“All of science in nothing then the refinement of everyday

thinking”- Albert Einstein  

Science and technology are all around our world. It is what pushes human minds, captivates creativity, and leads to movement and discovery. It sharpens human brains and propels humans further to find solutions to worldly problems. This article provides a small snippet of STEM, (science, technology, engineering, and math/medical) world around us and how it is shaping out.

In this issue of Spectrum Science Spark we will be analyzing the secret behind fast runners and can fast foods speed aging.

The Secret of Fast Runners: Symmetry

Do you want to be the next star of the West Bloomfield High School track team or take down a couple seconds off your sprints? Do you want to find out how Usain Bolt runs like a gazelle?

Scientists and biologists at the  Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N. J. set out to test their hypothesis, which was that the symmetry of human knees has a correlation on the times of track athletes and sprinters. As it turns out, people and animals who have balanced muscular and symmetrical bodies post faster times on the track than those without balanced musculature and symmetry. Also, the x- factor in this study was, the scientists measured the knees of runners in a local club in Jamaica. They found out that when people run on a track, their knees come under much stress and more up and down and it pumps them forward. In this study, it was also noted that sprinters have more symmetrical knees then the average people.

<Researchers measure the knees of elite sprinters from Jamaica. Scientists find evidence that symmetrical knees make running more efficient.>

Can soft drinks speed aging?

Many people enjoy a refreshing soda on a blistering hot day or just to  calm themselves down. In fact, before the new laws on junk food being cut from schools were passed, most institutions served these drinks in vending machines. A recent experiment done by researchers at University of California, San Francisco, however,  found out that drinking soda daily can speed how fast the body cells age. Even though these sugary drinks seem to quench your thirst, they increase the risk of chronic diseases that include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and liver disease. Along with that, they found out that when people gulp down a 20-ounce bottle of soda a day, they are causing 4.6 years of wear and tear on their body. One possible solution is to consume as little soft drinks as possible and consume more water and natural fruit drinks. So the next time you grab a can of soda, think about your body, and even more specific, your telomeres and how they can shorten and shorten, not only your DNA but possible your life.

Definitions:

Telomeres – repeated sequences of DNA that cap the ends of our chromosomes.

*Note: This is about regular soda, not diet soda