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5 Questions: Sparks
Thursday, September 22, 2016 – 02:45
Unicorns might not be real, but they live on in our hearts and imaginations. People love these mythical beasts so much, a cafe dedicated to their magical splendor has opened up in Thailand.
The Unicorn Cafe, located in the Bang Rak district of Bangkok, is a glittery restaurant filled to the brim with unicorn iconography, toys, and oversized pink furniture. From giant unicorn murals to a collection of My Little Pony figurines, the saccharine decor is sure to satisfy anyone’s craving for pastel, ponies, and adorable fables.
Besides an attractive interior, the cafe also offers an array of colorful foods to enjoy. They have a rainbow crepe cake, rainbow waffles, and even a cheeseburger with a French fry fashioned on top as a makeshift horn. For beverages, they have a variety of rainbow drinks including a gigantic cotton candy milkshake served in a star-shaped container that can feed four to five people.
Guests are encouraged to cuddle up with the unicorn plush toys and possibly snap a few selfies with the giant carousel unicorn by the front of the restaurant. You can check out the kaleidoscopic interior in the Instagrams below.
[h/t Lost at E Minor]
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September 22, 2016 – 6:30am
After the Vietnam War, America Flew Planes Full of Babies to the U.S. Operation Babylift was dangerous, chaotic, and possibly unethical.
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The best YouTube videos are 30 seconds or shorter—and here’s the proof. And they rarely come with unstoppable pre-roll ads.
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How 17 famous companies got their quirky names. We’re so used to them we forget how weird they once sounded.
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Meet Kenya’s Only Ice Hockey Team. The don’t have a name, or the funds to attend competitions, but they have the only ice rink in the country.
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The KLF: A Tale of Creative Destruction. Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty stretched the limits of how weird a musical career could be.
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Adapting Forrest Gump turned a caustic satire into a sentimental romance. And of the two, the movie made more sense.
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Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II Was Painted as a Man Made of Fruits and Veggies. He liked the idea, as he fancied himself somewhat of a nature deity.
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Stop hiding things in your sock drawer! A less cliché spot would be better for your valuables.
September 22, 2016 – 5:00am
“Beautiful” and “deadly” are two descriptors you don’t typically see attached to shrimp. But the mantis shrimp is in a class of its own. This colorful specimen has earned a reputation for being one of the most fearsome creatures of the deep. Here are 10 facts worth knowing about the pint-sized bruisers.
Despite their namesake and relatively puny stature, mantis shrimp aren’t shrimp at all. (Neither, of course, are they mantises.) They’re stomatopods, distant relatives to crabs, shrimp, and lobsters.
The peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) uses two appendages called dactyl clubs to pummel its prey like aquatic Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots—that is, if kids’ toys could punch fast enough to boil water and split fingers to the bone. These wrecking ball “fists” spring forth from their bodies at 50 mph, accelerating quicker than a .22-caliber bullet. At those speeds, the water surrounding them briefly reaches the temperature of the Sun’s surface. When the dactyl clubs hit their target, they deliver 160 pounds of force, smashing through shells like a lightning-fast crab mallet.
Mantis shrimp come in a variety of species, and we’re aware of about 550 of them. Stomatopods from different species range in size from smaller than an inch to longer than a foot. They’re usually classified by murder method—either smashing, as detailed above, or spearing. In place of dactyl clubs, spearers have two sharp appendages on the front of their bodies built for harpooning prey. Spear-wielding mantis shrimp don’t move as fast as their club-fisted counterparts (their strikes are about 10 times slower), but the threat of death by impalement is intimidating on its own.
Peacock mantis shrimp have the most complex set of peepers in the animal kingdom. Each eye contains 12 photoreceptors that allow them to sense different types of color. For comparison, human eyes typically contain three types of light-sensitive cells for seeing red, blue, and green. This has led some to conclude that mantis shrimp perceive the world in a psychedelic rainbow of vibrant color we can’t begin to comprehend. But in reality, the crustaceans are actually worse at differentiating between subtle variations in hue than we are.
