They’re so small and clumsy and a mess, and it’s just adorable. Wait, how does being a small clumsy mess make them adorable?Well, that’s not exactly what triggers the “Awww” response. The primary reason puppies and other animals are cute are because they have big eyes, disproportionately large heads, and round faces, features ethnologist Konrad Lorenz found to be the primary traits of cuteness. what makes those traits the defining chAracteristics of cuteness?First of all, these are by far not the only traits related to cuteness, for reasons I am now going to explain. You see, Lorenz found one animal whose offspring fit all the criteria for cuteness: the human. That’s right, puppies are cute because they look like babies. So, why are babies cute?That's the thing: they’re not. In other words, there is nothing about babies that makes them intrinsically cute. They are cute because they are our offspring. For example, if babies had fangs, vampires would be the new puppies. ok then, why are our brains wIred to think babies are cute?Have you ever been with a baby before? They spit up, and throw temper tantrums, poop their pants, and scream for hours in the middle of the night. Basically, if they weren’t cute, they wouldn’t survive. Therefore, children whose parents' brains thought they were cute were more likely to survive and then have children of their own. As time progressed, eventually the only humans left were humans who thought babies were cute (thanks, natural selection!). As such, women are more likely to find things cute since they provide the baby food food and endure immense amounts of pain to bring the baby into the world and keep it alive. Furthermore, a 2009 study studied the response of adults to three types of baby faces: untouched, made to fit Lorenz's idea of cuteness, and made to be the opposite. The changes in face were extremely subtle, and yet participants responded with stronger caretaker motivation towards the “cuter” baby faces. Wait, then why do Puppies have traits that help babies survive?Because we made them that way. The first domesticated dog was probably a result of a human finding it cute. If humans only owned dogs they found cute, then the offspring of their dogs must be cute. By only keeping cute dogs, humans essentially created the quintessential puppy. The same goes for kittens. So, we changed their genetic Sturctures so we would like looking at them more?Yep! And animals aren’t the only place this comes into play. Advertising uses this all the time. (I’m not just talking about that sad Chevy comercial that makes me tear up just thinking about it.) Think about the Volkswagen Beetle. It is literally designed to look like a chubby smiley face, and each year it gets rounder and shinier. Cabbage Patch dolls are also a prime example of cute advertising. Ever seen cute cartoons as a company's logo? Yeah, they’re just using your hormones to get you to buy their stuff. so, why are puppies so cute?Puppies are so cute because we breaded them to satisfy our ideal of cuteness, which is formed by our brain in order to keep our offspring alive. However, while our tendency to favor cute things has manipulated parents for years, keeping our species alive, it has also been hijacked by corporations to manipulate buyers. For better or for worse, there is no escape from the hormones that make us go “Awww!” curious? Here's some more information!
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Well, typically because we’re sad, although it can also be because we’re laughing so hard. Ok, but like, how have we deVELOPED CRYING?According to an Inuit legend, it’s because Man didn’t catch a seal while hunting one day. THAT'S COOL, BUT HOW DOES CRYING WORK?Tears are stored in the tear glands (lacrimal glands) and are brought to and from the surface of the eye through the tear ducts. Leftover tears are then stored in the tear sac (lacrimal sac). However, these don’t only work when we’re crying. In fact, they are what keep our eyes clean and offer protection from the elements. That’s why your eyes start to water when campfire smoke gets a little to close, or when allergies inflame the eyes. Wait, IF WE HAVE TEAR DUCTS TO DRAIN OUR EYES, WHY DO TEARS COME OUT WHEN WE CRY?Just like a regular drainage system, too much water leads to flooding. SO, WHEN WE CRY, WE BASICALLY ARE MAKING TO MANY TEARS FOR OUR DUCTS TO HANDLE?Correct. WHY DO WE MAKE SO MANY TEARS WHEN WE'RE EMOTIONAL?Let's take it back a few years. Say, to when you were a baby. Although you never produced enough tears to really cry, your caretakers will assure you that didn’t stop you from screaming your head off. Researchers speculate that this is the same distress cry many animals make when they are injured or in danger. By screaming, the baby is trying to alert someone of its presence and need for something. BUT I'M NOT A BABY ANYMORE. HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?As we mature, crying goes from a way to alert those in charge of our well-being of our problems to a way of conveying distress to the community without alerting predators. This is further evidence of our social nature. In fact, a 2008 study showed that crying was more likely to be cathartic when met with social support as opposed to trying to hold tears back. However, the purpose of tears may be more than just social cues, as an earlier study of crying in adults shows. Participants were more likely to cry in private settings, and more adults cried about emotional injuries rather than physical dangers. Jay Efran, former professor of psychology at Temple University, believes a possible explanation of this is his “two-stage theory of tears.” He notes that we often cry after traumatic events, not during them when we are in need of emotional support. (For example, think of someone whose dog ran away. They don’t cry when they’re looking for the dog, but, once the dog runs up to the, they begin to bawl.) Does the brain signal these things?Honestly, we know very little about how or why the brain responds to strong emotions with tears. However, one thing we do know is that holding back tears can have negative consequences, particularly for men. So, why do we cry?We cry to protect our eyes from irritation, signal emotional distress, or as a way to relieve emotional stress. Or because we couldn’t catch that darn seal. curious? Here's some more reading!
