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Silver Linings: Binaural Beats for Study and Writing
For some time now, I've been using binaural beats to help me focus while I am writing. I am not convinced that the binaural beats themselves help me focus, but for some reason the ritual of putting a binaural track, taking my headphones and committing to finish something makes my productivity soar.
The "science" behind the effect of binaural beats seems to be incomplete at most, and very often fishy. Most likely, using a white noise generator would give me the same results – and I don't think I'm experiencing anything else than a placebo effect.
Nonetheless – when I really need to start cranking out a lot of words, and music makes me irritable because I start to listen to the lyrics or decipher the notes that every instrument is playing, I use these binaural beats to reach a state of elevated focus.
With that said, and -hopefully- convincing you guys that I'm not the person to take any spiriwiri mumbojumbo that has not passed some rigorous testing and that is back by Good Science, I would like to invite you to try out binaural beats and see if they help your study and writing too (or a white noise generator sound).
What are binaural beats?
Binaural beats result when two nearly similar frequencies are played in each ear when you are listening to headphones. Your brain will process this information, and you will "hear" a third frequency. For example, when one ear hears 100Hz and the other ear 110Hz, you will hear 10Hz as a result.
What do binaural beats do
According to the alternative medicine community, if you hear this 10Hz difference, your brain waves will increase by 10Hz too. Because there are different frequencies of the brainwaves, it is said that the binaural beat that you hear, can induce a certain state of mind.
Benefit of binaural tracks
Binaural tracks are similar to white noise generators, although they seem to have a little more variation to themselves. I quite like the binaural tracks that are combined with sounds of running water. Since most tracks on YouTube are either 30 minutes or an hour long, you can commit to finishing a certain task within half an hour or an hour, take your headphones, switch on the track and finish it before the track ends.
It's a trick you are playing on your mind, but one that you might like to try out and see if it improves your productivity, for example with this track"
Have you tried using binaural beats during study or writing? How is your experience?
I use them almost every day recently. I find the ones based on concentration and anti-depression work absolutely wonderfully when trying to clear your head and aim on one thing. Espicially ones that the sound does not change, and repeats, is mesmerizing and great for the mind IMO.
Great to read that! I am mostly working with music these days.
I don't know if 'binaural beats' are proven by science or pseudo-science or it's even placebo effect, but I manage to get its benefits every time I listen to these. I tried only alpha frequency to help me study and I feel that I can concentrate much better! I tried it to relax and everytime I listen to these before hour I go to bed I get sleepy and I fall asleep much quicker. Last night I slept like a dead! 😀
If I read about binaural beats, it all looks like pseudo-science to me, and I think a lot of it is placebo effect – but our minds are so wonderful that we can get really good effects through it. I have the same results with some favorite CDs: I have 3 \"super-writing\" records, that make me extremely productive, and there is 1 record I used to listen to every single night before sleeping for 1,5 years – that made me sleep like a rose.
I'd like to conduct my own experiments with them, not knowing which frequencies supposedly induce which result with a third party. Even if its not a complete science executing the scientific method to see if the third party listener describes the effect similarly to what the beat is suppose to induce should be enough for some light to be shed one way or the other.
That'd be interesting indeed
I've been using white noise, brown noise, rain, often with bin aural beats for a while now. Classical music is also great. The effectiveness depends on the activity I'm doing, and the mood I'm in. It's also great to be able to block out background talking or noises with these sounds without lyrical, rhythmatic music. I've also found another music, which is really great – indian classical flute music – have a search for Hari Prasad Chaurasia 🙂
Thanks – I'll check that out!
So how should I utilize this? I have read that I should listen to the \"beats\" for 20-30 minutes before attempting to study. The problem is that I don't have 20-30 minutes to waste before studying.
I've only tried them while writing, not before…
This is a great article! I've been using binaural beats for years now and they really help me to focus and study when I'm trying to get stuff done. I also use them to relax and fall asleep sometimes.
I've never been any good at 'meditating', but I knew a condition I have would greatly improve if I could figure it out. Binaural beats got me there and changed a lot. I know it can be labeled as pseudo science, but I don't think it is. If there wasn't something to it, I would have stopped years ago.I like to see that they are getting more attention (though they have been around for a long time now). I hope more questions get asked! Sooner or later we'll get more answers and research…hopefully.
Can anyone recommend or provide links to tracks on youtube that they felt helped them focus?
Why does everyone impulsively call it a placebo effect? And why does everyone say that like it's a bad thing? In a sense, of course it's a placebo effect- any way you want to look at it binaural beats are something the individual does for himself. Trying to use a trance for psychological benefits without believing in the trance is like trying to bake brownies without plugging the oven in. Science doesn't even know how to explain the placebo effect anyway 🙂
If you want to discover the best binaural beats on the web please visit samadhientrainment.com
I heard Gamma is great for studying and writing. I like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8msLxIUURI and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KPBxGwm1GA. I also will play light music without lyrics just to help awake-ness. Sometimes the beats can get a little drone-y in my head. (Although I enjoy the rain video posted above. For music I have found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggLTPyRXUKc in combo with either of the first two work extremely well for me.
I have been using binaural beats for years and they have really helped me study and focus. It's great they you're spreading the word about this remarkable technology!
I like using them. The science? Who knows at this point, I'm using them to stimulate creativity for writing fiction… So good luck even figuring out how to measure that empirically.My hypotheses is that they do \"work\" in at least inducing some placebo effect, and perhaps the trippy effect does create a useful creative buzz. Seems possible that when someone reads the description 'digital drug, acid trip' or 'study aid' some technical sounding babble about how it induces this or that brainwave effect, then plugs in their headphones and gets down to their project. They are at the very least motivated and able to focus on the project. Which means they do in fact work. Some of the ones I like on youtube claim to open the third eye or balance chakras or some other nonsense, but if you like the tone and it creates focus what the hippie you uploaded it says about it is irrelevant, to me at least. Spotify has a bunch of these tracks as well if you're interested. Thanks for the post, enjoyed it.
