Posts by Jenifer Sako

Vikings were known for trading and waging battles on the seas and across Europe in the medieval time period. They were fearsome warriors, and they likely even sailed to the North American continent hundreds of years before any other Europeans. Now, a new examination of a well-documented gravesite has researchers rethinking the role gender played...

In the 1960s, developmental psychologist Mary Ainsworth led a groundbreaking study into how babies bond with their caregivers. In an experiment called the Strange Situation, she would have a mother leave her baby alone for a short time in an unfamiliar room with toys. Most of the babies would cry at mom’s absence, but were...

The marbled crayfish looks like a regular crayfish. They live in fresh waterways, rivers and streams like regular crayfish. But they are so much more creepy. The Procambarus virginalis is a crayfish with an ominous ability. First, they are all female. Also, they clone themselves. German biologist Frank Lyco was the first to notice something amiss about...

When Boston Medical Center personnel realized how many of their patients weren’t sure where their next meals were coming from, they decided to be a part of the solution. In 2016, they turned the hospital’s 2,658 square-foot roof into a garden of 25 crops. Patients, referred by the medical center’s Preventative Food Pantry which opened...

Flying is a mysterious event…for the regular passenger anyway. We may look completely at ease with our neck pillows snugged in place and our Kindles fired up, but everyone knows we’re one small incident away from panic. I always feel my sense of hearing is heightened. I can hear conversations around me, someone’s video game three...

We parents like to make our babies do funny things and then post videos because the babies don’t care yet. Our latest obsession is babies doing whatever it takes to avoid touching grass. A compilation video recently went viral showing their athletic anti-grass-touching antics. It’s adorable, but it begs the question…why do they hate touching...

The very few people with highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM) can tell you exactly what happened on any given day, down to the way they felt and at what time. It’s both a superpower and a curse, depending on the circumstances. And to this day, scientists have no idea what contributors make a person have...

Since it’s true you do use math every day of your life, you may as well learn a cool way of doing it. Here’s a method to multiplication that is pretty mind-blowing. When you multiply numbers on paper, you take the two numbers and stack the larger number on top, lining up the ones column,...

Calmly, coolly, James Holzhauer dominated 10 single-day record totals as he won $2,462,216 over 33 appearances on Jeopardy! His reign ended only because he used Final Jeopardy to finish with scores referencing his wedding anniversary, his daughter’s birthday and other important dates. So, how did he do it? Obviously, he knows a lo-ot of stuff. Outside...

Sometimes called Texas horned frog, or horny toad, the Texas horned lizard is the state’s official reptile. Because of dismal numbers of late, conservationists feared the species was threatened with extinction. But due to hard work by dedicated groups, the lizard looks as if it’s making a comeback. Despite its toady appearance and round body,...

Ever heard that you shouldn’t order coffee, tea or water on an airplane because the water might not be clean? Well, there’s an official study now with results pointing directly to the truly poor water quality of some airlines. The most recent study is from 2019 and was conducted by the Hunter College NYC Food Policy...

The thieves behind phishing scams are getting more cunning in their tactics to steal access to financial institutions and banks. This is not good because once they get in, they’ll suck accounts dry, leaving hard working people without money and facing an uphill battle to restore their stability. Even individuals with advanced degrees and high-profile...

The 1960s and 70s marked a time where people were more freewheeling with their personal safety, style and taste. Things were rapidly changing, and social norms were having some trouble catching up. There was a sense of not knowing any better mixed with a dash of I just don’t care because gas is really expensive...

Hotel rooms are great. The beds are big and the sheets are crisp and cool. You can watch TV guilt-free because you’ve paid a bunch of money to not to have to cook your own dinner or clean. Sometimes, though, it’s not quite heaven. And that one little thing can bug you until you’re not...

Dogs and people go together like peanut butter and jelly. Of course, your dog will eat your peanut butter and jelly when you’re not looking, but I digress. Dogs make us crazy happy, and a recent study gives us even more reason to bring these fuzz balls into our homes. Turns out, dogs help their...