October 2016 – Page 4

October 31, 2016

A species of worm in the north-east Atlantic…

A species of worm in the north-east Atlantic has been observed farming. They plant grass seeds in their burrows and feed on the sprouts when they start growing.

October 31, 2016

How 7 Booming Cities Have Changed Over the Past Decade, in Pictures

Shaunacy Ferro

filed under: cities

Image credit:

iStock

Americans are flocking to cities in high numbers—and you can see it in the skylines. A renewed interest in urban living and the concentration of new tech jobs in cities have led to a boom in new urban construction, and not just in places that are notorious for recent growth like San Francisco or Austin.

The apartment search site RENTCafé put together a comparison of Street View images of different urban intersections with notable growth over the past decade or so that allow you to visualize just how dramatically some city skylines have changed. Below are seven different visual comparisons from cities across the country. Toggle the slider back and forth to compare images from 2007 to today.

1. MASON STREET LOW-INCOME HOUSING // SAN FRANCISCO

2. BAYSIDE AT THE EMBARCADERO DEVELOPMENT // SAN DIEGO

3. DOPPLER – AMAZON HEADQUARTERS // SEATTLE

4. CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT // CHARLOTTE

5. L.A. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX // LOS ANGELES

6. AUSTONIAN CONDOS // AUSTIN

7. SKYLINE // MANHATTAN

All images from Google Street View via RENTCafé unless otherwise noted

Know of something you think we should cover? Email us at tips@mentalfloss.com.

October 31, 2016 – 11:00am

October 31, 2016

In 1984, a young boy named Andy Smith wrote…

In 1984, a young boy named Andy Smith wrote a letter to Ronald Reagan asking for federal funds to clean his bedroom after his mother called it a “disaster area.”

October 31, 2016

Is Daylight Saving Time to Blame for Seasonal Depression?

Kate Horowitz

filed under: health, psychology, science

Image credit:

iStock

The precise root cause of seasonal depression has eluded scientists for years. Now researchers think they’ve found the answer: daylight saving time. They published their report in the journal Epidemiology.

Seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects around 1.6 billion people across the globe. Its symptoms mirror those of generalized depression; what differentiates SAD is the timing of its onset, which coincides with winter’s shorter days and long, dark nights.

We know that sunlight, or the absence of it, has a powerful effect on our bodies. But scientists have yet to find a definitive physiological link between darkness and SAD, a fact that makes some wonder if there aren’t other variables at play.

Previous studies have found a relationship between the shift from daylight saving into standard time and other health problems, but they had not looked specifically at the transition’s effect on depression. To get a better idea, an international team of researchers looked at Danish hospital intake records from 1995 to 2012, including 185,419 diagnoses of depression.

As expected, they saw an increase in hospital admissions for depression as winter descended. But that increase spiked at one particular time: the month immediately following the changing of clocks.

The researchers controlled for variables like day length and weather, which they say confirms that the 8 percent rise in depression diagnoses was not a coincidence.

And while their study focused on people with severe depression, the authors say the time shift likely affects “the entire spectrum of severity.”

Though the study did not identify the mechanism responsible for time change–related depression, the researchers believe it may have something to do with the way daylight saving manipulates our hours of light and dark. Danish daylight saving protocol steals an hour of daylight from the afternoon and moves it to the early morning—a time, the authors say, when most people are indoors anyway.

“We probably benefit less from the daylight in the morning between seven and eight, because many of us are either in the shower, eating breakfast or sitting in a car or bus on the way to work or school. When we get home and have spare time in the afternoon, it is already dark,” co-author Søren D. Østergaard of Aarhus University Hospital said in a statement.

Then there are the psychological effects. In changing the clocks, we are forced to acknowledge the arrival of months of darkness, a realization that Østergaard says “is likely to be associated with a negative psychological effect.”

Fortunately, while we still don’t fully understand the causes of SAD, we have found effective treatments. If you find yourself depressed as the year winds down, talk to your doctor and look into a therapeutic light box.

Know of something you think we should cover? Email us at tips@mentalfloss.com.

October 31, 2016 – 10:30am

October 31, 2016

70% of Americans polled either hate their job…

70% of Americans polled either hate their job or are “disengaged” from their work, and even perks don’t work if they’re unhappy with management.

October 31, 2016

John Urschel, offensive line guard for the Baltimore…

John Urschel, offensive line guard for the Baltimore Ravens has a BS and Masters in mathematics from Penn State, and just finished his first 4 classes of his PhD program in spectral graph theory, numerical linear algebra and machine learning. With straight As.

October 31, 2016

The British exclusively swam breaststroke…

The British exclusively swam breaststroke in competition until the 19th century. In 1844, a Native American came to London and won a competition swimming front crawl, a stroke never seen by the Western world, who then regarded it as “un-European”.

