Friday, January 18, 2008

Temporal Paradox

A temporal paradox is an paradoxical situation in which a time traveler causes through actions in the past the exclusion of the possibility of the time travel that allowed those actions to be taken.

The typical example is that of the grandfather paradox, wherein a time traveler goes back in time and kills their grandfather before his father is conceived. It is a paradox because if this occurs, they will never be born, and therefore never be able to travel back in time to kill their grandfather. This example is one type of causality loop.

I was watching Star Trek Voyager the other day at work. It was an episode involving time travel and a colleague of mine got the idea how exciting time travel could be, but also dangerous since future could be irreversibly changed.
Since no one really knows how time travel would affect our time lines, we are only here to make assumptions. I, for example, strongly disagreed with my colleague..

Consider you could time travel. I imagine it would be only possible if the time line would consist of layers that are continuously replaying or are existing at any time throughout time. In that way the time line would be a cluster of infinite nows and the only thing that would distinctively say whether that now is our past or future, is the subject itself. The ability to travel through time is similar as traveling across space only that present, future and past become here and back and forth. Given the possibility to teleport instantly from one spot to another, I would be somewhere else and my past location would still be there.
I am now in my now. What was yesterday was now for me yesterday - in that case I perceive that now as my current past. But if I travel back to that past, it becomes my now and where I was before is the future from that point.

If all time line exists at the same time but the subject moves on that time line as he would be moving on Earth (except only forth without and freely with a time machine), then I don't see the possibility that one could go back and change the future, since the future had already happened and his time travel was already calculated into the parameters of one's past now. If the past already happened, then what one did already affected the future in which he's always lived without him knowing that when he traveled back and changed something, that something became a part of him and formed the present in which he's always lived in.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Don't know about you, but I feel disappointed... VERY disappointed. >:(

Monday, July 23, 2007

What chocolate is and what it's not

WHAT CHOCOLATE IS:

  • Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay. Of course, this is counteracted by the high sugar content of milk chocolate.
  • The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.
  • Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.
  • The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol.
  • Drinking a cup of hot chocolate before meals may actually diminish appetite.
  • Men who eat chocolate live a year longer than those who don't.
  • The flavanoids in chocolate may help keep blood vessels elastic.
  • Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood.
  • Mexican healers use chocolate to treat bronchitis and insect bites.
  • The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.

WHAT CHOCOLATE ISN'T
:

  • Studies show that chocolate is not a causative factor in acne.
  • Cacao contains the stimulants caffeine and bromine, but in such small quantities that they don't cause nervous excitability.
  • Chocolate is not addictive.
  • Chocolate contains stearic acid, a neutral fat which doesn't raise bad cholesterol.
  • Chocolate doesn't make you 'high'. You'd need to eat a huge quantity (about 25lbs at one sitting) to feel any noticeable effect.
But On The Negative Side...
  • Chocolate may trigger headaches in migraine sufferers.
  • Milk chocolate is high in calories, saturated fat and sugar.
  • Chocolate is considered dangerous to animals because it contains a stimulant called theobromine, which they can't digest.

Dark chocolate contains more cacao and less sugar than milk chocolate. It follows that any health benefits would be more pronounced in dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is also higher in flavonoids than milk chocolate. The higher the level of flavanols, the more nitric oxide activity, which plays and important role in the maintenance of healthy blood pressure and, in turn, cardiovascular health. Blood platelets also respond to flavanol-rich chocolate. Flavanols prevent platelets from sticking together or clotting, which can impede blood flow. The effect is similar to using the aspirin. In other words, flavonol-rich cocoa and chocolate act similarly to low-dose aspirin in promoting healthy blood flow. Reducing the blood's ability to clot also reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks. However, the effects you see in aspirin are longer-lasting than the effects you see in flavanols. Flavonoids in chocolate are more powerful than vitamins such as ascorbic acid in protecting circulating lipids from oxidation. Atherosclerosis studies suggest that oxidation of lipoproteins is part of the process that creates the plaque that clogs artery walls.

Chocolate gives you an energy lift, less anxiety, a reduction in pain.

Studies show that cocoa powder, dark chocolate and milk chocolate have higher Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) values than many common foods, such as prunes and blueberries. (ORAC values measure how powerful an antioxidant a substance is). An antioxidant is a substance that inhibits oxidation or reactions promoted by oxygen and peroxides, and that include many held to protect the living body from the deleterious effects of free radicals. Examples include beta-carotene, vitamin C, and alpha-tocopherol.

