand, his alternative hypothesis would be that football does indeed cause CTE. What he found in this astonishing autopsy was proteins present in his brain looking like red specs, that should not be present in a 50 year old man, and this caused the appearance of the All-Pro center to make him look more like 75 years of age instead of 50.  Webster’s personal life was affected, and he became more aggressive and had trouble speaking.  He would often forget things and he was not their for his family anymore.  Word of this research spread quickly, and rage in the National Football league grew.  Omalu continued his research and found this same issue in the autopsy of another nine ex-NFL players.  A few months later, this number would then grow to 30 ex-players who were found to have CTE.  He even believes that 90% of NFL players suffer from CTE, and he has yet to perform an autopsy that has come back negative.  The NFL responded with hatred, disapproval, and rebuttal.


There may be concrete evidence in this case, however these observations do not imply a causal affect due to the lack of participants affected by this disease.  There have been millions of players that have gone through the NFL and who have had long and healthy careers and there are certainly confounding variables to this research.  For example, how were these players health outside of football?  Were they frequent consumers of alcohol and other drugs?  Did they take steroids?  These are things to consider because these drugs could have a negative effect on the brain, causing the trauma. However, this research does indeed provide concern and curiosity not only for NFL players who are concerned for their health after football, but also for parents of players who are watching their children grow up smashing their heads against others at a young age. This link will show you the research conducted by the notorious neurologist, and the NFL’s response to this controversy.

A recent study was conducted with a sample of 513 retired NFL football players in search for the mechanism that football and repeated blows to the head could cause CTE and Mild Cognitive Impairment.  In this study, again the researchers had a null hypothesis that football and CTE had absolutely no association and the alternative hypothesis being that football does cause CTE.  The data provides evidence that 35.1% of this sample did indeed show signs of cognitive impairment. This data implements a correlation that retired NFL players have an increased risk of cognitive impairment in their later-life.  Although this study provides evidence of a correlation, it can not automatically be assumed to be true, and a better way to find a causal relationship would be the increase the number of participants in a large, randomized control trial.  Another important factor to consider is the level of confidence and p value of the study which would show how likely the results were to be due to chance.


So does football really cause CTE, therefore leading to an early death among retired players?  This question raised such an issue that they even made a movie about it starring Will Smith.  As you can see, there is astonishing research and evidence that shows a correlation in some retired NFL players, however it is not enough to ultimately say that it is causation, due to the small number of players affected.  However, no matter how small the number of players affected, it is still an extremely alarming issue and debate.  No parent wants to see their child suffer from brain trauma from what is supposed to be a fun, competitive sport. At the same time, no child wants to see their parent not be there for them and watch them suffer from cognitive impairment and memory loss. As a matter of fact, the NFL has already taken initiative by changing rules on head to head contact, in which doing this leads to ejection. But are these rules enough to keep players from suffering this horrendous disease?





Does Chewing Tobacco Cause Cancer?

Chewing tobacco, often known as “dip” and “snus” has been a worldwide issue for many years now. Part of the reason for this issue is due to its presence with several professional models.  Chewing tobacco is extremely common in the professional sport of baseball and many players are shown up close on live television with their lips packed with dip.  I remember watching Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa when I was a kid and I would always ask what is in these professional athlete’s lips.  Today, in some stadiums they have banned chewing tobacco not only for players on the field, but for spectators as well, as researchers try and stop the perilous issue.


I personally have never tried smokeless tobacco, but many of my friends on my baseball and sports teams have dabbled with it.  Each day they have a lip in, I see them becoming more and more addicted, as they continue to use the product exponentially in the following days.  If on one day they are using it once, in proceeding days they will do it twice as much as their addiction grows. The reason for this addiction is due to the fact that smokeless tobacco contains nicotine as the main ingredient, as well as up to 30 other carcinogens, some similar to those found in cigarettes. Many people start using these products at younger ages, due to peer pressure and its availability in the market. In many states, the legal age to purchase tobacco products is 18, however many people start younger than this.

