Author: Jinavie

Posted in Psychology & Medicine

Cranial Nerves

Posted on by Jinavie

Nerves can be divided broadly as spinal nerves and cranial nerves: the latter which is directly from the brain. There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves:

  1. CN I – Olfactory nerve (smell)
  2. CN II – Optic nerve (sight)
  3. CN III – Oculomotor nerve (eye movements, control of pupil and lens)
  4. CN IV – Trochlear nerve (eye movements)
  5. CN V – Trigeminal nerve (sensory information from face and mouth, chewing)
  6. CN VI – Abducens nerve (eye movements)
  7. CN VII – Facial nerve (taste, tear and salivary glands secretion, facial expressions)
  8. CN VIII – Vestibulocochlear nerve (hearing and sense of balance)
  9. CN IX – Glossopharyngeal nerve (taste, swallowing, parotid gland secretion, sensory information from oral cavity, information about blood)
  10. CN X – Vagus nerve (sensory and motor signals to and from many internal organs, glands and muscles)
  11. CN XI – Accessory nerve (movement of SCM and trapezius, which are neck/shoulder muscles)
  12. CN XII – Hypoglossal nerve (tongue movements)

As there are so many nerves and the names are all varied, there is a simple (yet very obscene) mnemonic to help medical students remember the names and order of nerves:

Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel Virgin Girls’ Vaginas And Hymens
or
Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel A Girl’s Very Soft Hands
(where vestibulocochlear -> auditory)

It is also worth noting the mnemonic for the types of nerves is:

Some Say Marry Money, But My Brother Says Big Boobs Matter More

Perhaps the only way to survive medical school is through humour.

Posted in Psychology & Medicine

Alice In Wonderland Syndrome

Posted on by Jinavie

There is a disease called Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. This causes patients to suffer massive migraines, while suffering visual hallucinations that alter their perception of what they see.
For example, they see objects as bigger or smaller than what they actually are, or even see them as upside-down. Because of this, people who have experienced this syndrome say that it was like living in a fairy tale. There is no known cure, but it is often temporary and will one day disappear like magic.

When you fall in love, the other person’s weaknesses seem smaller, their strengths seem bigger, and sometimes they turn your world upside-down. So is love like living in a fairy tale, or like suffering a disease?.

(Source: http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/120/e/9/Alice_in_Wonderland_by_UlaFish.jpg)

Posted in History & Literature

Pope Joan

Posted on by Jinavie

There is a legend in papal history regarding a certain Pope John VIII, who is believed to have reigned between 853 – 855 AD. The reason this pope is so famous is that legends state that “he” was in fact a woman, making her the first (and only) female pope in history.
Legend has it that she was a very talented and intelligent woman who, with the help of disguising herself as a man as education was forbidden to females in those times, quickly rose in the church hierarchy to eventually become the pope. After a couple years of power, her true sex was discovered when she gave birth to a child one day.

There is reasonable evidence of her existence, ironically through the extensive cover up of her existence by the church. After finding out that she was a woman, history tried its best to forget the fact by constantly removing evidence of her existence. For example, in the 14th century a series of busts of past popes were made for the Duomo of Siena, one of which was named “Johannes VIII, Foemina de Anglia”, suggesting a female pope by the name of John VIII.

It is possible that she managed to deceive people of her gender by having a form of adrenal hyperplasia, which would lead to her having abnormally high levels of androgen during development. This would lead to ambiguous secondary sex characteristics, such as facial hair, androgynous appearance and possibly even an ambiguous genitalia (but of course she would have had a mild form as she was able to conceive and birth a child).

Pope Joan had a significant impact in papal traditions. Two which are famous are the change in the papal procession path and the sedia stercorania. 
The childbirth scene that exposed her occurred during a papal procession, whilst passing a narrow lane. That lane is no longer passed after that event occurred.
The sedia stercorania is a chair with a hole in it that was used to install new popes. The reason for the hole was so that a junior cardinal could reach below the chair on which the pope was sitting on, and check whether he had testicles, after which he would announce: “Duos habet et bene pendentes” (he has testicles and is well hung). This became a compulsory examination after the scandal of Pope Joan.

Posted in Psychology & Medicine

Gaze

Posted on by Jinavie

A gaze is defined as “to look fixedly, intently, or deliberately at something”, but its true meaning is far deeper than that. In art and psychology, the “gaze” is described as a complex medium of communication between the subject and the object being gazed at. There are many theories as to what the gaze signifies.

A popular explanation is the exertion of dominance by the subject by gazing at an object. In essence, this act objectifies something, such as a painting or a person, placing it on an inferior level relative to the observer. This applies to the concept of the “medical gaze” – where the doctor can see the patient as just an anatomical body, or a holistic being with a soul – or the “male gaze”, which feminists claim to be the tendency for films to objectify women and play to the male audience, providing them with the power and dominance. In this case, the gaze acts as a projection of the viewer, placing himself as a dominant figure indirectly interacting with the female being gazed at in the movie. Although the male gaze itself is questionable, there is no doubt that people tend to project themselves into the characters in a movie through gaze.
This theory explains the uncanny feeling brought on by a gaze, as it gives the impression that you are being defined by someone’s gaze, whilst becoming dominated.

