No Teacher Left Behind: We-be-bloggin'

The Scott Spot

You can’t wake up without it - you’ve sipped it during some of the best conversations of your life. But is it bad for you? I’m talkin’ coffee - and I have the real deal for you. Is it addictive? Can it make you smarter? Is it bad for your heart? Here’s the low down on coffee, courtesy of Women’s Health magazine:

Myth #1:

Caffeine makes you smarter. True. Experts say that caffeine boosts your brainpower because it blocks the production of chemicals that slow down your brain. In a study of Navy SEALs, severely sleep-deprived trainees who got the caffeine equivalent of two cups of coffee got a 60 percent boost in memory, focus, alertness, and the ability to learn.

Myth #2:

Caffeine’s addictive. Again, that’s True. You develop a tolerance to caffeine over time. And if your body doesn't get its expected daily dose, you’ll have typical withdrawal symptoms, like headaches and crankiness. And the more caffeine you consume, the more severe the withdrawal symptoms will be when you quit.

And the final myth about caffeine:

It causes high blood pressure. That’s False. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, caffeine from coffee doesn't boost your blood pressure. But caffeinated soda does. BUT, it’s not actually the caffeine in soda that causes high blood pressure. It’s another compound in soft drinks that raises your risk. But as far as coffee goes, studies show that if you’ve got normal blood pressure, any change in your heart rate caused by the caffeine in coffee is too small to measure, and disappears within minutes of your first cup. But if you’ve already got high blood pressure, avoid drinking a lot of coffee - because caffeine can make a preexisting blood pressure problem worse.

Twenty Years Ago It Affected Us All

  Lessons Learned From the Space Shuttle Disaster

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) -- Twenty years ago, space shuttle Challenger blew apart in jets of fire and plumes of smoke, a terrifying sight witnessed by the families of the seven astronauts and by those who came to watch the historic launch of the first teacher in space.

The disaster shattered NASA's image and the belief that spaceflight could become as routine as airplane travel. The investigation into the accident's cause revealed a space agency more concerned with schedules and public relations than safety and sound decision-making.

On Saturday, the widow of Challenger's commander laid a wreath of roses and carnations at a memorial honoring fallen astronauts, just miles from the launch pad where the doomed space shuttle blew apart 73 seconds after lifting off 20 years ago.

June Scobee Rodgers, whose husband Dick Scobee was the shuttle's commander, recalled waiting for the launch that chilly morning with other family members of the crew, including 12 children.

Rodgers said the Challenger accident hadn't changed her opinion about the importance of space exploration.

"Without risk, there's no discovery, there's no new knowledge, there's no bold adventure," Rodgers said. "The greatest risk is to take no risk."

Read the full story at CNN.com