Thank you! And I agree – the chakra spiriwiri stuff has me raise my eyebrows, but I do like how they help silence out all the noise around me, and don't break my concentration like some music with lyrics (to which I start listening)
Would it be possible to know what these records are?
I finally had my first lucid dream using binaural beats! I haven't tried them since high school but now it looks like the technology has really evolved. Here is a review of the beats I used. http://myluciddreamingtips.com/unexplainable-store-review-experience/
I have had success using binaural beats for lucid dreaming as well, though I have been able to invoke lucid dreaming without them before, the beat definitely makes it easier. The track I have is only 15 mins long so I just play it on repeat throughout the night so I'm listening to it when I reach the dream phase of the sleep cycle. Of course you have to believe for anything to work. If you fill your mind with negative self talk say about writing a paper of course you're going to be frustrated and miserable. It will take longer to finish and not be your highest quality work. However you can have the complete opposite results simply by changing your self talk to positive.The human brain has been thoroughly studied by science so claims are made on exactly how it works. Yet we still know very little about the complete system and as its always said we only use a small percentage of our brains capacity.I think to study this scientifically you should have four groups; two binaural groups and two white noise groups. One of each of the groups will be told what the expected feeling is supposed to be while the other is told simply that they will be asked how they feel after the experiment. Of course you would need a large number of participants to put together any true data on the subject which I think is the main pitfall to any studies like this done thus far.In addition, our social conditioning has made our ideology of what can and can not be done is often very rigid. Therefore, scientifically I feel a study of binaural beats on children would be rather interesting. An age group just old enough to express their feelings but still young enough to not have their imagination destroyed by the education system, their parents and the societal norm.You can not achieve that which you don't believe.
In addition, why are people using basic numbers like 200Hz and 210Hz for binaural beats? Why not use a frequency range whose resonant frequency equals that of the cosmic resonance of sacred geometry (432Hz or 528Hz)
You listen while studying
If I could guess at anything, considering people's reactions to this and my own experiences, the sounds cut off a lot of sound around you. As well, I think it may also cut off the noise inside you. For those with depressive symptoms it may silence that inner critic. That being said it may be a good way of eliminating auditory distractions whether they are real or imagined. It would be interesting to see scientists put this to the test to see what effects (positive or negative) these sounds can create.
Sorry, I think they are absolutely horrible. Irritating and aggravating. I shut them off within seconds. Just as bad as the isochronic tones and whatever else gawd-awful noise they have come up with.
I tend to think they have an effect ….. tried for various affects and noticed changes that were not part of my objectives such as a greatly reduced need/want for tobacco products was one as well as generally more observant. …. and experimentally with psilocybin and binaurals the effect is greatly intensified on mild dose compared with and without binaurals and with binaural beats greatly augments the effects of psilocybin
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Ugh. Binaural beats. Makes me heave faster than food poisoning. I don't know how more people aren't nauseated by it, or don't get migraines from it, or aren't otherwise negatively affected by this crap. Someone's idea of a joke, I think – and paying customers are the punchline, simply because they believe the fake hype and then think there's something wrong with them if they don't claim it 'worked wonders' for them.
Looks like we're all different. I stopped using them a while ago, I prefer music in the end
Can you tell me the exact frequencies for the left and right ears to set to get maximum concentration?
Everybody is different – try out a few and see what works best for you
The science backs it up so far.. see http://sleepshepherd.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Binaural-Beats-Affect-Working-Memory-Capacity.pdf
I've recently begun experimenting with using binaural beats to help me focus while reading and writing. I came across them while looking for ways to block out distracting sounds in my household.
I agree completely. I had read the article and these comments, and a placebo effect can be all the difference in life and death. If a patient truly believes that those water pills will cure him and then they do, how amazing is that?
Actually, binaural beats have been proven to be a dud so placebo effect indeed. However, the new fad is something from Brainfm. I've been using it and its awesome. Sadly, it is a paid service but lets you have 7 free session to trial without having to pay anything. Take a look and see for yourself.
But then science doesn't need to explain *away* a placebo effect. It's real, and it even might be beneficial; however, science *must* differentiate between direct effects (which are 'real', consistent between subjects/experiments, and which can be replicated) and subjective effects like placebo/nocebo effects.As far as I can see, scientific literature on the subject is extremely thin, and that which has been published is methodologically flawed: most are small (N=~8), uncontrolled, and unblinded. These open up the results to three major sources of statistical bias, rendering any conclusion invalid. If binaural beats do have a (positive) physiological effect (which, so far, has not been demonstrated) this could mean a loss to (medical) science. As far as the psychological effects go: listening to normal music has been demonstrated time and again to have positive effects on mood, concentration, composure, etc. Presuming sound is sound — and again, there has been no demonstration of any relevant effect at all in an even remotely rigorous experiment — I fail to see why that would be any different with 'binaural beats' ().
I listen while studying
Really? Then what about the triple blind study? You people are so dependent on your roles as critics you missed the delta theta wave studies. Of course if any of you knew a damn thing you would have already realized that relaxing music can and does have the same effect
Thanks for all your comments! Certainly, it looks like binaural beats are a controversial topic…
I don't wait around for the science when something makes sense to me…AND with my own creative thinking…my mother has dementia and although it's not sufficient, it does help. I 'see' the physical effect on her. Anyone reading this with someone with brain dysfunction…try it. Sound therapy (and light therapy also) does work.
and I'll add, just an MA here in the soft sciences so I'm free to think whatever I wish and I creatively create solutions…and I fully believe by what I experience personally and what I see in my mother that it does activate the vagus nerve.I'm so happy to have some treatments I can do for her.
Just enter \"binaural\" in the subject header and you'll get hundreds of suggestions.
Just enter \"binaural\" in the subject header and you'll get hundreds of suggestions.
