Does Chocolate Really Cause Acne?

'"Chocolate per se will not make you break out," says Dr. Shamban, lead dermatologist at Los Angeles School of Dermatology. "In fact, there is little evidence that chocolate or any specific fatty foods will cause acne, but we do know that a high-sugar/high-fat diet can increase sebum production and promote inflammatory responses in the body, which can lead to acne."'

Shamban again disproves the chocolatey myth by explaining potential benefits to the skin from the consumption of dark chocolate.  According to Shamban, dark chocolate contains high amounts of two flavonoids, catechin, and procyanidin, which are chemicals that act as antioxidants within the body. Antioxidants protect the body's cells against free radicals such as sebum production (skin oil), and other inflammatory and infecting agents. 

Perhaps this chocolate myth originated from human behavior under stress.  High stress behavior increases hormonal response and typically increases sebum production.  When under stress, most humans indulge, perhaps over-indulge in high fat foods, such as chocolate.  Perhaps we misinterpret the effects of stress for the effects of chocolate.


Reference:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/05/does-chocolate-cause-acne_n_1566076.html

Kepler: The Hunt For Another Earth

As Earth's population peaks above 7 billion, the search for habitable plants becomes a topic of interest.  Could the human race actually sustain on a foreign planets millions of light years away?  Using light variation detection, The Kepler space telescope has discovered over 3500 confirmed planets with 167 promising sustainable Earth-like candidates.  A habitable prerequisite: the promising candidates must be located in an area called the habitable zone, which is a specific region around the parent star, or sun.  The habitable zone is distance from the parent star where water is likely to exist.  For Earth, this zone is 1 AU (astronomical unit,  149,597,870,700 m) from our Sun.

The Kepler mission has 2 high priority planets, Kepler 62e and Kepler 62f.  Not only are these planets located in the habitable zone of their suns, but their masses, gravitational pull, and orbit periods are extremely similar to Earth's. In fact, Kepler 62e's location from its Sun allow for cloud formation.   Researchers predict 62e has natural storms, similar to hurricanes and typhoons.  Natural storms suggest wind development, indicating a stable atmosphere. 

Unfortunately, these plants are located thousands of light years away and human travel is nearly impossible with today's technology.  But the discovery of a sustainable planet will lead to questions about other lifeforms and habitats and eventually, communication with other lifeforms.  Perhaps when the need for additional resources have become to great, planetary travel will become a reality.


For more information, visit http://kepler.nasa.gov/

Electric Vehicle Reduces CO2 Emissions By A Factor Of 2

After nearly 24,000 kilometers of travel, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology can officially state that the RheinMobil electric vehicle produces half the CO2 emissions of a comparable gasoline powered vehicle. RheinMobil uses a newly developed "superbattery" that is recharged by a flywheel located on the modified braking mechanism of the vehicle.  This research as well as the new battery designs will be presented to Calty Design Research, the designer partner for Toyota Motor Corporation, in early December.

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. "24,000 kilometers driven electrically: Two tons of CO₂emissions less." ScienceDaily, 21 Aug. 2013. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.