Helios Magazine Vol. 4 Issue 1

HELIOS VOLUME IV, ISSUE I

THE 6 IN THE NAME 13 TOEING LINE

OF SERVICE

EXPLORING GUNN STUDENTS’ SENSE OF CIVIC DUTY

EXAMINING THE ETHICS OF SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTATION

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STEM Culture Art

IN THIS ISSUE: 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14

Representing women’s stories with nuance Main-character life: Female tropes in film

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Amann Mahajan Irene Tsen HEAD EDITORS

Local art museums to visit Impact of mandatory community service Writers strike back: The WGA struggle Evolution of Palo Alto’s architecture Historical hate bouquet Health and wealth in Palo Alto Unveiling optical illusions Ethics in scientific research Science behind studying

Dear Readers, We present to you the first Helios issue of the school year! The issue in your hands is the product of long hours spent brainstorming story ideas, tracking down interviewees, developing color palettes, and editing. If you don’t know us, we’re an arthouse film of a publication: a low-budget, monthslong endeavor, but a surefire Oscar contender. Without further ado, here’s a sneak preview of the stories in this issue.

As we head into movie releases for the winter, equip yourself with a working knowledge of evolving trends in representation and cinematic tropes on the first two pages of our Art section. In our Culture section, delve into Palo Alto’s past through its architecture, or explore its present socioeconomic

Aarushi Kumar Maya Ma WRITERS McKenna Chang Kaitlyn Chen Sarah Grupenhoff Aarushi Kumar Jeri Lieberman-Evans Maya Ma Suya Shen Janus Tsen GRAPHICS ARTISTS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Caitlin Ginn Irene Hong Sophia Hwangbo Aarushi Kumar Aeron Man Chinyoung Shao Tanya Yu LAYOUT DESIGNERS

nuances through food. And—last but not least—in our STEM section, sate your philosophical appetite by pondering the ethics of gene editing and relieve your craving for neuroscience with a piece on the science of studying. (It’s never too early to start preparing for those AP tests…)

This magazine is a labor of love, so to all our staffers—thank you for your hard work. A special thank-you to Aeron Man for making the front-page graphic. And to those who aren’t on our staff, but wish to be—join us next semester in creating our spring issue! The more, the merrier.

We won’t keep you any longer—your future awaits in these 16 pages.

Your Editors-in-Chief, Amann Mahajan and Irene Tsen

McKenna Chang Kaitlyn Chen Aarushi Kumar Juliet Young BUSINESS EDITOR Kaitlyn Chen Helios, Gunn’s art, culture, and STEM magazine, publishes one color issue each semester.

Join our staff as a writer, layout designer, graphics artist, or photographer by coming to our club meetings at lunch on Tuesdays in N-106. No experience needed!

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HELIOS

Centering Women’s Stories ‘Barbie,’ Eras Tour mark beginning of larger trend

This summer, female artists were front and center. According to Forbes, “Barbie” had grossed $575 million in the domestic box office a week after its premiere, making it the highest-grossing movie of 2023. At the same time, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour, two of the top concerts of the year, raked in $1.2 billion in total.

These performances are only some of the most popular in a cultural shift toward more—and more nuanced—femalecentered stories. While some insist that “woke” feminist media is ruining art and alienating male consumers, this claim has not been properly substantiated. In fact, audiences are ready for a big shift toward more female representation.

In movies released before 2022, female representation was a passing concern, if one at all. Despite comprising roughly half of the global population, women made up about a third of the onscreen characters in film, according to a March 2022 article from the Hollywood Reporter. Of the 100 highest-grossing films in the U.S., only 7% featured more women characters than men.

Moreover, any representation that did exist was low quality. According to a 2023 study published in the Psychology of Popular Media Journal, only about 50% of the 30 highest-grossing movies each year for the past 40 years have passed the Bechdel test. This test assesses the caliber of female representation by requiring a movie to have at least two female characters who speak to each other

about something other than a man. Thus, the women characters that spoke were often reduced to one-dimensional tropes and stereotypes. (See page 4 for a satirical take on these tropes.)

“Barbie,” the Eras Tour, and other female-centric media have been financially and culturally successful because they have met a previously unsatisfied demand: They have built nuanced stories around women’s experiences, bringing them into the spotlight as characters and consumers. “(Mattel’s ‘Barbie’) has an emotional engagement that translates really well to a film,” former Mattel Brand Manager Zoe Chance said in a Yale Insights article.

“Many girls play with Barbies every day, telling stories and imagining themselves as Barbie. I can think of no other brand that approaches this level of reach and depth of engagement. ... But the real genius was the writer who understood and validated our powerful mixed feelings about Barbie.”

Beyond centering female narratives, representing women in all their complexity is important for two main reasons: affirming women and their experiences, and helping the larger community understand these experiences. On an individual level, a lack of multifaceted representation can make some women feel othered, since their stories have been historically disregarded. Producing a wide range of women’s stories allows for more women to feel seen and confident.