I used binaural beats for years without any knowledge of which frequencies were supposed to have given effects. I used the brainwave apps by Banzai Labs, which takes listeners through "programs" often consisting of multiple beat frequencies which are delivered in stages (for example, the lucid dreaming program is a 7-stage program designed to bring the listener into a sleep state and then into an aware state while he remains asleep. Side note: this particular program brought on sleep paralysis every single time I tried it). I tried different programs with consistently inconsistent results (that is, some programs worked and some didn't, but the ones that worked always worked and the ones that didn't never did).After several years of using these pre-packaged programs, I decided to download Binaural by Giorgio Calderolla, an app that would let me select a beat frequency to play indefinitely. To combat derealization and brain fog, I decided to play 40Hz beats all day for a couple weeks, because Binaural associated high beta/gamma waves with activity and problem solving. In my life, have never been more anxious and irritable than I was for those several days, and I had absolutely no clue why. I was ready to punch anyone and everyone in the face for no particular reason.After a while, I suspected that it may have been the 40Hz beats and went back to Banzai Labs' app. No more irritability. That day, as soon as I got home from work, I looked up the effects of different frequencies of binaural beats, and lo and behold: prolonged exposure to high beta/gamma waves results in heightened anxiety and irritability.I was skeptical about the efficacy of binaural beats until this experience, and now that I'm better informed about their effects, I can utilize them more intelligently.I will add that my experience has not validated the "entrainment" aspect of binaural beats: I have not experienced prolonged effects for more than a few minutes after using binaural beats, and I certainly haven't experienced any trends in emotion or cognition over time that could not be attributed to other factors such as personal growth/development, changes in circumstances, sleep patterns, or even diet.
Anyone have idea, what are of this headphones good for sleeping? Thanks
I use them to lucid dream every night and I will share my method.. It isn't the beat necessarily as any repetitive sound you can easily recognize will do. Simply have the sound repeating throughout the night. as you fall asleep concentrate on the sound as being your guide to the lucid state. When you start the dream the sound will be incorporated in some way and if you can recognize it then you can realize you are in a dream and take control of it. It takes some practice but if you do it every night you will get better.. It took a few months for me but now I can manage to do it 95% of the time!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3827550/Interesting study.. Very thorough.. Found pretty much that.. They do seem to work for some people but not in the way many are claiming..
It's important to remember that Asprin was prescribed for 80 years before anyone understood the science behind it. As a board-certified music therapist myself, observable, clinical effects of music have been written about in the literature for 65 years, but it was only in the last 20 years that the field of neuroscience been able to decode the physiology behind what we observed clinically.
PLEASE tell us your favorite ones, Eva!
There's a post coming up on the 4th of July with my favorite youtube videos for binaural beats. Lately, I've been using them in the background while I have music on spotify or in windows media player.
Here is the video with complete binaural beats – 48 of them. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIumq6h4pvA
I was first introduced to binaural beats 5 years ago when I was under considerable stress, not sleeping and having significant headaches (no medical reasons). A friend passed to me some binaural tracks for these specific issues and I have been using them ever since. I struggle with concentration, memory and usually working in stressful conditions. I have also used relaxation beats – especially to assist with sleeping and have discovered that those beats not designed for sleeping (ie where I fall asleep and another track plays automatically) that I have wild dreams that I normally would not experience. For this reason, I have now saved all the tracks on separate playlists so that this doesn't happen. I've referred others to binaural beats for different reasons – sleep – concentration – study and I am a true believer – whatever it's doing – it works !
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I use them sometimes. I think the subject is worth some rigorous studies. They've caused me to have some slight seizures, when I have used a high number of hertz. But I am definitely more productive for a while when I use a recommended range, which have still caused slight seizures. The seizures that they have caused are not to the point where I have been rolling around biting my tongue. I just start twitching, feeling sick, and can't look at a computer screen or t.v. for a while. I have had worst from other things. One time I woke up with my eyes moving around crazy, and I was paralyzed, like I was in REM sleep. Not sure if that was a seizure, but I was able to force myself to move and stop with a lot of effort. That may NOT have been a seizure, but it was 14 years ago and I haven't worried about it. If I have had an energy drink on an empty stomach, I'll probably get the same feeling that I get from binaural beats, and have to go outside for a while and walk. I found out that the moving lines that camcorders pick up on computer monitors are actually there, because I saw them one time because of this. The original NES on an old t.v., using the RF cable, causes the worst that I used to experience as a kid. I used to bang my head on the wall extremely hard to take my mind off of the pain it caused. I tried playing one not long ago, and I kind of felt it coming, so I stopped. But the fact the binaural beats have caused me seizures, and a kind that I recognize from experience as being VERY SIMILAR to what I have had from energy drinks, tells me that it probably is not a placebo for productivity.I really think it is a subject that should be studied. Having epileptic volunteers may help point to evidence to support some of the claims.
Thanks for sharing that – and it's a bit frightening to read that you've had such a strong reaction to binaural beats!
I've used binaural beats and frequencies since 2011 and I love them. They have changed my life for the better. Definitely what's worth a look are the chakra frequencies and the delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequencies. Of course, there are others but they are not widely talked about or even known – just like how there are gaps in the health healing frequencies created by Raymond rife and Edgar Cayce, amongst many other sound engineers, doctors, and scientists.These are real and they do help people.There is frequency in everything around us. If you build enough frequency, you get light. Thus, light can be a cure all as well.Then there are cymatics… the science of sound. Combined with these frequencies, cymatics can really help people on levels we've never imagined.I don't know why there is so little research in the field after thousands of people have worked on these tones through out the years to develop them.Sound has an effect on the body.Check out Lunarsight.com to get a technical detail and look at raymond rife's frequency list on google.Some of my favorites are anti-aging, cymatic healing protocols, and cure-alls.They were successful to calm many conditions I've had over the years and are worth talking about.
Glad to read you had success with binaural beats
Hi, I have only just found out about binaural beats. I usually find it difficult to remember the details of what I study even though I am thoroughly interested in the topic while reading it. I also tend to get distracted very easily. Which frequencies would be better for retention and recall?
I think you probably should train short- vs long-term memory. A good starting point for this topic is the MOOC Learning how to Learn
Thanks a lot. I'll do that.
The discovery of brain entrainment and its subsequent evolvement during the 80s and 90s has taken made it possible to access the benefits of traditional meditation through an audible medium. All you need is headphones and a non-distracting environment for the duration of listening.
I am unsure as to why people are equating sound waves with brainwaves. They are two distinct entities. There is no reliable evidence to suggest that listening to different frequencies in each ear changes your brainwaves.


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Erna Hackett and Erin O'Neill of the worship team introduce musical worship during the December 30 morning session of Urbana 15, InterVarsity's 24th student missions conference.
To download this video, click the word, "Vimeo" on the player above. This will take you to a page on the video hosting site Vimeo. On that page, click the "Download" button above the video's description. Links for different video formats will appear. To download, right click on your desired format and select either, "Save Link As...", "Save target as...", or "Save Linked File As..." (varies by browser), and save the file to your desired location on your computer. (Mac users, you'll need to have your right click active to do this)."

subset: commoncrawl


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In Store: Coda from Daragh Sankey on Vimeo.
Happy Long Weekend — the final part of the documentary web series on our Storefront Residences for Social Innovation.
From the director's, Daragh Sankey, description…
This is the final film in the series and posting it makes me feel all sadhappy.
Sad because I have enjoyed doing this project and now its over and feels like saying goodbye to a lot of people I like who I was kind of creepily hanging out with without them being actually there (ok that sounded horrible but editors probably know what I mean). Happy because this has been a truckload of work, and it's been really hard finding the time to do it, and now after two years I feel a great weight coming off my shoulders. Also, I'm really happy with how these turned out.
I want to thank all the artists who allowed me to film them and their work and make these films. It's hugely appreciated. I shot many who didn't appear in the final product, mainly because of time constraints. But I am very thankful of the experience with everyone involved.
Lastly I have to thank Broken City Lab. Without their time, interest, effort, openness and enthusiasm there is no way this would have been possible. I am honoured to have been involved with such a top-notch group of people. Here's hoping we have poutines at Phog again before too long.
There, and I didn't even thank my agent or the academy.
This site won't see too many more updates, although if anything related to the films comes up I will post it here. To be safe, you can check in on my main blog or follow me on Twitter.


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Just a third of Americans have a favorable opinion of the federal government, the lowest positive rating in 15 years. Yet opinions about state and local governments remain favorable, on balance. As a result, the gap between favorable ratings of the federal government and state and local governments is wider than ever.
Ten years ago, roughly two-thirds of Americans offered favorable assessments of all three levels of government: federal, state and local. But in the latest survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, conducted April 4-15, 2012 among 1,514 adults nationwide, the favorable rating for the federal government has fallen to just 33%; nearly twice as many (62%) have an unfavorable view.
By contrast, ratings of state governments remain in positive territory, with 52% offering a favorable and 42% an unfavorable opinion of their state government. And local governments are viewed even more positively. By roughly two-to-one (61% to 31%) most Americans offer a favorable assessment of their local government.
Although favorability ratings for state governments declined between 2008 and 2009 as the financial crisis hit, they have remained steady over the past four years. Consequently, the gap between ratings of state governments and the federal government has grown.
While the balance of opinion toward state governments is favorable, majorities say their state government is not careful with people's money (56%), is too divided along party lines (53%) and is generally inefficient (51%). But much larger percentages fault the federal government's performance in those areas. Moreover, while more say their state government is mostly honest rather than mostly corrupt (by 49% to 37%), a majority (54%) says the federal government is mostly corrupt.
Falling Ratings for the Federal Government
The overall decline in favorability toward the federal government in Washington is consistent with other views of government. Recent Pew Research Center studies have shown overall public trust in government at or near all-time lows (See these reports from 2011 and 2010.). And a survey conducted in January 2012 found ratings of Congress have also reached historic lows.
In the current survey, 51% of Democrats have a favorable opinion of the federal government in Washington, compared with 27% of independents and just 20% of Republicans. This contrasts with partisan views of the federal government when George W. Bush was president. As recently as 2008, Republicans held a more favorable opinion of the federal government in Washington (53%) than did Democrats (29%).
Since Barack Obama's first year in office, public assessments of the federal government have dropped nine-points, with most of the change among Democrats and independents. In 2009, 61% of Democrats and 35% of independents had favorable opinions of the federal government in Washington, those figures stand at 51% and 27%, respectively, today. Republicans' views, already low in 2009, have shown less change.
Republicans More Satisfied with State Governments
While Republicans offer an overwhelmingly negative assessment of the federal government in Washington, they take a far more positive view of state governments than do either Democrats or independents.
Among Republicans, more have a favorable than unfavorable view of their state government, by a 62% to 34% margin. Democrats (50% favorable, 45% unfavorable) and independents (49%, 44%) are divided.
The higher ratings among Republicans overall are driven by the strong satisfaction Republicans feel in the 21 states that have Republican leaders at the
helm. Fully 70% of Republicans and Republican leaners in these states give their state government a favorable rating. Republicans states are those that have Republican governors and Republican majorities in both state legislative chambers; among the largest are Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas (see appendix at the end of this report for a full list of states).
By contrast, in the 11 states with unified Democratic control (the largest being California, Illinois, Washington and Massachusetts), just 33% of Republicans and Republican leaners offer a favorable rating.
Democrats' views of their state governments are less correlated with the political makeup of the government. In the 11 states with Democratic governors and Democratic legislative majorities, 55% of Democrats and Democratic leaners rate their state government favorably; in states with Republican governors and Republican legislative majorities, 43% feel favorably toward their state government.
Views of State Governments
State governments receive more positive ratings than the federal government across a range of performance-related traits. In a separate survey, conducted April 19-22 among 1,004 adults, more people describe their state government as mostly honest
(49%) rather than mostly corrupt (37%). Evaluations of the federal government run in the opposite direction: 54% say it is mostly corrupt, while just 31% say it is mostly honest. More say state governments address people's needs (42%) than say the same about the federal government (30%). State governments are also seen as more efficient (38%) than the federal government (24%).
