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From Chaos to Calm: The Benefits of Organizing Your Space

May 5, 2023

Being a Georgia Tech student sure does come with its ups and downs. There are times during the semester when your life is great, you meet up with friends, finish your work early, and even sleep before 10 pm. On the opposite side, there are weeks where you have tests back-to-back along with a weekly lab report and group presentation all due on the same day. There are so many different types of stress that Georgia Tech students are experiencing at the same time. Whether it is stress within a relationship, academic stress, or even stress about missing a day at the gym, all these stress factors build up and end up decreasing your mental health and leading to depression.

Though there are many things that can lead to an outlet of stress. A reliever of stress that some Georgia Tech students do is clean. Cleaning, often seen as a sign of a tedious and mundane task, has proven to be a powerful tool in reducing stress and anxiety. Cleaning gives a sense of peace in the calm. When the world around you seems to be in chaos, cleaning gives you a sense of control where you have power over certain objects in your life, and cleaning and getting rid of them makes you calmer and more controlled in your life. Even a simple task like clearing your desk or doing the dishes in the sink gives you that sense of control and thus reduces your level of stress. 

“Brain Cleansing” Photo from Pixabay

Cleaning also helps reduce sensory overload and improve focus. In the fast-paced world that we live in where our senses are constantly bombarded with stimuli, it can lead to high stress and anxiety levels. By cleaning, you remove unnecessary clutter and create an environment that is free from distraction. This can improve focus and reduce sensory overload. As cleaning can be a form of mindfulness, it allows you to focus on the present moment and forget about worries and anxieties. You can block out distractions and engage in a form of active meditation, which can help improve mental clarity and reduce stress. This mindfulness can have a lasting impact, as it helps to cultivate a positive mindset and promote feelings of calm and peace.

Another reason that cleaning is important is that it can release of endorphins in the brain. Endorphins are neurotransmitters that are produced by the central nervous system, and they are responsible for reducing pain and increasing feelings of pleasure and happiness. When you engage in physical activity like cleaning, your brain releases endorphins in response. This release of endorphins can create a sense of euphoria and elation, commonly referred to as a “runner’s high.” The same phenomenon occurs during cleaning, as it requires physical movement and exertion. The satisfaction of completing a task, combined with the endorphin release, can create a sense of accomplishment and happiness. Endorphins are not only good for your mood, but they can also provide physical benefits. They can act as natural painkillers and boost the immune system, which can help reduce the risk of illness and improve overall health. The release of endorphins during cleaning can also help to reduce stress and anxiety, leading to a more relaxed and calm state of mind. In conclusion, cleaning can be a powerful tool to reduce stress and anxiety levels. Cleaning provides a sense of accomplishment, reduces sensory overload, and improves mental health and mindfulness. 

 

Sources: 

Brain mind clear – free vector graphic on Pixabay. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://pixabay.com/vectors/brain-mind-clear-help-support-7283928/

How to release endorphins and what they are. How to Release Endorphins and What They Are. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://www.betterup.com/blog/how-to-release-endorphins

The mental health benefits of a clean home. Newport Healthcare. (2023, January 26). Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://www.newporthealthcare.com/resources/press/clean-home-benefits/ 

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Student at Georgia Tech, studying Computer Science

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  Timothy Durham was convicted of rape when a test showed his DNA genotype matched the DNA recovered from the crime scene. Eye witnesses testified that Durham was in a different state at the time of the incident, but he wasn’t exonerated from his 3000 year sentence until follow up DNA analysis showed that the preliminary forensic analysis used in the trial was misinterpreted (Thomas et al.). DNA testing serves an invaluable part in our criminal justice system, but it comes with complications and bias that can lead to wrongful convictions and misinformed juries.  

Background:

Forensic genetics aims to identify the origin of a biological sample. It can be traced back to Karl Landsteiner who discovered human ABO blood groups. With blood groups, suspects could be eliminated based on their blood type. For example, if a suspect had type A blood and there was type B blood left at the scene by the perpetrator, the investigators could rule out the suspect. Unfortunately, the reverse didn’t work. If the suspect and perpetrator both had the same blood type, it can’t be concluded that the suspect was guilty. Blood identifiers evolved into 8 distinct categories which improved the ability to eliminate suspects, but could only conclude that (if the system matched) it might be the perpetrator or this person might be related to the perpetrator (Jobling and Gill). The field evolved in the 1980s with the discovery of Minisatellites, lines of repetitive DNA that don’t encode proteins. Minisatellite patterns in DNA create what we know today as the DNA fingerprint, and it has a much higher accuracy rate than previous methods (Augustyn et al.). Around the same time, a breakthrough for victims of sexual assault was discovered. In the case of assault, bodily fluids of both the victim and the assaulter can get mixed. A process called differential lysis was created which could selectively increase the concentration of sperm in a fluid sample thereby allowing for accurate DNA testing (Jobling and Gill). Forensics evolved to use single-locus probe testing after several years because of its ease of interpretation. It looked at specific minisatellites that had high variability between subjects. This was the first DNA-based method to be used in a criminal investigation. Two murder homicides from several years apart were connected using DNA evidence. The evidence was then used to exonerate an innocent man, and the guilty party was found when he tried to evade mandatory DNA testing for all men in the small town. His guilt was then reinforced when the DNA profiles matched, and he gave a confession (Jobling and Gill). Finding DNA at a crime scene doesn’t guarantee that you’ll find a murderer. There are issues with non-pure samples and limited samples that make DNA work difficult, and accreditation of facilities and new techniques and take time (Jobling and Gill).  

Subjectivity of DNA Interpretation:

In a 2009 publication, the National Academy of Science discusses the possibility for subjective influence in lab based forensics. The interpretation bias happens in complex cases where, for example, there could be a mixture of DNA. A study published in 2011 looked specifically at this issue. A gang rape happened in Georgia, and the mixture in DNA from the case was used to prosecute one suspect after another suspect took a plea bargain to testify against him. With DNA mixtures, there are three possible conclusions: suspect excluded, suspect cannot be excluded, and inconclusive. If the suspect is excluded, it means that there’s little to no possibility that his DNA is part of the sample. If the suspect cannot be excluded, it means that there’s a possibility that his DNA is part of the sample. In the trial, the DNA examiners who knew the context of the case concluded that the suspect being prosecuted could not be excluded. The 2011 study gave the DNA evidence from this case and the DNA profiles of the suspects to 17 forensic examiners. These examiners had no context of the case, and they all worked independently. Of the 17, only 1 came to the same conclusion (suspect cannot be excluded) as the examiners who knew the context of the case. Twelve of the 17 concluded that the suspect who was prosecuted and convicted had no relation to the DNA found in the sample. Not only does this show that subjectivity occurs due to the context of the case, but the 17 examiners came up with different findings based on their past experiences meaning that not all DNA analysis is objective. Some organizations like the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods say that quantitative statistical evidence should be presented with every categorical conclusion, but the US doesn’t require this (Dror and Hampikian).

False Positives:

There are two categories that cause wrongful identification in a DNA report: coincidental matches and false positives. Coincidental matches are DNA matches between two unrelated people. The probability of these matches is about 1 to 500,000 for white individuals and about 1 to 350,000 for black individuals. This small probability of coincidental matches makes people feel confident in DNA evidence. False positives, on the other hand, are matches between DNA and test DNA that result from issues in the forensics lab. There have been multiple cases of forensics labs accidentally switching victim and suspected rapist DNA which lead to convictions that were later overturned when the lab realized the error. There are also cases of misreading or misunderstanding a sample. In a case from 1993, a man was convicted of rape because someone interpreted a mixed sample of victim and perpetrator DNA as an individual sample. The conviction was again overturned. To prevent false convictions, retesting DNA is allowed, but it’s not an efficient solution. Many people are pushing for statistical information on the probability of false positives, so that the jurors can make accurate judgements based on DNA evidence (Thomas et al.).  

Conclusion:

DNA analysis is a useful tool for the criminal justice system, but subjectivity can be an issue in forensic testing. To combat wrongful convictions, there are organizations like The Innocence Project who use DNA testing to free the innocent, but reformed forensic testing standards should be put in place to prevent subjectivity and to ensure juries are correctly informed during trials. https://www.innocenceproject.org/    

Citation:

Augustyn , Adam, et al. “DNA Finerprinting.” Encyclopedia Britannica , 26 Apr. 2018, www.britannica.com/science/DNA-fingerprinting#ref153186. Dror, Itiel E., and Greg Hampikian. “Subjectivity and Bias in Forensic DNA Mixture Interpretation.” Science & Justice, vol. 51, no. 4, 2011, pp. 204–208., doi:10.1016/j.scijus.2011.08.004. Jobling, Mark A., and Peter Gill. “Encoded Evidence: DNA in Forensic Analysis.” Nature Reviews: Genetics, vol. 5, no. 10, Oct. 2004, pp. 739–751., doi:10.1038/nrg1455. Thompson, William C, et al. “How the Probability of a False Positive Affects the Value of DNA Evidence.” Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 48, no. 1, Jan. 2003, pp. 1–8., doi:10.1520/jfs2001171.