The gaze plays a vital role in the development of babies as they pass through what is called the “mirror stage”. This is when babies first conceive the idea of self, as they see an external image of themselves in the mirror. At this point, the baby’s gaze defines the external image (reflection) while the reflection’s gaze gives the baby an uncanny feeling of “self”.
The concept of the gaze has been well-known throughout history, and is reflected in myths such as the evil eye (that brings bad fortune to those being gazed at) or Medusa (the gorgon who petrifies those who make eye contact with her). Interestingly, the story of Narcissus shows the danger of gaze by misidentifying “self”.

Artists use this concept of gaze effectively by either letting the audience simply gaze at the picture, essentially letting it be defined only when being looked at, or invite the audience in a “conversation” with the painting. This can be achieved when characters in the painting are gazing at the audience, giving the illusion that they can actually see past the two-dimensional plane, gazing into the viewer’s eyes. This produces a strange feeling, while also giving the viewer a heightened appreciation for the painting as he/she feels at level with the painting. 
Furthermore, as the gaze is a two-way conversation, there are also examples of “setting oneself at gaze”. This means that they are exposing themselves to be gazed at, a common example being nude art. Of course, this ties into voyeurism and scopophilia, showing just how complex the meaning behind the word “gaze” can be.

Posted in Science & Nature

Fainting Goat

Posted on by Jinavie

There is a very interesting breed of goats called the Fainting Goat. These goats suffer a genetic condition called myotonia congenita, which produces fascinating yet hilarious situations. When startled by the sudden presence of another animal or even a loud noise, these goats all suddenly freeze and fall to one side. This phenomenon can occur even while running, which causes the goats to crash into the ground, lying on their backs with their legs straight up. This can even occur from the excitement of seeing food and starting to run towards it.

The reason for this peculiar phenomenon is that myotonia congenita damages systems that allow muscles to relax, causing it to become easily excited. Ergo, when a goat is startled, its muscles tense reflexively, causing it to contract suddenly while taking longer to relax. This results in the goat becoming paralysed and falling. Young goats tend to be helpless when this occurs, but more experienced goats prop their legs apart quickly or lean against something to prevent falling (they can even be seen hopping on their stiff legs). These “fainting spells” are painless.

Although this kind of trait is often removed by natural selection (for example, in nature these goats would freeze when they meet a predator, and then proceed to be eaten), humans have bred these goats specifically to save their trait. In old times, these goats were used as “sacrifices” so that they would get eaten first when wolves struck, but nowadays they are bred in certain farms for no particular use. 
Myotonia congenita also affects other animals such as cats, and there are many people in the world affected by this condition too.

Posted in History & Literature

Big Mac Index

Posted on by Jinavie

The Big Mac is McDonald’s poster product, with the key characteristics of two beef patties and three buns. This hamburger has spread to almost every country in the world thanks to globalisation, which allows it to be used in an interesting study in economics.

Although every country’s Big Mac varies in ingredients and nutritional values slightly, they are similar enough to be considered a universal standard. Therefore, the price of a Big Mac in each country can be used to find what is called the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). The PPP is an index to show how much money in Country A’s currency is required to buy goods that cost $1 of Country B’s currency.

Finding the Big Mac index is quite simple. First, find the prices of Big Macs in two countries. Then, divide the first price by the second price (without converting currencies), and find the ratio. This ratio (i.e. the PPP) is then compared against the actual exchange rate, using percentage. As it is hard to explain in words, here is a mathematical expression of what is said above (using July 2008 figures):

  1. A Big Mac costs $3.57 in the US and £2.29 in the UK on average
  2. $3.57/£2.29 = 1.56 (PPP)
  3. Actual exchange rate: USD$2.00 : GBP£1.00 = 2.00
  4. (2.00 – 1.56)/1.56 = 0.28 = +28%
  5. Therefore, the pound is 28% overvalued

The PPP shows that the exchange rate does not show the actual value of a currency compared to another currency. As in, although the official exchange rate is $2.00=£1.00, using the Big Mac index the actual value ratio between the two currencies is $1.56=£1.00.

Even complicated economic concepts can be explained with everyday objects such as hamburgers, or “burgernomics”.

Posted in History & Literature

Michelangelo’s Model

Posted on by Jinavie

There are few (intellectual) people who do not know the master artist of the Renaissance, Michelangelo. His works are well-known for powerfully expressing the beauty of the male body and the energy it contains. However, there is a secret that lies in many of his paintings.

The work that most obviously shows this is the famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This giant painting features many characters from the Bible and Greek mythology, one of which includes the Sybils, or female prophets. In particular, the one called The Libyan Sybil shows a woman holding up the pages of a large book. However, on closer inspection it can be seen that she has a very muscular build and very large shoulders – features of the male anatomy. In fact, this feature is found in almost all of the Sybils and many other supposedly “female” characters.

