Fall 2010 Journal

January 25, 2013 / Fall 2010

Cost Benefit of Energy Conservation: Development of a Framework to Assess Conservation Measures in Residential Homes

February 3, 2011 / Fall 2010

Science of Daydreaming

Unlike previously thought, the universal phenomenon of daydreaming is a normal part of our cognitive processes. Daydreaming is defined as “spontaneous, subjective experiences in a no-task, no stimulus, no-response situation…[and] includes unintended thoughts that intrude inadvertently into the execution of intended mental tasks… and undirected ideas in thought sampling during...

February 3, 2011 / Fall 2010

Vibrations Surround Us: The Science of Music

Dartmouth’s campus teems with music. The bells in Baker Tower chime every hour, Professor Brison hosts an array of performances for East Wheelock residents, and the Hopkins Center brings in esteemed artists from around the world. Many students get their feet wet with music classes while others sing or play...

February 3, 2011 / Fall 2010

Alcohol: From Hydroxyl to Culture

Ethanol, Ethyl Alcohol, Spirits, all of them names for the simple molecule CH3CH2OH.  It would be difficult to conceive of a string of letters that have had a greater impact on our global culture.  From semi-clandestine high school parties, to ubiquitous college drinking, and even to such lofty heights as...

February 3, 2011 / Fall 2010

Deep Below the Snowy Surface: The Metamorphisms Within

This is a tranquil winter morning. Snow falls silently onto the Green, onto the Occom pond, and into the hectic life of Dartmouth students. The airy and delicate snow crystals will soon undergo a series of Metamorphisms. Metamorphism is a change in the crystalline forms of the snow due to...

February 3, 2011 / Fall 2010

“I’ll Blitz You Later”: The Technology of Campus Communication

To most people, the phrase, “I’ll blitz you later,” would surely sound like a strange farewell. But for anyone who has spent time here at Dartmouth, it’s just another way of saying goodbye. For over twenty years, the electronic mail system known as BlitzMail has been a ubiquitous part of...

February 3, 2011 / Fall 2010

The Physiology of Stress: Cortisol and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis

We all know the feeling whether it’s your hands trembling as you flip through a blank exam or trouble sleeping while you worry about approaching deadlines. Stress is an inevitable aspect of life through college and beyond. While everyone understands the symptoms of the stress response, few know the underlying...

February 3, 2011 / Fall 2010

You Are What You Eat: How Food Affects Your Mood

For thousands of years, people have believed that food could influence their health and well-being. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, once said: “Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food” (1). In medieval times, people started to take great interest in how certain foods affected...

February 3, 2011 / Fall 2010

The Science Behind Social Networking

Humans have always been very social creatures. Since the advent of time, humans have always relied on the benefits of groups and by pure necessity, social networks were created, as a means to share experiences, needs and desires. In fact, the concept of social networking, which is the forging of...

February 3, 2011 / Fall 2010