Month: January 2017

Sometimes investigative journalism can bring down a president, as in the case of the Watergate scandal. Other times it will do something even more important, like explain why the McFlurry machines at McDonald’s always seem to be out of service.

After taking notice of the many McFlurry fans on Twitter complaining that the equipment always appears to be inoperable, The Wall Street Journal conducted an inquiry into the soft-serve scandal. While McDonald’s was reticent to provide a complete answer, the problem appears to be one related to sanitation. Company policy dictates that each machine undergo a thorough four-hour cleaning process to kill bacteria, which involves partial disassembly and can put the machine out of commission during off-peak hours on a daily basis.

To further complicate the delicious issue, it’s believed that the machines are also prone to failure. According to the Journal’s Julie Jargon, a 2000 survey by a franchise consultant found that 25 of 100 restaurants polled said the ice cream units weren’t working properly.

All of it conspires to put a dent in both McDonald’s dessert profits—estimated at $255 million annually—and your late-night cheat meal. Franchisees in France and Spain don’t seem to have the same issue, however; the two territories recently unveiled a McFlurry Party that consists of an oversized tub of ice cream and additional cups for sharing. America does not currently appear to have the McFlurry bandwidth for such ambition.

[h/t Thrillist]

Have you got a Big Question you’d like us to answer? If so, let us know by emailing us at bigquestions@mentalfloss.com.

Since rumors of a new bourbon Ben & Jerry’s flavor started swirling earlier this month, ice cream fanatics have been left wondering when and if such a glorious concoction might be made available. Well, they don’t have to wonder any longer: As TIME reports, Ben & Jerry’s has officially confirmed Urban Bourbon as part of their lineup with a release date set for mid-February.

The product is packed with decadent components like burnt caramel ice cream, almonds, and fudge flakes. But it’s the bourbon caramel swirls that have fans of fine liquor buzzing. Though this isn’t the first time Ben & Jerry’s has experimented with putting booze—or even bourbon—in its ice cream, the mix of so many crowd-pleasing ingredients in one carton sets it up to become an instant classic.

Ben & Jerry’s also announced two more additions to their family of ice cream: Oat of This Swirled, an oatmeal cookie flavor, and Truffle Kerfuffle, a vanilla ice cream with salted chocolate ganache and nuts. The two varieties will debut alongside Urban Bourbon next month.

[h/t TIME]

Few things are more frustrating than showing up to a restaurant during off hours to find a line out the door. Now, Google Maps users can be better equipped to avoid such situations, thanks to a new feature in “Popular Times.”

Before the app’s most recent update, the Popular Times tool consisted of a bar graph charting a business’s average foot traffic levels each hour of the day. As Mashable reports, the graphs now include pink bars indicating how busy a place is in real time. Google Maps has long used data taken from users’ location histories (something you can opt out of) to inform this feature, but this marks the first time it has used live location data for more accurate results.

 
With the option to see how crowded a business is at any given moment, people will be in the loop if a restaurant is suddenly flooded with a large party or a store closes at an odd time. As was the case before the update, Popular Times also indicates how long patrons tend to stay at a certain location—so you’ll have an idea if it’s worth waiting out the rush.

[h/t Mashable]

Let’s all take a deep breath. The lab-created “pig/human hybrid” being reported in the news this week is real, but it’s not quite the monster you might imagine. Researchers from the Salk Institute, who published their results in the journal Cell, have successfully coaxed human cells to grow inside pig embryos.

Chimeras (hybrid organisms) have always been a sticky issue both scientifically and ethically. Public opinion about this kind of science is hardly favorable, and the National Institutes of Health and other research bodies will not fund studies that involve the implantation of human stem cells into the eggs and embryos of other animals.

But many scientists, including the authors of the new paper, feel it’s important to keep doing it anyway. The first phase of the current research, which was funded by supporters of the Salk Institute, involved creating a cross between a rat and a mouse by implanting rat cells into mouse embryos. (Earlier this week, we reported on similar research in which scientists grew mouse organs inside rats, then transplanted them back into mice.) The researchers used gene editing to encourage those cells to develop into specific parts of the mice, including their eyes, hearts, or pancreata. They even coaxed the rat cells into becoming gallbladders—a very impressive feat, since rats don’t actually have gallbladders.

“This suggests that the reason a rat does not generate a gallbladder is not because it cannot,” co-author Jun Wu of the Salk Institute said in a statement, “but because the potential has been hidden by a rat-specific developmental program.”

Next, the team attempted to try the same technique with human cells and non-human animal hosts. They decided to use cows and pigs, since their organs are naturally similar in size to our own.

But rats and mice are much more closely related to each other than pigs and humans are, so the process proved much more complicated. Part of the difficulty involved timing: Pig embryos develop faster than humans do.

“It’s as if the human cells were entering a freeway going faster than the normal freeway,” said lead investigator Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte. “If you have different speeds, you will have accidents.”

After four years of work by more than 40 people, the researchers achieved their goal. Human cells acclimated to pig embryos and grew inside them alongside the pigs’ own parts. The growth period was brief (3 to 4 weeks); the researchers cut the experiment short well before the embryos became piglets. They were not about to create actual ManBearpigs.

“The ultimate goal is to grow functional and transplantable tissue or organs, but we are far away from that,” Izpisua Belmonte said. “This is an important first step.”

Some celebrants call it the Spring Festival, a stretch of time that signals the progression of the lunisolar Chinese calendar; others know it as the Chinese New Year. For a 15-day period beginning January 28, China will welcome the Year of the Rooster, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac table.

Sound unfamiliar? No need to worry: Check out 10 facts about how one-sixth of the world’s total population rings in the new year.

1.THE HOLIDAY WAS ORIGINALLY MEANT TO SCARE OFF A MONSTER.

As legend would have it, many of the trademarks of the Chinese New Year are rooted in an ancient fear of Nian, a ferocious monster who would wait until the first day of the year to terrorize villagers. Acting on the advice of a wise old sage, the townspeople used loud noises from drums, fireworks, and the color red to scare him off—all remain components of the celebration today.

2. A LOT OF FAMILIES USE IT AS MOTIVATION TO CLEAN THE HOUSE.

While the methods of honoring the Chinese New Year have varied over the years, it originally began as an opportunity for households to cleanse their quarters of “huiqi,” or the breaths of those that lingered in the area. Families performed meticulous cleaning rituals to honor deities that they believed would pay them visits. The holiday is still used as a time to get cleaning supplies out, although the work is supposed to be done before it officially begins.

3. IT WILL PROMPT BILLIONS OF TRIPS.

Because the Chinese New Year places emphasis on family ties, hundreds of millions of people will use the Lunar period to make the trip home. Accounting for cars, trains, planes, and other methods of transport, the holiday is likely to prompt over three billion trips.

4. IT INVOLVES A LOT OF SUPERSTITIONS.

While not all revelers subscribe to embedded beliefs about what not to do during the Chinese New Year, others try their best to observe some very particular prohibitions. Visiting a hospital or taking medicine is believed to invite ill health; lending or borrowing money will promote debt; crying children can bring about bad luck.

5. SOME PEOPLE RENT BOYFRIENDS OR GIRLFRIENDS TO SOOTHE PARENTS.

In China, it’s sometimes frowned upon to remain single as you enter your thirties. When singles return home to visit their parents, they can opt for any number of people offering to pose as their significant other in order to make it appear like they’re a couple and avoid parental scolding. Rent-a-boyfriends or girlfriends can get an average of $145 a day.

6. RED ENVELOPES ARE EVERYWHERE.

An often-observed tradition during Spring Festival is to give gifts of red envelopes containing money. (The color red symbolizes energy and fortune.) New bills are expected; old, wrinkled cash is a sign of laziness. People sometimes walk around with cash-stuffed envelopes in case they run into someone they need to give a gift to. If someone offers you an envelope, it’s best to accept it with both hands and open it in private.

