Counterintuitive Fall 2024

Photographers in horror stricken places

It seems counterintuitive that many photographers from across the world will travel to countries that have recently gone through severe tragedies just to take pictures. You would think countries would send these people to go and help the people in need. Instead, photographers go to these places to get the best possible pictures they can get for the rest of the world to see. Though, without the photographers, we would not be able to see at home for ourselves what damage is taking place across the globe.

Clean girls get sicker

It seems counterintuitive that young girls who stay clean all the time will get sicker than kids that like to play outside and get dirty. Research on children is showing that the kids that are exposed to more germs at a young age are less likely to develop allergies or autoimmune disorders when they grow older. Kids that grow up playing in the dirt outside build up a tolerance to these illnesses and germs and their bodies do not struggle fighting off new germs.

Is PTSD contagious?

It seems counterintuitive that someone that has never been anywhere near a battlefield can suffer from PTSD but it seems that ordinary people can suffer from this disease. Brannen Vines explains an incident that took place in a CVS where she became extremely angry and upset at a customer that was just simply in front of her in line counting her change. Little tiny things like this have begun to set her off and it is believed to be because her husband returned home from war in 2006 and also suffers from PTSD.

Armor on planes

It seems counterintuitive that one would focus on applying armor to undamaged places on a war aircraft. It would make sense to reinforce areas with bullet holes, right? Yet, armor was applied to parts on aircrafts without bullet holes. Why? The aircrafts that made it back with bullet holes made it back safely. Those that didn’t make it back most likely got shot in places in which no bullet holes were found in returning aircrafts. As a result, more aircrafts made it safely back home with new armor on places others wouldn’t suspect to reinforce.

Cleaning girls make them sick

It seems counterintuitive that cleaning oneself can lead to a risk of the complete opposite goal. While it makes sense that being clean is good because one is getting rid of bacteria, there is a certain point that makes it dangerous. The immune system requires exposure to bacteria to become stronger. To build antibodies and become resistant to bacteria, the immune system must first come in contact with it. Because of this, constantly cleaning a child would weaken the immune system, leading them to become sick when they are attempting to stay clean.

Photographers in horror stricken places

It seems counterintuitive that photographers travel to dangerous places with the purpose of using a camera. One would assume that if someone travels to a dangerous area, it is to help and protect victims or to stray away the enemy. Yet, photographers don’t help victims. They record and document the damage and horror for those at home, to raise awareness of what people deal with as a result of war. If not for photographers, families at home would rely only on testimonies and stories of soldiers, we would not see the damage with our own eyes.

Why Keeping Little Girls Squeaky Clean Could Make Them Sick

It seems counterintuitive that a young girl who is cleaner is more prone to illnesses/diseases than girls who go outside, play, and get dirty. This article presents insight to studies that indicate young women have worse immune systems than men because of tendencies of both men and women in their youth. Due to girls typically being restricted from playing outside, along with the social expectancy for them to “dress up and stay sweet” (rather than playing in dirt), girls are exposed to less diseases and bacteria in their younger years. As a result, they are statistically more likely to have weaker immune systems, as well as have asthma, in their older years. It certainly does not hurt to allow a child to get dirty, regardless of social stereotypes. Although it seems counterintuitive, it is crucial that young children of all genders to be exposed to all types of bacteria in order to build up immunities that are imperative to their long-term health.

Employment Falls, But Economy Only Adds 36K New Jobs

It seems counterintuitive that the unemployment rate would fall, yet the number of jobs would only increase by a miniscule quantity. This article references several manufacturing industries that experienced significant changes in employment. However, those changes were balanced out by a lack of changes in most other major job industries. Instead, economists believe that in large part, many people who were unemployed simply stopped looking for jobs. Although they did not obtain a new job, the unemployment rate went down, while the employment rate went up, because if a person is no longer looking for a job, they are no longer considered to be a part of the labor force. They are not a part of the labor force, so they are not included in employment/unemployment rates. At the end of the day, the economy is not as awful as the job-increase number (or lack-there-of) suggests, nor is it thriving as much as the .04% rise in employment rate may make it appear. In this case, a rise in employment did not result in a substantial or expected increase in jobs.

Vancouver combats heroin by giving its addicts the best smack in the world

It seems counterintuitive to combat heroin by purposefully supplying heroin addicts with some of the best heroin in the world. However, the article presents what is an active attempt by Vancouver to aid addicts suppress their addictions. Vancouver is a major drug inlet, as it is a port town that receives hundreds of boat shipments each day. When drugs enter the city, they spread rapidly “under the table” from dealer to dealer. Addicts are found dead with needles in their arms, and Vancouver wants to provide them with safer ways to shoot up. A program has been set up, currently being used by 26 heroin addicts who have attempted, unsuccessfully, to stop their addictions, where they can shoot up under supervision of a nurse. Not only is this safer for the addicts because they are given clean needles and wipes, but it improves the safety and overall well-being of the city. It is less likely that an addict will illegally acquire drugs if they have an open resource, as well as a safe place to shoot up without getting arrested. The counterintuitivity of openly encouraging heroin addicts to shoot up under nurse supervision is actually improving Vancouver and helping addicts combat the unsafe elements of their addictions.

