Perks of being a wallflower: Scratching the surface of PTSD

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Guest Contributor

This post was written by Undergraduate Student Chloe Eades.

I have always appreciated the depth and emotion portrayed within the film Perks of Being a Wallflower, which hits on uncomfortable issues in a beautifully cinematic way. While there are a multitude of scenes Icould analyze, I’d like to focus on a clip towards the very end of the movie, in which Charlie (the main character) experiences a flashback that, in my interpretation, can be attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Charlie Kelmeckis is a high schooler dealing with the usual interpersonal struggles of being a freshman, whilst battling the tumultuous symptoms of PTSD. Charlie has suffered multiple traumatic events; his Aunt Helen molested him as a child, which was followed by her sudden death in a car accident on his birthday, as well as the more recent trauma of his best friend’s suicide. It is important to acknowledge how his best friend’s death catalyzes the complete manifestation of his PTSD. Though his death is not emphasized throughout the film, it is what seems to stir the traumatic memories of Charlie’s youth back up to the forefront of his mind. Interestingly, even an event that is not directly related to one’s PTSD can serve as a trigger [1]. (more…)

Secret world of elephants

Posted on June 10, 2024 by sciutern

This post was written by ScIU Undergraduate Intern Jada Harris.

For millions of years, proboscideans — a group that includes mammoths, mastodons, and elephants — traversed diverse landscapes, shaping ecosystems as they went. However, around 11,700 years ago, human hunting and the waning ice age drastically reduced their numbers to just three species — the Asian elephant, the African forest elephant, and the African savanna elephant. These giants are now endangered, and the impact of losing them extends far beyond what meets the eye. The American Museum of Natural History in New York City has opened its doors to a fascinating exhibit that delves into the profound impact of these gentle giants on the environment and human culture. This immersive experience unveils the hidden wonders of elephants through cutting-edge science and captivating displays. Modern science reveals that elephants are not merely creatures of grandeur but vital ecosystem engineers.

An image of an African elephant’s skeleton and muscles are projected onto a life-size model in an exhibit that highlights new science on proboscideans. — Image Attribution: Alvaro Keding© AMNH

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The brain and moral decision making

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Guest Contributor

This post was written by guest contributor, Jillian Meyer.

Image of the brain with the lobes and cerebellum labeled. Damage to the frontal lobe causes changes in personality and moral decision making. — *Image Credit: “Frontal lobe” by Esvitrac is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.*

How do we separate right from wrong in moral decision making? Some moral decisions, like whether or not to commit murder, seem like easy and intuitive moral decisions. However, we are often caught in moral dilemmas in our lives where the “right” thing to do is not as clear. Neuroscience and cognitive psychology can provide insight into how we form our moral perspectives and what might affect our moral decisions. Antonio Damasio’s book, Descartes’ Error, focuses on the neuropsychology of rational thoughts and decision-making. He begins the book by discussing the well-known psychology case study of Phineas Gage. This story follows a middle-aged railroad worker who was pierced through the skull with an iron pipe during an explosion at work. After the accident, Gage seemingly had no issues with things like attention, memory, and language, but his entire personality had changed. His previous understanding of social conventions and ethical rules was suddenly gone, and his personality seemed to have been replaced with that of someone who did not uphold the same values. Damasio points out that this was an extremely significant case for the study of moral reasoning, as it demonstrated how previously understood ethical values could be erased with brain damage to the frontal cortex.

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Debunking myths about therapy

Posted on May 13, 2024 by Guest Contributor

This post was written by guest contributor José R. Chimelis-Santiago.

Embarking on the journey of mental health therapy can be a truly transformative experience. However, it’s not uncommon for misconceptions to cloud the path to healing. Despite the increasing demand for mental health treatment, persistent myths still predominate. But here’s a spoiler alert: Therapy isn’t merely about sitting on a couch (or lying down) and pouring your heart out. It’s a dynamic process that goes beyond stereotypes. So, let’s unravel some common misconceptions that might be deterring you from embracing the valuable support you deserve on your path to well-being. (more…)

Philosophy and moral decision making

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Guest Contributor

This post was written by guest contributor, Jillian Meyer.