Drama as in play rehearsal, or drama as in “an exciting, emotional, or unexpected series of events”? The second one.Well, our relationship with drama is a tricky one. Namely, we don’t like being involved in it, but, at the same time, we just can’t seem to stay away from it. Now, if you just said to yourself, “That’s not me,” yes, it is you. You’re not special; you’re just in denial. how do you know?Since you are reading this blog, it can safely be assumed that you have read at least one book in your life. You probably have a favorite movie or TV show, too. Not to mention, you have probably seen some sort of ballet, musical, or play performance in your lifetime. And what makes these forms of entertainment entertaining? Conflict. And how do you make conflict interesting? Drama. So every form of poPULAR ENTERTAINMENT IS BASED ON DRAMA?In a nutshell, yes. Scroll back up to the definition for proof. What show or book or play doesn’t have exciting, emotional, or unexpected events? It’s what drives the story forward. News outlets cater what topics they cover to it, and even children's entertainment is full of it. Try telling me that Llama, Llama Red Pajama isn’t dramatic. ok, but what abouT Real-life drama?Real-life drama holds real-life consequences. For example, continual involvement in drama frequently has been linked to depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders due to stress. While most of us aren’t involved in such intense drama, we still like to talk about it. What do you mean?Gossip: that which both creates and fuels drama. You’ve done it, I’ve done it, we’ve all done it. yeah, but why?There are lots of reasons we choose to indirectly get involved in drama. Focusing on other people's problems can distract us from our own chaotic lives. In addition, some of it is rubbernecking, or morbid curiosity. Anger addiction, caused by the rush of adrenaline, release of stored up feelings, and sense of control associated with anger, also comes into play in these situations. Sharing our anger with somebody else just feels good, and we don’t mind exaggerating the story a little, creating rumors. In fact, according to an article in Men's Health (because men gossip, too), negative gossip about others actually boosts our self esteem momentarily. Finally, there is the social aspect of it. After all, no one wants to be the only one out of the loop on Taylor Swift's feuds with Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian. What about positive gossip?Here's the thing about humans: we're hardwired to focus on the negative. It helped us survive once upon a time, being able to differ friend from foe, and good berries from poisonous ones. However, this leads us to focus on negative gossip much more than positive. According to a study that aimed to study visual reactions to positive, negative, and neutral gossip, negative gossip dominated participants' visual consciousness. So, sorry, positive gossip doesn’t really spread. So, why is drama so mUch fun?Drama is fun because it gives us a good story, distracts us from our lives, satisfies a curiosity, allows us to let out anger, and keeps us in the know, while also allowing us to figure out who is trustworthy. curioUs? Here's some more reading!
Toddlers. More specifically, toddler fingers. Ok, then how do toddlers' fingers get sticky?Um, have you ever met a toddler? They touch everything and refuse to/don't know how to wash their hands. that's not what i meant.Well, then what did you mean? How do adhesives work?Chemistry, but let's start with a definition to make sure we're all on the same page. According to DIN EN 923, a document that helps set standards for the adhesive industry, an adhesive is a non-metallic binder that acts via adhesion and cohesion. in English?Basically, an adhesive is something not metal that bonds with other materials. So, how does that work?In this interaction, there are two materials at play: the adhesive and the substrate. Typically, there are two substrate surfaces with an adhesive in between, since, you know, adhesives are made to stick things together. the plane of contact between the two is called the adhesion zone. There is then a transition zone, which sandwiches the cohesion zone, or the adhesive not in contact with the substrate. How does the adhesive bond with the Substrate?Well, everyday adhesives typically only form intermolecular interactions, which, while they do modify the adhesive's molecular structure, are quite weak and not very resistant to moisture. The bond energy for these interactions rages from 2 to 30 kiloJoules per mole, which is why we can pull off stick-on name tags without much effort. the other way adhesives work is through chemical bonds, an example being the bond between silicone and glass. Even though these bonds are stronger due to their resistance to moisture, they are less common. Their range of bond energy is between 100 and 950 kiloJoules per mole, which shows just how strong they are. additionally, the roughness of the substrate can make the bond stronger, although it is not a primary factor. This is referred to as "micro-mechanical adhesion". Is that what happens in the adhesive zone?Pretty much. So, what happens in the transition zone?Honestly, it depends on your adhesive. Some transition zones are large, while others are tiny. Some adhesives only have transition zones since they don't have a cohesion zone. The main point is that it is neither attached to the substrate nor is it cohesive, making it a transitory zone between the two. And in the cohesion zone?That's where there's cohesion. care to elaborate?Cohesion is the internal strength of the adhesive, or how it sticks to itself. This is often a tangled mess of a variety of bonds. Just like the adhesive zone, the stronger these bonds are, the stronger the adhesive is. So, what makes things sticky?Things are sticky due to the use of adhesive chemicals, which form bonds that contain three zones (adhesive, transition, cohesion) with substrate surfaces, often caused by the touch of a toddler. Curious? Here's some more reading!
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