The How and Why of Tears

That last test was brutal. I can't say I've ever failed a test before. I literally went home and cried a little bit. So why are there tears when we cry? What causes them? Our eyes are mostly water, right, so they don't necessarily need any more.

There are actually three different kinds of tears. Ones that are always there, reflex tears (like when we get dirt in our eye or are poked), and emotional tears. It's actually been found that tears get rid of hormones in order to reduce our level of stress.

But why, exactly, do we cry? According to William H. Frey, people feel better after crying. Which I guess makes sense, because we cry when we're frustrated or sad or in pain. It's possible that crying gets rid of all the bad feelings through tears. Tears can also be a sign to others that we are in pain or upset, especially before language is developed. It's essentially a form of communication.

Preemie Development

My sister was 3 months premature when she was born. Reading about infant development made me wonder about whether premature babies develop in the same space of time as a baby born around 9 months, or if they even have devolpment similarities at all.

An article that I found about preemie development recommends using an adjusted age to determine the baby's current developmental stage. Since my sister was 3 months early, suppose she is 5 months old now, her actual age would be 2 months old. Using that age, her developmental stage can be concluded. Knowing this, I now know that premature babies develop at a slower rate than babies born on the due date.

This doesn't last throughout the child's entire life. By age 2, they have caught up. This makes me think that there is an increase in developmental speed towards that time.

Genetic Alcohol

I'm interested in why people become addicted to alcohol because many members of my family are alcoholics, my father being one of them. Because he is a direct relation, I found it most fascinating that biological influences can be one of the causes for alcoholism.

In an article about alcoholism and heredity, I found that those born to an alcoholic parent are more prone to alcohol abuse, but that does not necessarily mean that the child will grow up to be an alcoholic. That depends on whether the child starts drinking excessively or not. Also, children not born to alcoholic parents can become alcoholics themselves.
The main theme seemed to revolve around nature and nurture. Social influences can lead to drinking. Those that are more genetically susceptible to alcohol abuse will live a life of drinking if they fall into that social trap.

I have never taken a drink, knowingly, of alcohol in my life, mainly because of my father. I don't have any intention of ending up like him, or any of the other alcoholics in my family. In my opinion, they all live miserable lives. But now, knowing that I am more prone to alcohol abuse, I'm more against drinking than I was before.