Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine differences in change detection between viewings of a short edited film as well as the affect of sound on these change detections. A total of 306 participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, one with sound and one without sound, where they watched a short edited film on two consecutive occasions approximately five minutes apart. The results support previous research in the field of change blindness with significant results obtained for both of the conditions within this study. Not only do participants fail to notice large changes to centre of attention as well as arbitrarily placed objects, unless told to watch for changes, but also whether or not sound is present has an affect on participants ability to detect said changes. In this case, participants without the presence of sound detected more changes than those with sound.
The Rifling and the Scientist
In the field of forensic ballistics, studies have significantly shown that no two firearms are alike; that is, no two firearms when firing ammunition leave the exact same marks as another (on said ammunition), even if that other is an identical model from an identical manufacturer. This makes it very easy for experts in the field to differentiate between weapons in the same fashion that fingerprints differentiate between individual people.
How does this all work though i hear you ask?
Is Marijuana a Dangerous Drug?
With evidence of marijuana use dating back to the Neolithic Age, it is easy to see why its usage is still very common in today’s society. The most recent statistics suggest that one in nine people in Australia (11%) have used marijuana in the past 12 months and of these 16% of them use it on a daily basis.
Body Shape & Gender: Differences in Desirability
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyse the differences between male and female current body shapes and their ideal body shape, as well as examine the overestimations of each sex in regards to what they believe to be the most attractive figure. As a side hypothesis the difference between thinnest and heaviest acceptable figures was studied. One hundred participants completed the self report survey containing twelve questions in relation to body shape desires and preferences, with significant supportive results found for a number of our hypotheses though some others were not supported. The main conclusions drawn from this research are that females tend to desire a thinner body shape and are more dissatisfied with their current body shape than men, with both parties overestimating the extent to which the opposite sex finds a certain figure attractive. More research needs to be conducted to examine the source of these beliefs.
This article was written with the help of Macquarie University and relevant staff who assisted in providing the apparatus, methods etc. for the data collection.
Abstract
In an attempt to examine the effects of cocaine on dopamine and horizontal locomotor activity, an experiment was conducted on Acheta domestica (crickets). In a double-blind design 121 crickets were randomly assigned to groups before baseline data collection commence. After which, they were then injected with either cocaine or saline only (vehicle). In both the pre and post-treatment timeframes horizontal locomotor activity was measured for twenty minutes. Statistically significant results were found to exist between the saline and cocaine groups, with the cocaine group displaying a much higher amount of horizontal locomotor activity than their counterparts. These results suggest, as is supported by other evidence, that cocaine blocks the Dopamine Transporter.
Stages of Sleep & Reasons for REM Sleep
For most of us, sleep is nothing but a compulsory action that we have to do at least once a day, but for scientists who study it, the mysteries of sleep contribute to a plague of questions with hard to decipher, often inaccessible, answers. Questions such as what function does sleep serve and is there an internal mechanism controlling our sleep are among various possible questions that researchers in the field continue to scrutinize but in this particular paper we will examine the stages of sleep, their physiological differences and a number of the theories behind Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep.