"Cornell University" news and stories

Apparently, when it comes to food, absence does not make the heart grow fonder. Out of sight, out of mind is actually closer to the truth (shall we see how many more cliches I can use before the first paragraph is done?). According to scientists, humans have a very hard time resisting the siren song of the candy jar, because if we see it and it's easy to get to, we're going to have a hard time keeping ourselves away.

Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab has been studying the way people eat, both at home and at work, for years now and have determined that if we see it, we want to eat. According to Brian Wansick, the head of Cornell's Lab, "what really influences our eating are visibility and convenience." Their results make sense to me. If I know that there's ice cream in freezer, it calls to me all evening until I break down and liberate it from it's icy home. However, if I know that there isn't any in there, I may still want it in the abstract, but I'm not going to run out and buy a pint.

What do you guys think? If you know that a treat is only as far away as your co-worker's desk or the freezer or the cabinet over the fridge, how hard is it to resist?

Photo link

Want to keep your houseplants from tipping over? Then get them potted.

William Miller, a horticulturist at Cornell University's Flower Bulb Research Program, says giving daffodils a wee dram of gin, tequila, or whiskey inhibits stem growth but leaves the blossom unharmed, thus preventing them from reaching a height where the stem weakens and tips over.

Pouring a shot directly  into the soil  is not advised. Solutions of greater than 10 percent alcohol proved toxic to the plants. I'd love to know whether any imbibing led Miller to this unusual gardening tip.

[photo: Wikipedia]

Source