A study from the University of Queensland found that when mantis shrimp were shown colors with a difference in wavelength less than 25 nanometers, they had trouble telling them apart. But just because mantis shrimp may not see the variations between powder blue and periwinkle doesn’t mean their vision isn’t extraordinary. On the contrary, their optic abilities are on a completely separate level from ours, functioning more like a satellite than anything found in nature. Scientists believe that mantis shrimp take all the visual information they see into their brains at once without processing it, allowing them to react to their surroundings as quickly as possible. Their independently roaming eyes and trinocular vision also make them excellent hunters.
In addition to the all epic abilities listed above, mantis shrimp are one of the only creatures capable of seeing polarized light. This has allowed them to develop a secret code that’s undetectable to other species. The Haptosquilla trispinosa species of mantis shrimp wields feathery feeding appendages called maxillipeds that are marked with iridescent, blue spots. The cells of these features reflect light in a unique way. Instead of bouncing light into a reflective structure like the polarizing cells developed by humans, the cells distribute light across the spot’s surface. The brilliant light is plainly visible to other mantis shrimp, allowing them to signal members of their species while staying hidden from predators.
You’d think a mantis shrimp’s technicolor exterior would make it a staple at most aquariums, but this creature is rarely kept in captivity. The same dactyl clubs that allow them to shatter shellfish are also capable of cracking a glass tank. When aquariums do accept a ruthless specimen into their collection, it must kept behind shatterproof acrylic glass. On top of that, a captive mantis shrimp needs to be the sole occupant of its specially constructed home, lest it decides to treat its tank-mates as punching bags.
It’s only natural that a creature as ferocious as the stomatopod would have a threatening call to match. California mantis shrimp have been known to make low, rumbling growling sounds both in the wild and the lab. Male mantis shrimp often emit grunts at dawn and dusk, the periods of the day when they’re most likely to be hunting for food or guarding their homes. Scientists theorize that the growls are meant to attract mates and ward off competitors.
The mantis shrimp’s super-powered punching abilities raise a puzzling question: How can the animal deliver such a deadly blow without injuring itself? To get to the bottom of the mystery, researchers looked at the composition of the peacock mantis shrimp’s built-in weaponry. They found that the creature’s dactyl clubs consisted of an outer coating of hydroxyapatite, a hard crystalline calcium-phosphate ceramic material. Beneath the surface lies the key to the animal’s anti-fracturing qualities. Layers of elastic polysaccharide chitin underlying the shell are positioned in a way to act as shock absorbers, reducing the possibility of cracks. The design is so effective that researchers modeled a new type of carbon fiber material after it with potential applications in aircraft panels and military body armor.
The life of a mantis shrimp isn’t all cold-blooded killing. Some species of stomatopods are known to engage in the rare practice of social monogamy, a behavior that’s especially remarkable among crustaceans. This means mantis shrimp will choose one partner to share food, shelter, and raise offspring with over the course of a lifetime. What may sound romantic to humans serves a practical purpose for mantis shrimp. Research has shown that certain mantis shrimp tend to cluster outside reefs instead of living in the heart of the action. Without the need to go looking for someone new to mate with on a regular basis, mantis shrimp couples are able to enjoy a relatively safe, sedentary lifestyle secluded from predators.
Stomatopods began evolving independently from other crustaceans nearly 400 million years ago, about 170 million years before the first dinosaurs appeared on the scene. Since then they’ve followed an isolated, evolutionary lineage that’s resulted in some of their more unique characteristics. Their biology is so bizarre that scientists have assigned them the nickname “shrimp from Mars.”
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September 22, 2016 – 4:00am
Polish music group GlassDuo is famous for playing eerie, high-pitched tunes on a giant glass harp made from wine glasses. In the above video, which was spotted by Atlas Obscura, members Anna and Arkadiusz Szafraniec play the iconic “Hedwig’s Theme” from the Harry Potter movies at the 2013 Festival of Nations in Dollywood, Tennessee.
Watch them transform ordinary glassware into musical magic, and visit the duo’s YouTube channel to view even more performances.
[h/t Atlas Obscura]
Banner image: iStock
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September 22, 2016 – 3:00am
A former teacher in the Chinese province of Guangdong is making excellent use of his retirement. He’s not just gardening, but building entire scale maps out of shrubs. As featured on Atlas Obscura, Cai Mingxing’s terrace is entirely devoted to a map of China carved out of the garden.
