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Happy birthday, Walt! Thank you for being such an inspiring and excellent storyteller. Reason #5 why we love Disney: the stories! Telling stories is so enjoyable and so effective for a number of reasons. Listening to stories recruits some of the same neural mechanisms as imagining - when we think about the events and actions in a story, we activate the brain regions that we would use to perceive those things actually happening. Neuroscientists actually found that when listeners understand a story better, their neural activation patterns match with the brain activation of the story teller. Stories are also effective because they are a series of cause and effect chains. And our brain is primed to try and create links between causes and effects. We tend to make predictions and are more satisfied when our predictions are correct. Another reason that stories help us remember things better is because dopamine is released in our brains when we meet goals and oftentimes a story is a series of accomplishing goals. Dopamine reinforces connections among neurons so that they are more likely to fire together in the future. So recalling one piece of a story makes it more likely you’ll remember other pieces. Stories also stimulate the release of cortisol and oxytocin. When stories have stressful moments, we can also get stressed and release cortisol which also enhances our focus. When oxytocin is released, we feel an emotional connection to characters which further enhances our positive experience of a story. What is your favorite Disney story? #storytelling #waltdisney #happybirthdaywaltdisney #waltdisneyhometownmuseum #marceline #sleepingbeautycastle #scienceofdisney #wdw #disneyland #disneylandap #disneyblogger #disneygrammer #disneygram #disneyig #waltdisneyday #neuroscience #scicomm #scienceblogger #research #happybirthdaywalt

Reason #4 for why we love Disney: everything about the parks Walt didn’t have a lot to go on research-wise when he was designing Disneyland, but nowadays, there’s tons of science behind why we love theme parks. 1) Adrenaline-inducing experiences like riding roller coasters or just power walking between attractions can make you feel closer to your loved ones, especially potential or real romantic partners. The chemicals released during arousal can trick your brain into attributing those feelings to people instead of physics. Novel stimuli can do the same thing if you have brain chemistry that makes you more averse to thrill-seeking. 2) Being surrounded by crowds can make you more likely to indulge in behavior you normally wouldn’t, like eating too many beignets or churros or Mickey premium bars. Thinking about it watching other people exerting less self control makes you less likely to exert self control. And indulging makes us feel good! 3) Waiting in lines actually increases the perceived value of a thing or experience due to seeing others behind you desiring the same thing. So if you’re standing in a seemingly never ending queue this holiday season (especially at a Disney park), face backwards. You’ll be happier than if you didn’t. What aspects of the park make you love them so much? For me, it’s mostly the music! #disneyland #waltdisneyworld #themeparks #themeparktips #scienceofdisney #disneyblogger #disneygrammer #disneylandap #disneylandapholder #waltspark #marceline #waltdisney #wdwap

Reason #3 for why we love Disney: artistic and technological innovation This replica of a tar drawing Walt made on the side of his Marceline home was just the start of his experimentation with different mediums. Besides being the first to make a full-length, animated film with Snow White, the Walt Disney Company has pioneered many other wonders for the movies and park experiences and has an entire research branch dedicated to applying math and science (including social sciences!) To name a few Disney inventions: 🎥the multi-plane camera which allowed for 3D effects before 3D glasses 🎼 Fantasound which was the first time a click track was used while also recording multiple tracks simultaneously 🤖human-like acrobatic robots 🎆a way for blind and visually impaired people to feel fireworks As well as numerous enhancements to computer generated animation with the help of Pixar, machine learning algorithms for telling better stories, interactive AR technology, and several other robots. You can check out the over 600 publications at disneyresearch.com but I’ll do my best to dive deeper into some of these inventions in future posts! What do you think is the greatest invention, Disney or not? #scienceofdisney #disneyblogger #disneyresearch #research #invention #innovation #innovention #multiplanecamera #pixarstudios #pixaranimation #animation #technology #waltdisney #disneyimagineering #marceline #wdwap #disneylandap #disneygrammer #waltdisneyhometownmuseum #waltdisneyhometown

