health

Article

New Bacteria Could Make You Poop Rainbows

In 2009, students at Cambridge University genetically engineered E. coli bacteria, adding DNA sequences in order to create colors visible to the naked eye (standard E. coli does not have a pigment). The students called this new strain E. chromi, and it has limited uses today, primarily related to detecting pollution or other chemicals -- if the bacteria detects a chemical, it changes color. That's all well and good, but how do we take this and go nuts with it, creating a Terminator-like dystopian... READ ON

Big Question

Why Do Paper Cuts Hurt So Much?

Paper cut image via ShutterstockThere are a couple things at play here, some involving the paper, some involving your skin.For one thing, what part of your body comes in contact with paper the most? Right, the majority of paper cuts happen on the fingers and hands. Your hands are pretty complex sensory instruments, and they’re absolutely jam-packed with nerve fibers called nociceptors. These guys sense temperature, pressure and pain, and there are more of them per square inch in your hands and... READ ON

Article

David Blaine: How I Held My Breath for 17 Minutes

As a little light science-ish fare for Friday, here's a TED Talk in which David Blaine explains his quest to hold his breath for a really, really long time. He goes through a variety of possible "trick" techniques (none of which worked), and discusses his much-publicized failure to escape from handcuffs during his "Drowned Alive" feat. But then he gets to the interesting stuff -- a seemingly credible story of how he trained to do a sustained breath-hold after breathing pure oxygen. This is a different... READ ON

Article

Is It Bad to Use the Same Plastic Water Bottle Every Day?

If you’re not washing it, then yeah, it can get kind of gross. Reusing an unwashed bottle or cup, even if you’re “only” drinking water out of it, puts your mouth in intimate contact with a wonderful bacterial breeding ground. Bacteria grow really well in moist, warm environments. While almost any similar container will suffice, a narrow-mouthed plastic water bottle is difficult to scrub and especially friendly to bacterial growth. In a 2003 study, Canadian researchers collected samples from... READ ON

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4 People With Super Memory

(Originally published on September 21, 2009 and quite possibly my most famous post on this... READ ON

Big Question

What is an Adam's Apple?

Adam's apple photo via ShutterstockTouch your fingers to the front of your throat and start humming. Feel around until you can feel vibration directly under your fingers. That’s your larynx, or voice box. It houses your vocal cords and is involved in breathing and vocalization.Surrounding the larynx is the laryngeal prominence, better known as the Adam’s apple. The “apple” is simply protective cartilage. As your voice changes and your larynx grows during puberty, the cartilage enlarges and... READ ON

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26 Antique Pictures Celebrating the Red Cross

In many ways, the Red Cross is still largely the same as it was throughout the past 150 years, performing blood drives, delivering care packages to prisoners of war, helping victims of natural disasters, and rescuing those injured on the battlefield. In honor of the group’s fantastic work throughout the years, here are some classic pictures of the foundation at work. All images courtesy of the Library of Congress. On the Field The Red Cross started in 1863 with the noble goal to provide medical... READ ON

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18 Delightfully Artistic Vintage STD Posters

While sexually transmitted diseases are certainly a serious problem, the taboo topic has led to some amazing Public Safety Announcements, particularly the vintage venereal disease posters. Here are a few classic posters designed to help keep the men and women of America safe. Post World War I When the Allies won the war, the U.S. government had one last task for its troops: help fight VD back home. Presumably, the last thing they wanted soldiers to do was to come home and celebrate with a bunch of easy... READ ON

Big Question

Why Is Chocolate Bad for Dogs?

Puppy image via ShutterstockI grew up with a series of dogs that were shameless food moochers. Max, our German Shepherd-Black Lab mix, was once left on his own in the house while the humans were having a backyard cookout. Poor Aunt Sophie went in to get something from the kitchen and found Max standing on the kitchen table, working his way in a circle around the top of her homemade bundt cake. Needless to say, the utmost precaution had to be taken with certain foods the dogs couldn’t have. Chocolate... READ ON