October 31, 2016

This ‘Rocky Horror’ House Light Show Wins Halloween

Jake Rossen

filed under: halloween, video

Watch the above video and you might suddenly feel very self-conscious about your halfhearted attempts at pumpkin carving.

The elaborate, synchronized light display—which features flickering scenes and a soundtrack from The Rocky Horror Picture Show—is part of Riverside, California resident Kevin Judd’s annual Halloween extravaganza. Every season, he installs an LED presentation on a residential property for the amusement of locals. The Rocky Horror theme follows his 2015 effort, which featured pumpkins singing Ray Parker, Jr.’s Ghostbusters theme:

Judd began staging the displays in 2008, garnering an audience of just a few residents on his block. But in 2011, videos of his displays began going viral, and thousands of spectators started showing up to enjoy the show. This created a bit of a problem with the local Homeowner’s Association, which didn’t particularly appreciate the blocked driveways and discarded trash. But: singing pumpkins!

If you want to try and emulate his work, you’re in luck: Judd heads up Creative Lighting Displays, a business devoted to helping other lighting enthusiasts design and program the presentations.

Know of something you think we should cover? Email us at tips@mentalfloss.com.

October 31, 2016 – 10:15am

October 31, 2016

Get Monday’s Best Amazon Deals While You Can

Smart Shopping Team

filed under: shopping

Image credit:

amazon / istock

As a recurring feature, our team combs the Web and shares some amazing Amazon deals we’ve turned up. Here’s what caught our eye today, October 31.

Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers, including Amazon, and may receive a small percentage of any sale. But we only get commission on items you buy and don’t return, so we’re only happy if you’re happy. Good luck deal hunting!

October 31, 2016 – 12:42pm

Amazon Product Id:

B00R92CL5E

October 31, 2016

12 Halloween Traditions From Around the World

Rudie Obias

filed under: halloween, holidays, Lists, travel

Image credit:

Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images

Although most Americans spend Halloween at festive costume parties or trick-or-treating with family, other countries have their own rituals and customs. Here are 12 Halloween (and Halloween-like) traditions from around the world.

1. DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS // MEXICO

From November 1 to November 2, people celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) to honor the dead throughout Mexico and parts of Latin America. It is believed that the Gates of Heaven open up at midnight on October 31 and the souls of children return to Earth to be reunited with their families for 24 hours. On November 2, the souls of adults come down from Heaven to join in the festivities.

The holiday is celebrated with in-home altars full of fruit, peanuts, turkey, soda, hot chocolate, water, and stacks of tortillas and special holiday bread called pan de muerto (bread of the dead), which are left as offerings for weary ghosts. For the souls of children, families leave out toys and candies, while adult souls receive cigarettes and shots of mezcal.

2. KAWASAKI HALLOWEEN PARADE // JAPAN

At the end of every October for the past 20 years, almost 4,000 costumed Halloween enthusiasts from all around the world gather just outside Tokyo in Kawasaki for the Kawasaki Halloween Parade, which is the biggest such parade in Japan. However, not everyone can simply join in the festivities. The Kawasaki Halloween Parade has strict guidelines and standards, so you have to apply for entry two months before the parade begins. There’s also a Kawasaki Halloween Children’s Parade for kids under 6 years old that takes place a day before.

In addition, the Japanese also celebrate O-bon, a yearly Buddhist holiday that honors the spirits of a family’s ancestors. In some traditions, lanterns are hung in front of homes and temples to guide the spirits inside, as traditional dances are performed. Families also visit graves and offer food and treats to the dead.

3. PANGANGALULUWA // THE PHILIPPINES

Pangangaluluwa is a tradition in the Philippines where children go door to door, often in costumes. However, instead of saying “trick or treat,” the children ask for alms and prayers for those stuck in purgatory. This tradition has increasingly been supplanted by trick-or-treating, but some towns are reviving it as a local fundraiser.

4. DAY OF DRACULA // ROMANIA

DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty Images

People from all around the world flock to celebrate Halloween at Vlad “The Impaler” Tepes’s purported home at Bran Castle in Transylvania, Romania (although it was never actually his castle, and there’s debate if he ever even visited the site). There are a number of guides and inclusive travel packages in Romania that offer tours and parties at Count Dracula’s castle for Halloween.

5. SAMHAIN // IRELAND

Ireland is considered the birthplace of modern Halloween with its origins stemming from ancient Celtic and Pagan rituals and a festival called Samhain (end of the light half of the year) that took place thousands of years ago. Modern Irish celebrate Halloween with bonfires, games, and traditional Irish foods like barmbrack, an Irish fruitcake that contains coins, buttons, and rings for fortunetelling. For example, rings mean marriage, while coins mean wealth in the upcoming year.