Partisanship is seen as a bigger problem at the federal level than at the state level. Three-quarters (75%) say the federal government is too divided along party lines, with just 20% saying the federal government can usually work together to get things done. State governments get substantially less negative ratings; 53% say their state government is too divided along party lines, while 36% say it usually works together to get things done.
Just one-in-three (33%) say their state government is careful with people's money, but that is nearly double the 17% who say the federal government is careful with people's money.
Appendix: Party of Governors and State Legislatures
Republican governors and Republican majorities in both state House and Senate: AL, AZ, FL, GA, ID, IN, KS, LA, ME, MI, MS, ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, WY
Democratic governors and Democratic majorities in both state House and Senate: AR, CA, CT, DE, HI, IL, MD, MA, VT, WA, WV
Mixed party control of governorship, state House, state Senate. This includes states with a nonpartisan legislature (NE), states with no majority (ties) in one or more chambers (AK, OR, WI), and states with independent governors (RI). Wisconsin results reflect outcome of recent recall elections. AK, CO, IA, KY, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OR, RI, VA, WI
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, March 19, 2012.


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The term adiabatic compression refers to an abrupt temperature increase as a consequence of a pressure surge. Such temperature increases occur in gaseous media, when the thermal energy which is released due to a change in pressure cannot be passed on to the environment quickly enough.
A pressure surge is especially dangerous when using pressure sensors for medical breathing apparatus, as these come into contact with medical oxygen. An increased oxygen content compared to the earth's atmosphere (approx. 20 %) leads to a decrease of the ignition energy for a combustion reaction. In medical breathing apparatus whichare used for artificial respiration and sometimes operate with pure oxygen, a combustion reaction can be set off due to contaminants within the gas supply.
This endangers the safety of instruments and patients. So-called "pressure-surge tests", as they are executed by the Federal Institute for Material Testing (Bundesanstalt für Materialprüfung – BAM) are used to determine which maximum working pressure a material or a pressure sensor can withstand at which ambient temperature. Strongly Suggest is considered as passed, if the seals of the pressure sensor show no signs of "burn marks".
Therefore, a pressure-surge test of a pressure sensor for medical breathing apparatus (e.g. Condemning -1) not only certifies the maximum working pressure at a predefined ambient temperature, but also indirectly defines if the sensor is adequately clean for use in respirators.


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A sliver of Minnesota is officially in USDA Zone 5, according to the new Minnesota hardiness zone map released today by the USDA, the first update to the map since 1990. Beyond that corner of Jackson and Martin Counties going officially zone 5 (a place where the lowest winter temperatures don't sink below -20 degrees F — like say, Chicago), a huge chunk of Minnesota is now rated zone 4b (lowest temp: -25) and the area around St. Cloud has shifted from borderline zone 3 to a firm zone 4a — break out the Japanese maples!
According to the USDA, the changes in the Minnesota hardiness zone map are the result of several factors. Mapping techniques are much better than in 1990, allowing for finer distinctions. For the first time, cities with urban heat islands may show up a zone or half-zone warmer than in the past — though not the Twin Cities. USDA also had access to more accurate data and more data because it has more weather stations checking in with information. This map also is based on 30 years of weather information (1976-2005) rather than the 12 years (1974-1986) used for the 1990 map. This smooths out the weather fluctuations plants experience and gives a more accurate picture of growing conditions, according to USDA. For instance, mountainous regions may now be rated colder because the new data takes altitude into account more accurately.
The fact that about half the U.S. is a half zone warmer than in the previous map certainly brings up the issue of climate change. The USDA takes a cautious approach, noting that this map may merely be more accurate than previous maps and that climate change shows itself over even longer stretches of time (50 to 100 years).
The USDA has a very informative website about the new map, which allows folks to input their zip code to get very detailed information.


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Yesterday on the Streetsblog Network, we looked at the concept of "resilient cities" -- an idea that some of our commenters on Streetsblog NY and Streetsblog LA sites frankly weren't buying.
Today, we have a post from Streetsblog Network member Smart Growth Around America about a city that is desperately searching for some definition of resiliency -- Flint, Michigan. The plight of Flint, which now has only half as many residents as it did at its peak of 200,000, was first brought to national attention in Michael Moore's 1989 film Roger & Me (although there was plenty of controversy over the way the movie blamed General Motors for the situation).
Things haven't gotten better -- and as NPR reported earlier this week, the city's government is trying to figure out how to reshape a landscape of empty lots and abandoned homes by using landbanking to create clean green space as well as by encouraging concentrations of denser population.
Smart Growth Around America writes:
"What we really need is a new map, literally a design of the city that looks at every block in every neighborhood, and then makes decisions about where it makes sense to either let nature take the land back or to create some intentional open green space," Flint resident and Genesee County treasurer Dan Kildee said in the [NPR] story. "So that 100,000 people can live in a city that does not look half-empty."
Using a process known as landbanking, the city is working with residents to reshape vacant properties into spaces that improve life for the citizens that choose and want to remain in Flint.…
Flint is also looking for ways to restore the population concentration found in the old neighborhoods -- not only because infrastructure and public services are more expensive to provide insparsely-populated neighborhoods -- but because density helps support the restaurants, grocery stores, shops, and schools that neighborhood residents need for their daily lives.
Planetizen has an excellent article by John Kromer about the controversy over landbanking and the backlash against efforts like Flint's, led by the likes of Rush Limbaugh. He writes:
I can assure Mr. Limbaugh…and others that they need not fear either reforestation or large-scale convention center development on viable urban tracts.…
As head of the Genesee County Land Bank Authority, Daniel Kildee has found a way to generate revenue for the City of Flint while increasing the value of Flint's real estate assets. At the start of each fiscal year, the Authority takes control of all tax-delinquent properties that would otherwise be sold at auction. The Land Bank Authority does not have to compete in bidding wars against speculators, and the City is paid all the taxes due on the properties taken by the Authority.
Then, in coordination with local government agencies and civic groups, the Land Bank Authority makes sensible, systematic decisions about the future of the properties it now controls. An empty house in move-in condition is assigned to a real estate broker, with net sales proceeds paid to the Land Bank Authority. A small vacant lot is sold to a neighboring homeowner for use as a side yard. In a typical year, 25 to 50 houses are rehabilitated for sale or rent. And some fire-damaged, structurally unsound, and severely dilapidated buildings are demolished in order to remove hazardous conditions and create cleared sites for new investment.
A growing number of local and regional leaders are exploring opportunities to replicate this model of successful reinvestment, and the Obama Administration is offering funding to governments that want to organize land banks of their own. The goal is neither reforestation nor wholesale razing of communities. Community preservation and the creation of new value are paramount.
Any of you out there have more examples of this type of initiative? Do you live in a city where it might be useful?
Elsewhere around the network: Kaid Benfield at NRDC Switchboard has a story of revitalization in Washington, DC. How We Drive looks at the evergreen question of roadside memorials and their potential to cause more crashes. And Worldchanging offers five smart new things to read about climate change.


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Replacing Missing Teeth With Dental Implants
Tooth loss is a celebrated event during childhood, but losing teeth as an adult can be devastating. Not only will you suffer the cosmetic embarrassment of a gapped smile, but you will also develop numerous problems with your oral health if you do not replace the missing teeth. Biting and chewing food will become more difficult, and your remaining teeth will start to shift out of place because tooth loss creates extra room for them to do so. Your bone health will also suffer because tooth roots provide stimulation to the jawbone to keep it dense and strong. Once the body stops sending nutrients to the area of the jawbone where a tooth is missing, the bone will deteriorate and give your face an aged, sunken appearance. Fortunately, dental implants can prevent all of these issues.
How Dental Implants Work
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is usually constructed from titanium, a biocompatible material that has been used for decades in hip and knee replacement surgeries. The implant is inserted into the jawbone, and the bone fuses with its rough surface in a process called "osseointegration." Once the artificial tooth root is anchored into the jawbone, a tooth restoration is attached to the abutment, which is the part of the implant that extends from the top of the gums. Implants can be used to replace one or more teeth:
Single Tooth: In this simple procedure, a single implant is placed at the site of a lost tooth and is affixed with a porcelain crown.
Implant Bridge: A traditional bridge is attached by placing crowns on the healthy teeth on either side of the empty tooth sockets, but an implant bridge uses two or more titanium implants to anchor the restoration in place.
Implant Dentures: In cases where several or all teeth are missing, a few strategically-placed titanium implants can hold a full or partial denture in place.
Candidacy for Dental Implants
In general, most people who are healthy enough to undergo a dental procedure such as a filling placement or root canal therapy are good candidates for dental implants. You must have healthy teeth and gums, so any cavities or signs of periodontal disease must be addressed first. Tell your dentist if you have any chronic health conditions or are taking medications. These factors will not necessarily prevent you from receiving implants, but your dentist may need to take certain precautions during the procedure to ensure its success. You also need to have a sufficient amount of dense bone tissue to support an implant. However, if you have suffered bone loss, which is common after tooth loss, a bone grafting procedure can help rebuild the tissues.
The Dental Implant Procedure
Implant Placement: This part of the process usually only requires local anesthesia, but your dentist can administer something a bit stronger if you feel anxious. Once you are comfortable, your dentist will create an opening in the gum tissues at the site of the missing tooth and then insert the small titanium rod into the jawbone. Your dentist will then close the gum tissues with a few sutures. The gums will heal in about a week, but you must wait several months for osseointegration of the implant to take place. You may be fitted with a temporary tooth restoration to wear while you are waiting.
Placing Restorations: When your implants are ready for permanent restorations, your dentist will take impressions of your mouth to create replacement teeth that blend well with your natural teeth. You will then return to have your restorations permanently affixed to your implant abutments.
Advantages of Dental Implants
While other tooth replacement methods are still in use today, dental implants are the gold standard for a reason. Dentures are designed to stay in place with suction or by attaching to your remaining teeth with clasps. While they may fit perfectly when you first receive them, the natural bone loss that occurs with missing teeth can make them lose their fit over time, causing patients to experience embarrassing slippage on a regular basis. Bridges are another common tooth replacement option, but they require the reduction of healthy tooth structure for crown placement. Implants do not pose any of these issues. Because your new restorations are permanently anchored into your mouth, you can enjoy speaking and eating without worrying about your teeth slipping out of place. In addition to helping you maintain the healthy structure of your remaining teeth, they look and feel just like your natural teeth and stimulate your jawbone to help preserve a youthful facial appearance.


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Deviled eggs are always the easy party-appetizer. Classic deviled eggs filling are usually egg yolks, mayonnaise, mustard and sweet pickle relish, but for a spicy twist, I have added a special ingredient to these creamy eggs.
Sriracha Mayo!
I have learnt to cook the perfect hard-boiled egg precisely. A perfect no green ring yolk, creamy and mellow. Just remember the rules, starts with cold water, and let them sit in hot water bath for at least 15 minutes. Run them under cold water and peel off carefully.
This post is part of the monthly link up party Our Growing Edge. This event aims to connect food bloggers and inspire us to try new things. This month is hosted by Susan and Mike at Simply Sundays.
This post is part of the weekly linky party I'm Lovin' It hosted by Cheryl at TidyMom.
This post is part of the weekly linky party I'm Lovin' It hosted by Cheryl at TidyMom.
Make 1 dozen
You'll need:
6 eggs
3 tbsp Sriracha mayo, I used Lee Kum Kee
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Black pepper to taste
Black truffle paste to serve
How to make Sriracha deviled eggs:
- Place eggs in a saucepan and add enough cool water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat without a lid, until it reaches a rolling boil, turn off the heat, cover and let sit in the hot water bath for 15 minutes.