Dark chocolate has more than 13,000 ORAC units and milk chocolate has about 6,700. In different terms, a 40-gram serving of milk chocolate contains about 400 milligrams of antioxidants, the same as a glass of red wine.


So there you go. Eat dark chocolate :P

Thursday, June 14, 2007

What's with this medical advice from me all of a sudden?

Three big reasons:
  1. I have menstrual cramps; hurts like hell and ordinary painkillers don't help
  2. I am addicted to House M.D.
  3. I am thinking it would be nice to go to study medicine..
Funny how two little things can change your perception of life..

And about the existence of PMS

***

PMS consists of various physical and emotional symptoms that occur in the second half of the menstrual cycle, after ovulation. The symptoms begin about mid-cycle and are generally the most intense during the last seven days before menstruation.

Estrogen and progesterone are the hormones involved in a woman’s menstrual cycle. The cycle typically rotates every 28 days. Hormone levels are supposed to fluctuate during the cycle, but not to an extreme degree. Estrogen gradually rises during the first half the cycle, which are days 1-14. This is referred to as the pre-ovulation phase. The estrogen level then suddenly falls at ovulation, which is when the ovaries produce eggs. Both estrogen and progesterone are secreted by the ovaries, which are responsible for producing the eggs. After ovulation, the progesterone levels gradually increase during days 15-28. This is referred to as the post-ovulation phase. Progesterone levels continue to increase until menstruation occurs.

The primary function of both estrogen and progesterone is to thicken the lining of the uterus (endometrium). However, estrogen and progesterone also affect other parts of the body, including the brain and nervous system. In the brain, estrogen can affect the levels of neurotransmitters, which include “feel-good” chemicals known as endorphins, enkephalins and serotonin. Serotonin has a direct effect on emotions and appetite. When the estrogen level declines during the post-ovulation phase of the menstrual cycle, the “feel-good” chemicals in the brain also decline. This decline is what causes the PMS emotional symptoms of mood swings, irritability, nervousness, anxiety, depression and changes in the sex drive. The physical symptoms include bloating, headaches, food cravings, abdominal cramps, headaches, tension, and breast tenderness. Any or all symptoms may range from mild to severe. When PMS emotional and behavioral symptoms are very intense, the condition is referred to as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). These symptoms may include rage, violence, sudden bursts of anger, panic attacks, suicide thoughts and severe depression.

***
Taken from: www.doctorajadams.com



***
DISCLAMER
Please don't hold me responsible for any damage to your health resulting from reading my blog and taking advice from what I've written here. It is still best to consult your doctor before taking any to you unknown herbs. Herbs can cause allergic reactions and be hazardous to your health. What I've posted here was posted on other sites, I have only copied its contents for easier access to basic information and given links to original articles.

Menstrual Cramps

This is for all the ladies out there with menstrual cramps: What causes cramps and what can you do to help yourself.

An excerpt from Herbs2000:

***

Medically, menstrual cramps are known as dysmenorrhea, which literally means painful menstruation.

When menstrual cramps occur, it is usually just before the cycle starts or with the onset of menstruation. They can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Menstrual cramps feel like muscle contractions or sharp spasms in the lower abdomen. They may radiate to the back or down the thighs, and range from mildly achy to wrenchingly painful. In the severely afflicted, cramping may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, headache, nervousness, fatigue, diarrhea, fainting, bloating, breast tenderness, mood swings, backache, and/or dizziness.

Women who suffer from cramps seem to produce greater amounts of prostaglandins, which are hormones secreted by the uterine lining, than other women do. These hormones affect the smooth muscle of the uterus, causing an increase in uterine contractions. The contractions interfere with blood flow, reducing the amount of oxygen reaching the uterus and resulting in pain. A large increase in prostaglandins can also cause strong gastrointestinal contractions, which may be responsible for the diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting associated with severe menstrual cramps.

When a teenager experiences menstrual cramps, she may not feel up to socializing, going to gym class, or participating in her usual daily activities. Because most teenagers thrive on social contact, suffering through a day or two of menstrual cramps can be difficult.