Female representation also builds empathy in those who aren’t women.

According to a 2017 study by Common Sense Media, stereotypes in movies or television can strongly influence one’s beliefs, confidence, and actions within relationships. If men only see certain stereotypes of women in the media they consume, they—consciously or subconsciously— begin to think of these stereotypes as representative of all women, which ends up hurting the women in their lives.

Female-centered box- and ticketoffice successes affirm that audiences are ready for a shift in representation. Moving forward, representation will be about not just the number of female characters but the care with which creators build their inner and outer lives.

—Written by Jeri Lieberman-Evans, a writer.

Graphics by Caitlin Ginn

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ART

LIVING A MAIN CHARACTER LIFE: A GUIDE TO FEMALE TROPES IN FILM The Manic Pixie Dream Girl

The Mean Girl

The Manic Pixie Dream Girl’s role is to inspire the male lead—think Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” She helps the hero loosen up by teaching him to live freely and love passionately. The Manic Pixie Dream Girl is gorgeous, energetic, and, above all, quirky. Most of the time, she’s seen with wild hair (like Kate Winslet in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”).

To become her, first go through the hair-dye aisle in any department drugstore and dye your hair the most intriguing color you can find. Then, develop a sophisticated music taste that includes many “underground” artists.

Of course, always wear baggy clothes to hide your perfect body. Your pet of choice must be either a rat or a cat, and most importantly, it is essential that you have a quirk. It could be anything from a nervous habit (fidgeting with your headphones or rings) to a special talent (having a perfect sense of direction).

You need something special to interest him.

From Regina George in “Mean Girls” to Lana Thomas in “The Princess Diaries,” Hollywood is full of cheerleader mean girls. This girl sets out to ruin the main character’s life, recruit her into a clique, or both at once. She is the trendsetter and the most admired person in the whole school. Enemies beware!

Equipped with a pocketful of flirting techniques and makeup tricks, she is an absolute sweetheart to everyone except those who land on her bad side.

To be her, find a rich family with a big house (for the parties, of course).

Eliminate all social anxiety. It definitely helps if your zodiac sign is Aries, Taurus, or Gemini. Aries are usually passionate, motivated, determined, and confident (the perfect sign for leaders). Taurus are the clever, tenacious, and loyal members of the friend group. Finally, Geminis— who tend to be social butterflies—are most commonly found in the popular group.

The Damsel in Distress Bella Swan in “Twilight,” Mera in “Aquaman,” and many women in the James Bond films typify the “damsel in distress” trope. The damsel in distress didn’t have a meaningful life until she met the male lead. Her whole world shifted when she first laid eyes on him, and she would never be the same again.

Whether he is part of a mafia gang or a creature from a fantasy realm (ideally a werewolf or vampire), the male lead will inevitably rescue the damsel in distress.

After saving her life, he will declare her his eternal soulmate.

To be the damsel in distress, reside in an area with depressing weather— either super rainy or dry as a bone. You must never appear independent or be outspoken. Finally, be willing to sacrifice your life for the male lead—because you wouldn’t want to live in a world without him, would you?

—Written by Maya Ma, a head editor.

Aarushi Kumar

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HELIOS

ALLURING ART: FOUR MUST-SEE LOCAL EXHIBITS CANTOR ARTS CENTER

With over 38,000 works of art from various time periods and cultures, the Cantor Arts Center in Stanford University is a must-see for local art lovers.

Open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the museum offers free admission, as well as a variety of speakers, films, classes, and family activities.

Most notable is the museum’s collection of Auguste Rodin bronze sculptures— one of the largest anywhere—which features iconic works like “The Thinker,” “The Walking Man,” and “The Gates of Hell.” Cantor is also spearheading the Asian American Art Initiative to support the acquisition, preservation, display, and research of Asian American works, which are traditionally underrepresented in public art collections.

FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO Consisting of the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is the largest public arts institution in the city and one of the largest in the country. Visitors can view a wide range of both local and international art at either location: The de Young features American art, textile arts and costumes, African art, and Oceanic art, while the Legion of Honor features European painting, sculpture, and decorative arts. Both museums are open from Tuesday to Sunday between 9:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m., with advance reservations encouraged and free admission for visitors 17 and under.

THE FOSTER MUSEUM Founded in February 2016, the Foster Museum in Palo Alto showcases the work of artist-explorer Tony Foster, who captures the natural world through art.

Foster’s work consists of 19 watercolor “Journeys”—paintings based on wilderness themes such as canyons, rainforests, and coral reefs. These “Journeys” are often inspired by Foster’s travels to extreme climates and can take up to 10 years to complete. Through his art, Foster aims to help viewers find a greater appreciation for the beauty of nature and a desire to protect and preserve it.

Admission is free by appointment between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays and 12 and 4 p.m. on weekends.