Some imagination, huh? Another reason that you and I love Disney is because of the seemingless endless creativity and imagination observed and encouraged in everything they make. Walt Disney loved sitting under what he called his Dreaming Tree to imagine new characters and far off places, but his parents were not very encouraging of his creativity. Contrary to popular belief, imagination and creativity are NOT solely compartmentalized to the right hemisphere of the brain. You actually use multiple interconnected networks across your brain when imagining. To imagine something, you use the same brain areas that you use to perceive them in reality. So to imagine images, sounds, and movements, you use your visual, temporal, and motor cortices respectively. To manage all of these together, you rely on your prefrontal cortex to switch between focusing on the different elements and evaluate the creative merit of your ideas. Research suggests that when in a “flow” state where creativity is typically at an optimum, the prefrontal areas are less active. Psychologists have found that imagining events, such as an outcome of an election or achieving a personal goal, increases the belief that this event is likely to occur. This isn’t the same as imagining causing achievement of the goal itself, but focusing on the process and steps to achieving an outcome has more promise than only focusing on the final destination. As for creativity, the way to become more creative seems to be in better understanding what goes into creativity. Various training programs that teach people about the neuroscience and psychology of creativity are more effective than other programs that do not. Practicing forming new associations makes this process easier over time and leads to more original and useful ideas. Analyzing novel, ill-defined problems to identify opportunities for solutions also is helpful for increasing creativity. Lastly, research shows that generating as many ideas as possible leads to more creative ideas, which is a fundamental element of Pixar’s philosophy. #creativity #imagination #marceline #waltdisney #disneyap #disneyapholder #wdwap #disneyblogger #disneygrammer #d23

“More things of importance happened to me in Marceline than have happened since or are likely to in the future” - Walt Disney I’m starting December off with a few posts on the science of why all things Disney are so easy to love! The five years of Walt’s childhood spent in Marceline inspired Main Street USA and several of the farm animal characters we know and love today. He looked back on that time quite fondly and now I get to reminisce on my trip there this summer by finally explaining some of the science of nostalgia. Nostalgia was originally thought to be a disease associated with depression. Doctors thought it particularly affected Swiss people because the constant clanging of cowbells in the Alps was believed to damage the eardrum and brain! Researchers in the UK and their colleagues have conducted several studies that show nostalgia is NOT a disease but instead associated with several positive things! Participants who experienced nostalgia-inducing conditions (such as listening to nostalgic songs or recalling a nostalgic story) had increased feelings of social connectedness, which made them feel less lonely and boosted self-esteem and optimism. Feeling nostalgic also makes people feel like their lives are more meaningful and reduces death-related thoughts. Nostalgia is often triggered by feelings of sadness or during transitions as the brain’s way of making us feel better. People of all ages and in different countries experience nostalgia and its positive effects, which is one reason why positive memories of Disney during childhood or with friends and family can be so powerful. Nostalgia is also a reason for why we buy souvenirs. Called anticipatory nostalgia, we often want to keep things that will help us remember positive experiences because we expect to feel a bit of the Disney blues in the future. What makes you feel nostalgic? I want to know! #waltdisney #marceline #waltdisneyworld #wdwap #disneydepression #disneyblues #nostalgia #90sdisney #throwback #roadtrip #mainstreetusa #disneyland #disneylandap #apholder #disneyap #disneygrammers #disneyblogger #childhoodmemories #childhood #disneyfamily #scienceofdisney #whywelovedisney

Opened some #magicmail just in time for the last day of the Disney and Make-a-Wish fundraising campaign! For every post with the #shareyourears hashtag, Disney will donate $5 to Make-a-Wish to help children fighting critical illnesses have a little more magic in their lives. I would also like to announce that I am fundraising for one of the beneficiaries of the Make-a-Wish foundation - Give Kids the World - as part of participating in the #rundisney Princess Half Marathon Weekend. None of the donated money goes to me! For every $10 that is donated, I will write a Disney or science post in a topic of your choice! Link to donate is in my bio! Your support will go a long way! Give Kids the World Village #gktw is a nonprofit resort that provides free vacations in Orlando to children with critical illnesses and their families. The organization was created by a Holocaust survivor who wanted to ensure that kids in need could enjoy some carefree time with their families. For every dollar that is donated to Give Kids the World, 93.1 cents go directly to the families in need (this is an insanely good ratio!) The organization also has the top rating on Charity Navigator and GreatNonprofits. On my upcoming trips to Orlando, I will also be donating my time at the village by volunteering. You can sign up to do so at any time! (Thanks to @justasmallworldgirl for this tip!) Thank you for reading! #givingtuesday2018 #givingtuesday #givekidstheworld #givekidstheworldvillage #makeawishfoundation #makeawish #rundisney2019 #princesshalfweekend #disneyprincesshalfmarathonweekend #disneyprincess10k2019 #disneyprincess10k

