February 19, 2009 - Should we drink our coffee or smell it? Thats the question scientists at the National Institute of Advanced Science and Technology are asking. According to researchers, drinking a cup of coffee not only wakes us up, but it can also reverse the effects of sleep deprivation.
The team led by Yoshinori Masuo in Tsukuba, Japan, deprived rats of sleep for a day. When they examined their brains they found reduced levels of mRNA - messenger molecules that indicate when a gene is being expressed. When the rats were exposed to the aroma of coffee, the mRNA for nine of the genes was restored to near normal levels, and pushed to above normal levels for two. The study was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
January 20, 2009 - According to researchers at the University of Durham , drinking too much coffee can cause hallucinations with the presence of 'dead people". Subjects who consumed a daily equivalent of seven cups of instant coffee or more were three times more likely to have extra-sensory experiences. Those taking high concentrations of caffeine often reported "seeing things that were not there, hearing voices, and sensing the presence of dead people".
December 27, 2008 - A study by the University of Barcelona found that the stimulatory effects of caffeine work much quicker in men than in women. The study which surveyed 688 students with an average age of 22, showed that male subjects showed greater levels of alertness than women - though a study on decaffeinated coffee showed just the opposite. Though the reasons for this are still unclear , what is clear, is that in previous studies, it was believed that caffeine initiated its stimulatory effects between 30-45min. This new study found that effects can be seen in as quickly as 10 minutes.
Costa Rican engineers find solution to brewing coffee in space
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Technology
Dec 8, 2008 - Two Costa Rican engineering students have a developed a coffee brewing device that can be used in space. So what's the problem you ask? Well apperantly since space in confined to a vacuum -(and thus, lacks atmospheric pressure) any heat applied to water causes it to evaporate immediately. Thus making it impossible to brew a cup of coffee under normal conditions. Now for some physics: in order for water to boil the amount of heat applied needs to exceed that of its atmospheric pressure. Under most circumstances water has 1 atm or 14.7 psi "pressing" up against it , in locations with higher altitude - such as Denver, CO - water boils much more quickly due to reduced pressure. Check out the coffee brewing video which better explains the newly developed process.
Dec 1, 2008 - Ever wonder how difficult it is to drink coffee in a weight less environment? Well its apparently more difficult than we think. And interestingly enough, its one that may not even involve coffee itself - but rather the cup!
Luckily, creative engineers have devised a way to that allow astronauts to enjoy their Cup of Joe by simply getting rid of the coffee cup altogether and creating a "coffee bag" based on airplane wing technology. Who would of known? Everything works just fine so long as the bag's sharp angle is less than "two times 90 minus the contact landing angle" - the coffee will automatically creep up.