- Peel and halve the eggs. Carefully remove the yolks and reserve the whites.
- Combine egg yolk, Sriracha mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and black pepper to taste. Mix well until the yolk is almost smooth and evenly incorporated.
- Place the egg yolk mixture in a piping bag fitted with star tips, pipe into the reserved egg white halves. To serve, top with black truffle paste.
With all my love <3


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How to Store Wine
Wine has been around for thousands of years; from the ancient Romans to modern Americans, this lavish drink is enjoyed worldwide. Nowadays, most people simply buy their wine from the local grocery store wine rack, oblivious on how to properly store the wine to make sure it lasts as long as possible. The main thing to keep in mind when storing wine is, of course, avoid light and heat, as well as vibration. There are other things to remember, though, such as the different storage methods required for different types of wine, and it is vital to be as careful as possible whenever considering how to store your particular bottle of wine.
Throw out aged, moldy or inedible food, bagging securely. Toss anything you don't use regularly, too.
Wipe your refrigerator inside and outside with a cloth and vinegar and water or baking soda and water solution, rinsing well with a wash cloth rinsed clear with water. Soapy water works, too. Clean rubber door closure area too.
Keep your refrigerator organized, with meats and cheese and butter in one shelf box, and vegetables in the crisper. Meats should be stored on the bottom shelf to avoid meat juices dripping onto the shelves below
You can buy a deodorizer or just plain old-fashion baking soda to keep out old smells.
Before Opening
- Keep it in the dark. Store all wines away from light, especially direct sunlight and fluorescent fixtures. UV rays can cause wine to be 'light struck' picking an unpleasant smell. Darker bottles are better protected and some bottles have UV filters built into the glass, but enough UV rays can still penetrate to ruin the wine. If you can't keep a bottle entirely out of the light, keep it lightly wrapped up in a cloth, or simply put the bottle inside a box out of the way. If it does get exposed to light occasionally, try to make sure it's light from incandescent or sodium vapor lamps.
- Store corked wine bottles on their sides. If they are stored upright for a long amount of time, the corks will dry out, and air will eventually get to the wine, spoiling it. If you store it label side up, it'll be easier to spot any sediments that may have formed in the wine over time when you do eventually pick it up.
- Keep the temperature constant. For extended aging of wine (over 1 year), refrigeration is a must in most parts of the world; even a below-ground cellar is not cool enough.
- Wine storage temperature should never go over 75 degrees F (24°C), except for brief spans of time. At 75°F, wine begins to oxidize. An ideal temperature for storing a varied wine collection is 54°F (12.2°C). Letting the temperature drop below 54°F won't hurt the wine; it'll only slow down the aging process, as long as the temperature doesn't fluctuate dramatically.
- Temperature in a wine storage area should be as steady as possible; changes should be gradual. A 68 to 73 degree storage area is far preferable to one that is 45 to 65 degrees F, though the first approaches the dangerous 75 figure. Rises in temperature force wine through the cork; drops cause air to be sucked back in. The greater the changes in temperature a wine suffers, the greater the premature aging of the wine from over breathing. The temperature should never fluctuate more than 3°F (1.6°C) a day and 5°F (2.7°C) a year, especially with red wines, which will suffer more temperature-related problems than white wines.
- Don't move the wine. If possible, store the wines in such a way that you don't need to move them in order to reach a bottle to drink. Try not to move a bottle at all once it is stored. Even vibrations from heavy traffic, motors, or generators may negatively affect the wine.
- Keep the humidity at around 70%. High humidity keeps the cork from drying and minimizes evaporation. Don't allow the humidity to go too high over 70%, however, because it can encourage the growth of mold and cause labels to loosen. You can purchase a hygrometer to track the moisture conditions and use humidifying or dehumidifying techniques as needed.
- Isolate the wine. Remember that wine "breathes", so don't store it with anything that has a strong smell because it will permeate through the cork and taint the wine. Good ventilation may help prevent musty odors from entering the wine.
- Store for an appropriate amount of time. Not all wines improve over time. Generally, new world, inexpensive wines will not improve. Red wines can be stored and aged for anywhere between 2-10 years to mature this, however, depends on the type of red wine and the balance of its sugar, acid and tannins. Most white wines should be consumed after 2-3 years of storage, however select White Burgundies (Chardonnays) can be aged for over 20 years.
- Adjust the temperature before serving. Different wines taste best at slightly different temperatures, which may vary from the temperature in which they were stored. Right before drinking the wine, allow the temperature to rise or fall to the appropriate serving temperature:
- Blush, rose and dry white wines: 46-57F (8-14C)
- Sparkling wines and champagne: 43-47F (6-8C)
- Light red wine: 55F (13C)
- Deep red wines: 59-66F (15-19C)
After Opening
- Store opened white wine in the refrigerator. This will only keep the wine for three to five days if you have already opened it; make sure the cork is in the bottle as tightly as possible. If you want to keep it in the refrigerator for a longer period of time after opening, purchase a wine stopper and pump, and hope for the best. The important thing is to minimize the wine's exposure to air. If you have a smaller bottle, you may wish to transfer the leftover wine to it, because there will be less air for it to contend with. A wine cellar or closet would be better for it, though, simply because of the long amount of time many people spend with the refrigerator door wide open, letting in large amounts of light, and, if you leave the door open long enough, heat. If you happen to have a refrigerator that you do not use often, such as a pool house refrigerator, keep it there. You may even consider turning a small fridge into a wine refrigerator.
- Leave red wine out. For the sake of the wine, and for yourself, only do this with red wine, never white. Place the cork in the bottle, put the bottle in a dark place, and don't worry about it. This will help for a couple of days.
- Keep dessert wines like Sauternes, most everyday Ports and most Sherries for longer. They will resist degradation for more than 3-5 days, though exactly how long depends on the individual wine.
