Daily Highlight: Magnetars

I have decided to highlight one random thing each day.  It can be a time period in history, a product, science related material, whatever. :P

Magnetar

Credit: Wikipedia

One of my favorite objects in the universe are Magnetars.  These occur very rarely in space and we have only detected a dozen or so.  Still shrouded in mystery, the current running theory as to how these are formed is that through two massive stars in a binary star system that exist in an ultra compact orbit, within the size of the orbit of the earth around the sun.  One of the massive stars starts to run out of fuel and transfers its outer layers to its less massive companion, making it rotate faster and faster.  This will give the future Magnetar, the less massive star, an extremely powerful magnetic field. Strong enough to suck the iron out of your blood from hundreds and maybe even thousands of miles.  At some point the less massive of the stars sheds much of its extra mass, slimming the mass down enough so that a black hole will not be formed. Though there is still much we do not know about Magnetars, it seems a binary star system is a vital part in their formation. *  

Want to see a video flying around a Magnetar? Click Here!

(* = Links to sources.)

My Top 3 Places to Shop, Summer '14

Here is a list of my top 3 places to shop this summer.  These stores show a large variety of options.

Number 3: JC Penney
The past year or two I have had a hard time finding a lot of variety here, but recently they have a lot of great tops and skirts.  The shorts this season there are really comfortable and many have a lot of stretch, making them even more comfortable.  This is a great place to pick up some basics.

Number 2: Charlotte Russe
Again, he past year or two I have not been able to find much here, but this summer they have some beautiful dresses.  They do have way too many of the "Miley Cyrus" looking like a ho tops and high waisted shorts, but they also carry a lot cute jean shorts and tops.  This is a great place to pick up bottom pieces and dresses.

Credit: here!

Number 1: Charming Charlies
My favorite store right now, you can find everything you need for an outfit.  The prices are not bad either! The only downside is that there are not really any bottom pieces.  They carry mostly dresses, tops, and leggings.  I did find a skirt that is also a dress, but things like that are a rarity there.  They carry all the accessories in all the colors you could ever need, making it very easy to put together an entire outfit.  They often have great sales and some good clearance pieces, though the clearance is small.  Whatever you need, you can find it here.

Thrifting Tips

So, since I do a lot of thrifting and shopping in general, I thought I would make a list of some helpful tips!

1. GO through everything!
When at thrift stores, some of the best items are usually hidden or easy to miss. It is important, especially with clothing, to take the time and go through the entire rack.  That same advice applies to purses as well.

2. Inspect everything!
It is also important to look over anything and make sure that the item is still in good condition.  Many thrift stores get items that are new, so it is always a good idea to see what condition the items you are buying are when deciding what you are willing to spend.

3. Know about what you are going to buy.
By knowing information about the things you are looking for, you can make better decisions and identify more valuable things.  Thrift stores are treasure troves, and it takes a little background knowledge to find the real treasures.

4. When buying brand name items know how to identify fakes. 
High quality items, such as designer purses, can often be fakes.  You can tell the real ones from the fakes by the quality.  Designer purses will have identifying marks throughout the whole pures.  Metal pieces will have the brand name on them, and so will the inside of the purse.  Also, with such easy access to the internet, you can look up information on how to identify authentic pieces.

5. Haggle.
Thrift stores are a great place to haggle.  Most thrift stores are more than happy to work out a deal, and sticker prices are negotiable. DON'T overpay!

6. Learn as much as you can.
 My last tip is to research as much as you can.  For example, if you collect tea cups, learn the names of high quality pieces.  Educate yourself.  If you do this you are sure to find some treasures.

Our Library of Alexandria

When watching Cosmos, Neil DeGrasse Tyson compares our access to information to the grand library that once existed in Alexandria.  I find this a very elegant comparison and could not agree more.  The access we have to information is incredible, and we can do it within the comfort of own our homes.  Any question can be answered, as long as you know where to find it.  With all this information, it becomes increasingly important to check that sources and context are taken into account, but once that is taught, the possibilities are unlimited.

With the increasingly growing database that is the internet, children are able to gain a vast amount of knowledge in specialized interests.  For example, children are able to look up information on things they are interested in and tend to become devoted to whatever their interest is, learning as much as they can about a specific subject.  When watching the recent season of Masterchef Junior, the younger contestants were better equipped to deal with the wide variety of cooking challenges that the show presented than the adult contestants on the normal show.  People are able to pursue and discover their passions much earlier in life.

This can have some advantages, but I can't help but wonder what the repercussions will be. With children able to learn many more things at much younger ages, its possible that job fields may begin looking at experience and knowledge at a younger age and targeting individuals for employment even earlier than they do now.  The pressures to excel at increasingly younger ages is accelerating, and peoples futures are being determined before they are old enough to know what they truly want in life.  Though this access to information is a huge asset, it becomes apparent that our society still needs to give time for children to mature and have a childhood.

