Health, Animals, and Travel

Silent Discos

2011-04-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Silent Disco

My brother is spending a year in South Korea teaching english. We spoke last week and he told me about an interesting party he went to over the weekend. The party was described as a silent disco, and the guests were each given headphones to wear. In order to hear the music playing at the party, the guests had to put the headphones on, otherwise it was relatively silent. I thought it was an interesting idea, and I've posted a link so you can get a better idea of what it's like. Let me know what you think, and maybe if you've ever been anywhere similar.

Study finds recent Mexican immigrants are healthier than the average American

2011-04-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

"Becoming American"

I recently watched a video in my Health Psychology class in which the topic of discussion was the health of Mexican immigrants compared to that of average American's. A study found that recent Mexican immigrants have higher mortality rates, lower risks for chronic diseases, and better overall mental health. I found this study to be very intriguing because Mexican immigrants tend to be of lower socioeconomic status, less educated, and must deal with the stress of immigrating to a new country. I discovered that the reason for this "Latino paradox" is associated with the tight family communities and social networks that Mexican immigrants uphold inside the U.S. The video also discusses how their health begins to deteriorate after only 5 years spent in the U.S. After watching the video I began to wonder about the importance of social health and how I may be taking it for granted. I also realized how quickly American culture and compliance can affect a population. I'd be interested in hearing any thoughts or maybe experiences pertaining to this study, and I've attached a link to a written portion of the video for more detail.

Are animals as emotional as humans?

2011-04-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

Dog saves another dog from traffic

Grieving Elephants

I was recently involved in a debate with a friend of mine who believes that animals do not feel emotions the same way humans do. I argued that, although most animals may not be as complex as humans, many mammals still feel and express basic emotions, i.e. fear, jealousy, joy, and sadness; the main difference being that animals cannot identify these feelings the way that humans can. I've posted 2 videos here to sort of "back up" my argument, and I'd be interested to hear any other arguments, experiences, or opinions.

Any thoughts?