7. IT CAN CREATE RECORD LEVELS OF SMOG.

Fireworks are a staple of Spring Festival in China, but there’s more danger associated with the tradition than explosive mishaps. Cities like Beijing can experience a 15-fold increase in particulate pollution. Last year, Shanghai banned the lighting of fireworks within the metropolitan area.

8. BLACK CLOTHES ARE A BAD OMEN.

So are white clothes. In China, both black and white apparel is traditionally associated with mourning and are to be avoided during the Lunar month. That’s been a bit of a paradoxical tradition for Thailand-based Chinese, who are still wearing black in mourning over King Bhumibol, the decades-long monarch who recently passed. The red, colorful clothes favored for the holiday might be too bright, so some are opting for gold or silver.

9. IT LEADS TO PLANES BEING STUFFED FULL OF CHERRIES.

Cherries are such a popular food during the Festival that suppliers need to go to extremes in order to meet demand: Singapore Airlines recently flew four chartered jets to South East and North Asian areas. More than 300 tons are being delivered in time for the festivities.

10. PANDA EXPRESS IS HOPING IT’LL CATCH ON IN THE STATES.

Although their Chinese food menu runs more along the lines of Americanized fare, franchise Panda Express is still hoping the U.S. will get more involved in the Festival. The chain is promoting the holiday in its locations by running ad spots and giving away a red envelope containing a gift: a coupon for free food. Aside from a boost in business, Panda Express hopes to raise awareness about the popular holiday in North America.

All images courtesy of iStock.

During the Great Depression, Irma Rombauer wrote the book that would serve as America’s kitchen user manual for decades to come. Joy of Cooking contains thousands of recipes presented in a playful voice that evokes the feeling of a dear friend standing in the room with you. Though it’s known as the quintessential cookbook, Rombauer wasn’t exactly a master chef: Her true talent was hosting. She was known to throw a memorable party, and in Joy of Cooking she dedicated a whole section to the art of entertaining.

The chapter answered questions that readers in a pre-internet age would otherwise be left wondering, like what to serve a crowd and how to set a table. There have been several printings of Joy of Cooking (11 to be exact), but this indispensable section remains. For the best entertaining tips from the book we referred to the 75th anniversary edition, which includes the writing of Irma’s grandson Ethan Becker, her daughter Marion Rombauer Becker, and of course Irma Rombauer herself.

1. SAVE INTIMATE GATHERINGS FOR INTIMATE FRIENDS.

The first challenge hosts face is deciding the guest list. Should you limit the party to close friends or invite everyone you know? Will guests feel awkward if they don’t know anyone else there? These are all important questions to consider, and Joy of Cooking has some guidelines to help you navigate them:

We are frequently asked what is the perfect number for a dinner party. While there is no ideal answer to the question, there is probably a workable minimum: If guests are close friends, any number under eight will do. However, first-time acquaintances must be able to establish small centers of mutual interest, and we suggest that this can only be engineered with any degree of success in groups of at least eight. Select friends you think will genuinely enjoy each other, whether or not they’ve ever met.

2. STICK WITH YOUR STANDBYS.

A dinner party is a tempting excuse to test out an ambitious new recipe, but there’s no reason to make the night any harder than it has to be. Try to create as little work for yourself as possible by sticking with what you know. According to Joy of Cooking, you should “never, ever make a dish for company that you haven’t made before and mastered.”

This will likely mean serving the food you most love to eat. As long as the menu honors any allergy restrictions and avoids overly-spicy foods and polarizing ingredients (like offal), the authors emphasize you shouldn’t feel bad about falling back on your favorites. “Don’t hesitate to serve guests what you like to eat yourself,” the cookbook says. “Serving something you enjoy and are confident making is part of sharing yourself—even if that something is meatloaf or spaghetti and meatballs.”

3. CENTERPIECES SHOULDN’T DISTRACT FROM THE MEAL.

Sometimes it takes the right centerpiece to tie a table together. But if you aren’t careful, the decorations could end up getting in the way of the food and conversation. When choosing floral arrangements, always err on the side of subtlety. That goes for fragrance as well as the actual presentation. “Floral centerpieces or decorations should have no detectable scent—and neither should you: Heavy perfumes of any kind will compete with the aromas and flavors of the food,” Joy of Cooking instructs. “Select flowers in heights that will not obstruct conversation across the table.”