Should you cheat on your exam to get a good final grade in your class? When is it okay to lie? If your child is going for an internship at your company, is it morally permissible to give them a leg up over other applicants? We make moral decisions every day, forming a moral personality from the choices we make about right and wrong. Our moral foundations come from many different sources, such as our religions, the legal system, and even our personal past experiences. The brain plays a big role in moral decision making, and damage to certain areas can completely change our morality. To articulate the impact the brain can have on morality, moral psychologists often turn to the philosophical roots of moral perspectives. Ancient philosophy continues to define our moral decisions today, so knowledge of different philosophical theories is imperative and detailed below.

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Science Fest: Eclipse edition

Posted on April 8, 2024 by ScIU Editorial Team

Once a year, Indiana University-Bloomington proudly hosts Science Fest, a vibrant occasion designed to share the wonders of science with the public. This year, in an exciting shift, Science Fest was moved to the spring to celebrate the Total Solar Eclipse happening in Bloomington, IN! Attracting a diverse audience including students, families, educators, and children, Science Fest offered a plethora of engaging activities for everyone! (more…)

Makeup: The ugly truth

Posted on March 25, 2024 by sciutern

This post was written by ScIU Undergraduate Intern Alana Pate.

Waking up and applying makeup has become one of the most relaxing parts of my daily routine. While my music blares and I sing along, I go through the motions: concealer, blush, bronzer, mascara, lip gloss. Though applying each product symmetrically, in the right proportions, and with intentional brush strokes takes on a meditative quality, I rarely reflect on the ‘makeup’ of what I am putting on my skin.

What if the very products that make me feel so beautiful are uglier than they seem?

Close-up image of a multi-colored eyeshadow palette — Image Source: @armennano on Pixabay

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Perception, a constructed reality

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Emma Herms

Sensory information, via our eyes, ears, and other organs, forms the foundation of our lived experience. Yet we find ourselves perceiving the world differently from our family, friends, and the person sitting next to us at our favorite sports event, who calls the ball out when it clearly hit the line! So how accurate is our perception, really? This isn’t just an intellectual question about the physiological and psychological processes happening throughout our body; it has real world consequences.

Volleyball hitting the line marking the end of the court.

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What to know about organ donation

Posted on February 26, 2024 by sciutern

This post was written by ScIU Undergraduate Intern Kaitlynn McKibbin.

Black and white image of a stethoscope hanging on a wall. — The medical field is growing rapidly. That includes organ transplantation, a process that comes with many misconceptions and unknown facts about what organ donation entails. *Image Credit: Parentingupstream Pixabay*

Throughout high school, I knew I wanted to make a difference in the community around me. After working at my local hospital for a couple of months, I started to notice that many people were impacted by organ donation in my small town alone. Soon after, I went to a healthcare conference in Indianapolis, IN, and I learned about groups advocating for organ donors and donor recipients. This is when I knew I wanted to be involved. With this information, I decided to start a Student Organ Donation Advocates club at my high school. It started with just me and two other girls, but in a year membership grew to 30 students and multiple teachers. With this group, we were able to reach out to the community with many events and show them that we are fighting for them too. Ultimately, this club showed me the love and support that the organ donation community has to offer and the privilege of supporting so many people who have been impacted by organ donation.

So how does organ donation affect people like you and me? Here is what we discovered.

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Enough about polar bears: Who else is vulnerable to climate change?

Posted on February 12, 2024 by sciutern

his post was written by ScIU Undergraduate Intern Hayeon Byun.

Polar bears are one of the most iconic symbols of the impacts of climate change. Their struggle is depicted in campaigns across the world, which show animals that have become endangered as a result of climate change. Yet, polar bears aren’t the only animals impacted by global warming. This post explores other animal species that are also heavily affected by the impacts of climate change and aims to raise awareness of the struggles the wildlife around us experience. (more…)