Dr. Sous

Hunger is a bitch!!!

Sprinting Science: Can Usain Bolt Break His 100m Record Again?

The London Olympic games is in one year from now and the world is wondering if Usain Bolt will be able to astonish us one more time. One of the questions that has been hunting me since he finished his 100m in Beijing celebrating before the race was done, "scientifically and physiologically, can the Human body run faster than that?". Bolt proved that he can a year after and now I was looking to find out if he can do it again... This article explains it best.

One year from now, the 2012 Olympic Games will begin in London, where all eyes will be on the incomparable Usain Bolt -- the Jamaican sprinter who is more than living up to his name.
Since 2008, Bolt has taken a jackhammer to the 100-meter world record, lopping off a whopping .14 seconds. That might not sound like a huge chunk of time until you consider it's twice as much as any other sprinter has shaved off the world record since the advent of electronic scoring.
Logically, one would think that Bolt did so by moving his legs faster than anyone else. Only he didn't.
Speed, as it turns out, may be completely misunderstood.

When Bolt established the current 100-meter world record in the 2009 world championships, running it in 9.58 seconds, he did so by moving his legs at virtually the same pace as his competitors. In fact, if you or I were to compete against Bolt, our legs would turn over at essentially the same rate as his.

This is a theory put forth by academics and track coaches alike who contend that running fast has more to do with the force one applies to the ground than how quickly one can move one's legs.

More than a decade ago, Peter Weyand, a science professor at Southern Methodist University, conducted a study on speed. Comparing athletes to non-athletes, Weyand clocked both test groups as they ran at their top speed. What he found shocked him.
"The amount of time to pick up a leg and put it down is very similar," he says. "It surprised us when we first figured it out."

How to Buy Organic Foods

It's true, organic produce is more expensive. So choose the fruits/vegetables that have the most residue from pesticides and opt to buy them organically instead.

TIP: If you buy apples or any other fruit, in bulk, and can't afford to buy them organically, that's fine. What you can do is peel the skin off before you eat them to avoid ingesting pesticides and toxic substances.

These are known as "the Dirty Dozen" and should therefore, always be bought organically:

Peaches
Apples
Bell pepper
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Lettuce
Grapes
Carrot
Pears

Sometimes it's not easy buying everything organically, sometimes your closest supermarket doesn't have what you're looking for, or better yet, has deals on foods that you just can't pass up! Here's a list of fruits/vegetables that are OK to buy non-organic (although, supporting the organic industry in general is always better and should always be considered first!)

Onion
Avocado
Sweet corn
Pineapple
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet peas
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Papaya
Watermelon
Broccoli
Tomato
Sweet potato

2012 Maserati GranCabrio Convertible Sport

For the longest time Maserati has been sitting in the shaddows of Ferrari's larger than life status in the industry. This may be the only shortcoming for the beautiful Maserati. Ferrari probably makes it frustratingly difficulte for everyone at least with Maserati we are looking at one of the best (right after Ferrari).
Now to say that Maserati isn’t trying is likewise a slap in the face of the Italian automaker. And to be completely on the up-and-up, if there’s a car that can definitely make the world stand up and take notice, the brand’s new 2012 GranCabrio Convertible Sport is that car. Scheduled to be unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the newest Maserati GranCabrio Convertible is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Even though it can't compete with Ferrari in terms of top speed, HP and 0 to 60, it definitely captures your attention with her looks.

Lexus will be unveiling the new generation GS sedan on August 18th, in conjunction with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. That much we already know, but what many don’t know just yet is that the company is planning a coupe version of the model. The new GS Coupe will be a spiritual successor to the SC 430 and will target models like the Audi S5, BMW 650i, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe.
In an interview with Inside Line, Ben J. Mitchell, Lexus’ product planner manager said: "I’d like to do a coupe. We’re really trying to increase the emotional qualities of our brand. We want to emphasize exterior styling and dynamics."

2013 BMW Gran Coupe

So it has been a while since BMW gave us something to admire and drop our jaws. Thankfully they finally came to their senses and decided to give us a BMW with a little more personality and character. Well, hopefully...
The Gran Coupe concept has finally been pushed through to production. With the AUdi A7 lurking at the segment and the Mercedes CLS in it's second version, BMW needed a new star. For that they are signing the Gran Coupe with a contract starting in 2012.