That doesn’t mean that you don’t have license to be creative. Refer back to your menu when selecting decor and pick a color palette that complements the meal.

4. THERE’S NO SHAME IN STORE-BOUGHT FOOD.

While supermarket rotisserie chicken may not be a winning main course to serve at a dinner party, there’s plenty of room for store-bought items on your table. Supplementing your menu with pre-made food frees up more time to focus on the dishes you decide to make from scratch. Of course, some commercially-made components are more successful than others—Joy of Cooking makes some helpful suggestions:

We often present appetizers from the local deli or market: pâté, bread, and cheeses, with an assortment of olives. And no guest has been known to turn down cake from a bakery, or store-bought ice cream and cookies. Maybe you didn’t make these foods, but you certainly made them possible.

5. SEATING MAKES OR BREAKS A PARTY.

Assigned seating is something modern dinner party hosts may not always consider, but according to Joy of Cooking, it can dictate the success of the whole night. Leaving place cards at each plate keeps guests from leaning on the people they know best and helps them connect with those who share their interests. The book reads: “Think about which friends may share similar hobbies or professions. Spouses should be seated apart unless it’s a family occasion.”

For parties where everyone’s acquainted, cards should be cleared as the first course arrives. Leave them at the table at large parties where guests are less familiar with one another, as they can be helpful tools for learning names.

6. DON’T SPEND ALL YOUR TIME IN THE KITCHEN.

It’s easy to get bogged down with tasks when throwing a dinner party, but first and foremost, hosting is an opportunity to spend the evening in good company. Do yourself a service by choosing dishes that can be prepared before your first guest arrives. “Plan foods that can be prepared ahead of time, so that you can spend more time at the table than over the stove,” the authors of Joy of Cooking write. This might mean serving a slow-cooked stew or casserole rather than a temperamental dish that requires constant attention.

As the book reminds readers, food isn’t the only component that should be taken care of before the party gets underway:

Five minutes before your guests are expected, everything should be organized and in readiness: appetizers, wine, and cocktails—which may be simple—on a convenient side table; plates warming in the oven, a warming drawer, or the dry cycle of a dishwasher; and the dining table completely set, needing only that last-minute ceremonial touch, the lighting of the candles.

7. WELCOME CHAOS.

Even meticulous party planners are vulnerable to setbacks. A dropped serving platter, a faulty oven, or a traffic jam delaying half the guests are all minor disasters that are impossible to prepare for. The most you can do is take care of what circumstances are under your control and accept that they might change. Hosts who still feel anxious about potential problems can turn to Joy of Cooking for comfort:

If last minute, something does happen to upset your well-laid plans, rise to the occasion. The mishap may be the making of your party. Remember that way back in Roman times, Horace observed, “A host is like a general: it takes a mishap to reveal his genius.”

8. RESIST THE URGE TO CLEAN.

After the plates have been cleared and the coffee has been served, hosts have one last hurdle to overcome: ignoring the pile of dirty dishes waiting for them in the kitchen. The temptation to jump into cleaning mode may be strong, but it should be resisted in favor of spending quality time with your guests. After clearing the table two plates at a time and putting them out of sight, sit down and enjoy what’s left of the night. Be prepared to turn down dishwashing offers from your party guests: As Joy of Cooking points out, the compulsion to tidy isn’t limited to the host. “Resist, as well, the kind of good-intentioned rush to help that often turns a dinner’s aftermath into a volunteer free-for-all,” the authors write, “The more people who remain at the table at meal’s end the better—and that includes you.”

9. PRACTICE YOUR SKILLS AT BRUNCH.

If the thought of throwing a full-on dinner party makes you nervous, consider hosting a Sunday brunch. Your friends will be grateful to skip the long lines that come with going out and instead enjoy a home-cooked meal. At the same time, you’ll gain valuable hosting experience in a low-stress setting. According to Joy of Cooking, “The meal we call brunch is an easy one to prepare and a good way for beginners to practice their entertaining skills.”

