Does Caffeine Make You Smarter?

By Kristin Vorce
The alarm clock screeches, “Beep! Beep!” and you jolt up. Bleary-eyed, you fall out of bed, stumble to the kitchen and pour yourself a cup of coffee.

Last night you were studying at an ungodly hour, huddled by a desk lamp, reading about something incredibly thrilling, like herbaceous landscape plants. Your eyes grew heavy. Then you. Slowly. Drifted. Off…

You take a sip of coffee. You’ll be fine, you tell yourself. Drinking caffeine before taking an exam helps you score higher. Right?

Unfortunately for many sleep-deprived and super-stressed college students, the answer’s not that simple.

Despite claims that caffeine makes you smarter, there’s no sound evidence that this is true. Books like Bennett Weinberg and Bonnie Bealer’s “The Caffeine Advantage” argue that drinking caffeine can boost IQ scores. But the majority of neuroscientists dismiss these books as nonsense.

What’s up with the Mermaid on my Coffee Cup?

By Maria Micchelli

After satisfying your latest coffee fix, you settle into one of the comfortable chairs at your local Starbucks. As you sip your iced latté, your mind begins to wander, at least until you look down at your disposable plastic caffeine vessel. Hey, who’s this girl on my cup, and what’s with the fish tails? With Starbucks’ 35th anniversary this month and old logos making an appearance, this seems like an appropriate question.

Starbucks barista, Erica Vathis, finds herself confused by the mermaid logo.

“Honestly, I have no idea what that has to do with coffee,” Vathis says. “I think she is supposed to be some kind of siren.”

There’s WHAT in my spinach?!

By Dane Secor

The recent outbreak of E. coli in spinach across the country has consumers asking: How is E. coli spread to spinach? And how can I protect myself?

The harmful E. coli strain, 0157:H7 is mostly associated with undercooked meat, but it can also be found in sprouts, lettuce, salami, unpasteurized milk and juice and can be contracted from swimming in or drinking sewage-contaminated water, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

University professor of animal and food science Dallas Hoover said that while cattle are the primary reservoir for the bacteria, it can be found in any food which uses manure as a fertilizer because E. coli is passed through fecal matter.

“It can be found in any produce, anything that’s cropped and uses fertilizer,” Hoover said. “If it isn’t properly composted, you can have transfer.”

What We Don’t Know Can Hurt Us: Diet Beverages and Aspartame

By Alex Honeysett

In the end it may just be a spoonful of sugar that’ll help the medicine go down. Research on diet beverages containing the sugar substitute aspartame, including Diet Coke and Sprite Zero, have published case studies on a total of 90 symptoms related to aspartame toxicity. College students may lose their memory. Babies may unexpectedly seizure. Children and adults may develop brain tumors, thyroid problems, or severe psychiatric issues. Of all complaints received by the Food and Drug Administration, 80 to 85 percent are related to aspartame ingestion. All because we want to avoid the fatty demon of a diet: sugar. And the irony? The latest research suggests that the controversial compound in diet beverages may lead to obesity.

No More PB and J?

By Jena Levy

Peanut butter and jelly is no longer the token sandwiche in children’s lunch boxes. Instead, there are signs posted throughout cafeterias advising students and teachers to wash their hands after lunch because of children severely allergic to peanuts and separate tables for children with peanut allergies. But where was this widespread and potentially fatal allergy when we were growing up, and why is it so prevalent today?

A study from the Isle of Wight, and documented in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, showed that the number of children with peanut allergies has doubled in the five years from 1997 to 2002. Technically, there is no definitive answer as to why. Instead, there are multiple hypotheses and explanations.

Where’s the Pot? Of Carmex, That is.

By Becky Polini

It’s gone.  It was on the bedside table a few hours ago but now, in the dead of night, it has disappeared.  A feeling of panic takes over as every pant pocket is checked, every surface scanned.  The need for it is overwhelming and, at this moment, true acceptance takes place.

