Afanador 1

Mary Afandor Professor Brand ENG 101H 88340 October 8, 2013 Writing Project 3 Word Count: 1,440 The Working Conscious and Subconscious Brain In the article Tricking Taste Buds but Not the Brain: Artificial Sweeteners Change Brains Pleasure Response to Sweet, Caitlin Kirkwood explains that the brain is a much more advanced tool then most people care to recognize. Many studies were conducted to show the brains reaction to real sugar and artificial sweeteners like Splenda and Sweet NLow. In these studies, Kirkwood states, This brilliant organ knows the real deal even if your taste buds cant detect the difference (par. 4). The article goes back to World War II which is where artificial sweeteners got their name due to a sugar shortage (Kirkwood, par. 3) These sweeteners were aimed at people who were health conscious during a time where beauty was becoming more prevalent (Kirkwood, par. 3). It is debatable among scientists that the once popular artificial sweeteners have had a negative part in many serious diseases. Green E. and Murphy C. conducted a study at the San Diego University of 24 non-diet soda drinkers and habitual diet soda drinkers (Kirkwood, par. 15). Their study showed that people who drink diet soda over an extended period of time have almost no way to distinguish the difference between sugar and artificial sweeteners (Kirkwood, par. 15). This sparked more questions for other scientists to figure out if the consumption of artificial sweeteners will have more negative effects on the brain long term (Kirkwood, par. 17).

Afanador 2

In the article Why America Loves Reality TV, Steven Reiss and James Wiltz argue the phenomenon of reality television and its effects on Americas viewers. The misleading idea that watching reality TV is favored by viewers with a lower intelligence is one of the main focuses in this article. In their surveys, they concluded that people who tune in to these programs are not as ignorant and dumbed down as expected, but in fact the opposite. They also believe that their viewers have the motive to watch so that they can be up-to-date on pop culture fashions and other trends through watching certain shows. The idea that a normal, everyday person can become famous through reality television has a surreal feeling behind it, causing viewers to be more intrigued (Reiss, par. 8). Reiss and Wiltz found that even though the viewers werent becoming famous they were gaining a certain status level among co-workers and friends just by having the knowledge of what was a popular trend in a certain show (Reiss, par. 8). Reiss stated The desire for status is just a means to get attention to express the significance of title over trend (par. 7). Nonetheless, viewers often compare the characters in these shows to themselves which allows the viewer to become connected through out. They have found that viewers fantasize about what their lives would be like if they suddenly became famous, and reality television gives them a clear-cut picture of what it would be like (Reiss, par. 8). In the article How Sleep Helps Brain Learn Motor Task, Yuka Saski stated, Sleep is not just a waste of time. After many scientific studies, it is debated whether or not sleeping can help your memory and improve many ordinary tasks (Saski, par. 1). The article indicates that sleep, after practicing something like the piano, can improve your abilities over-night. After asking many questions about this, scientists Masako Tamaki, Yuko Sasaki and Takeo Watanabe conducted experiments to validate this idea. Not only were they trying to prove this theory, but also differentiate the specific roles of the brain during sleep (Saski, par. 8). Using brain scans,

Afanador 3

EEG sensors, and other various brain monitors, they found that it was very difficult to consolidate the large amount of brain activity (Saski, par. 5). In more of their studies they found that a number of people had better accuracy and speed with mundane tasks after only a few hours of sleep (Saski, par. 5). Over a 5 day period, they tested 15 subjects with different variations of the same test. They gave their subjects a simple finger-tapping task to demonstrate after a few hours of sleep (Saski, par. 10). In the tests conducted they found that in fact, their speed and accuracy proved to be obvious in some subjects. After these studies, there are more questions the scientists are asking themselves, so they plan to do more studies involving visual tasks (Saski, par. 15). After reading all three articles, it is apparent that the obvious nature of them revolves around the impressive brain. Whether the brain is watching a reality television program, tasting diet soda or bettering a skill over-night, they are all similar to how the brain consciously and subconsciously functions. The article Tricking Taste Buds but Not the Brain: Artificial Sweeteners Change Brains Pleasure Response to Sweet is similar to the article Why America Loves Reality TV in that that the brain holds the opinions. Some people might think artificial sweeteners are better than real sugar. A cooking show would be more useful than a reality TV show like Temptation Island and vice versa. The article How Sleep Helps Brain Learn Motor Task shows just what the brain is capable of even when it is unaware of it. A person who does not particularly agree with reality television could possibly have a positive subconscious reaction to it. The conscious opinions made might not agree with the subconscious mind. In the first article, Tricking Taste Buds but Not the Brain: Artificial Sweeteners Change Brains Pleasure Response to Sweet, Kirkwood makes an interesting argument that artificial sweeteners are just not good for anyone. Though they may be tricking the mouth, they

Afanador 4

are proven unable to fool the brain. Unlike real sugar, artificial sweeteners were also proven to have many negative effects on the brain in that over time, people are having difficulty distinguishing the difference between the two. It has become apparent that people these days are looking for any alternative for healthy habits. At first, sweeteners were the better choice but ironically, this fake sugar has a direct effect on obesity and diabetes. Why America Loves Reality TV was very interesting to read. Reiss and Wiltz believe that people who watch reality TV are fascinated by many ideas behind it. Scandal, sexual endeavors and competition are all things that people in America are attracted to whether they admit it or not. Some people consider themselves to be above succumbing to the programs. They argue that there is a misconstrued image of the typical viewer to be an unintelligent, easilyamused person, when in fact an intelligent person is just as likely to watch a reality TV show. They believe that viewers can relate more to the people in these shows over a character in a movie. It is not far off that people would rather watch and live in a realistic program rather than watch a fictitious, unrealistic show. The idea that people can improve a task or skill over-night is beyond intriguing. The scientists that wrote the article How Sleep Helps Brain Learn Motor Task were very thorough in their studies and tests. As simple as they seemed, they proved that with just a few hours of sleep the brain was able to deliver the subjects tasks faster and more accurately. Not only did they find that what they were studying to be true, it raised more questions about what else the brain is capable of during sleep. The conscious brain is able to acquire a surplus of knowledge but the subconscious is most fascinating. It is unknown what the actual full potential of the brain is capable of, but with technology and the right questions, it could prove to be quite mindblowing.

Afanador 5

The conscious and subconscious brain is genuinely a topic as people are continuously raising questions about. In all three articles, it is hard not to over-analyze the potential of this incredible organ. Consciously making choices every day is a true gift that we all share. Having the ability to have a never ending supply of knowledge all stored in one place inside every person is beyond fascinating. From simply watching a television show to playing the piano a little bit better after a good nights rest, the brain is undoubtedly a true wonder.

Afanador 6

Works Cited Caitlin Kirkwood Tricking Taste Buds but Not the Brain: Artificial Sweeteners Change Brains Pleasure Response to Sweet. September 5, 2013

Steven Reiss, James Wiltz. Why America Loves Reality TV. Psychology Today, September 1, 2001. Masako Tamaki, Yuka Sasaki, Takeo Watanabe How Sleep Helps Brain Learn Motor Task September 8, 2013