Are Muli-Vitimins Dangerous?

It seems counterintuitive that multivitamins would be useless for human intake, but in reality popping a flavorful gummy each morning doesn’t improve the health of people at all. A survey from the National Institutes of Health shows that a third of Americans take multivitamins regularly, yet there is no evidence that can prove that the vitamins make people healthier. The manufacturers of course claim that the vitamins have a protection against chronic illness such as D promoting breast health and B being heart healthy, but a 2009 study on postmenoposal women found that these vitamins don’t decrease the chance of getting the illnesses studied. It is also counterintuitive for multivitamin users to even take the vitamins at all. Another study showed that those who use the vitamins regularly already get their proper quota of vitamins from their food intake. The vitamins are just adding to an already balanced body which will not improve health at all. From the evidence showing how unnecessary these vitamins are, the only people who should be investing in them should be vegetarians/vegans or pregnant women who may not be receiving enough vitamins in their diet.

Clean Girls Get Sicker?

It seems counterintuitive that staying clean and pristine would make people open to getting sick easier. A growing research on children and germs shows that children who are exposed to more germs at an early age are less likely to develop allergies, asthma, or autoimmune disorders when they grow up. This theory holds to all children, but a new theory has come out of this showing that little girls are more likely to grow up and develop these health disorders. Sharyn Clough, a philosopher of science at Oregon State University says that young girls are held to a higher standard to their male counterparts. Most girls are brought up to stay clean and away from germy areas while boys are encouraged to play outside in the dirt and open world where germs fester. This explains a higher rate of illness in adult women. The CDC even shows how women are more likely to have asthma than males making the rates 8.5% compared to 7.1%. To decrease the likelihood of these illnesses in women, there should be a change in mentality within the female youth to not always encourage them to stay pristine. 

Cute Animals

It seems counterintuitive that in the economic stock market that people would invest in the stock they think other people would invest in rather than the one they think they should invest in. A study with three different cute animals showed this theory in action. People had the choice between a kitten, slow loris, and a baby polar bear. People were asked to choose the animal they thought was the cutest and then to choose the animal they thought others would think was the cutest. The results showed that various people found each animal cute, but when it came to the second question, most people chose the kitten because that is what they believed most people would find cute. The same stock market test can be made with a beauty contest. What attractive person would other people choose rather than leaving it up to personal opinion? There has been a lot of price movement in individual stocks and the whole market, but that cannot be explained rationally. Eventually, the stock market evens itself out and gets things right.

Sometimes expressing anger can help a relationship in the long-term

It seems counterintuitive that you would want to pick a fight with a romantic partner, but it can lead to a healthier relationship. The consensus of any relationship is often that when verbal arguments occur more often the relationship is worse. This can be true in general as constant fighting is a sign of a poor relation. However, constantly avoiding fighting can also be destructive to a couple in the long term. While avoiding arguing prevents animosity initially, it can cause the underlying source of a problem to go unanswered. While constant bickering is a burden couples should try to communicate their frustrations with each other. Communicating grievances gave couples a chance to mend what was wrong in their relationship and maintain a healthier relationship overall. As usual it seems that communication is key, even if it occurs as a point of friction.

Placebos without Deception: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

It seems counterintuitive that knowingly receiving a placebo could affect bowel issues. But such an effect has already been documented. Placebos are typically used as an experimental control to test the effectiveness of new pharmaceuticals. Since placebos do not use an active drug, patients that believe they were cured by it can be proportionally discounted from the success rate of any new drug being tested. While placebos fail to offer any prescription relief, they have proven to be useful by letting patients believe they are receiving treatment. While the success rate of placebos is still questionable it can be used as an effective way to calm patients while physicians search for alternative treatment methods.

Antibacterial Soap? You Can Skip It, Use Plain Soap and Water

It seems counterintuitive that using antibacterial soap could increase your chances of a deadly infection, yet this is exactly the case. While a typical soap can reduce the odds of infection by washing away contaminants, antibacterial soap also contains chemicals meant to kill the bacteria themselves. Despite this, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has threatened to prevent antibacterial products from being marketed as such. According to the FDA the issue is that there is a lack of evidence to support whether antibacterial products offer any benefits over traditional products in addition to unproven long-term safety. The safety concern is for the rise of “superbugs” infections with resistance to the drugs used to cure them.  Ultimately, the best option is to avoid antibacterial products and their use without consulting medical personnel. 

Clean Girls Get Sicker

It seems counterintuitive that little girls who stay more clean and face less germs will get sicker than kids who are around more germs and aren’t so clean. As read in the article it says that kids who aren’t exposed to as many germs are more likely to get sick because they are not building up their immune system to it. Kids that face more germs and play in the dirt, and get dirty build up their tolerance to these illnesses and germs and don’t have a hard time fighting them off. This doesn’t only apply to common cold and illnesses it also helps fight off the risk of getting asthma and other autoimmune disorders as you get older.