TRITON MUSEUM OF ART The first non-university art museum in the county, the Triton Museum of Art was originally founded in San Jose in 1965. It was later relocated to the city of Santa Clara, and remains there today as a community art hub. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the museum features a broad range of both contemporary and historical works from Bay Area artists. The museum welcomes visitors of all ages, who learn about art and the creative process through detailed exhibitions, classes, and workshops.

—Written by Kaitlyn Chen, a business editor.

Graphics by Tanya Yu Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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In the Name of

Service Does extrinsic motivation for volunteering improve students’ sense of community and civic duty?

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Gunn has no official volunteering requirement; the 15 hours we must complete are those needed for Living Skills, a graduation requirement. (Also, contrary to popular belief, students only need five hours to pass Living Skills—15 hours for an A.) But how each student completes these hours varies. Some, simply looking to fill a requirement, find the first volunteer opportunities they can. Others spend hundreds of hours volunteering for causes they’re passionate about. With this diversity in volunteering commitment levels, it’s worth examining whether the community service requirement actually improves students’ sense of civic engagement.

There are undeniably potential benefits to volunteering: Teenagers can gain work experience, develop a sense of civic duty, and give back to their community—proving they are not, in fact, the bane of a town’s existence.

But does requiring community service ensure that high school students get these benefits, or does it erase them entirely? I spoke to six students with varying amounts of volunteering experience to see how this requirement plays out at Gunn.

Those with 100+ hours had overwhelmingly positive things to say about their own experiences. Many of these hours came from causes and organizations the students were passionate about before they got involved—a passion that only grew as they started working.

They mentioned feeling connected to their community and actively thinking about the people they interacted with during their time.

However, some students who had 100+

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service hours did not meet Youth Community Service’s requirements for volunteer-hour classification. They had to volReligious unteer at other events just to meet the school’s requirements, which made those commitments ) 14 significantly less enjoyable and didn’t 20 ( n improve their sense of civic duty.

Sou dow k a r e c r Most students with numerous hours did e: Yo uth.gov ism b mention that despite their passion for their teenage volunteer cause, they likely would not have reached the their sense of civic duty.

100-hour point if they hadn’t been able to Likewise, when these get—and note on their college applications— students were asked if they would continue volunteering past the requirement, many said they would do it only for their college Since those who applications. Those who did volunteer more than 15 hours for an A (20–40 hours) want to volunteer mentioned that they volunteered for additional will volunteer time only from a feeling of obligation to finish no matter what, the project they were working on. removing the Extrinsic motivation, whether it be Living requirement may Skills requirements or college applications, give students undoubtedly helped some students get less inclined involved in an activity and organization they to volunteer a were passionate about. Overall, however, it chance to enjoy undercuts students’ capacity to meaningfully volunteering for its connect to their community and develop a strong sense of civic duty. Would students own sake. then actually reap the benefits of volunteering more frequently if the Living Skills requirement the Presidential Service Award, an award the didn’t exist? Since those who want to volunteer president gives to those who have positively will volunteer no matter what, removing the impacted their community through extensive requirement may give students less inclined to volunteering. Still, some noted that extrinsic volunteer a chance to enjoy volunteering for motivation catalyzed their search for a fulfilling its own sake. activity.

Alternatively, the requirement could be For those with 10–30 service hours, kept but made easier to fulfill. Often, students however, the story was a bit different. Many complete tasks they don’t enjoy just to get the explained that their volunteer hours felt like a volunteer hours, or fill their weekends to the chore rather than a way to connect with their brim because they have to both volunteer and community. Although they developed bonds complete other work. Volunteering could be with their fellow volunteers, they did not built into the Living Skills curriculum—have experience connection with the community class periods where students are volunteering, as a whole. Even connection with other or establish a service day for all students so volunteers was relatively temporary, as they that students can sign up without worrying couldn’t build a strong relationship in three to about missing class. five hours. Though these students gained work experience, none of them cited an increase in —Written by Aarushi Kumar, a head editor.

HELIOS

The writers strike back: behind the scenes

On Sept. 27, 2023, at 12:01 a.m. PDT, the Writers Guild of America strike officially ended. Spanning 148 days, with 11,500 screenwriters striking, it was the secondlongest strike in Hollywood history.

Setting the stage After six weeks of unsuccessful negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Hollywood writers decided they would no longer tolerate the unfair treatment they had been receiving.

The strikers were mainly concerned that the shift from on-demand television to streaming services would lower their salaries and threaten their job stability.

“The WGA demanded increased minimum compensation in all areas of media, increased residuals (payments made for reruns and other airings after the original release), appropriate TV series–writing compensation from pre- to postproduction, increased contributions to pension and health plans, the strengthening of professional standards and the overall protections for writers, and more,” Vulture explained.

