“Caffeine Buzz Chases Away Women’s Depression” by Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times

Contrary to many beliefs about the effects of caffeine, a new study has proved that caffeine is actually beneficial.  This new researched showed that women who drank four cups of coffee a day, or the equivalent amount of caffeine to that, have better mental health and are less likely to become depressed than women who do not.  Dr. Alberto Ascherio explains that coffee keeps people more happy and active on day-to-day basis, therefore leading to better mental health in the long run.  Their research also showed that women who regularly drank coffee were less likely to be obese or have high blood pressure.  Coffee can also help with reducing strokes and improving cardiovascular health.

Seeing as I am an earnest coffee drinker, this article came as great news to me.  I simply cannot start my day without my morning cup of coffee, and I really don’t know what I would do without my regular jolt of caffeine to get me going in the morning.  Also, there has been much controversy over the years about coffee and whether it is good or bad for you.  For a while, the consensus seemed that coffee had overall negative effects, so it is interesting and refreshing to hear some benefits that result from drinking coffee.  Preventing depression in women is definitely a significant effect of coffee, especially since twice as many women experience depression than men. With these newfound results, many women might feel much better about the amount of caffeine they intake, and it might cause others to consider drinking it on a regular basis.

“Newly Discovered Raptor Had ‘Switchblade’ Claw for Fighting” by International Business Times Staff Reporter

         

          Talos sampsoni is a recently discovered feathered dinosaur related to the velociraptor.  This new specimen is estimated to have been about 6 feet long and weighed around eighty pounds.  Talos and the velociraptor are both a part of the Troodontid family, a group of dinosaurs closely related to birds.  A new fossil find shows that this dinosaur may have had long hooked talons as well as sharp claws.  This fossil was found in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Utah, where fifteen other species of dinosaurs have been unearthed.  The fossil was discovered by Michael Knell, a doctoral student at Montana University, who was very thrilled to have discovered a new species of dinosaur.

          This article came as exciting news to me.  Dinosaurs have always fascinated me; the mysteries that surround their disappearance and wonderings about what these creatures truly looked like are very interesting to me.  What enthralls me the most is the fact that scientists are still to this day finding new evidence about dinosaurs.  The more they look, the closer they get to unlocking the answers for all the questions we have about dinosaurs.  Hopefully there will be many more fossils found from the Talos sampsoni, and we can continue to learn more about this mysterious extinct creature. 

"Giant King Crabs Threatening Antarctica, Scientists Say" by Wynne Parry

In this article posted on the Fox News website, the author explains that the king crab species have recently found their way over to the Antarctic waters.  These crabs have never been able to cross the continental shelf before due to the frigid temperature, but now that the climate has gradually warmed, the king crabs have travelled into the Ross Sea in Antarctica.  The problem with this is that king crabs have large, crushing claws, and are known to be a very invasive and ecosystem-altering species.  Scientists are concerned that they will begin destroying the usually safe and isolated organisms living in the Ross Sea.  These crabs have been overturning the ocean floor with their constant digging, and they have been feeding on basket stars and other invertebrates.  Scientists will have to find a technique to keep these dangerous predators at bay soon, as the water continues to keep warming and inviting more and more crabs to the Antarctic water.

--Rachel Croft