A teenager who suffers severe pain during her menstrual period should see her health care provider for advice. Severe abdominal pain may be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, pelvic adhesions, fibroid cysts, or endometrial cancer. A medical diagnosis is essential.

A young woman who experiences persistently irregular menstrual cycles, a change in the normal pattern of her cycle, or an unusual amount of blood loss should call her doctor. Irregular or changing cycles may indicate an endocrine problem. Prolonged or excessive bleeding can lead to anemia.

Supplements and herbs

  • Calcium/magnesium chloride: An excellent supplement to help alleviate cramping and muscle spasms. It helps to maintain good muscle tone. Magnesium increases the absorption of calcium in the body. Calcium/magnesium may also help in reducing breast tenderness. Some women have found that chewing calcium supplements during their period helps with pain control.
  • Vitamin E: Good for reproductive organ health and function.
  • Vitamin B complex: Helps to reduce premenstrual tension. In some instances, taking brewer's yeast has decreased the severity of menstrual discomfort, including depression. Some research suggests that menstruation may cause a functional deficiency of vitamin B6.
  • Vitamin C with bioflavonoids: Help to strengthen blood vessels and capillary walls in the uterus.
  • iron: Make sure if you suffer from heavy periods that you are not suffering from an iron deficiency.
  • Chamomile is an herbal relaxant. Drink a cup of chamomile tea as needed.
  • The Chinese herb dong quai helps to regulate the menstrual cycle by balancing female hormones. When taken for a few months, it will help alleviate cramping, particularly when taken in combination with red raspberry leaf. Begin by taking 40 drops of dong quai tincture, or dong quai and red raspberry leaf combination formula, twice daily, from Day 6 through Day 20 of the menstrual cycle (calculated from the first day of menstrual bleeding). Continue taking 40 drops, twice daily, for three weeks. If the cycle is irregular, take the herbs for two to three weeks out of every month, and repeat this program for at least three menstrual cycles. Do not take this remedy during the menstrual period itself, however.
  • A hot ginger-tea compress placed on the lower abdomen helps to relax muscle cramping. Boil 6 ounces of fresh ginger root in 1 quart of water for fifteen to twenty minutes, and dip a washcloth or hand towel in the tea. You can either place the saturated cloth directly on the abdomen, or wrap it first with a dry cloth. Ginger is warming and increases circulation in the lower abdomen. This compress will feel like a deep heating rub.
  • True cramp bark, a little-known botanical, is effective in treating menstrual cramps. Take 1 cup of true cramp bark tea, twice daily, for three days before the expected onset of the menstrual period, and 1 cup, three times daily, during the menstrual period if cramping occurs.
  • Prepare a soothing herbal bath. Mix 1 quart of strong chamomile tea and 1 quart of ginger tea with warm to hot bath water, and enjoy a leisurely soak.
  • Pasque flower: Good for all pain including uterine.
  • Black haw: An antispasmodic especially good for uterine spasms.
  • Blue cohosh: An antispasmodic that also has a steroidal component. This herb has been used by North American Indian women for generations to relieve menstrual cramping.
  • Black cohosh: Helps with a number of uterine disorders.

What else you can do

  • Don't become overweight. Women who are overweight suffer more from menstrual cramping.
  • Exercise regularly. Women who are physically fit have a lower incidence or severity of menstrual cramps.
  • Take a good vitamin and mineral supplement all month long, and prior to your period increase your intake of calcium and magnesium.

More useful herbs




Taken from: Herbs2000: Menstrual Cramps


***
DISCLAMER
Please don't hold me responsible for any damage to your health resulting from reading my blog and taking advice from what I've written here. It is still best to consult your doctor before taking any to you unknown herbs. Herbs can cause allergic reactions and be hazardous to your health. What I've posted here was posted on other sites, I have only copied its contents for easier access to basic information and given links to original articles.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Not ready

Missed me? I guess I wasn't ready to close the site down. :)

I got a link to THIS site. A little bit of harmless humor never did hurt anyone :D

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Byebye

I don't feel like writing anymore. If you want, read my slovenian blog HERE. I might write something new or I might just not write anything at all. Who cares, anyway...

Monday, October 09, 2006

Women VS Men

Women are like apples on trees.
The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don't want to reach for the best ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground that are not as good, but easy. The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.


And men....
Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it's up to women to stamp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.