The reason being, Michelangelo was a misogynist and admirer of the male form, thus he frequently (and almost exclusively) used male models for his paintings. For example, the model of The Libyan Sybil was one of his studio assistants. He believed that beauty of the human body peaked only in men, which combined with his talents for expressing vigour and energy in his art produced some of the most powerful, masculine paintings.

Of course, him being attracted to the nude male beauty both aesthetically and emotionally have given birth to many theories that he was a homosexual.

Posted in Science & Nature

Quod Erat Demonstrandum

Posted on by Jinavie

1. Let a and b be equal non-zero quantities
        a = b

2. Multiply by a
a = ab²

3. Subtract b²
a² – b² = ab – b²

4. Factor both sides
(a – b)(a + b) = b(a – b)

5. Divide out (a – b)
a + b = b

6. Observing that a = b
b + b = b

7. Combine like terms on the left
        2b = b

8. Divide by b
2 = 1

9. Add 1 to each side and flip over equation

        1 + 1 = 3

Q.E.D. (Thus we have proved)

How is this proof possible?

The source of the fallacy is the fifth step, where (a – b) is divided out.

As a = b, a – b = 0, and dividing by zero is impossible in mathematics.

Posted in Psychology & Medicine

Power Of Thought

Posted on by Jinavie

The power of thought is extremely potent. Beliefs can drive people to extreme actions, or let those who lost everything pick up and carry on. Not only does this apply to religion, but all beliefs have a powerful effect on us.

The most easily observed effect is that the mind has over the body. In the 1950s, an accident occurred where a sailor was trapped in a refrigerated container on a cargo ship. There was plenty of food, but he knew he had no hope when his fingers and toes begun to go numb, and as his body started go stiff. Instead, he decided to record the pain and suffering of freezing to death on the wall using a piece of metal. By the time the ship arrived at the port, he had already frozen to death. However, the container was not refrigerated as it was not being used – the sailor had killed himself with the power of thought.
This shows how thought affects the way we perceive the world, which forms the basis of the placebo effect. If you give a patient sugar pills and tell them it is medicine, it is common to see an improvement in their health. This is due to the body’s amazing ability to repair itself, yet the brain believes the drugs helped it recover.

Thoughts and beliefs affect society as well.
Private property, the monetary system, authority and ethics are all products of the human mind. This is called the Tinkerbell Effect, where some things only exist because people believe in them. The name comes from how Tinkerbell from the play Peter Pan is revived with the belief of children.

Furthermore, believing can determine the future. In philosophy, there is something called the Thomas Theorem, which states that “If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences”. For example, if there is a rumour that a bank will go bankrupt, people will withdraw their money and cause the bank to go bankrupt. 
This theorem explains self-fulfilled prophecies, a type of prediction that causes the events to take place because of the prophecies. Horoscopes and fortune telling are largely based around this effect, where telling a person that “good things will happen” (or bad) will cause the person to think positive (or negatively) and result in them acting in favour of positive results (or negative). 
This strange phenomenon is described very well in the movie “The Matrix”. When Neo visits the Oracle, she tells him “Don’t worry about the vase”. When he says “What vase” and turns around, he knocks over the vase behind him, causing it to fall and shatter. The Oracle then questions whether the vase would have broken if she had not told him about it. A similar case is seen in “Terminator” and “Back To The Future”.

As shown above, thoughts and beliefs contain immense power, and all humans need to do to make a better world is imagine and believe in such a world. However, the problem is that we seem to be unable to utilise this potential.

Posted in Life & Happiness

Coffee

Posted on by Jinavie

The coffee that we order from cafés tend to be espresso coffee, which is made by roasting fresh coffee beans, grinding them up and extracting 30ml of coffee from exactly 8g of coffee beans at 9 atmosphere pressure. This concentrated form of coffee can be drunk straight as espresso, or short black, but there are many more variations that can be seen on the menu.

Firstly, there is the basic method of diluting it with hot water, now called a long black or americano. If it is chilled with ice, it becomes an iced americano.
Other than espresso and long black, most coffee use steamed milk and foam. For example, if only a dollop of foam is placed on the espresso, it is a macchiato; if only steamed milk is used, it becomes a flat white or a latte (a latte has more froth).

To make a more complicated drink, layering both steamed milk and foam produces a cappuccino, well-known for its dry foam that coats the drinker’s lips. As every country has a different recipe for it, it is often a subject of debate, even to the point of Italy publishing an official standard recipe for traditional Italian cappuccinos.
As a cappuccino has more foam than steamed milk, it has a richer taste. A flat white has a much smoother taste as it has the most steamed milk.
Furthermore, a mocha is made by adding chocolate to a latte, and an Irish coffee is made by adding whiskey to long black.

A glass of this aromatic drink can brighten up a morning, let you enjoy a relaxing, luxurious afternoon, or casually sipped while chatting to friends.