In 11 studies conducted examining the risk of oral cancer, researchers looked into the relative risk of oral cancer by using smokeless tobacco.  The null hypothesis in these studies would be that chewing tobacco has no effect on cancer, and the alternative hypothesis would be that there is a causal link between smokeless tobacco and oral cancer.  In a sample of 948 male participants in 2002, it was found that in only 6% of the cases that oral cancer was present, however, in other countries, the risk was much more prevalent.  For example, in Sudanese men, 68% of the 627 cases examined were attributed to oral cancer.  In other studies conducted from Asia and Africa, consistent evidence for increased risk of oral cancer was present, in which this risk reached a height of 10.  These ecological studies provided a positive correlation between smokeless tobacco use and oral cancer. These studies were large, and well-conducted as the researchers attempted to rule out confounding variables such as alcohol use and other tobacco use.  Ultimately, at a 95% confidence interval, the p-value happened to be quite narrow as it resulted in less than 0.001.  This number is the probability that these results were to occur by chance.


imagesAlthough these studies were well-conducted, this does not rule out confounding variables and chance completely, as we have learned that any study can be partially due to chance. However, these results were significant enough to raise a problem and provide a correlation. Other factors that should be looked at are the frequency of exposure to these products as well as family history.  Also, a more efficient way to get better results could be to set up a randomized double-blind control trial, in which participants would be set up into two groups, one being the group that does chewing tobacco, and the other being the group that does not partake. These groups could be followed for a longer duration of time, say 10 years and then results could be taken by doing an examination of the gums.

My advice would be to stay away from these products completely.  I would not recommend switching from cigarettes to chewing tobacco either, even though the chance of getting cancer from smokeless tobacco is much more slim, there are still several risks and these risks should not be taken.



Anabolic Steroid’s Effect on the Mind

I’m sure there are several cases where you go to a local gym and see some people that are so massive that they can’t even fit in their shirt, or rather even straighten their arms.  I’m sure you wonder, how did this man/woman get so big?  More often than not, the answer is anabolic steroids.  Steroids have been prevalent for years now and are common among body builders who perform in heavy weight lifting competitions simply because it is the easiest and quickest way to take off fat and gain muscle, resulting in a phrase that most people like to refer to as ‘gains.’ They are also extremely common in male athletes to enhance their performance as well.  I’m sure you all have heard of the notorious baseball sluggers Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodrigues, and many others.  These drugs obviously have a physical effect on the body, but how does this affect them mentally?



Anabolic steroids drive up the male hormone referred to as testosterone, the hormone that constructs male features, along with playing a role in the male’s appearance and influencing their behavior.   These high testosterone levels are attributed to many different psychotic symptoms, especially aggressive behavior and even depression.  Mood swings are also very common, along with a rise in anxiety levels, often referred to as a term called “roid rage.” The Structured Clinical Interview provided diagnostics for a randomized control trial conducted in 1994.  They conducted this trial with a sample of 88 athletes who used anabolic steroids.  In 23% of these cases, signs of mania and depression were present.  The null hypothesis the researchers would use in this case is that steroids do not have an effect on behavior and the alternative would be that there is an effect.  Another astonishing statistic is that 25% of these athletes experienced a dependence for the drug, which could cause severe withdrawal symptoms.imgres

Additionally, aggression and certain behavioral attributes are not the only things that steroids psychologically effect. As steroid use continues, one is more likely to experience withdrawal from the drug, especially after building up a tolerance.  This is extremely dangerous, and can even lead to serious depression and unfortunately in some cases maybe even suicide.  An observational study of COPD patients was conducted, where two groups of n=20 patients were observed, one group receiving steroids and the other not.  It was observed that steroid users had a significantly higher level of depression and dependence after a t-test was performed, resulting with a p-value of less than .01. Evidently, these studies may have a correlation, however this does not imply causation.  Several confounding variables may be present in these tests.  For example, do these participants consume alcohol and how frequently? Do they have a family history of any psychological disorder?  These are third party variables to consider.

Sure, steroids may make you look ‘yolked’ and they may enhance physical performance, but the negative side effects definitely outweigh the pros. In conclusion, the dangers of steroids are clear and it is important to stay away from this substance, and stick to a more natural way of putting on muscle, for example having a high dose of protein in all your meals. This may not be the most efficient way for achieving what is widely known as ‘gainz,’ however, it is the safest and most natural, and you won’t have to live with the possible negative side effects that steroids could cause.    Be safe, be natural, don’t use steroids.



The Common Cold: College Environment

If I were to conduct a survey of college students at Penn State with a stuffy nose, sore throat, a cough, and constant sneezing I guarantee about 70% of students would have these symptoms.  The second a moment of silent arises in any of my classes, it is constant coughing. We are in the midst of the common cold plague in the college environment and it is contagion.