The terrestrial cartography uses tiles to indicate international and national borders, shaping the garden into all of the Chinese provinces with small red-and-white signs denoting each province. Even the islands in the South China Sea have their own planters in the garden’s pool, and there are basic outlines of Mongolia and the Korean peninsula.
The terrace map, more than 30 feet wide, took the 75-year-old retiree a full year to build. Judging by the pictures, his project is really blooming now.
BestChinaNews has more pictures for your perusal.
[h/t Atlas Obscura]
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September 22, 2016 – 1:00am
Halloween is coming up, and that means it’s time to get spooky. Stock up on these skull-themed products to celebrate the holiday.
This spoon, which has eye and nose holes, creates the image of a skull when you scoop up sugar. Created by SUCK UK, the utensil was designed specifically to warn that eating too much sugar is a bad idea.
Find it: Amazon
For super spooky imbibing, consider purchasing this handblown shot glass; it contains an ominous looking skull that holds 2.5 ounces of booze.
Find it: Amazon
These skulls might be dead, but your phone doesn’t have to be. Plug it in using this charger, which is adorned with eight skulls that light up when plugged in. The cord works with most Apple products, and thanks to its 46-inch length, you’ll have a lot of freedom to move your phone around while it’s charging.
Find it: ThinkGeek
Whether you’re making a bubbling cauldron filled with Halloween punch or just a creepy cocktail for yourself, you’re going to need ice—why not make it the creepy kind? These study silicone ice molds produce two 3D skull shapes and are safe to put in your microwave, dishwasher, and freezer.
Find it: Amazon
The next time you have to open a bottle, use this opener. It has two skulls: One to hold on to and one to chomp off bottle caps. It’s hand cast out of bronze and sure to be a conversation starter.
Find it: Cool Material
This skull-and-crossbones infuser simultaneously steeps your tea leaves and warns others to stay away from your mug.
Find it: Amazon
Spruce up your desk with a cool neon light shaped like a skull. The handmade light is 15 inches tall and comes with a 6-foot cord.
Find it: Urban Outfitters
Nothing is spookier—or more delicious—than life-sized, anatomically correct skulls made out of chocolate. These treats come in three varieties of Belgian chocolate—milk, dark, or chili—and are dusted in cocoa. Each is created using a mold cast from a real skull, and each has different characteristics, like cracks or missing teeth.
Find it: Etsy
If you were intrigued by the black bath bomb, you might also like this equally creepy bath bomb shaped like a skull. It has a wood-spicy smell, which was created with natural oils, and it’s sulfate free.
Find it: Etsy
When decorating for your Halloween party this year, make sure to pick up this string of skull lights in addition to fake spider webs. The 7.5-foot-long cord takes two AA batteries, so you don’t need to worry about an outlet.
Find it: Urban Outfitters
Even breakfast can be spooky! Serve up two fried eggs in the shape of a skull—the yolks become the eyes and the white becomes the bone. For bonus points, arrange some strips of bacon to form crossbones.
Find it: Amazon
September 22, 2016 – 12:00am
A new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found “shocking” levels of harmful chemicals in common household dust collected across the United States.
Products we use never really stay put: Particles from our hairspray and oven cleaner drift through the air and accumulate in the specks of dust hiding under the bed and on the windowsills. When we inhale, we take some of that dust, and thus some of those chemicals, into our body. Consequently, determining just how common those chemicals are is a pretty important question. Yet until now, most studies on the subject have looked at small samples or considered only a handful of chemicals.
So a team of public health researchers from five institutions (George Washington University, the Silent Spring Institute, the National Resource Defense Council, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the University of California, San Francisco) decided to take a look at the bigger picture. They compared the results of 27 studies on household dust collected in 14 U.S. states.
The news was not good. The team’s meta-analysis of vacuumed-up dust revealed 45 different potentially harmful chemicals, all of which came from consumer products like vinyl flooring, toiletries, cleaning products, building materials, and furniture. Ten of the chemicals, including a carcinogenic flame retardant, were present in 90 percent of all samples.