According to the WGA, screenwriters’ pay had already declined 14% in the last five years when adjusted for inflation. “Our wages have been falling in the last few years as the streamers’ (on-demand streaming services’) profits have been skyrocketing,” writer Amanda Mercedes told today.com. “With traditional TV models, jobs were lasting six months, nine months, a year. I saw a writer the other day that said that her last job was four weeks, and that’s just not sustainable to be able to string together gigs in that way to make a living.”

The threat of artificial intelligence replacing screenwriters was also a major controversy of the strike.

Companies specializing in AI, such as Dell and Nvidia, argued that AI speeds up research and generates new ideas to help writers overcome writer’s block. The WGA and others, however, stated that AI threatens writers’ careers, as it can rewrite or generate literary material without human writers’ being compensated. sympathetic heroes Writers are the primary source of a show or movie’s storyline—when the writers stop writing, their shows stop developing, and less content is put out for audiences. The writers’ strike mattered to many inside and outside the industry: Producers lost out on potential profits from paused shows and audiences grew restless for new content.

Popular shows that the strike halted in production included

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“Stranger Things,” “Saturday Night Live,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “The Last of Us,” and “Andor.”

Though the lack of content from beloved shows disappointed audiences, they did not necessarily blame it on the writers striking.

According to a September 2023 poll from the Associated Press–NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 55% of U.S. adults sympathized with the writers and actors in the monthslong dispute, while only 3% supported the studios they were striking against. flashback: the 2007 strike This strike was not the first in the WGA’s history. In 2007, when streaming on Netflix was brand new, the WGA demanded regulation over payment on content moving to streaming services. This strike lasted 100 days, extending into February 2008; it was not nearly as long as the 2023 strike. The 2007 strike, similar to the recent strike, halted many popular TV and talk shows.

Reaching a climax The long, agonizing battle turned out to be worth it for strikers, who won big. According to the WGA, the deal includes “success-based” residual payments, meaning writers will receive a bonus if streaming content hits a benchmark viewership.

“A successful project released on or after Jan. 1, 2024, would yield the writer $9,031 for a half-hour episode, $16,415 for a one-hour episode and as much as $40,500 for a streaming feature over $30 million in budget,” the Washington Post summarized.

An in-progress agreement regarding the use of AI mandates studios and production companies to disclose to writers if any material given to them contains AIgenerated content. It also prohibits AI from being a credited writer or source material, as well as writing or rewriting literary material. “AI-generated material can’t be used to undermine a writer’s credit or separated rights,” the contract said.

End credits While writers achieved fairer conditions through striking, major delays in production dealt inevitable damage.

However, the ​​Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike, or actors’ strike, ended on Nov. 9, 2023, which means that shows and movies can now completely resume production as their key architects return.

—Written by Sarah Grupenhoff, a writer.

Background by Irene Hong

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ART

The Evolution Of

palo alto

Architecture can be described as the “art of a building,” and, like art, has many different styles. Evolved over countless generations, Palo Alto homes have distinct architectural styles, developed based on changing tastes and social, political, and economic factors.

Queen Anne Style Richard Norman Shaw developed the Queen Anne style from the Colonial Revival style in the 1860s, and English architects imported it into California in 1885. The Queen Anne style is known for its asymmetrical plan, round or polygonal corner towers, singlepaned windows, balconies, wraparound porches, bay windows, and irregularly shaped roofs. Its walls are made with various textures, from brick to siding and shingles. These embellished, traditional homes were often painted bright pastel colors. As mill technology improved, different building materials were utilized.

The style was most popular from 1880 to 1910, and buildings done in this style are common on Waverley Street, Emerson Street, and Cowper Street. Architect Frank Murray designed many Queen Anne–style homes on these streets during the 1890s.

Spanish Colonial Revival Style Architect Birge Clark introduced the Spanish Colonial Revival home, most popular between 1915 and 1940, to Palo Alto in the early 1920s. Spanish Colonial Revival–style houses include red-tiled roofs, white stucco walls, open but small windows, round arches, iron railings, and front or interior patios. Both the interiors and exteriors of the Spanish Colonial Revival home embrace rich decorative details, like colorful ceramic tiles, ornamental iron railings, and light fixtures.

These types of homes are more commonly found in Old Palo Alto.

Classical Revival Style The Classical Revival was sparked by the rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman culture. It expressed national ideals of democracy and progress through architecture. The Classical Revival drew inspiration from classical Greek and Roman architecture, resulting in large classical columns, domes, a formal symmetrical plan with a centered door, evenly spaced double-hung windows, and centered triangular roofs. Built in 1904, the famous Squire House on 900 University Ave. typifies this style. T. Patterson Ross designed it for the direct descendant of President John Adams, John Adams Squire.

Palo Alto’s historic Professorville district has well-preserved homes in the Classical Revival style. Government buildings, churches, and other public structures are also built in the Classical Revival style. For instance, the main quad of the Stanford University campus and the Paly administration building features symmetrical elements, arches, and columns.

