A Belarusian television company associated with the government of Belarus, created a show featuring four nerdy scientists living next to an attractive waitress named The Theorists. When the actors found out their show was an unlicensed rip of The Big Bang Theory, they quit.
Australians Have Been Eating a Fish Previously Unknown to Science
Australians already confront crazy-looking (and deadly) animals on a daily basis, so it probably never occurred to them to question a fish that tasted pretty okay and didn’t kill anyone once ingested.
They probably didn’t expect to find out, though, that literally no one had ever heard of or seen the fish before, anywhere in the world.
Well, at least not before 2000, when a fisherman sent pictures of a mystery grouper to fish expert and Queensland Museum curator Jeff Johnson. But even though he saw images of the strange fish a few more times over the years, it wasn’t until 2017 that he got his hands on a physical specimen.
How do you identify a possible new species of fish if the fisherman ate it for dinner? Find out how Queensland Museum ichthyologist Jeff Johnson finally got his hands on a rare species of cod specimen after a 15 year quest. Read more: https://t.co/nPlng6ukhJ #qldmuseum
— Queensland Museum (@qldmuseum) October 16, 2019
He nabbed 5 of them, actually, at a Brisbane fish market, and set to work identifying the apparently yummy swimmer.
“As soon as I saw them, I thought they were probably a new species, so I purchased all five and began the hard work of formally proving they were a new species,” he said in a statement. “I’ve been told they are quite tasty.”
He and museum geneticist Dr. Jessica Worthington Wilmer worked together to confirm his suspicions, and the new species was named Epinephelus fuscomarginatus.
The new subspecies of grouper isn’t so distinctive looking that people with untrained eyes would notice it straight away, and given that most groupers are fairly generic-looking fish, it’s understandable – if slightly worrying – that no one consuming it gave it a second thought.
The Epinephelus fuscomarginatus is about 27 inches long and lives about 750 feet down along the center of the Great Barrier Reef.
This grouper, interestingly, is not the only species to recently be discovered on its way to someone’s plate. In 2011, a new species of shark was discovered in a Taiwanese fish market, and in 2018, a different shark, thought to be extinct, showed up in a market in Mumbai.
In 2010, researchers discovered a species of monkey that sneezes when it rains, but lost their specimen when the locals in Myanmar ate it.
Oops. Dinner takes precedence over science, you know. I’m not even mad.
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A Lab Worker Pricked Herself with Genetically Modified Smallpox and the Resulting Infection Was No Joke
It’s estimated that smallpox has killed around 300 million people throughout history, and it remains the only infectious (human-borne) disease to have been completely eradicated worldwide. Because it is easily modified, however, similar viruses can be found in laboratories and other testing facilities around the world.
And that’s how one lab worker got into some very terrifying – and disgusting – trouble.
When the 26-year-old scientist got notice that she would be changing jobs to one that would involve working with the vaccinia virus (VACV) – a large, complex virus related to smallpox – she was informed of the risks and advised to get a vaccination against it.
She declined, citing concerns about adverse effects and worries over managing the infectious lesion at the injection site…a choice I feel comfortable saying she probably regretted.
Because soon after starting her job, she accidentally pricked herself with a needle containing the genetically altered strain while she was attempting to prick a mouse.
Though she immediately washed the wound, notified her supervisor, and visited the local emergency department, the wound got far, far worse before it began to get better.
Image Credit: CDC
The emergency room physicians washed it again, advised her not to let it come into contact with others, and sent her home with a prescription for continuous monitoring.
After 10 days, it had worsened to the point that she was referred to the CDC. Two days after that, she ended up in the emergency room again, this time with a fever, swollen lymph nodes, pain, and a worsening infection in her finger.
She was given vaccinia antibodies to help her immune system fight off the virus, as well as antibiotics for a secondary infection in her open wound, and she felt better after 48 hours.
The infection, however, did not completely clear up until Day 94.
Image Credit: CDC
It’s not clear, still, what strain of the virus infected the lab worker, which is a bit concerning, says the case report.
“Neither the patient nor the occupational health physician could specify the concentration or strain of VACV preparation used by the patient. Upon inquiry, the study sponsor informed investigators that one of two genetically altered Western Reserve strains could have been involved. The patient was injecting multiple groups of mice with different strains and did not recall which strain she used when the needlestick injury occurred.
The infection cleared up on Day 94, though the worker was relieved of lab duties for 4 months due to her necrosis and a continued potential for transmission.
Alls well that ends well, I suppose. It’s what those poor mice would say, anyway.
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Some Anti-Vaxxers Shamelessly Made Fun of Immunocompromised Patients in the ER
Anti-vaxxers aren’t shy about their opinions, but one pair of anti-vax parents really took things too far by publicly making fun of immunocompromised patients in the ER.
A Redditor posted a screenshot of the parents’ facebook post in a subreddit appropriately called r/Trash.
The anonymous couple had to take their son to the ER, where they were quarantined due to their son’s unvaccinated status. Unvaccinated people pose a serious risk to immunocompromised folks, who often can’t get vaccines because of their condition. Immunocompromised people are vulnerable even to infectious diseases that vaccinated people are immune to. Thus, the quarantine.
Photo Credit: Pexels
“We had to come to the ER after an emergency with my son falling at the playground,” the parents wrote. “We were questioned about our vaccine choices, then it was brought up 3 times on how we should give him a tetanus shot and then 6 hours into our visit we were ‘isolated’ in a room with gowns and gloves so we don’t ‘infect’ any of the immunocompromised patients.”
They then posted a photo of their response to that concern. In the photo, both parents are flipping the bird.
They finished by reassuring readers that their kid is ok. “Had a little surgery and he is on the mend.”
Commenters on Reddit were furious — the title of the post is “I’m Ready to F*cking Fight,” which everybody was upon reading this post.
“Why even bother going to the hospital if they don’t believe in medicine?” one commenter asked.
“Imagine knowing the symptoms of tetanus and deciding that it’s ok and worth the risk,” another pointed out.
Sigh. At least the hospital did their job to protect their patients by quarantining these parents who clearly don’t give AF.
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A Creepy Fish with a Human Face Was Caught on Video in China
Fish can be called many things – slimy, weird, googly-eyed, delicious – but until now, human-like is about the last thing I would use to describe them.
If I had been the person to see this fish in the flesh – er, scales – I honestly am not sure that I would ever recover.
The video was captured at a freshwater lake in southwestern China, and the fish is believed to be from the species Cyprinus carpino (a carp). They come in a variety of colors ranging from olive to silver (in the wild), and in captivity, can sport any number of colors and patterns (like koi fish). And apparently, some of those patterns may involve black outlines that resemble a human face.
Image Credit: YouTube
The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (and other fish experts) says the human tendency to anthropomorphize animals (see human characteristics where there aren’t any) is responsible for the fact that the fish seems to have a face. But if you look closely, you can see that it actually has does not have one.
At least, not a human face.
Image Credit: YouTube
Scientists believe that humans anthropomorphize animals as a way to enhance our ability to read cues, body language, and other behaviors that have aided in our survival as a species. The ability is “supported by a set of cognitive mechanisms that are both an automatic response to any human-like behavior and reflective,” like thinking your dog is hungry when he sits in front of his food dish.
Image Credit: YouTube
Though a similar video was debunked by Snopes (after amassing over 9 million views) earlier in 2019, so far, the jury on this slimy little fellow is still out.
Here’s the video – you decide!
I don’t know what I think – except that I’m probably not visiting China any time soon.
What about you?
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You Can Stop Putting These Foods in the Fridge
Some foods will quickly spoil if you don’t put them in the refrigerator.
And then there are other foods that you should honestly never put into the fridge at all.
Some of these foods simply don’t need to take up precious fridge space when they could easily sit out on the counter. Others can actually become lower-quality in the fridge.
In the first category are pickles and hot sauce. Both contain ingredients that naturally keep the product from going bad, even if they’re not in the fridge. Nuts are another example of foods that easily stay fresh at room temperature.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
In the second category, there are many types of produce that don’t need to be in the fridge, including onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, whole melons, and basil. In all of these cases, the cooler temperatures actually change the texture of the produce, making them less fresh.
Instead, store these in a dry place with plenty of ventilation.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
The fridge can also interrupt the ripening process for certain types of produce. Avocados can go in the fridge or on the counter, depending on whether they’re ripe (if ripe, put in fridge to keep them good for longer). Stone fruits like peaches can also be left at room temperature to ripen perfectly.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Other items that should never go into the fridge include olive oil and honey, which can actually turn solid when cold (and it’s kind of icky).
The more you know!
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A Man Built a Tiny Bookstore on Wheels to Deliver Books to Villages Without Bookstores
Books remain a very popular pastime, even in the age of social media. Unfortunately, with the advent of e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle, physical book stores are going out of business. But people remain passionate about the power of idly browsing through shelves of books.
That’s what motivated Jean-Jacques Megel-Nuber to create a tiny bookstore on wheels. Jean-Jacques of Alsace, France hired a tiny home maker to create the portable library in 2015. He calls it Au Vrai Chic Littérère.
Jean-Jacques drives the bookstore all around Alsace, bringing the magic of books to small villages in the area. He often shows up at festivals, events, or other public places where he’s been invited. His goal is to make books more accessible and affordable.
The cozy design of the bookstore was intended to make folks curious enough to go inside, Jean-Jacques says.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BX27lZFg–y/
“I wanted a little feeling of a cabin and an aura of a small bookstore, which both evoke a lot of dreaming,” Jean-Jacques told Architectural Digest.
