Author Archives: smrako

Is my brain really frozen?

Have you ever felt so thirsty on a hot summer day, you’ve chugged an ice cold drink or a Slurpee to quench your thirst? To your surprise, you must have felt a sense of pain instead of relief from your thirst. This pain phenomenon is known as a brain freeze. Although the pain is experienced in the head, the source of the pain occurs in the mouth.

Man holding a slurp by Missvain via Wikimedia Commons

A brain freeze occurs when one comsumes an ice-cold substance quickly. When ice cream or a Slurpee comes in contact with the roof of the mouth, a collection of nerves called the “sphenopalatine ganglion” experiences a drastic change in temperature. This causes the cerebral artery to dilate therefore allowing more blood to flow into the brain leaving you with the pain of a headache. As soon as the roof of the mouth warms up to normal a temperature, the pain from the brain freeze disappears.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School investigated the phenomena of brain freeze. They observed the relationship between cerebral blood flow and brain freeze by using a transcranial Doppler imager. In their experiment, one group of observed patients drank iced water while the other (control) group drank tepid water. The researchers found that sudden increases in blood flow to the brain cause pain because of the added pressure inside the skull.

No one knows the real reason why brain freezes occur. However, it has been suggested that the phenomenon is part of the brain’s defence system. The brain is sensitive to drastic changes in temperature. Therefore, it is possible that the anterior cerebral artery dilates to move warm blood inside the tissue and make sure the brain stays warm. Although this theory is not confirmed, it is likely a possible answer.

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A youtube video of two guys having a Slurpee drinking competition by kezmanandchaps via www.youtube.com

A brain freeze can be avoided by consuming cold substances slowly or by leaving it in the mouth long enough for the roof of the mouth to become used to the temperature. If you already have a brain freeze, there are a few things you can do to get rid of it more quickly: you can press your tongue against the roof of your mouth to warm it up, or you can drink something warm. With summer just around the corner, make sure to remember these tips in case you run into the unfortunate situation of experiencing a brain freeze from quenching your thirst on a hot summer day!

Water Bottle Lightbulb

Imagine living in small houses that are built very close together and made with metal roof sheets. It would be difficult for daylight to shine into your home. Now imagine that your family does not have the money to pay for the electricity bill this month, and you are left doing homework on the streets of your dense neighbourhood or walking around your house banging into furniture. It isn’t very safe or fun to be in an indoor environment with no lighting. Many squatters live like this in the slums of the Philippines. Electrical lighting is expensive and there often is a risk of fire-related incidents involving electrical connections in poorer areas. Three million households on the outskirts of Manila were without power in 2009 according to the Philippine National Electrification Commission.

Illac Diaz understood that the squatters had a difficult life and wanted to help. He established the MyShelter Foundation and started a sustainable lighting project known as A Liter of Light.  A Liter of Light brings “eco-friendly bottle light to communities living without electricity” (aliteroflight.org).

Diaz holding a Solar Bottle Bulb; Source: developmentmarketplace.org

Solar bottle lights were originally developed by students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The innovative light is simple and easy to make. First, you fill an empty plastic bottle with mineral water and add a little bit of bleach to keep the water from turning green. Then, you cement it halfway through a small metal roof sheet to keep the bottle from falling through the roof. Lastly, you cut a hole in the ceiling for the bottle to fit through, place the metal sheet and bottle on top of the roof, and cement any cracks. Within an hour, the solar bottle light has been installed and there is light in the house! Purchase and installation costs approximately one dollar per light and lasts about 10 years. The best part is that you’re recycling plastic bottles and helping to minimize pollution in the Pacific.

Installed Solar Bottle Bulb; Source: mechanchi.com

The use of a solar bottle light is more beneficial and effective than cutting a hole in the roof. Bugs and the rain would find it easier to creep through the home’s skylight. In addition, the light would only shine directly through the hole. Solar bottle lights, on the other hand, collect light through two main physics laws: Snell’s Law and total internal reflection. In other words, the refracted light is able to spread throughout the room more evenly than direct light through a hole.

The science behind solar bottle lights; Source: physicscentral.com

Although the solar bottle light cannot be used when there is no sunlight, it is more advantageous than struggling to spend money on electricity with risky wiring. A Liter of Light has made it possible for this cheap and eco-friendly solar bottle lights to spread to homes in India, Kenya, Singapore, The Middle East, Spain, and many others.

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Tedx of Illac Diaz talking about his project. Skip to 2:35 for part about Solar Bottle Light. Source: TEDxTalks

 

-Stephanie Mrakovich