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HELIOS Tudor Style In the U.S., World War I awakened an interest in European and English homes.

Tudor homes became especially popular during the 1920s and 1930s in suburban cities.

Tudor homes feature steeply pitched gable roofs, brick exteriors, leaded glass windows, stonework, and embellished doorways. They highlight 20th-century expression, showcasing individuality, adaptation to modern life, and suburban

expansion. The style allows for people to connect with a romanticized version of historical European architecture while maintaining modern qualities.

American architect William Klay, born in 1849 and a graduate of the College of the City of New York, designed Tudorinspired houses during the 1930s. The Old Palo Alto neighborhood, Cowper Street, and Lincoln Avenue showcase Tudor homes.

Eichler Style

Modern Farmhouse Style

From the late 1940s to the 1960s, many architectural styles dominated the housing market, fueled by the growing demand from middle-class citizens following waves of migration in the wake of World War II. “Stylish yet affordable” describes the Eichler-style home.

The homes showcase triangular windows, vertical exterior siding, open floor plans, patios, low ceilings, and natureinspired architecture. These homes usually display an earthy color palette with accents of bright colors.

To this day, there are 2,700 Eichler homes in Palo Alto.

There are around 32 Eichler tracts, or Eichler neighborhoods, scattered throughout the city, some of the largest being University Gardens (1949) and Royal Manor (1957).

Currently, the modern farmhouse design has taken off not just in Palo Alto, but all around Silicon Valley. The modern farmhouse has a clean look, recognizable by its lighter exterior colors, porch space, modern finishes, metal roofing materials, and black steel window frames.

Because the modern farmhouse is relatively new, there aren’t areas or streets in Palo Alto known for this type of architecture. However, in the Midtown area of Palo Alto, there are increasingly more modern farmhouses replacing previous buildings.

Many styles of homes document Palo Alto’s architectural evolution. Nowadays, renovations are becoming increasingly common, giving rise to new styles. Next time you’re walking up and down the streets, take a look at the homes around you and read the “art.”

—Written by McKenna Chang, a writer.

Photos by Sophia Hwangbo

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CULTURE

HISTORICAL HATE BOUQUET Though modern bouquets focus on an aesthetic composition, bouquets have historically been constructed to convey the flowers’ meanings to the recipient. This bouquet, far from professing affection, expresses hatred. Its pungent smell and striking color have strong negative connotations, and receiving it would have been a great insult.

Orange Lily

arrival of spring winds and the death of a loved one.

In Egyptian culture, anemones were thought to cause sickness, likely because of their natural toxicity. In many East Asian cultures, white anemones represent impending illness or death, since the color white is associated with death.

Scarlet Geranium

Scarlet geraniums’ bright color provides A focal point of the bouquet, the orange lily a striking contrast to the abundance of is a flower of intense passion.

I n foliage in this modern times, the orange lily bouquet. represents energy, but One of the the intent behind this major classes energy is determined in the family by the rest of the bouquet: Geraniaceae, scarlet The flower can symbolize geraniums are the only ones of the either gratitude or family to bear such a strong negative acrimony. message.

Lilies may also represent death Although geraniums in general and grief, with white lilies frequently represent deceit, scarlet geraniums in used in funerary arrangements. particular suggest stupidity or general Lilies are large, eye-catching, and carelessness in connection with gullibility. dangerous. Do not use this flower With big, bright-red blooms, this symbolism if you have cats at home. All parts of of stupidity may be because geraniums are showy true lilies and day-lilies are lethally toxic to cats, including bloomers without any particular use. They are also the pollen and water that the stems have touched. known to emit a strong and distinctive leafy scent when broken or even slightly bruised. Generally, the more pungent a bouquet smells, the less pleasant it will Sweet Basil be to receive.

Basil makes for an excellent leafy-green backdrop to Foxglove the more eye-catching focal blooms, despite its negative historical connotations.

The long, drooping stems of foxglove add a Victorian florists considered the aroma of basil so vertical element to the bouquet and an interesting disgusting that it became a general symbol of texture. A bold floral choice, foxgloves have revulsion. Its inclusion in a bouquet is a clear insult, polarizing meanings. telling the receiver that they are as abhorrent as Although beautiful, these bell-shaped blooms the smell of basil (a barb that does not carry are highly toxic. In William Shakespeare’s play effectively into modern times). It is also said “Hamlet” (spoilers ahead), foxgloves accompany that basil was used to symbolize poverty and to Ophelia’s descent into madness. Foxgloves decorate sites of the dead. contain cardiac and steroidal glycosides, most primarily digoxin, which produce symptoms Anemone such as heart arrhythmia, delirium, severe Anemones provide a delicate sub-focal visual blurring, and jaundice. However, point and texture behind the main floral digoxin has also been traditionally used backdrop of the lily and geranium blooms. in small doses to medicate heart failure, According to Greek mythology, anemones exemplifying the duplicity of foxglove: It emerged from Aphrodite’s blood and tears after can either harm or help you.

