Just Plain WEIRD #2
An outlandish idea code-named ‘Operation Fantasia’ aimed to demoralize the Axis power by mimicking legendary spirits. Operation Fantasia aimed to destroy Japanese morale by exposing soldiers and civilians to a Shinto portent of doom: kitsune, or fox-shaped spirits with magical abilities. (Illustration by …
A sample of crucible slag from an 11th century archaeological site in Iran, which was found to contain chromium. Rahil Alipour, UCL – By Michael Irving 2020 Sep 23 – Chromium is a common addition to alloys to make materials like tool steel or …
A brain-eating amoeba – By Lauren M. Johnson and Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN Updated 5:49 PM ET, Sat 2020 Sep 26 – Residents of eight cities have been alerted that a brain-eating amoeba was found in a southeast Texas water supply, leading one of …
The coronavirus forced the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary to break with tradition. Illustration by Anurag Papolu/The Conversation; dictionary photo by Spauln via Getty Images and model of COVID-19 by fpm/iStock via Getty Images , CC BY-SA – By Roger J. Kreuz, …
Shutterstock – By Francesca Giuliani-Hoffman, CNN Updated 2020 Sep 24 – It’s hard to exercise restraint when eating candy. For licorice lovers, indulging sparingly could actually be lifesaving. – A study published recently in The New England Journal of Medicine says a 54-year-old …
People who miss flying are rushing to buy tickets for flights that land in the same place they depart from. On an in-flight screen, a map of a recent flight-to-nowhere trip on Royal Brunei Airlines.Credit…Nadzri Harif – By Tariro Mzezewa 2020 Sep 19 …
How do bees, birds, whales and eels have the ability to sense the Earth’s magnetic field? New research article lays out the latest evidence. zizar/Depositphotos – By Rich Haridy 2020 Sep 20 – One of the most persistent scientific mysteries over the past century …
Heard about the “waiting package” phishing scam? – By Ari Lazarus Consumer Education Specialist, FTC – Phishing scams can be hard to spot. For example, we’ve been hearing about one where people get a text message saying that there’s a package waiting for …
What happened to the crew of the Mary Celeste? Source: yaroslavartist /Adobe Stock – By dhwty 2020 Sep 10 – On December 4, 1872, a ship now known as the Mary Celeste was found adrift in the choppy seas of the Atlantic. The …
Researchers have shown how to grow gold inside cancer cells in order to kill them. Spectral/Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2020 Sep 13 – Gold isn’t just a pretty face – it’s shown promise in fighting cancer in many studies. Now researchers have found …