How does the common cold arise?  My mother always told me to never forget a jacket when the weather changes especially after sweating, and I think she might have been right.  Dorms and classrooms are flooded with germs and it is hard to stay away from them.  The common cold usually contains symptoms such as, a sore throat, coughing, sneezing, and runny nose.  Exposure is one of the most common reasons for a cold and this definitely explains why so many people have it.  At such a vast University like Penn State, we are exposed to different people in our dorms, classrooms, and even in our social life.  Also, weather change has a huge impact on the common cold.  The transition from summer to fall makes us more susceptible to colds because this is where we see the greatest drop down in temperature.  Another common factor is the stress students face which will also lead to a lack of sleep.  Not getting enough sleep, combined with the climate change and exposure to other students in crowded areas, seems to be the exact reason why students like me suffer from the common cold.  As we have been discussing in class, smoking is an extremely bad habit to get into, and not only does it cause lung cancer, sharing a boge at a party can not only put you at the risk of getting a cough, but also getting other diseases such as mono as well, and nobody wants that.

But when do we know that it is more than just the common cold?  Usually common cold harsh symptoms only last for up to a few days.  If you experience drawn out symptoms and constant high fevers, this may be when you want to go get it checked out.  Difficulty breathing causing you to lose sleep can be a bigger issue.  It is often hard to tell the difference between the common cold compared to a virus like the flu because the symptoms are so similar.  It is important to know when you must seek help, because symptoms will only continue to get worse without an antibiotic.

So what’s the moral of the story? You can not really prevent the common cold, but what we are putting in our bodies makes all the difference in the world.  The proper amount of sleep (as hard as it may seem) is crucial to a healthy body.  Also, making sure you are drinking all of the right fluids (and not just a natty light every night) is also important. So stay with me here guys and grind out this common cold plague for just a couple more weeks.

Sleeping With Your Phone Under Your Pillow

How often do you find yourself sending out tired snapchats right before you go to sleep?  Or sending a goodnight text to your honey?  These are just a couple of things common people do right before they go to bed, but the question is where does and where should their phone go once they are done and ready to go to sleep?

Sleeping with your phone under your pillow is not only hazardous, it could be deadly.  Cell phones, tablets, and other forms of hand-held technology release electromagnetic waves caused by X-rays as well as microwaves which may lead to the growth of tumors.  For adults, the risk is much smaller of developing a tumor which could then lead to cancer due to the thickness of the adult skull.  However, for children, it could be deadly.


Public Service Announcement:  All parents should discourage their children from cell phone use at a young age until their brain develops more.  Children’s skulls are much thinner than adult skulls, allowing a passageway for electromagnetic radiation to enter their brains.  Since Children’s brains are still rapidly growing, this could be extremely perilous and even deadly in the long-run. So parents, my recommendation would be to wait until your children are at least 12 years old before letting them have a cell-phone for personal use and to take it away from them at night time.

Another thing to look out for is not only to make sure your phone is away from your head at night, but if it happens to be, make sure that the screen is visible and the phone is faced upwards.  The reason for this is because the back side of cell-phones secrete more radiation on their back side.  You may also want to look out for long, loquacious conversations on the phone.  If you’re babbling on nonsense for hours at a time with the phone at your ear the entire time, this is extremely dangerous.  The longer your phone is close to your head, the more exposed you are becoming to radiation.  And, if you are on the phone when there is poor signal especially, that is when radiation becomes the greatest because the weaker the signal the phone shows, the stronger the signal the phone will actually be using.

So exactly how dangerous is this?  There is actually not yet an answer to this question, but there are certainly multiple hypotheses.  Some advice that I can give you to avoid the risk for any tumors or brain cancer is to use a blue-tooth connected ear-piece while on the phone instead of having conversations with the phone close to your head, which allows radiation to leak through.  Also, avoid physically talking on the phone and try texting away from your head.  When you go to sleep, make sure your phone is not under your pillow or even next to you on your bed.  Put it in a drawer and turn it off.


Diet vs. Non-Diet Soda? Or any Soda?