Adonis, a mortal lover of hers, was killed by a wild boar. Also —Written by Suya Shen, a freelance writer. called windflowers, the delicate blooms represent both the Graphics by Aarushi Kumar

HELIOS

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Health & Wealth

How does wealth impact people’s ability to maintain healthy diets?

“Health is wealth”: It’s the age-old proverb you’ve likely heard from parents, coaches, and teachers. Of course, the saying doesn’t refer to material wealth, but rather physical prosperity and happiness—something a healthy lifestyle can certainly contribute to. A healthy lifestyle—eating organically in particular—is greatly emphasized in Palo Alto. While a healthful diet is a matter of personal choice in this affluent area, it can be less accessible to people in lower income brackets. Wealthier people, on average, tend to be healthier, with better cardiovascular health, longer lifespans, and more years without disease. A difference in diet is often credited for this disparity, but which actually comes first: health, or wealth?

On first instinct, it’s easy to justify this correlation between health and wealth with the argument that wealthy people can afford more healthful food. Though it is true that these people are more inclined to purchase expensive, organic foods—evident by the crowds at the California Avenue farmers market—a 2012 study by Stanford University’s Dena Bravata showed that organic foods don’t provide more health benefits than non-organic food.

Thus, budgets for organic foods doesn’t account for the difference in health.

Some also argue that wealthy people, since they are on average more educated, are more aware of the importance of healthful eating for physical well-being. Growing up in Palo Alto, Gunn students repeatedly learn the importance of healthful diets, from seventh-grade biology lessons to high school Living Skills classes. However, a 2015 Harvard University study found that perceptions of different foods’ nutritional value remained consistent across income brackets. People of all brackets generally understood which foods were more healthful and what comprised a healthful diet. Thus, educational disparity is not to blame for the difference in diets.

Instead, the disparity may instead stem from ingrained childhood eating habits. A 2010 Danish study found that both low- and high-income participants bought food based on their preferences in taste rather than the food’s nutritional value. Essentially, both groups knew that they should consume more healthful foods, but shopped based on personal taste instead. Nevertheless, wealthier people consistently enjoyed foods with less sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

There are several explanations for this phenomenon. Time could be a major factor: More healthful food generally takes longer to make. Making a delicious meal out of healthful greens and whole grains is much more manageable if you have leisure time: If you’re coming home after a 10-hour shift, you have little time to yourself. Processed foods aren’t nutritious, but they’re quicker and cheaper. Wealthier people have, on average, more time and resources to utilize healthful food in a way that suits their tastes, and thus tend to pursue more healthful foods more often.

Childhood tastes and preferences also contribute to the disparity. The food you eat as a child influences your future tastes, so if wealthy children grow up eating healthful foods, they will likely continue eating them as adults.

These kids are generally not in charge of purchasing

and cooking their food until they’re older, yet this preference can be seen even in kindergartners and preschoolers.

It turns out, it takes a while for kids to like—or at least tolerate—a food.

A 1990 Pennsylvania State University study showed that kids have to be presented with unknown foods anywhere between eight and 15 times before growing accustomed to it. Until this point, the food is likely to be rejected and eventually thrown away. So, parents have to buy food that will not be eaten along with a dependable backup meal multiple times before their kids grow accustomed to that food.

Families on a tight budget are significantly less likely to pursue these “backup” foods because the monetary loss is, justifiably, not worth it. Wealthier parents would have more room in their budget to allow this food waste, experimenting with different healthful foods until they find ones their children enjoy.

Another 2011 Harvard study that analyzed the shopping habits of parents in various income brackets concluded that wealthier parents don’t care more about their children’s health—they simply care less about the food waste. When questioned, nearly all parents said they wanted their children to be healthy.

However, only the lower-income parents had considered the issue of food waste. The researchers posed a scenario: How would you feel if your child had been given a healthful lunch at school and abandoned half of it? The lower income bracket condemned the food waste and lamented the money spent on the food, while the wealthier income bracket morally disliked the food waste but was predominantly concerned with the fact that their child hadn’t eaten well that day.

Wealthier parents don’t care more about their children’s health than those in lower income brackets; they just can—quite literally—afford to. Putting monetary worry aside allows more consideration for the health of their child.

And when these kids have grown to tolerate, maybe even like, these healthful foods, they pursue them more in the future when they are in charge of their own diets.

The relationship between wealth and healthful diets is undeniable. Since the disparity develops in childhood, however, addressing the issue early can help. With knowledge of the long-term impacts, parents can budget to accommodate for the repeated trials for healthful foods when feeding their children. If this option is not feasible, having more nutritious school lunches for children at a young age can help them develop a preference for healthier foods. When we learn how to close this gap, perhaps wealth can revert to representing prosperity and happiness again, as in the proverb.

—Written by Aarushi Kumar, a head editor.

