Post-workout protein: the key to a quick recovery

You have probably been told to eat protein-rich foods after a tough workout. Eating protein is an essential part of recovering from a workout because it provides your body with the necessary materials to repair the damage done while exercising. Working out causes your muscle fibers to tear, leaving them without amino acids. If you supply your body with protein (composed of amino acids) right after a workout, the torn muscles will be repaired more quickly. When muscle fibers are torn, they are repaired to a stronger state, so if you are looking to build muscle be sure to always eat protein-rich foods after your workouts.

How is cotton candy made?

We all love cotton candy—that fluffy, sugary, melt-in-your-mouth treat found at the likes of Chuck E Cheese's and summer fairs. Making cotton candy is an interesting and simple process that turns ordinary granulated sugar into the fluffy state that we know and love. First, a heating device with small holes on the sides is placed in a bowl and attached to a spinning mechanism. Then, flavored sugar (often known as cotton candy sugar) is placed in the heating device. The sugar heats to 375°F and melts into a liquid state. After the sugar is melts, the heating device spins, causing the liquid sugar to exit through the small side holes, cool almost instantly, and transform into solid threads. Lastly, the threads are collected (usually on a cone) and the process is complete.

Why do athletes yawn before their performances?

If you are watching the 2012 London Olympics and paying attention to the athletes before they perform, you may notice that many of them yawn right before the start of their event. This phenomenon is common and has been researched extensively. Although yawning is not fully understood, research indicates that it is a thermoregulatory behavior. Specifically, yawning acts as a cooling mechanism when the brain gets too hot. When we yawn, a rush of cool air is taken in; this air is believed to cool the brain through the mouth's palate. The brain is often described as a complex computer system, and like the non-organic computers we have today, it works most efficiently at a cool temperature. By cooling the brain, yawning is believed to revitalize the senses and increase concentration. What better time than right before an athletic performance to increase one's focus and alertness? Most athletes yawn naturally before their events, but others induce their yawns for the seeming benefits. Yawning can be induced by seeing others yawn, reading about yawning, or even thinking about yawning. Have you yawned yet?

How do farm irrigation systems work?

No trip to the Midwest is complete without seeing a lot of farm fields. In those fields, of course, are irrigation systems. Although these irrigation systems appear to be fairly simple, they are actually quite advanced. One of the most pervasive irrigation systems is the center pivot system. At the pivot of this system is a source of water, which spreads to each individual segment. Rotation around the center pivot point is granted by individual electric motors found on each set of wheels. The outermost set of wheels controls the speed of revolution of the whole system. Typically, the outer wheels move at a faster rate than the inner wheels so as to maintain segment alignment, and various angle sensors report to a computer to coordinate wheel speeds. The individual nozzles found on each segment vary in size (and therefore water emission) in order to achieve application uniformity—the closer to the center, the smaller the nozzle size.

The launch of this blog and the 2012 London Olympics

Today, July 27, 2012, celebrates the beginning of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the launch of this blog, DiurnaLearn. The purpose of this blog is to promote learning every day, which can be gleaned from its title. Learning something new every day can enrich our lives and can change the way we see the world; it calls our attention to the small, often-overlooked details all around us.

Since the 2012 Olympics is upon us, I think it is fitting to learn about the five interlocking rings that  serve as the official symbol of the Olympics. The now-ubiquitous symbol was designed in 1912 by the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin. The five rings symbolize the five continents competing in the Olympics, namely the Americas (North & South), Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. The colors of the rings embrace the colors found on the national flags of all participating countries. Although there may be a color on a country's flag not found on the rings, the rings will contain at least one color on each country's flag. The fact that the rings are interlocked represents the valuing of sportsmanship and the coming together of all countries for healthy competition.