You’re addicted.  To Chapstick.

Lip balm dependency — fact or fiction?  With the winter months rapidly approaching, it is becoming more common to see people digging through their purses and pockets in an attempt to find a bit of comfort to slather on their lips.  This evidence seems to suggest that habit or not, applying Chapstick is a do-or-die situation for some. 

Is There a Cheating Gene?

By Amanda Vasilikos

Relationships are difficult. We all know that. But why is it so hard for some people to stay faithful to one person? Research has shown the chemicals in our brains may have something to do with it.

Anyone who has ever fallen for someone knows the feeling of infatuation: sweaty palms, beating heart and the inability to think of anything else. You may think it is all in your head, but there are chemicals responsible for what you are feeling. According to an article by Dr. Laura Berman, brain chemicals called PEA, dopamine and norephinephrine, nature’s version of amphetamines, are released into our systems during the early stages of a relationship. You can thank norephinephrine for that pounding heart of yours.

Dopamine plays a key role in arousal and goal accomplishment, according to Dr. Ian Kerner. In his book, “Be Honest — You’re Not That Into Him Either: Raise Your Standards and Reach for the Love You Deserve,” Kerner says dopamine is what promotes the chase. When sex is not possible, a trigger in the rewards center of the brain goes off and it makes a person want it more.

These three chemicals are what create the chemistry behind the feeling of infatuation. During this early stage in a relationship, people literally feel high on love, but this feeling only lasts around six months to three years depending on the individual.

Do power naps work?

By Sarah Lipman

Bosses and professors alike may not be so supportive of that nap you took during their last staff meeting or lecture. Researchers are finding that those few extra minutes of sleep during the day can actually be beneficial and are encouraging you to go ahead and take that 20-minute power nap.

Power naps — short 15 to 30 minute naps — do not make up for lost sleep, but can prevent burnout and actually increase alertness and the capability to perform mental tasks, according to a National Institutes of Health 2002 news release.

Irritation, poor task performance and increased frustration set in as a day of work proceeds when a nap is absent. Accidents on the road and in the workplace are more likely to occur in tired employees, according to studies performed by National Sleep Foundation.

In a study conducted by Ph.D. Robert Stickgold, students performed a visual task both with and without a nap. He discovered by allowing 30-minute to 1-hour naps boosted performance levels and prevented burnout.

What made the pump less pricey?

By Laura Lopez

Drivers pulling up to the pump this week may be exhilarated by the continuous fall of gas prices, but some may not know what spurred the recent drop.

According to the Federal Energy Information Administration the price of gasoline fell 10.9 cents during the week of September 13. The current average is 33.7 cents cheaper than the average this time last year. In Newark, the lowest price for gas is $2.24 per gallon sold at Speedy Gas on Route 2.

Kevin G. Hall, a journalist for The Seattle Times, says reduced fear of disruption in the market attribute to recent prices. Iranian enrichment plans, the fighting in Israel, and hurricanes, were projected to affect the market, Hall says.

“Spare oil-production capacity grew so tight that market players feared that any disruption to oil production could create shortages,” he says.

What’s going to hold up your pants now?

By Sonia Dasgupta

A Friday night stroll down Main Street reveals the latest trend to hit Newark. Girls wearing belts. Well, that doesn’t sound too new. Take another look. Yes, that’s it, they’re wearing the belts over their shirts, with dresses and tunics, not to hold up their low-rise jeans.

A belt used to be a functional device that helped pants fit snug against one’s waist. Now fashionistas are wearing belts to help contour their body shapes and to give a simple outfit a little flavor. The belts are wider, leather, bohemian and sometimes have a big buckle. They are worn right on the waist, slightly high, so that it accentuates one’s hips and gives a perception of a smaller waist.

Michelle Lapidos, founder and editor-in-chief of UDress Magazine, says the belt look was in February’s Fashion Week, an event showing styles for the upcoming fall season.

“It accentuates the right curves on a woman’s body,” Lapidos says.