Graphics by Aarushi Kumar

muller-lyer illusion

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rubin vase

The famous MüllerLyer illusion consists of two lines of equal length. However, the inward- and outwardpointing arrowheads at the ends convince the mind that one is longer than the other.

Scientists disagree over the psychology behind this illusion, but one theory is that the inward-pointing arrowheads cause

the entire picture to become longer, so the eyes “zoom out” to see it. The brain interprets this eye movement as a longer line. When the arrowheads point outward, the picture is more condensed, so the eyes move inward when looking at it and trick the brain into seeing a shorter line.

The crux of the Rubin vase is the border between the “faces” and the “vase”— the sudden change from black to white. The brain contains border-ownership cells in charge of recognizing borders and assigning them to objects. In the Rubin

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vase illusion, BO cells cannot decide which object (faces or vase) the border belongs to, which allows you to sometimes perceive one, sometimes the other.

However, you are never able to see both at the same time.

now you see it, now you don’t: optical illusions

The human brain finds clues and fills in gaps to create whole pictures as a survival instinct, even if that tendency means seeing something that isn’t really there. When you see part of a picture, your brain roots through your

memory to find a match.

When looking at the Kanizsa triangle, your brain sees parts of a shape it recognizes—a triangle—and fills in the rest.

This pattern recognition is why you “see” a full triangle, even if it is not there.

checker-shadow illusion

kanizsa triangle

Irene Hong

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The checker-shadow illusion plays on the brain’s ability to filter light and shadow. You intuitively know that a checkerboard consists of only two colors, so even though the shadow of the cylindrical object makes some squares darker, you still perceive

them as the same two shades as the squares in the light. Thus, the brain does not recognize that the dark squares in the light are the same shade as the light squares in the dark.

—Compiled by Jeri Lieberman-Evans, a writer.

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Toeing the line: Ethics in science

Five years ago, He Jiankui was respected. A professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, he had a wealth of academic and scientific accolades to his name. He was revered by the Chinese state media and named “the founding father of thirdgeneration genome editing.” Today, in a stark reversal, “China’s Dr. Frankenstein” is recovering from a three-year stint in prison. He opened the Pandora’s box of genetic editing: He genetically modified two unborn embryos to create the world’s first HIV-resistant babies. He was “willing to be the martyr that came first”—a sacrificial lamb of scientific advancement. Was He right?

Most agree that He’s experiments were unethical—hence his prison sentence—but there remain swaths of moral gray areas in scientific regulation. How might scientists balance scientific advancement with ethical conduct? With a loose set of internationally recognized laws, how can unethical experiments be identified and condemned? Though countries cannot agree on a universally applicable ethical system (politics!), we can identify two elements that all unethical experiments share: a lack or violation of participant consent, and an unnecessary or excessive amount of harm.

A lack of pa r t i c i pa n t consent often coincides

with the involvement of prisoners, animals, or the unborn in experiments. In the 1960s, Harry Harlow’s “Pit of Despairs,” in which young rhesus monkeys were placed in extended isolation, garnered global condemnation for the animals’ mistreatment. Likewise, He was charged in part because the unborn embryos could not give consent. Consent is vital: It demonstrates autonomy. For an individual to live in a fair society, they must have an informed say in decisions regarding their well-being. Scientific research is meant to improve the human condition, and it should not come at the cost of a select few suffering involuntarily.

Unfortunately, both harm and consent fall victim to ambiguity. There is no universal determination of excessive harm: Harm is a subjective experience, and people can undergo the same experiment and emerge with distinct experiences.

Perhaps the biggest cause for concern is experimentation on the powerless. In the early 1940s, Nazi physicians conducted horrific experiments in their concentration camps.

They infected prisoners with malaria, typhus, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and yellow fever. In certain camps, inmates were exposed to mustard and phosgene gas in an attempt to find an antidote to the poison that they contained. In the same decade, the U.S. government forcibly infected over 1,300 Guatemalan prisoners with syphilis in what has now become an infamous case of human rights violations. These two cases led to the creation of the Nuremberg Code in 1947, which emphasizes good faith, ethical conduct, and consent in scientific experimentation.

Scientific experiments that cause excessive physical, emotional, or psychological harm are also deemed unethical.

The Stanford Prison Experiment, a study conducted in the early 1970s, pitted consenting student “inmates” against student “guards” to examine the influence of power structures on human behavior. The study was terminated in six days; inmates reported psychological stress as a result of de-

grading and dehumanizing treatment. Regardless of participant consent, this study has been widely criticized for a lack of ethical safeguards.

A similarly contentious case is the 1961 Milgram experiment, in which participants thought they were administering shocks of increasing voltage to an audibly suffering individual; participants later found out these shocks were not real, and neither was the physical suffering. Still, many reported intense emotional stress due to the immoral nature of the experimental design.

Extensive harm to participants violates the core principles of scientific research. It conflicts with the scientific goal for the betterment of humanity and erodes public trust in researched conclusions.