Some classes of chemicals were more prevalent than others. Compounds called phthalates, which are commonly added to perfume, lotion, nail polish, shower curtains, plastic wrap, and vinyl siding, were found in significantly higher concentrations than any other chemicals. The phthalates DEP, DEHP, DNBP, and DIBP are all known health hazards and can interfere with the body’s hormones and respiratory system.
“The number and levels of toxic and untested chemicals that are likely in every one of our living rooms was shocking to me,” co-author Veena Singla, a staff scientist at the National Resource Defense Council, said in a press statement. “Harmful chemicals used in everyday products and building materials result in widespread contamination of our homes.”
Still, let’s not freak out. While the chemicals were certainly varied and present, nobody is saying that your dust bunnies are trying to kill you. We are not in imminent danger of dropping dead from dust. And we’re not completely helpless. There are a number of things you can do to reduce your exposure. For starters, keep your house as dust-free as possible, and use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Wash your hands. And we know it’s not easy, but try to steer clear of products containing phthalates [PDF].
“Consumers have the power to make healthier choices and protect themselves from harmful chemicals in everyday products,” Robin Dodson, co-author and an environmental exposure scientist at the Silent Spring Institute, said in the statement. “These things can make a real difference not only in their health but also in shifting the market toward safer products.”
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September 21, 2016 – 8:30pm
Why don’t airlines have parachutes for passengers?
There are four reasons why you don’t find a parachute under your seat on commercial airlines:
1. Parachutes are bulky, heavy and expensive. They would not even fit under your seat, they would occupy a lot of space, and add a lot of weight. They would also need regular inspection and repacking. To provide several hundred per airplane would add significantly to costs, making flying much more expensive.
2. Passengers are not trained to use them. Without a minimum of training most people would not even be able to strap the parachute on correctly, never mind open it and land safely. Even on the ground and with plenty of time this is not easy. In the confined space of an airliner and in a high-stress situation it would be even more difficult.
3. There isn’t a convenient way to jump out of typical airliners. You would need to redesign aircraft with a special jumping exit. Just jumping out of normal side-facing airplane doors or emergency hatches you would probably hit the wing or the tail. You would need to install a ramp on the rear of the cabin.
4. There are very few situations where it would save anybody. You would have to be in a situation, in daylight, over land, where there is no hope of a landing but plenty of time to get everyone out. I can only think of a single case in the entire history of civil aviation where it could have been useful—The United Airlines Flight 232 case—but then only if the aircraft had been redesigned with a rear exit. Even in that case, jumping was as risky as staying aboard.
This post originally appeared on Quora. Click here to view.
September 21, 2016 – 7:30pm
If chili cooking competitions and hot sauce festivals have taught us anything, it’s that people love when their treats bring the heat. The latest offering in that category: the Carolina Reaper Madness chip, considered the spiciest tortilla chip in the world and said to be so hot that each package only contains a single chip.
The Paqui chips product is individually wrapped in red packaging that sports an illustration of the Grim Reaper. To complete the theme, the wrapped chip is then housed in a red coffin-shaped cardboard.
“We’re always looking to push the limits to find fun ways for our fans and consumers to engage with us,” Jeff Day, Brand Manager of Paqui Chips, told Mashable. “When we decided that we wanted to make the world’s hottest chip, we first said, well, we need to find the world’s hottest pepper.”
A single chip might seem like a measly snack, but the company argues that most people will have trouble even finishing it. As the name implies, the spiciest chip gets its spiciness from the world’s hottest pepper: the Carolina Reaper Pepper. These bright red, wrinkly peppers are so hot that they can lead to a host of health problems like vomiting, seizures, and shortness of breath. To add to this kick, the chip also comes with ghost pepper and chipotle seasoning. The fiery concoction took Paqui Chips and Chef Smokin’ Ed Currie several months to perfect.
“It’s the hottest chip you’ll ever have, I can guarantee you that,” Currie said. “After you eat that one chip, trust me, you’re not looking to dig back into the bag and have a second one. So, one chip is what we created to have the experience.”
If you’d like to try the chip yourself, you can snag one for $4.99 on Paqui’s website. The sellers recommend that adventurous eaters chase the chip with ice cream, milk, yogurt, or honey—water will just make it worse.
[h/t Mashable]
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September 21, 2016 – 7:00pm
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