Family appreciation post (plus some science) because my incredible support system is all the way in California dealing with fires and the aftermath of gun violence while I’m grading student papers in bed. My favorite purchase from #pixarfest, this shirt brings back memories of having my mom and dad enjoy Disneyland on adult only trips with me this summer! I’m so grateful that my friendship with my parents continues to grow as I get older and that my friendships with my two younger brothers are more mature, even though I still want to tickle them every time I see them. #scienceofdisney Family is the taxonomic category above genus and species (the two that most frequently define a creature). Humans belong to the Hominidae family along with eight species of primates including orangutan, gorilla, chimpanzees and bonobos. The most recent ancestor of all of the members of the Hominidae family lived roughly 14 million years ago. You might’ve learned about taxonomic categories by memorizing one of a few acronym mnemonic devices like “Kings play chess on fine grain sand”. These are effective because they help encode the information in a more meaningful way than just the list of category levels. 1) Memorizing the sentence helps with recall as well because it facilitates recall of the associated words in order rather than as a jumbled mess. 2) It is also helpful if the mnemonic also conjures an image in one’s mind because encoding across as many modalities (visual, aural, kinesthetic, etc.) as possible makes recall more likely. 3) If you’ve never played chess or gone to a beach, this phrase might not be as helpful as another more personal mnemonic. For example, I used to remember PEMDAS as “Please excuse my dear aunt Sandy” (it’s usually Sally) because I have an aunt Sandy who is so polite she rarely needs excusing! Share or tag someone you think is incredible in the comments below! Or share your favorite mnemonic! #incredibles2 #theincredibles #pixar #family #phdlife #phdstudent #phdstudentsofinstagram #disneyblogger #jackjack #violetparr #elastigirl #mrincredible

Friendly reminder that YOU are incredible even if you feel invisible. It is super fitting that Violet has the name and abilities that she does! Ultraviolet (UV) light is mostly invisible to humans, but it is visible to creatures like bees, insects, small birds and reptiles! You may know that UV light has shorter wavelengths than the light in the visible spectrum of light. But this is only part of the reason why we can’t see it. One part of the story is that the lens in each eye prevents UV light from reaching the retina. Chromophore molecules in the lens absorb energy from UV light by exciting electrons to higher energy states, which changes the wavelength of the light. But Violet wouldn’t be invisible to people with aphakia who are born without lenses in their eyes. They can see a limited range of UV light because all humans still have receptors that are sensitive to the short end of the light wavelength spectrum. The way that we see light involves molecules called rhodopsins in our color-detecting cones (light sensing structures in our retina) moving in response to the electromagnetic energy of light that hits it. Certain varieties of rhodopsin molecules are more readily moved by different wavelengths of light which is why we usually say that humans see primarily in combinations of red, blue, and green light. The wavelengths of these colors move the rhodopsin molecules in the cones and this movement converts into an electric signal sent to the brain. Humans have different kinds of rhodopsin molecules than the creatures that can see UV light. In some ways our inability to see UV light is a blessing but also a curse. Some rodents’ urine emits ultraviolet light and I think ignorance is bliss on this. But we also can’t appreciate the ultraviolet patterns on flower petals that are meant to attract pollinators (thanks to Cheryl of @animedia_science for telling me about this beautiful phenomenon!) Custom sketch drawn by my favorite Disney artist, @lillianimation #violetparr #theincredibles #incredibles2 #ultraviolet #invisible #invisibility #uvlight #uvrays #physics #biochemistry #ophthalmology #scienceofdisney #lightenergy #disneyblogger #disneypixar

“Math is math! Why would they change math?” 😡🤯💪🏻🦸🏼‍♂️👨‍👦 In honor of #incredibles2 being released on DVD and streaming today, I finally wrote a blog post about Common Core math that I’ve been meaning to write for months. http://www.phdprincess.com/incredibles-common-core I worked really hard on it and would love to know your thoughts! My tips to parents out there struggling to help their kids with their math homework: 1) ask your kids to explain the problem. They’re the experts on common core! 2) encourage mathematical reasoning and sense-making rather than just the right answer. Ask why their answer makes sense! 3) show enthusiasm rather than anxiety about math, even about the simple math you do in your everyday life without realizing it More tips and resources are included in the blog post! #disneyblogger #theincredibles #commoncore #commoncoremath @jo_boaler_fan #joboaler #deborahball #teachingmath #mathteaching #disneyteacher #phdstudent #disneypins #disneypintrading #phdprincess #matheducation #elementarymath #secondarymath #bobparr #dashparr #disneypixar @pixar #math