After all, how can one trust something one fears?

When treading through moral gray areas, thus, it is always in a researcher’s interest to follow the age-old aphorism “first, do no harm.”

Some may contend that societal well-being is more important than individual happiness, and thus scientific experiments that harm the minority but benefit the majority are not only ethical but necessary. These arguments abstract context from a situation and do not recognize nuance in a scientific setting. Practically, experimentation on the minority does not provide an accurate data sample applicable to an entire population.

Ethically, everyone is a minority in some regard, and society cannot operate if minority rights are consistently and easily disregarded.

Unfortunately, both harm and consent fall victim to ambiguity. There is no universal determination of excessive harm: Harm is a subjective experience, and people can undergo the same experiment and emerge with distinct experiences. Nor is there a universal definition of informed consent. Theory can only take the scientific community so far. Novel situations, like He Jiankui’s genetic breakthrough, will continue to occur—this innovation is the spirit of scientific advancement. Because these cases have become increasingly morally equivocal, especially compared to the clear-cut unethical experimentation of the 1900s, the scientific community must act in good faith. As the Nuremberg Codes state: “Experiment(s) should be such as to yield fruitful results for the good of society.”

—Written by Janus Tsen, a freelance writer.

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Science Behind Studying

Research-backed tips to study smarter, not harder

Sitting in class, students process information— from a teacher’s shirt color to the concept they’re learning—automatically, every moment. However, most of this information is not retained. No one even attempts to remember the teacher’s outfit, and as for the concept, any explanation captured through notes will likely remain unread until the day before the test.

This phenomenon can be shown through a psychological and neurological model called the “forgetting curve.” According to the model, the amount of processed information retained decreases exponentially as time goes on.

This curve can be combatted through spaced repetition, or studying in repeated, variable time increments. The brain uses synapses to bind neurons

into circuits that store new memories. When you expose yourself to the same information multiple times, you engage more sets of nerves and synapses, strengthening the memory. These nerves get tired after long intervals of activation without a break, so studying is most effective in consistent, short intervals.

Psychologists have stated that among the most effective study methods are retrieval practices. If you just reread notes, or do practice tests while referencing notes, you do not prepare yourself for testing situations.

But you’re not here for a neuroscience lecture. Here are a few retrieval methods that will help you avoid this pitfall—to help you study smarter, and not harder.

1 2 Active Recall or Blurting

Most classes will explicitly state what the learning targets or objectives for a test are. Frame those learning targets as questions and try to answer them with whatever information you still remember. Then, look back on your notes and highlight any content you missed. Repeat this until you have 80%–85% of the material covered and easily retrievable. Then, make your own learning targets out of the areas you still have trouble with and repeat. Do this in multiple short sessions over the course of several days until you can easily recall all of the information.

Mind Maps

Take out a blank sheet of paper and write down or sketch as much as you can about the topic from memory. You can start with three to five main ideas in the middle of the page. Create connections between subtopics, generate questions, and add supporting details, organizing the information in a way that makes sense for you.

Branch outward as you go.

By building logical connections, you make retrieval easier. If you compare this map to the notes you took in class, you can easily identify knowledge gaps and target your studying to address them.

3 4 5 6 HELIOS

Teaching

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Teaching material helps you organize the information more logically and boosts retention. In a study from Washington University, a psychology researcher found that students who were informed that they would later have to teach content engaged with the material more frequently and effectively than classmates who were expecting a test. Explain practice problems from start to finish, as if you were teaching them to someone else. If your teacher posts slides from class, try teaching them yourself.

Flashcards/Practice Tests

For tests that involve memorizing facts and concepts rather than applying them—e.g., vocab quizzes—flashcards are the way to go.

For tests that involve problem solving, practice tests and review sheets are most effective. Complete a whole set or sheet before looking at the answers. Once you look at the answers, identify types of questions you consistently miss and spend time studying those.

Homework

Homework is a built-in method of spaced repetition: By completing and correcting it, you have expose yourself to the material again. Doing homework on time will save you hours of studying later on, especially since you can ask your teacher questions as you go.

When completing homework, you can also try different time-blocking techniques, such as the Pomodoro Technique.

Analyzing Performance

Research shows that the ability to critically analyze performance influences problem-solving mindsets. If you look at previous work and identify your strengths and weaknesses, you can adapt your studying approach accordingly. Reflection increases test-taking motivation and confidence.

For this article to be of any use to you, you have to do more than just read it. Get a piece of paper or open a document and make a plan for the upcoming week. Schedule one- to two-hour study sessions and plan what topics you’ll study, and which method you will use to do so. Try your hardest to stick to your plan: The closer you get, the smarter your studying will be.

—Written by Aarushi Kumar, a head editor.

This project has been supported by Think Fund. For more information about grants for teens, visit mitchellparkteenservices.org/ ThinkFund.