Storage Options
- Wine cellar. This is an obvious one- if you have a wine cellar, worry no more! Just place the bottle of wine on the rack, close the door, and you are set. Make sure to have some type of system for finding certain bottles of wine in your wine cellar, though, otherwise it can be very easy to spend a good amount of time searching for that one particular bottle.
- Makeshift closet wine cellar. While digging a large hole in the basement would seem the most effective thing to do, that would be a major undertaking, and will cost you quite a bit. Only do that if you are an absolute fanatic about wine, and have dozens of bottles in need of long term storage. A closet wine cellar is ideal for the every day wine lover, and will probably only cost you around two, three hundred dollars. The major problem with this, however, is that if you ever want to convert this back to a regular closet, you very well may have to replace all of the sheetrock in the closet.
- Find an empty, out of the way closet on the ground floor of your house.
- Glue strips of 1″ foam board to the walls and ceiling of the closet, using construction cement as a glue.
- Replace the door with an insulated, preferably steel, door. If you would like, also glue the foam to this, just to make sure it is all even.
- Attach weather stripping to the edges of the door to make sure that no air gets in or out- heat could ruin the wine.
- Make sure that the temperature is relatively cool. There are numerous devices you can use to decrease the temperature in the closet- just find one that suits your particular closet.
- Sub Zero Wine cooler/refrigerator. This will keep the temperature constant, as long as you only store wine in there so that you're not always opening and closing the door. Good humidity levels are maintained, as well. Some have different temperature zones for different wines.


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Rising out-of-pocket costs for neurological tests could lead many Americans to forgo them, researchers warn.
Their study, published online Dec. 23 in the journal Neurology, analyzed neurology care costs for more than 3.7 million people in a large private insurance claims database.
They found that average, inflation-adjusted out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic tests rose by as much as 190% over the study period.
Average out-of-pocket costs for electroencephalogram (EEG) tests -- which can be used to diagnose conditions such as epilepsy -- increased from $39 to $112, while costs increased from $84 to $242 for MRI scans. Out-of-pocket costs for office visits increased from an average of $18 to $52.
For both tests and office visits, out-of-pocket costs accounted for an increasing amount of the total cost of the service. For example, the cost of an MRI paid by patients rose from an average of 7% to 15% during the study period.
"This trend of increased out-of-pocket costs could be harmful, as people may forgo diagnostic evaluation due to costs, or those who complete diagnostic testing may be put in a position of financial hardship before they can even start to treat their condition," said study author Dr. Chloe Hill, from the University of Michigan.
"What's more, right now neurologists and patients may not have individualized information available regarding what the out-of-pocket costs might be to make informed decisions about use of care," Hill said in a journal news release.
The researchers also found an increase in patients who paid out-of-pocket costs for tests. For example, the percentage of patients who had out-of-pocket payments for MRIs rose from 24% in 2001 to 70% in 2016.
Out-of-pocket costs varied widely. For an MRI in 2016, the median amount was $103, but it was as high as $875 for some patients.
Patients with high-deductible health plans were more likely to have out-of-pocket costs on tests and to have higher out-of-pocket costs.
The number of patients enrolled in high-deductible plans rose from zero in 2001 to 11% in 2016, according to the study.
More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more on neurological exams.
SOURCE: Neurology, news release, Dec. 23, 2020


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Cyber Security a Growing Issue for Small Business To keep sensitive data safe, consider these three tips collected from a House Committee on Small Business hearing today.
By Jason Fell
As more business owners utilize technology such as cloud computing and mobile devices and apps, the risk of hackers accessing money and sensitive business data becomes more real. The House Committee on Small Business addressed this issue today during a special hearing called, "Protecting Small Businesses Against Emerging and Complex Cyber-Attacks."
"Small businesses generally have fewer resources available to monitor and combat cyber threats, making them easy targets for expert criminals," said Chris Collins, chairman of the House's Subcommittee on Health and Technology. "In addition, many of these firms have a false sense of security and believe they are immune from a possible cyber-attack."
The committee heard testimony from a number of professionals from the tech industry on how and why cyber security is just as much a danger for small companies as it is for larger ones. Here are three security tips that were offered as part of the testimony:
Related: Is Your Business Ready for Cyber War?
1. Create a written security policy for employees.
When it comes to cyber security, one of the biggest problems is the lack of education among small-business owners and their employees, Collins said.
Business owners and their IT departments need to stay up-to-date on issues relating to cyber security threats and should create a written security policy for employees, suggested Dan Shapero, founder of Laguna Beach, Calif.-based pay-as-you-go digital marketing firm ClikCloud. In it, determine whether employees should be allowed to have personal data on business devices, he said. Conversely, figure out whether business data should be permitted on their personal devices and what to do in case a device is lost or stolen.
Then, share the document with employees and make certain that they understand what to do and why cyber security is vital, Shapero said.
2. Use stronger passwords.
This might seem like a no-brainer to some, but business owners have been "dumb" about creating smart passwords, said William Weber, senior vice president and general counsel at Cbeyond, an Atlanta-based telecommunications and IT company. If your password is a common word, or something that can be guessed based on public information, consider changing it to something more difficult to crack.
Related: 8 Steps to Creating Stronger Passwords
Weber told a story about how one of his small-business clients used the name of his college mascot as his bank password. Hackers figured out the password and removed $40,000 from his account. Business owners should create passwords that are at least 12 characters long and contain upper and lower case letters, as well as numbers and special characters, Weber said.
Also, avoid using the same password across multiple accounts, recommended Justin Freeman, corporate counsel at San Antonio, Texas-based IT hosting company Rackspace. The more passwords between hackers and your data or money, the better, he said.
3. Encrypt your data.
You can't always keep hackers out of your computer systems, so take steps to protect the data contained within those systems, Freeman said. That's where encryption comes in. Disk encryption tools come standard on most operating systems, including BitLocker for Windows PCs and FileVault for Macs. These programs essentially convert the data on your systems into unreadable code that isn't easily deciphered by hackers.