The authors suggest serving make-ahead baked goods like muffins, bagels, and scones and egg dishes that can be served family-style like quiches and frittatas. Dishes like eggs benedict, no matter how delicious, need to be prepared individually and should be avoided. Don’t forget to serve mimosas or a pitcher of Bloody Marys to make it a true brunch.

10. OR SKIP COOKING ALTOGETHER.

A lack of interest, or skills, in the kitchen shouldn’t stop you from entertaining. Organizing a party can be as simple as setting out a tray of booze.

“The cocktail party is an estimable but endangered social institution,” Joy of Cooking reads. It continues:

Its demise may be blamed on factors as various as the regrettable decline of the art of conversation and flirtation and the growing acceptance that dinner by itself is sufficient diversion for an evening. We steadfastly defend the cocktail party, however, as an American invention and an uncomplicated and extremely pleasant means of entertaining.

Unless you’re a master mixologist, the book recommends choosing one cocktail and preparing it in large batches. Another option is to set out liquor, mixers, ice, and tools and allow guests to prepare the drinks themselves. Nonalcoholic options, like mineral water or freshly squeezed juice, should always be provided, as should hors d’oeuvres so the drinks don’t “quickly overwhelm the party.” This doesn’t mean you’ll have to turn on the stove: Picking up crackers and pâté from the local store is perfectly fine.

11. DON’T GET HUNG UP ON THE RULES.

There’s something satisfying about laying out a proper place setting or getting the timing right on a three-course meal, but at the end of the day, the memories you made with the people you care about are what really matter. Joy of Cooking sends off aspiring hosts with this final thought:

Remember, even after all this instruction, never let the rules get between you, your guests, and the food. Long after the meal passes, your guests will remember only a wonderful day or evening spent in the pleasure of your company rather than a misplaced saucer, missing salad fork, or an empty water glass.

Additional Sources
Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition

All images courtesy of iStock unless otherwise noted.

Rural drivers have more to watch out for on the road than stray cats. A run-in with a moose or deer could be deadly. Volvo, the Swedish car maker, has a high-tech answer, according to WIRED. The Volvo Large Animal Detection, available in some 2017 models, can detect animals approaching the road—even if the driver can’t.

The radar-based system works during the day and at night, unlike previous night-vision systems that can only work when it’s dark. The radar detects animal-like shapes and movements around the car, and cameras can identify them with certainty. If it senses an animal moving slowly from the side of the road toward the car, it will warn the driver; if the driver doesn’t respond immediately, it will automatically put on the brakes. The intensity of the braking is based on where the animal is, how big it is, and where it’s headed, which means it won’t slam on the brakes if it spots a deer that’s already running away from the road.

Hitting a big animal like a moose—or even just a deer—isn’t something to take lightly. In the U.S., the Department of Transportation estimates that between 1 and 2 million cars collide with large animals each year, and up to 10 percent (26,000) of those collisions result in an injury to the driver—about 200 of which are fatal. Moose and elk are particularly dangerous to drivers. Even if you don’t get hurt, it can cost thousands of dollars to repair the vehicle damage from slamming into a big animal on the road—up to $4000 for a collision with a moose.

The technology is programmed specifically for the country where the car is sold, so Swedish cars are designed to detect moose and elk, while U.S.-bound cars are set up to locate deer. But it’s not perfect. It can’t help you avoid hitting Fido, and if the animal is hidden or if it’s out of range of the headlights at night, it won’t be able to detect it. A particularly speedy deer could get past it without detection, too.

Automated safety technology such as Volvo’s can make a significant difference when it comes to car crashes. Tesla’s automated steering and braking technology has resulted in a 40 percent reduction in Tesla crashes. Self-driving cars might one day eliminate human error on the road completely, but until then, having an extra set of technological eyes on the road can make even traditional cars a little safer.

[h/t WIRED]

All images courtesy of Volvo.