Have you ever wondered if drinking diet soda is actually better for you than drinking regular soda? I can’t even remember how many times I have heard mixed opinions and views on this topic.  Sometimes I will hear, “Drink regular soda, diet soda makes your bones weak.”  Is this actually true?  We as humans have the tendency to just believe what we hear just because something sounds convincing.  I think I finally have the answer to my long-awaiting question; is it better to drink diet soda or non-diet soda and what’s the difference?



So I go to sit down at a restaurant and I ask for a Sprite while my father asks for a diet coke.  Is it better for adults to drink diet soda?  It has been observed that there is a correlation between the exposure to artificial sweeteners and weight gain. My father has been drinking diet soda his whole life and this long-term consumption of artificial sweeteners can be somewhat harmless.  According to the research at Swither’s lab the body processes artificial sugar differently, thus, developing a different reaction to the body’s metabolism.  However, as Andrew discusses in class, just because some research may show a correlation, this does not at all imply causation.  There could be third party candidates, or confounding variables affecting the body’s metabolism such as exercise.

swetener1There are also other factors that may be the reason why some people infer that diet soda is worse for you.  Some believe that artificial sweeteners leave plaque on their teeth, causing cavities and an ugly looking appearance to a nice smile.  Personally, if I’m having a conversation with a good-looking woman and she makes me laugh or smile, I do not want her to turn the other way or be grossed out by the appearance of my teeth.  My parents spent good money on my beautiful smile!  All jokes aside diet soda contains acid that may mold the gums and leave the mouth exposed to cavities.


The reason people drink diet soda is because they are turned on by the fact that there are zero calories.  The word “diet” is a very deceiving word.  People diet to lose weight and stay healthy.  Sure, diet soda has no calories, however it can still be somewhat perilous to one’s health.  Dietatian Marissa Puleo believes that the artificial sweeteners in diet soda causes demand for food due to an increased need for glucose.  Therefore, consuming a diet beverage may lead to a want/need for junky food, ultimately leading to weight gain.  Now, let’s look at an even more concerning statistic of the consumption of diet soda.  The University of Miami conducted a study in which participants documented how frequently they consumed a diet beverage.  After following the participants for nine years, it was concluded that these people were 48% more likely to have a heart attack.  This is an extremely concerning statistic (Dana Dovey).

Personally, I love going to the gym and getting a nice pump.  When I drink soda of any kind, diet or regular, it appears to me that my workouts are not as rewarding.  I will wake up the next morning looking smaller and feeling weaker.  Some of you may think this sounds crazy and might be thinking I am overly paranoid, but I affirm this to be true.  For those of you out there that are gym fanatics like me, my recommendation is for you to stay away from any kind of soda as a whole.

The next time I go to a restaurant and my Dad orders his diet soda, I will stay away from soda in general.  The risks seem too high and I am trying to live a long life.  Will it KILL you if you have a can of soda in moderation?  Absolutely not, and I do not think that the consumption of any soda alone has solely lead to death, however, some statistics show that serious health problems may occur with an excess consumption.  So here’s my advice; just stay away from it.

Science… You Suck

Hi, my name is Jackson Hope and I am currently a freshman from Northern New Jersey.  I am entering Penn State as an undecided student with hopes to pursue a career in the field of business.  I have a huge passion for sports as I was a three sport athlete in high school. I participated in baseball, basketball, and football.  I am a huge fan of the New York Giants and Yankees and I was even lucky enough to play a game at MetLife stadium and get the same turf on my cleats as Odell Beckham Jr. I also have a passion for food, especially a nice medium rare steak.



My sister is a pre med major at Syracuse University and every time she gets into a conversation with my parents about Organic Chemistry or the charge of Magnesium, I ultimately end up leaving the room in a worse mood. I understand that there are scientists out there inventing new medicine to cure diseases and I am extremely fortunate for that, however, I get bored to tears when thinking about the periodic table, looking through microscopes, and I find it gross pulling out the small intestine of a cow. IT’S JUST NOT FOR ME!

Although some parts of science make me want to gouge my eyes out, there are other pieces that interest me.  For example, the exit speed of a ball departing the bat of Josh Donaldson, a slugger for the Toronto Blue Jays. Or, how fast LeBron James sprints down the court to block a shot click here. These are the sort of things I find interest in, and I am hoping this course will open up my mind to a completely different kind of thinking. I want to think critically and as the years goes on I want to start creating conversations and raising questions about new topics.  I have extremely high expectations for myself and this course and am excited to expand my critical thinking ability.