He added to Fortune that he needed “a place that makes people want to enter.”
That tiny space houses around 3000 books. In addition to the bookshelves, the structure contains a small place for Jean-Jacques to sleep while he travels. As you can imagine, it can get tricky to tow the bookstore — it’s a very heavy and delicate load! All those books weigh about 1,300 pounds.
But we’d guess that it’s totally worth the trouble, if only to see the reactions on people’s faces when they get to crawl inside this dreamy bookstore.
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10 Facts About the Colorado Hotel Stephen King Stayed at When He Came up with “The Shining”
I love all-things horror, and the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, is definitely on my bucket list to visit someday. The hotel was author Stephen King’s inspiration for The Shining, which was published in 1977 and was made into a great horror film in 1980.
King published Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining, in 2013, and the movie version was released just last week. While we’re at it, let’s take a look at the trailer for Doctor Sleep.
And now here are 10 interesting facts about the infamous Stanley Hotel.
1. One night stay
View this post on Instagram
King and his wife Tabitha stayed at the Stanley for one night back in 1974 when King was working as a teacher in Boulder, Colorado.
2. Solitary
The night that King and his wife stayed at the hotel, they were the only guests in the whole place. The Stanley was not a year-round hotel until 1982, and it was the end of the season the night the Kings stayed there.
3. A hard time.
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In 1974, Stephen King was suffering from alcoholism and writer’s block.
4. The creepy room.
The Kings stayed in Room 217 the night of the visit, which he wrote into The Shining.
5. The clawfoot tub…
#argylegoolsby #theshining #stephenking #stanleyhotel #room217 #hotel #wasntmeThe tub in Room 217 inspired The Shining. King opened the curtain and said to himself, “What if somebody died here? At that moment, I knew I had a book.”
6. The bartender.
After his wife Tabitha went to sleep, King went to the hotel bar and the bartender was named Lloyd Delbert Grady. King used the bartender’s name as inspiration for the characters “Lloyd” the bartender and “Delbert Grady,” the previous caretaker.
7. No cash exchanged.
View this post on Instagram
King tried to give the bartender a $20 bill, and Lloyd Delbert Grady said, “Your money is no good here,” just like in the film. Because it was the end of the season, Grady didn’t want to add more money to his till.
8. But there was another kind of exchange.
Lloyd gave King a glass of whiskey for free, and the writer told him about some ideas he had for books. Lloyd told him personal stories about working at the hotel.
9. Step outside.
View this post on Instagram
King had a nightmare the evening he slept at the Stanley. The next morning he woke up, smoked a cigarette on the balcony outside Room 217, and by the end of his smoke he had the beginning, middle, and end of The Shining in his head.
10. Booked up.
These days, if you want to reserve Room 217 at the Stanley Hotel, keep in mind that it’s usually booked up a year in advance.
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Take a Look at the 15 Most Popular Disney Tattoos
I’ve seen a lot of Disney tattoos in my day, but now we have some rankings of the most popular ones, put together by Play Like Mum.
The website did some research and crunched the numbers and determined that these are the top 15 most popular Disney tattoos around the world.
Let’s take a look!
15. Brave
. Mais uma Merida do FlashDay! . . . 
orçamentos exclusivamente pelo e-mail : Studiolotus.tattoo@gmail.com . #studiolotustattoo #tattoocampinas #tatuadora #dehtattoo #merida #meridabrave #meridatattoo #brave #bravetattoo #disneytatts #disneytattoos #disneytattooart #watercolortattoo #watercolortattoos #campinastattoo #campinastatuagem #aquarelatattoo #tatuagemaquarela14. Bambi
#bambi #bambii #disneytattoo #disney #disneylandparis #disneyprincess #disneylife #character #cartoontattoos #cartoon #colourpop #colortattoo #hearttattoo #heart #sweetgirl #sweetcouple #cutecouple #cuteeyes13. Hercules
12. Toy Story
DM11. Winnie the Pooh
#tattoo #tattooed #ink #inked #inkedgirls #disneytattoo #kawaiitattoo #kawaii #disney #winniethepooh #winniethepoohtattoo #badmojotattoo #mapachesho #polandtattoos #simpletattoo #forearmtattoo #inkstagram #inkaddict #inkspiration #followme #cutetattoo
tattoos, cats & adventures10. Minnie Mouse
9. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
8. Sleeping Beauty
@josiesexton7. Beauty and the Beast
… For any and all pricing/booking questions please email me at kevinfurnesstattoo@gmail.com @seventattoolv #seventattoostudio #seventattoo #seventattoolv #lasvegastattooartist #lasvegastattoo #vegastattooartist #vegastattoo #doodletron #kevinfurness #kevinfurnesstattoo #belle #belletattoo #beautyandthebeast #beautyandthebeasttattoo #disney #disneytattoo #disneytattoos #enchantedrose6. Peter Pan
#peterpan @piercings_by_lauramaree @barberdtssupplies @inkjecta @inkjectapro @stencilstuff @redemptiontattoocare @eikondevice @ezcartridgecouk . . @eternalink @fusion_ink #redemptiontattoocare #stencilstuff #eikondevice #eikonems420 #inkjecta #hydraneedles #griffintubes #tattoosnob #danegrannon #danegrannontattooer #bestoftheday #tattoo #tattooistartmag #inkaddicts #shockmansion #oldschool #traditional #disney #horizontattooco
5. Lilo and Stitch
. . Orçamentos por dm ou WhatsApp: (11) 9891480814. The Little Mermaid
3. Mickey Mouse
2. The Lion King
1. Alice in Wonderland
Now I know that some of you folks out there have Disney tattoos…
Share them with us in the comments!
