Just Plain WEIRD #2

Wow, These are real Eye-Openers! 

Size  Comparison Between Australia And The United States     Tracking Of An Eagle Over A 20 Year Period    Blue States Have A Smaller Population Than Los Angeles County   50 Percent Of Canadians Live South Of The Red Line   The …

Should I kill spiders in my home?

An entomologist explains why not to. He comes in peace. Matt Bertone, CC BY-ND – Author Matt Berton, Extension Associate in Entomology, North Carolina State University 2018 May 16 – I know it may be hard to convince you, but let me try: Don’t …

 

Globalization really started 1,000 years ago

‘The Meeting of Two Worlds,’ a sculpture at L’Anse aux Meadows, commemorates the meeting of Vikings and Native Americans around the year 1000. D. Gordon E. Robertson/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA – Author Valerie Hansen Professor of History, Yale University 2020 Jun 11 – …

Can Drinking Cocoa Make You Smarter?

Cocoa Flavanols Found to Boost Brain Oxygenation and Cognition – By University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2020 Nov 24 – The brains of healthy adults recovered faster from a mild vascular challenge and performed better on complex tests if the participants consumed cocoa …

How Pink Salt Took Over Millennial Kitchens

It’s not healthier for you. It doesn’t technically come from the Himalayas. But pink salt’s appeal has exploded nonetheless. Photo by Morinka / Shutterstock – By Amanda Mull, The Atlantic – For decades, I was under the impression that salt is white. Table …

Graphene tractor beams could one day redirect lightning strikes

A new study has demonstrated how a tractor beam containing trapped graphene microparticles could one day redirect lightning strikes.  Anettphoto/Depositphoto – By Michael Irving 2020 Nov 12 – Lightning strikes are a major trigger for wildfires, including the record-breaking blazes that devastated Australia, California …

Why This New Technology Inspired by Camel Fur Is Super Cool

A two-layered material that mimics the animals’ sweat glands and insulating fur chills surfaces 400 percent longer than traditional methods. Camels stay cool through a combination of sweat and insulating fur. (Balint Meggyesi / Getty Images) – By Corryn Wetzel SmithsonianMag.Com 2020 Nov …