SCIENCE AND HEALTH FACTS

15 Ways the International Space Station is Benefiting Earth  With astronauts living and working aboard the International Space Station, NASA is learning a great deal about creating and testing critical systems, maintaining efficient communications and protecting the human body during a deep space mission. While these are critical to our journey to Mars, it is important to also note all the ways in which research conducted and technology tested aboard the orbiting laboratory help us here on Earth.   Here are 15 ways the space station is benefiting life on Earth:   i. Commercializing low-Earth orbit An exciting new commercial pathway is revolutionizing and opening access to space, fostering America’s new space economy in low-Earth orbit. For the first time, the market is expressing what research can and should be done aboard the microgravity laboratory without direct government funding. A significant portion of the commercial research taking place aboard t...

What you need to know about life on the International Space Station blogger-avatar by Mariella Moon In an unfortunate turn of events, Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket exploded a few seconds after launch last week. The rocket was thankfully unmanned, but it was intended to ferry critical supplies to astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. Luckily, crew members currently aboard the space station have enough food to last until March 2015 -- more than enough, as some are scheduled to come home this month. People living on the ISS depend on the ground crew for most of their needs, and each resupply mission brings spare parts and hardware needed for repairs and experiments, packaged food and hygiene supplies. These hygiene amenities and prepackaged chow differ quite a bit from what we typically use: The shampoo and hand soap, for instance, are the special no-rinse kind, while some of the food comes in dehydrated powder form. Want to hear more about life out t...

The human heart is an organ that pumps blood to be circulated throughout the body. It supplies oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and removes carbon dioxide and other wastes. It does this twenty four hours, seven days a week. The tissues of the body need a constant supply of nutrition in order to be active and if [the heart] is not able to supply blood to the organs and tissues, they will certainly die. ANATOMY OF THE HEART In humans, the heart is roughly the size of a large fist and weighs between about 10 to 12 ounces (280 to 340 grams) in men and 8 to 10 ounces (230 to 280 grams) in women, according to Henry Gray's "Anatomy of the Human Body." The human heart has four chambers: two upper chambers (the atria) and two lower ones (the ventricles), according to the National Institutes of Health. The right atrium and right ventricle together make up the "right heart," and the left atrium and left ventricle make up the "left heart." A wall of musc...

What Causes High Blood Pressure? You Should Know About This By Sung Leong Have you ever felt this sudden adrenaline rush inside that's not really in a good way? A feeling that gets you uncomfortable and it seems like your heart is racing or beating way too fast? Well, do you know what that feeling is? Well, don't worry we'll tell you everything to know about it. That feeling is known as Hypertension or most commonly known as High Blood pressure and if you think this is a positive adrenaline rush then you're sadly very wrong as it isn't good for your heart and may even point to many heart problems that either you already have or you're going to have in the future. So, whenever you realize that you're facing hypertension, you should know you have to lower it for living a healthy lifestyle. Before you know how to lower high blood pressure we must understand the main causes of this problem. So, in this article we're going to tell you about the common cause...

Stop Drinking and Start Living: How Taking a Break From Alcohol Can Improve Your Life By Annie Grace You might like to have a drink nightly after work to unwind. It's just one beer, right? Maybe you like to share a bottle of wine with your girlfriends along with some laughs. It's a daily or weekly habit and it's harmless. Or is it? The frightening thing about alcohol is how quickly one can build up a tolerance to it. Suddenly, a nightly beer no longer relaxes you - it now takes three or four. Maybe you find yourself ordering another bottle of wine because the first just went too quickly. Problems with alcohol don't always have to do with the frequency or amount you drink but more so in what happens when you drink. Are you an attentive parent or spouse when you've had a few drinks? Are you driving home while intoxicated? Have you been late to work because you had trouble waking up in the morning after a few beers? If any of these ring true it may be time to...

5 Foods That Lower Blood Pressure By Ramas Rankin When it comes to lowering your blood pressure, medication can be of great assistance. However, what you eat and drink is more important than medication itself. Studies have shown that food and drink is just as powerful as medication. This article will have a look at 5 foods that lower blood pressure. Bananas Banana's contain approximately 450 milligrams of potassium. If potassium is consumed more, more water and sodium will go through your urine. Potassium removes the dangerous effects that sodium causes. In order to lower your pressure, the amount of sodium consumed each day should be less than 1500 milligrams. The amount of potassium should be increased to around 4700 milligrams. Yogurt Another food is yoghurt. An adult should have about 1000, to 1500 milligrams of calcium daily. Yoghurt that has a plain flavour and has no fat in it, will help your pressure to remain low. It is recommended that a couple of cups or more sh...