Men Define Rape

It seems counterintuitive that men are the ones that have been defining what rape is and what rape is not when studies show that they are predominitely the ones who are found guilty of it. For thousands of years men have been the ones in the courtrooms and in offices deciding the laws and actions to define this horrible thing. For instance, if you were black, years ago when slaves were still around rape was very common, and very much ignored. It also seems counterintuitive that a much less violent form of rape has to be preformed in order to test for rape. The law says that a women has to provide a rape test where they again have to inapproprielty touch the women again. 

 Is PTSD Contagious?

It seems counterintuitive that someone who has never been to war can have PTSD but in fact this is very true. Brannan Vines has never been to war but still suffers the horrible symptoms of PTSD. In the article it tells about a time that she was in a local CVS when all of sudden she got very angry because the elderly lady in front of her was counting her change. It is little triggers like this that can upset her at any given time. She didn’t just one day wake up with this, her husband was in the military and also suffered from PTSD. He has been home since 2006, which is plenty of time for Brannan to start suffering from this disease as well.

Why Keeping Little Girls Squeaky Clean Could Make Them Sick

It seems counterintuitive that children who are kept clean actually end up getting sick more times than that of those who are allowed to get dirty. Focusing more around females, this article explains that because little girls are expected to be more clean compared to boys, women tend to be three times more likely to get sick. More times than not, little girls are dressed up all nice and sweet which then leads to them not being able to get dirty and play around like the boys. Not being exposed to dirt and germs leads to easier infections and more illnesses for women compared to men. With this fact in mind, all children should be encouraged to go and get messy, to play around without the fear of getting dirty for the sole purpose of building up their immune systems at an early age. 

Vancouver Combats Heroin By Giving Its Addicts The Best Smack In The World

It seems counterintuitive that to fight addiction, Vancouver is in fact providing the best of that drug to addicts. The “Downtown Eastside” is the center of Vancouver’s drug problem so to try and ease the problem, they came up with a safe zone called Insite. This place is where addicts can come shoot up under the watchful eye of a nurse without having that worry of getting arrested. There is research being done for this cause and those taking part of this research are prescribed doses of heroin as so called treatment. It’s for a low number of people, only twenty-six, and Schauffler, a Pacific Northwest Correspondent for Al Jazeera, notes that these addicts are the ones that do not make any kind of steps to getting clean. He furthers explains that this process is lowering the amount of harm these people are doing to themselves as they won’t end up dead in an alley somewhere or end up selling themselves for more product. This idea stems from countries in Europe and like Vancouver, these sites are for only the absolute worst of addicts. This process is only doing the inevitable: killing the addicts but with much more kindness. 

That Daily Shower Can Be A Killer 

It seems counterintuitive that something as simple and everyday as a shower can be so dangerous, especially when considering the elderly. Jared, the elderly man who recounts about his encounter with almost coming to his end due to almost falling in the shower. He’s come across another encounter that could have been deadly, way more dangerous than some ordinary shower. While in New Guinea, Jared camped near a dead tree, a tree that was at the risk of falling anytime. Other trees around him fell night after night and he came to realize the point of view of those living in New Guinea after doing a frequency/risk calculation. He came to understand that us Americans obsess and become fearful over the wrong things, not realizing the true dangers out there. Americans tend to exaggerate dangerous scenarios, pushing someone into bad paranoia. Jared came to be aware of things as simple as showers and steps because to those higher in age, these simple things become the dangers that younger people are oblivious to. 

1.It seems counterintuitive that at the Ringling Brothers Circus they abuse their elephants to legitimate death and it has been proven but the government has not taken any action to sue or shut them down. It is disgusting to hear that 24 baby elephants have been murdered by this circus over the last 22 years and nothing has been done about it. Elephants are being ignored when sick or disease stricken and forced to continue their performance or else they get whipped or shackled. How has nothing been done by the government to stop this production and save the elephants that are at huge risk of injury, sickness, or even death? The Ringling Brothers Circus is probably not the only circus participating in these animal cruelty crimes and they all should not only be fined and incarcerated but shut down for good. 

2.It seems counterintuitive that a health-care reporter was put in a very tough situation to decide whether or not to pay for his mom’s death or to see if she could recover. It proves just how hard it is to make a decision like this when the person in a comma is your close relative, even a person who studies health care often could not make a correct decision because he was thinking about that 1% that his mother could survive this even if it went against 99% of all odds. It seems crazy to think that studies show if a person is in a coma for more than 72 hours that the odds of them ever waking up or making it are very low, only 3 days to make such a huge decision for a loved ones life like that. When deciding to pull the plug on someone you love you want to do as much research as possible to see if it’s worth holding out for recovery or not, but you never truly will know the right answers.

3.It seems counterintuitive that photographers and reporters go to places in crisis like Haiti to observe their struggle but do nothing about it but take a picture to show us back in America. It’s unethical to take a photo from 10 feet away of someone’s child dead on the ground, blood pouring out of them, and no one around helping her. It is very disrespectful to photograph a dead person, even if it’s for us back home to see just how terrible conditions are there. You should not be going to these poor countries if you are not going there to help people but instead exploiting someone’s dead baby. Haitians did not come to our country and do nothing but take pictures of a helpless bleeding child on the dirt ground, so no one else should be doing it either.