Humans live much longer lives than they used to, so there is plenty of time to be an adult, but less and less time to have a childhood.  Being young is a time to spend learning as much as you can about as many things as you can.  It's about learning the patterns and ways of the world.  This time is essential in developing a love of learning.  With this, learning becomes a natural and enjoyable part of a person entire life, making them able to continue growing throughout life.  The most important thing to learn is how to learn and enjoy it, and with the ability to to ask any question and find information about your questions, the learning opportunities are endless, as long as we, as a society, remember to allow children to have a truly enjoyable experience with all of their learning opportunities.

A Conservative's Defense of Gay Marriage

Growing up I held the belief that gay marriage was wrong and although civil unions were fine marriage was between a man and a woman.  Recently, I have come to the understanding that love and the right to be with the one you love are not only freedoms everyone should share, but they are a right and necessity to human relationships.  In the Declaration of Independence it says "...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." To me, a huge part of my happiness, and perhaps the most important aspect to my happiness, is my relationship with my husband, Andrew, and I firmly believe that all humans beings have the right to pursue this happiness.

I consider myself a spiritual individual and take my relationship with that spirituality very seriously, even if I don't consider myself the church-going type.  My belief in a creator and the idea of a higher being shape many aspects of my life, from my art to my morals and values. I believe that a loving god would never create a situation that would deny his creations the right to find happiness, and that those who find love and happiness with people of the same sex should be afforded the same rights and benefits as those who love people of the opposite sex. 

As I said in the title, I consider myself a conservative and believe that the government should be as limited as possible in most things. My husband and I have talked a lot on this issue and have determined that this is one of the pressing issues for our generation of citizens and that many of the conservatives in the younger generation differ on this issue from the current, older generation.  He and I believe it is our place to make a difference. In my opinion, the government has no place in determining who you can and can not marry. Many people say that if that is the case than people should be allowed to marry a dog, but to that I say that we are not talking about animals, we are talking about human beings. No one is suggesting allowing people to marry animals, just that the oppression of this group of human beings civil rights be ended.  

With the family unit being increasingly weakened, it is time to focus on families and encourage stable relationships.  Let us work toward making stronger families and loving homes for the many children in this world.  The future is our children and how can we ever look at ourselves with pride if we continue to suppress human, god given, rights.  How do we face the next generation when we continue to allow human beings to be denied love, happiness, and family, the very essence of what it means to be human?

Quantum Levitation, The Stuff of Science Fiction!

Something I recently looked into was Quantum Levitation, and the ability to have real levitation.  Quantum Levitation uses the principles of the Meissner effect. This is an expulsion of a magnetic field from a superconductor during its transition to the superconducting state.* This basically means that the magnetic field goes around the superconductor and not through it, as the normally would.  A superconductor is basically a super cooled object of a few specific materials, like sapphire, with zero electrical resistance that expels magnetic fields.*  Because of this effect, superconductors are able to essentially levitate when over the right substance, using the magnetic field.

Credit: Wikipedia 

This levitation is also interesting because the only friction caused is from the air, so in an airtight environment there will be no friction.  Because of this effect, the levitation effect is essentially infinite once a superconductor is initially cooled. Technology in this field is constantly making advances in production of new, useful items, like wires, fibers, and cables.  There are even ideas to make new transportation systems, like a superconductor train that uses the levitation to travel across large distances at much cheaper prices than current transportation methods. Recently there was also an article I read that explained that many advances in making superconductors work under higher temperatures were being made, and that it may soon be possible to have superconductors work at more everyday temperatures. This would effectively make this effect usable in more everyday life situations and shows that Quantum Levitation is set to be a big part of our technological future.

For those interested in Quantum Levitation, there is a website devoted to the science of this effect and they even have kits for those wanting to try out their own levitation!  For those interested in this, you can find out all about Quantum Levitation here!  With so many advances in recent technology, like 3D printers and robotics, the age we live in seems increasingly like the stuff of science fiction!

(*  are links to references used.)

Top 3 Make-up Items for Sensitive Skin, Summer 2014!

I have very sensitive skin, so finding makeup that doesn't irritate it can be difficult.  I recently found a line at my local Rite-Aid called Physicians Formula that uses a few different makeup companies who have made products for people with sensitive skin. All products are part of the Physicians Formula line. Here are my Top 3 picks for Summer 2014.

Number 3: Super CC+ Color - Correction + Care CC + Powder SPF 30
You can find this product here!

This CC powder is amazing!  It is very gentle and creates a nice, even skin tone.  With SPF it is also great at protecting your skin from sun and does not sweat off like a foundation or primer.

Number 2: Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Trio 
You can find this product here!

Though these are a little fragile, they slide on smooth and easily.  I have the hardest time with eyeliners as every time I try to apply eyeliner I start to cry it off.  These eyeliners are waterproof, so even if my eyes do get watery this eyeliner stays on!

Number 1: Ph Matchmaker PH Powered Lip Gloss
You can find this product here!

My favorite product, this awesome lip gloss custom matches your lips and created the perfect shade for you. This product has been designed using PH balancing science. It goes on clear and within 60 seconds you have a custom shade for just for you!  This product also lasts for quite some time, even when the gloss has rubbed off.  This lip gloss is a must have!