Fun Illustrated Periodic Table Shows How We Interact with the Elements
We all had to memorize the periodic table in school (or at least I did). But did our ability to recite the elements really help us understand how each functions in our day-to-day lives? No, not really. I mean, who knows what boron is used for? Well, now there’s a chart for that. This very...
Koalas Face Uncertain Future After an Estimated 1,000 Are Killed in Fires
As fires and drought wreak havoc across Australia, one of the country’s native marsupials is taking a huge hit in population. At least one group argues that koalas are now facing possible extinction. Deborah Tabart, chairman of the Australia Koala Foundation, reported more than 1,000 koalas have been killed, with 80 percent of their habitat...
First Cat Ever Receives Four Prosthetic Legs After Severe Frostbite
Frostbite can result in permanent damage, and in animals, that sometimes means euthanasia. One marmalade cat escaped from this unfortunate end when he got frostbite on all four of his feet one severely cold night in Tomsk, Siberia. Ryzhik, which is Russian for Redhead or Ginger, was homeless when he spent a night outside in...
Caregivers Now Have Their Own Health Hotline
Caregivers experience more than just the physical fatigue that comes from their responsibilities. They also report higher levels of depression, stress and other emotional problems. Unfortunately, the issues caregivers face are hard for them to talk about with others. But the Caregiver Action Network wants to change all that. They have created a special hotline...
Curiosity Rover Finds Oxygen Behavior on Mars That Is Baffling Scientists
The Curiosity rover landed in Mars’ Gale Crater in 2012, and since then, has been studying all things Martian, so we can know more about the planet’s past. Well, what we now know, more than anything, is how much we don’t understand about what’s happening out there. Case in point: the rover’s tunable laser spectrometer...
120,000 Ribbons Were Hung Above the Berlin Wall to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Its Fall
The first bricks of the Berlin Wall came down on November 9, 1989. East German officials had just announced that all German Democratic Republic citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin, and that was only the beginning. https://www.instagram.com/p/B4VR2-TIX97/?igshid=1er6mnar24wt0 The process of German reunification would take another year, but November 9 is the day the...
Sore Throat and Dental Plaque Getting You Down? A New Study Says Maybe Consider a Glass of Wine
Feeling under the weather? Your last trip to the dentist was a lesson in shame? Better call 9-wine-wine. That’s because one of the few scientific studies that justifies wine’s cost tells us it is a disinfectant for your mouth. May I pour you another glass? The Château Pichon Baron Pauillac, 2016, is excellent. Years ago, a...
Inventor Creates Viable Plastic Alternative from Fish Waste
This year’s International James Dyson award went to the inventor of a plastic alternative that could be used to make sandwich bags and other small carriers. And it’s made out of fish. Inventor Lucy Hughes, age 24, won the UK category, beating out 1,078 other entries. The prize money amounted to 30,000 pounds. Hughes created...
More Than 100,000 Dogs Are Killed Each Year Riding in Truck Beds
Country music songs are known for their sense of Americana—distant train whistles, love for family, broken hearts and a dog in the back of a pick-up. Romantic imagery for sure, but unfortunately, our bubble has to burst. The pick-up is not the best place for the dogs to ride. Since the cabs of pick-up trucks...
Jet Lag Is a Doozy, But Don’t Worry – It Can Be Mitigated
Ever step off a plane and feel like you could fall asleep at baggage claim for an hour or eight? That exhausted, drained feeling after flying for an extended amount of time is the dreaded jet lag. It’s miserable, but there are ways to make yourself feel better. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “jet...
Prehistoric Mammoth Traps Discovered Outside of Mexico City
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has revealed at a press conference that ancient traps containing the remains of 14 woolly mammoths were uncovered in Mexico. At least 15,000 years old, the traps were discovered in Tultepec, a city approximately 25 miles north of Mexico City. Named “Tultepec II,” the site has been...
Why Ginger Ale Should Be Your Go-To In-Flight Drink
Ready to rethink what you drink on an airplane? You may already have a favorite flying beverage, but the next time you travel, if you’re craving something crisp and satisfying, try a bubbly ginger ale. Your on the ground experience with ginger ale may be limited to days when you don’t feel one hundred percent. Or...
India’s Taj Mahal Installs Air Purifiers to Defend Against Choking Smog
Air pollution in India has hit record levels, and India’s most iconic and most visited attraction is attempting something to make tourists more comfortable. One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal sits in Agra in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state, around 130 miles (210 kilometers) south of New Delhi. Approximately eight...
How to Activate Your Gadgets’ Quiet Modes to Get Better Sleep
Many of us have programmed our smart gadgets to alert us to all kinds of events–voicemails, texts, new podcasts, new content, or just about any change in the status of anything. Which is great for staying connected and updated throughout the day, but what about night when we need our brains to get quiet and...
Tiny Yorkie Dog Was A Hero Who Saved Soldiers in WWII
Her name was Smoky, and she was a wee little Yorkshire terrier who, after her heroic performance in WWII, became the world’s first therapy dog. Found in an empty jungle foxhole in New Guinea, she was first thought to be the pet of one of the Japanese soldiers. The soldiers took her to a nearby...