Oreo Addiction

A study done by several students and faculty at Connecticut College showed that Oreos are just as addictive as cocaine! The idea came from a student by the name of Jamie Honohan, who wanted to study human behavior and motivation as it relates to food. They hypothesized that high-fat/high-sugar foods caused addictive behavior similar to that of a drug. Cocaine produces an almost instantaneous euphoric effect when administered, but could Oreos produce a similar effect? To test this hypothesis, rats were placed in a maze and given a choice of a rice cake (at one end) or an Oreo (at the other end). The same experimental design was used again with the drug, on one end of the maze the rat would be injected with saline and on the opposite end with codeine or morphine. The results revealed that the rats spent as much time with the Oreo as they did with the cocaine/morphine. The researchers explained they “also found that eating cookies activated more neurons in the brain’s ‘pleasure center’ than exposure to drugs of abuse.” Another interesting fact is that the rats didn’t just eat the Oreo; they opened the cookie and went for the filling first. I have to applaud these rats for knowing how to properly eat an Oreo, I mean is there any other way??  On a serious note, I’m not all that surprised by the rats’ response to the Oreos. I think that we all have that one comfort food that we can’t give up because we’ve made an association with the food and feeling good. What is your food drug?

Check out the article here

Chipotle Anyone?

My very first blog for this class discussed pros and cons of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and some of the controversy surrounding the topic. This week I found another article on GMOs that caught my attention so I thought I would share it with everyone.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is a fast-food restaurant that primarily serves burritos and tacos. Last fall the company made headlines when they announced their decision to become a GMO free restaurant; they became the first national company to allow customers to view exactly what was in their ingredients by posting food labels on their website. Many other developed countries have instituted mandatory labeling for GMOs. However the same cannot be said of the United States. Because of this, many people are trying to pass legislation for labeling GMOs in the U.S.; 2 states including Connecticut and Maine, have passed but not implemented the bill because they are waiting on more support (from other states). In the article was a screen snap shot of the video that was created by Mark Crumpacker, an executive at Chipotle. The video depicts a scarecrow that becomes a slave to a black crow; instead of protecting the food around them the evil (crow) dominates the all of the food. Although the scarecrow was surrounded by labels and signs that indicated the food was ‘ all natural,’ he found that machinery and chemicals were being used everywhere he looked. The video ends with the scarecrow trying to take back control by creating a true all natural product using home grown vegetables from his garden.

Much controversy surrounds labeling of GMOs and whether or not it does more harm than good, some think it only causes (unneeded) worry, while others think it’s a necessity for ‘healthy living.’ What do you think? Are you willing to pay more for whole/natural food? Is this something you are concerned with?

Watch the video here!

Raman Spectroscopy for Forensic Application

This week I found an article explaining a new forensic technique that can be used to identify the brand of lipstick used at a crime scene. The technique is known as Raman spectroscopy, it uses a laser to monitor molecular vibrations for sample identification. The vibration patterns of a sample are compared to those of a standard (known sample), this will allow for identification of  the source of a sample In forensic cases this might not always be possible due to integrity issues of the sample, meaning that evidence is often compromised by weather, contamination, ect. 

Preservation of trace evidence, such as lipstick markings on a cigarette butt, is especially difficult due to invasive testing. However, this issue can be eliminated for such evidence using Raman. Because this technique uses a light source (laser) to analyze samples, the evidence from a crime scene would not have to be removed from the bag, as long as the bag was clear/transparent. This method of analyzing evidence could be very advantageous for forensic investigations. Has anyone heard about this? Has anyone used Raman before? If so, what are some benefits or disadvantages you found while working with the instrument?

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130808124054.htm

It's a TomTato!

What is a TomTato? It's a plant that is able to grow cherry tomatoes on the vine and potatoes in the soil (see picture below). A British horticulture company, Thompson and Morgan, used stem grafting to naturally fuse the two plants. This alternative to genetic engineering was successful, however, it took over 15 years to produce a good product. They experienced difficulty when attempting to fuse the stems of the plants together due to the width difference of both plants.

It was reported that one plant was capable of producing up to 500 tomatoes and 4.4 pounds of potatoes! The TomTato is the first stem-grafted plant that has been made on a commercial scale, similar plants have been 'created' but failed to produce mass quantities due to lack of taste. In a video posted on Thompson and Morgan's website they claim that the tomatoes are "sugary yet tangy." You can now purchase a TomTato in the UK for about $24 (U.S). If you or someone you know has a garden would you be interested in this plant? Is there another food combination that you would like to see more? Let me know!

Check out the article:
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/tomtato-lives-frankensteinian-plant-grows-both-tomatoes-potatoes-8C11266757