Information overload: Data distractions
Jeffery Satchwill, a fifth-year communications student at the University of Ottawa, gets all his news on the way to work from his iPad, a tool to access the plethora of information virtually within his grasp.
“I like it in the sense that it allows me to instantaneously fill my natural curiosity,” Satchwill said. “To be able to access the Internet anywhere I go is pretty remarkable and useful.”
He said his only concern is relying too much on technology. And he’s not alone.
Information overload: Infographics
From a map of the local transit network to a graph displaying a cellphone’s monthly usage, information graphics have become a regular part of people’s lives.
Infographics have been around for thousands of years, with cave paintings being the earliest example, but they haven’t always been well-received.
“Most people in the past have shunned infographics,” said Larry Weldon, a statistics professor at Simon Fraser University. “Now they’re seen as a great way to communicate a message.”
Energized: Energy drink regulation in Canada
Whether it’s in the form of coffee, tea, or energy drinks, caffeine has been used as a study aid for years.
“It’s because students procrastinate,” said Layla Cameron, a fourth-year journalism student. Energy drinks can always be found around Carleton’s library, Cameron said.
Crossing caffeine with booze a dangerous mix
People heading out to the clubs might want to find a new favourite drink and start leaving the jager-bombs on the counter.
Researchers from Dalhousie University’s psychology and psychiatric departments completed a study last year on the effects of combining energy drinks with alcohol while drinking.
The study, published in the May 2010 edition of Drug and Alcohol Review, found that those who drank energy drinks in combination with alcohol drank significantly more than they did without energy drinks.
Caffeine content breakdown
Starbucks Venti brewed house blend = 415 mg
Tim Hortons large green tea = 35 mg
Regular cup (8 oz) of brewed coffee = 135 mg
Average can of cola = 36-46 mg
Standard (8.46 oz) can of Red Bull = 80 mg
Maximum recommended intake for adults = 400 mg daily.
*All content values are
approximations, as stated by sources.
- Sources: Energy Fiend,
Health Canada