Green is NOT just the "New Black"

We sit around and criticize people for trying to be too green, animal-friendly, etc. But guess what: it's not a fad. If people are being green because it's "the new black", then they're wasting their time. It shouldn't be one way of life, it should be THE way of life. People who don't care about what they're doing to the environment because they won't be around forever and therefore, only give a hoot about what the environment is like NOW, are selfish, ignorant idiots: think about your children and their children. Think about your legacy. Think about how you're affecting nature, and making it worse. Here's how you can help right here, right now. These are just a few things to think about.

In a more sentimental perspective, consider the way that the Quechua people in the Andes worship and give back to the mountain upon which they live. In a book I strongly recommend called 'Mountain of Condor', Joseph W. Bastien penetrates their culture by comprehending the importance of the mountain as a metaphor for meaning and hierarchy in their lives. The Earth is what naturally governs them, and why should we not do the same? These Incan people feed the mountain before they feed themselves. A friend of mine told me that during a trekking tour in Machu Picchu, their tour guides would regularly take out a bottle of water and pour some on the ground before they drank some for themselves, which would be their way of thanking the Earth before indulging in its fruitful offerings. If you are still not convinced, watch how the people in BBC's documentary "Human Planet" reciprocate aid to the Earth and animals around them, whether they are animals for food like the Indonesian sailors who harpoon a sperm whale to feed their entire village, or the way that a Mongolian father and son train their eagles to hunt after foxes to feed them during their harsh winters.

Since food production is responsible for 12% of greenhouse gas emissions (Pazderka et al. n.d.), choose your food and eat your meat wisely. Due to mass production, which not only feeds society's stomachs, but our mind set, to make meat or dairy the main ingredient in all three meals of the day, over the past 50 years, world meat consumption has gone up 50%.

At the same caloric and nutrient levels, vegan diets have the least effect on the environment, followed by vegetarian and omnivorous diets. This doesn't mean that vegetarian and vegan diets are always better than carnivorous. If we consumed organic meat, that would be much better for the environment than non-organic cheese, milk, etc.

When organic was compared to conventional systems on each diet, the organic diet wins whether vegan, vegetarian or omnivorous. (Baroni and colleagues, 2006). So maybe instead of going vegan, opt for an omnivorous diet that consists of organic produce.

Water use:

To produce 1 calorie of meat it takes 100 times the amount of water that it takes to produce 1 calorie of grain.

Land use:

Transportation: Moving the food to the animals, then moving the animals to slaughter and transporting the meat to a store magnifies harmful emissions

Energy and Fossil Fuels.Animals must eat 6 kilograms of plant protein to make 1 kilogram of animal protein . Ittakes 40 calories of energy to produce one calorie of beef, making it the worst offender. Following close behind aremilk (14:1), and eggs (39:1). The average energy-in to energy-out ratio for animal protein is 25:1.

The point is...

In order to reduce the number of gas emissions that are truly harming our environment, we need to consume a little bit less than we do today, not solely in amount, but in variety. Especially since food is constantly being wasted or coming from ruthless (in terms of anti-green) factories who don't care. This doesn't mean that everyone should just go vegan to protect the Earth or cut down their food intake by half. Instead, we should try to consume more organic products in general, so as to not feed the mass production industry of animals for their meat and by-products. The reason that these industries are constantly mass producing animals is because we DEMAND it, and therefore they SUPPLY it. Support grass-fed beef, and organic produce. It's better for your health and the environment.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts:

Meatless (or Eat LESS) Mondays

Companies that do & don't test on animals

Can you judge a man based on his beard?

Here's a little guide...

Rowan Atkinson, ring a bell? OK let's try this again...
Mr. Bean, now you know who I'm talking about! Bean is known by most as the funniest man in the world. After all Mr. Bean hardly needs an introduction but what most people don't know is that Atkinson is also an avid car lover and collector, and he drives like a pro. After all in one of his movies he was able to brush, undress, dress and eat while late to a doctors appointment.

Keep on reading for more information...

The Audi R8 was first launched back in 2007 and even though it has remained successful throughout its many years on the market, Audi is preparing it for a major makeover for the 2012 model year (2013 for the US market). The first details of the future model suggest that the car will receive a facelifted exterior and interior design, and more powerful engines - both V8 and V10 options. The new Audi R8 is expected in the summer of 2012.