6. ALL SAINTS’ DAY & ALL SOULS’ DAY // GERMANY

On November 1, Germans (and many other Catholics from around the world) celebrate All Saints’ Day (followed by All Souls’ Day on November 2). It’s an annual time to honor the lives of the saints who died for their Catholic beliefs, as well as the souls of dead family members. In observance of the holiday, people go to mass and visit the graves of their loved ones.

In addition, many Germans hide their kitchen knives, so returning spirits wouldn’t be accidentally harmed or use them to harm the living.

7. ZHONG YUAN JIE // SINGAPORE

During Zhong Yuan Jie, it is believed the Gates of Hell are opened and all Hell-beings are set free to roam the Earth. To honor the spirits, people take to the streets to burn joss sticks and paper money as offerings to their ancestors. Chinese opera is also offered up and performed to “empty” audiences to show respect to ghosts. During this time, many people avoid weddings, moving into new homes, and starting businesses as other ways to honor the spirits.

8. FESTIVAL OF HUNGRY GHOSTS // HONG KONG

TENGKU BAHAR/AFP/Getty Images

On the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, which is around mid-August to mid-September, the people of Hong Kong celebrate the Festival of Hungry Ghosts. It is believed around this time, restless spirits roam around the world, so several parts of East Asia appease and “feed” their ancestors’ ghosts with food and money for the afterlife. It’s part of a larger month-long celebration that also features burning paper, food offerings, and giving out free rice for the neighborhood.

9. PITRU PAKSHA // INDIA

For 16 days during the second Paksha of the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada, many people celebrate Pitru Paksha throughout India. Hindus believe when a person dies, the Hindu god of death, Yama, takes their souls to Purgatory, which also contains the last three generations of a family. During Pitru Paksha, the souls are released to be with their families on Earth before returning to Purgatory.

Families must perform the ritual of Shraddha to ensure their family’s place in the afterlife. If Shraddha isn’t performed, the soul wanders around the Earth for eternity. During Pitru Paksha, families offer the dead food, such as kheer (sweet rice and milk), lapsi (a sweet porridge), rice, lentils, spring beans, and pumpkins, which are cooked in silver or copper pots and served on banana leaves.

10. DZIEŃ ZADUSZNY // POLAND

On November 1-2, most people across Poland travel to graveyards to visit their dead family members. Dzień Zaduszny (or Zaduszki) is All Souls’ Day for Catholics in the country. The holiday is celebrated with candles, flowers, and an offering of prayers for departed relatives. On the second day, people attend a requiem mass for the souls of the dead.

11. AWURU ODO FESTIVAL // NIGERIA

The Awuru Odo Festival marks the return of dead friends and family back to the living. Lasting up to six months, the holiday is celebrated with a feast, music, and masks before the dead return to the spirit world. Although the Awuru Odo Festival is an important ritual, it happens once every two years when it is believed the spirits will return to Earth.

12. P’CHUM BEN // CAMBODIA

TANG CHHIN SOTHY/AFP/Getty Images

From the end of September to the middle of October, Buddhist families gather together to celebrate P’chum Ben, a religious holiday to honor and remember the dead. People give foods like sweet sticky rice and beans wrapped in banana leaves, and visit temples to offer up baskets of flowers as a way to pay respect to their deceased ancestors. It’s also a time for people to celebrate the elderly.

October 31, 2016 – 10:00am

1. MASON STREET LOW-INCOME HOUSING // SAN FRANCISCO

2. BAYSIDE AT THE EMBARCADERO DEVELOPMENT // SAN DIEGO

3. DOPPLER – AMAZON HEADQUARTERS // SEATTLE

4. CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT // CHARLOTTE

5. L.A. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX // LOS ANGELES

6. AUSTONIAN CONDOS // AUSTIN

7. SKYLINE // MANHATTAN

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1. DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS // MEXICO

2. KAWASAKI HALLOWEEN PARADE // JAPAN

3. PANGANGALULUWA // THE PHILIPPINES

4. DAY OF DRACULA // ROMANIA

5. SAMHAIN // IRELAND

6. ALL SAINTS’ DAY & ALL SOULS’ DAY // GERMANY

7. ZHONG YUAN JIE // SINGAPORE

8. FESTIVAL OF HUNGRY GHOSTS // HONG KONG

9. PITRU PAKSHA // INDIA

10. DZIEŃ ZADUSZNY // POLAND

11. AWURU ODO FESTIVAL // NIGERIA

12. P’CHUM BEN // CAMBODIA