Word nerds can condense just about anything into a haiku: Disney movies, American history, and even politicians’ speeches. Now, NPR reports, a weekly newspaper in small-town Mississippi is using the ancient Japanese art form to breathe new life into routine community news.

The Enterprise-Tocsin in Indianola, Mississippi is publishing—and tweeting—a new “Crime Haiku of the Week.” The paper’s publisher, Charlie Smith, launched the recurring poem last month to make its police blotter, called “Cops & Robbers,” a little more interesting.

Each Wednesday while on deadline, Smith takes a report and transforms it into three 5-7-5-syllable phrases. He also changed the text-heavy column’s layout so its contents framed the haiku.

Thanks NPR’s @colintdwyer for reporting on our crime haikus. Even a haiku headline: https://t.co/s2GQ8cLDtX

— Enterprise-Tocsin (@IndianolaMSnews) January 26, 2017

At first, the blotter’s playful makeover garnered zero feedback, but Smith’s mom was a fan, and encouraged him to keep it up. The newspaper publisher eventually realized that Twitter was the perfect platform for his micro-poems, and he began posting them to social media this past week.

“In an effort to reach the new era of digital-savvy, poetry-loving Millennials, we have begun publishing a ‘Crime Haiku of the Week,'” The Enterprise-Tocsin newspaper tweeted. Smith’s plan worked: People are now “liking” and retweeting his poems, and some are even submitting their own verses.

Check out a sampling of The Enterprise-Tocsin’s haikus below, and while you’re at it, try taking a stab at the art form yourself. (Believe it or not/it’s actually pretty fun/writing crime haikus.)

Five Greenville women
travel to our Walmart store
with larcenous plans

— Enterprise-Tocsin (@IndianolaMSnews) January 25, 2017

When it gets chilly
warming your car feels cozy
But thieves like it, too.

— Enterprise-Tocsin (@IndianolaMSnews) January 25, 2017

Three shotguns stolen
Owner not smiling one bit
But ducks can relax

— Enterprise-Tocsin (@IndianolaMSnews) January 25, 2017

This weeks’ offering, drawn from the real-life headlines:

She said a ‘dope boy’
stabbed that man Saturday night;
but knife in her house.

— Enterprise-Tocsin (@IndianolaMSnews) January 25, 2017

[h/t NPR]

Museums are great places to learn about history, science, and even math, but if the language arts were your favorite subject in school, there are fewer options. As City Lab reports, philanthropist Ann B. Friedman is hoping to change that with a new institution dedicated to all things linguistics. Washington D.C. officials recently announced that the historic Franklin School building downtown will serve as the home for Planet Word.

At the free museum, visitors of all ages and reading levels will find immersive exhibits and activities meant to inspire a love of language.

“Visitors will hear the hottest spoken-voice poets, listen to authors read from their newest books, and have an opportunity to enroll in classes on songwriting, storytelling, or sign language,” according to the museum’s website. “They’ll create a marketing campaign, listen to themselves give a famous speech, or climb a rhyming word wall. Visitors will solve problems by being forensic linguists or visiting our in-house language research lab. When it’s time for a break, snacks, and meals chock-full of wordplay will be available at the museum café.”

Linguistics is more than just a quirky theme to set Planet Word apart in a city of museums. It’s also a mission that’s close to the hearts of the people behind the project. According to the museum, 21 percent of adults read below a fifth-grade reading level, and according to The Annie E. Casey Foundation, kids who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Planet Word emphasizes that the space is meant for all types of visitors, including non-English speakers. CEO and Founder Ann Friedman says on the website:

“Where would we be without words? We would be less human. Without words we couldn’t communicate precisely and in our own distinctive style. We couldn’t read, write, talk, debate, joke, rhyme, sing, pray, chant, or cheer.”

She goes on to describe some of the activities the museum will offer including climbing a Tower of Babel, crawling through a prepositional playground, and identifying what word you use to describe a “hoagie.” It’s hard to imagine what some of these exhibits might look like in reality, but logophiles will know soon enough: The museum is expected to open to the public by winter 2019.

[h/t City Lab]