The Fount of Useless Information
Your place for useless information that just might possibly be interesting.
So no one gets hurt!
Why salad is so overrated
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/why-salad-is-so-overrated/2015/08/21/ecc03d7a-4677-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html
Tamar is an interesting writer (her blog, the rest of her writing at the Post). She often takes a controversial subject in the world of food and …
Space elevator could take astronauts into the stratosphere
Canadian firm granted patents for elevator designed to reach 20km above Earth
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/space-elevator-could-take-astronauts-into-the-stratosphere-1.2320798
Their space elevator idea has some promise, but I expect it is still $100’s of millions, if not billions, …
Study: Can Spicy Food Actually Increase Life Span?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/08/05/study-can-spicy-food-actually-increase-life-span/
Would you eat chili peppers 2-4 times a week to live 10-14% longer?
I love the taste going in, but can’t stand the burn going out. Even with bidets, all I …
Ancient Viruses as Gene Therapy Vectors
Researchers deploy ancestors of today’s adeno-associated viruses to deliver gene therapies without immune system interference.
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/43646/title/Ancient-Viruses-as-Gene-Therapy-Vectors/
The interesting thing to me is that the _exact same_ techniques can be used to produce a variant …
The Sum of Our Parts
Putting the microbiome front and center in health care, in preventive strategies, and in health-risk assessments could stem the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases.
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/43379/title/The-Sum-of-Our-Parts/
This is a really interesting article that sums up the evolving …
With Sonar-Reflecting Leaves, Plant Lures Bats to Poo in it
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/09/with-sonar-reflecting-leaves-plant-lures-bats-to-poo-in-it/
This is a cool case of evolution. The plants have evolved to basically be flashing lights to bats and their echolocation which lead to selection for larger, dryer traps, …
Adapting to Arsenic
Andean communities may have evolved the ability to metabolize arsenic, a trait that could be the first documented example of a toxic substance acting as an agent of natural selection in humans.
http://www.the-scientist.com//?articles.view/articleNo/43019/title/Adapting-to-Arsenic/
Really interesting article showing …
Mysterious Lunar Swirls on the Moon May be Caused by Crashing Comets
http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/26216/20150602/mysterious-lunar-swirls-moon-caused-crashing-comets.htm
This is the first I have heard of this, but it seems it is an old ‘problem’. I guess the idea is since the comet has a …
Mystery Behind the ‘Sailing’ Stones of Death Valley Unveiled
http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/25807/20150521/mystery-behind-sailing-stones-death-valley-unveiled.htm
I mention sailing stones before and my theory at the time was water, pushed by winds, would move the stones. It seems the new research supports that idea but also …
The naked chef? Chimpanzees can ‘cook’ and prefer cooked food – study
Findings suggest chimpanzees have the intellectual abilities required for cooking, which could have an impact on our view of human evolution
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jun/03/chimpanzees-can-cook-and-prefer-cooked-food-study-shows
Really interesting as cooking food (on …