“A photo shoot in Floridian humidity while tipsy is a great idea!” - Wine In honor of @mickeymouse (and Minnie) turning 90 this year and the #foodandwinefestival cake decor, I thought I’d share a little birthday cake science. "Birthday cake" or "cake batter" flavor has become extremely popular in the past few years, but there isn't anything too fancy behind matching the exact taste. Combining vanilla, almond, and butter flavors usually does the trick. Rainbow sprinkles, practically an essential part of anything quintessentially "birthday cake" are made of dried dough (composed of powdered sugar, corn syrup, and artificial coloring) typically coated in carnauba wax, which comes from a plant native to Brazil. Birthday cake tastes better after singing happy birthday! Vohs et al (2013) found that performing some kind of ritual or non-random behaviors before eating increases the perceived deliciousness of the food! Although the researchers didn't study birthday cake eating specifically, they found that performing a ritual yourself (like a weird way of unwrapping) before consuming things such as chocolate, lemonade, or carrots makes the food taste better than watching someone else perform a ritual before consumption. Blowing out birthday candles if you're sick can get your friends and family sick too! In 2017, Dawson and colleagues at Clemson University conducted a study on how much bacteria is transferred to icing in the process of blowing out candles. The research team found that on average, there was 15 times as much bacteria recovered from icing than icing that did not have candles blown out. However, most of this bacteria is harmless! You're probably more likely to get sick if the birthday person sneezes on you than from them blowing out the candles. But some people were so grossed out by the spread of disease through blowing out candles that they've invented special cake covers that allow candles to be inserted and prevent the icing from getting blown on. Would you ever use such a device? Let me know your favorite kind of cake in the comments! #birthdaycake #mickeymouse #mickey90 #mickeyears #remy #ratatouille #foodscience #disneyblogger #epcotfoodandwine

When in Rome, you dress up as a wine bottle.🍾🍷🥂 Why are wine bottles green? One reason has to do with riboflavin, which contributes to a phenomenon called light strike or sunlight flavor (gouts de lumiere in French). When wines with high concentrations of riboflavin are exposed to ultraviolet light, the light gives riboflavin molecules extra energy that cause it to exchange electrons with atoms in amino acids, resulting in the formation of sulfuric compounds that produce cooked cabbage or wet dog odors. Usually, we don't want wine to taste like cabbage or wet dog, so winemakers try to reduce wine's exposure to light. They do this by storing wine in barrels and dark places (like literal caves) for as long as possible. When they have to package the wine to be sold, they put it in bottles that will prevent light from getting to the wine. Green glass bottles are better at blocking ultraviolet light from reaching the wine than clear bottles; green glass blocks 30 to 50% of UV light. But, they aren't as effective at blocking ultraviolet light as amber bottles which block over 90% of ultraviolet light (typical for beer which faces similar problems with riboflavin reactions that result in skunky smells). However, customers have become accustomed to buying wine in green bottles so it makes more marketing sense to not change. But Sarah, not all wine comes in green bottles! Some wines are in clear bottles because their color is their main appeal (like rosé)! Many of the clear bottles are lined with UV-blocking coating so that customers can see the color of the wine while also limiting light strike. Clear bottles also mean the wine should be consumed quickly, not aged. White wines (like really expensive champagnes) actually are more susceptible to these smelly reactions than red wines because red wines have tannins. Tannins decrease the rate of riboflavin reactions because the tannins absorb the light energy that catalyzes light strike reactions. Sources in comments. #enology #foodandwinefestival #foodandwine #epcotfoodandwine #foodandwinefestival2018 #wine #italypavilion #epcotcenter #Epcot #diyears #winebottle #mickeyears #scienceofdisney #italy

My compliments to the grill master! Hopefully Mickey (and the rest of the Epcot chefs) have been grilling in ways that reduce the risk of cancer. The burnt bits on grilled food are full of carcinogens, molecules that are more likely to lead mutations in our DNA and potentially cancer. One type of these carcinogenic molecules are heterocycloamines (HCAs) which are formed when sugars react at high temperatures (like in the Maillard reaction which I've talked about on here before). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), another carcinogen, are formed when fat and juices from meat are heated into a gaseous form in smoke. The same chemicals are found in cigarette smoke and car exhaust fumes, except when barbecuing, we eat them after they attach to our food. These chemicals are not dangerous in small quantities, but can be quite problematic if consumed in high quantities! Thankfully, science (some by experimenting on mice, sorry Mickey!) has helped us better identify both the problem and solutions! To help reduce the risk of developing cancer from barbecuing: 1) Avoid eating the charred pieces of meat completely 2) Microwave meat prior to grilling to reduce contact with high heat 3) Flip meat more often while cooking to prevent it from reaching higher temperatures 4) Add herbs and spices such as rosemary, thyme, and turmeric to meat before cooking it. They are antioxidants meaning they decrease HCA formation because they help prevent charring. 5) Use acidic marinades like wine, beer (especially dark beers) or teriyaki sauce that are high in polyphenols because they have been shown to interrupt cancer processes at many steps. #barbecue #shareyourears #mickey90 #foodandwine #foodandwinefestival #mickeyears #minnieears #epcot #wdw #wdwap #epcotfoodandwine #epcotfoodandwinefestival #wineanddine2018 #wineanddine #disneyblogger #disneyfood #foodscience #vegetarian #wine #beer #cookingscience #scienceofdisney

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