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15 Funny Tweets About the DMV That Hopefully Won’t Make You Miserable
The DMV is a special kind of hell, isn’t it? The employees are often…unpleasant, the other people waiting are in a bad mood, and overall it’s just a miserable endeavor.
But, since we’ve all been there and it’s a shared human experience, let’s laugh at these funny tweets about spending time at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
1. Gee, thanks a lot.
I had to update my driver’s license photo at the DMV and I complained that I looked terrible in it and the guy said, “Lady, that’s literally exactly what you look like” and now my day is ruined.
— Mommy Owl (@Lhlodder) October 22, 2019
2. Hahahaha. Amazing.
Just heard somebody at the DMV say, “Since my liscense suspended don’t touch my mf organs”
— Charles Burney (@Charles_Burney) February 27, 2019
3. Time to throw in the towel.
been waiting at the DMV for an hour and a half and just watched a man remove his sandals and put the bottoms of his feet together and intertwine his toes like his feet were holding hands I just wanna go home
— kay (@kaydargs) June 26, 2018
4. All worn out.
There’s a good reason why Ferris Bueller’s day off was about a teenager, and not a 40 year old man. Today I’m getting an oil change, emissions tested, and going to the DMV. I almost fell asleep typing that.
— Jeff (@tiredntweeten) June 13, 2019
5. Sir, you need that as well.
The dmv be like u forgot the Declaration of Independence
— bri (@snotnosedbratt) May 29, 2019
6. It’s been a long year.
I’m at the DMV, celebrating the one year anniversary of when I got in line.
— The Personification of Nevil (@TheAlexNevil) October 25, 2018
7. Not a good vibe.
Just walked into the DMV saw the ambiance & left. They gonna have to just take me to jail I work too hard to be in that environment.
— Vince Staples (@vincestaples) May 16, 2018
8. God doesn’t go in there.
God is everywhere. Except the DMV. There you're on your own.
— Josh Peck (@ItsJoshPeck) October 27, 2016
9. I don’t think she got it.
“This system is so kafkaesque,” I murmured knowingly to the woman standing next to me at the DMV. Very rudely she did not remove her headphones. “This system is so kafkaesque!” I exclaimed again, slightly louder.
— AUTHOR In Your MFA (@GuyInYourMFA) August 17, 2019
10. Not off to a good start.
Me: hi
Lady working at the DMV: pic.twitter.com/zEClMnUmny— big sean slander account (@hancockonetwo) May 22, 2019
11. That makes a lot of sense.
I was at the DMV and I gave the worker my birth certificate and she said she couldn't accept it because it was ripped. Um… I am 43-years-old, I am surprised my birth certificate hasn't disintegrated. Dmvfuckery is the worst.
— Christopher Bouzy (@cbouzy) March 18, 2019
12. You did what you had to do.
At the DMV with a 2 year old and a new baby. Both of whom have been excellent and well-behaved for over an hour, but they just started crying at the same time.
Woman just asked me to "do something, cuz they're bothering other people."
So I did something.
Told her to fuck off.— Emily Greene (@EmAsInMoney) April 3, 2019
13. The man was a legend.
At the DMV and thinking of how iconic my grandfather was because he used to memorize the letters on the vision exam and pretend he could see
— Destiny (@_chismosa_) August 19, 2019
14. Let’s play a game.
I like to ask strangers in line at the DMV to guess my weight just so I can see what I can get away with putting on my license.
— elizabeth (@Elizasoul80) July 29, 2014
15. That’s about the worst thing you could ever hear.
Ladies at the dmv telling me I don’t have the right paperwork after I sat there waiting for 5 hours pic.twitter.com/6VYzax6vCx
— boo boo the fool
(@holden_a_fork) September 20, 2018
Share your worst DMV experience with us in the comments!
Let’s compare notes!
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