Month: January 2020

Posted on

The Irish Elk, an extinct species of deer, stood…

The Irish Elk, an extinct species of deer, stood 7 feet tall at the shoulders and had 12 foot wide antlers. The Irish Elk was the third largest deer to ever live, but had the largest and heaviest antler of any animal in the deer family. It went extinct 7000 years ago.

Posted on

Tardigrades Are the Most Resilient Animals on Earth, but Even They Will Struggle with Climate Change

Tardigrades are tough little sons of guns; they can survive freezing temperatures, being boiled, and even the vacuum of space. They don’t need to drink water or breathe air to stay alive. But scientists seem to have hit on one thing that might be a killer for them–global warming.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

Ricardo Neves, from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, led a team of researchers to study how well a species of tardigrade, Ramazzottius varieornatus, could handle different environments.

Neves told Newsweek,

One of the [things] that makes tardigrades so interesting is their extraordinary ability to survive in environments characterized by severe conditions, such as environments without oxygen or water and temperatures close to the absolute zero. Moreover, we were aware of previous studies reporting on their ability to endure high temperatures (up to 151 C) for short exposure times (up to one hour). However, it remained to be seen whether tardigrades could endure exposure to high temperatures for periods exceeding one hour, which we tested in our study.

This particular species of tardigrades can be found in roof gutters where they can easily reproduce and feed in freshwater. When there’s no water and conditions are dry, the R. varieornatus survive by entering a state of suspended animation called cryptobiosis.

Tardigrade

When the team examined the creatures under different temperature ranges and time lengths, they discovered that, despite what pop-science websites have touted, tardigrades do have a weakness.

Fifty percent of the tardigrades in an active state died when the temperature was 37.1 C (98.78 F). Given a period to acclimatize, they could survive at 37.6 C (99.68 F). In a state of cryptobiosis, they survived temperatures up to 82.7 C (180.86 F) for one hour. When exposed for 24 hours, they could survive a maximum temperature of 63.1 C (145.58 F).

The record high in Denmark is 36.4 C (97.52 F), which is close to the maximum temperature half of the tardigrades in an active state could survive. This points to a potential struggle for survival as temperatures around the globe rise.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

What was once considered an animal that could literally survive anything is now showing its own vulnerability to climate change. Neves said tardigrades have shown they can acclimatize, but he also wonders how other living beings will cope.

He, and the rest of the world, are going to find out. Like it or not, the Earth is warming and humanity is not doing enough to stop it from happening.

The post Tardigrades Are the Most Resilient Animals on Earth, but Even They Will Struggle with Climate Change appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

The Walkman Is Still Here. Cassette Players Are Making a Comeback with New Technology.

Cool!

Spotify and Apple Music may not need to worry just yet, but the two popular music streaming services should keep an eye on an old adversary: cassette tapes.

Thanks to the work of one French company, the personal audio cassette player is making comeback. And this time, things are a little different.

Mulann is a European company that produces magnetic strips for items like debit and credit cards. However, those magnetic strips are also used for audio by professional recording engineers to capture film and music footage.

Just four years ago, Mulann made a savvy business move to create a subsidiary company called Recording the Masters. It’s mission? To take advantage of the rapid rise in demand for analog music in the form of cassette tapes.

CEO Jean-Luc Renou acknowledged that the digital music industry is king. Yet, he made an interesting comparison in describing the possibility of a co-existing relationship between analog and digital music.

“It’s like heating. In your home, you have heaters in every room–high numbers–and that’s not going to change. That’s digital,” Renou explained. “But you can also have a single fireplace, and it takes time to experience something different–this is analogue. The fireplace isn’t going to replace your heaters and the heaters won’t forever kill the fireplace.”

Of course, technological advances have made it possible to incorporate some new features into portable cassette players, which became popular in the 1980s thanks to the Sony Walkman. In fact, Mulann partnered with La Toile sur Ecoute to launch a modernized portable cassette player that will feature significantly better sound quality, bluetooth connectivity and a rechargeable battery all at a cost of $76.

That price point should help capture a share of the growing market for old-school musical formats. One report revealed that in 2018, there were more than 219,000 audio cassettes sold in the United States. That represented a massive leap from the 178,000 sold the year prior.

And while 80 percent of music is streamed in the United States, it is never too late to ditch the digital and enjoy the authenticity of analog music.

The post The Walkman Is Still Here. Cassette Players Are Making a Comeback with New Technology. appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Here are Some Interesting Maps of Stuff You Wouldn’t Normally Think to Map

I remember studying atlases for hours when I was a kid and being fascinated by all of the exotic and strange places around the world.

So in the spirit of rekindling my childhood obsession with all things map-related, here are some very interesting maps about all kinds of random things that are quite fascinating.

Let’s take a look.

1. An eagle’s movements tracked over a 20-year period.

Photo Credit: Reddit

2. Tracking different packs of wolves in Voyageurs National Park. You can see how they avoid each other’s territory.

Photo Credit: Reddit

3. Countries talked about in the Bible.

Photo Credit: Reddit

4. The U.S. from an Alaskan perspective.

Photo Credit: Reddit

5. Where flamingos live around the world.

Photo Credit: Reddit

6. The longest possible way to travel by train in the world.

Photo Credit: Reddit

7. Different giraffe patterns in Africa.

Photo Credit: Reddit

8. Each section contains 10% of the world’s population.

Photo Credit: Reddit

9. Locations from Johnny Cash’s song “I’ve Been Everywhere.”

Photo Credit: Reddit

10. The populations of the Dakotas and Manhattan, NYC.

Photo Credit: Reddit

11. 50% of Canadians live below that red line.

Photo Credit: Reddit

12. How much snow it takes to cancel schools.

Photo Credit: Reddit

13. The entire continent of South America is east of Michigan.

Photo Credit: Reddit

Those are awesome!

What did you think? Are you a big map fan?

Tell us all about it in the comments. And if you have a map you’d like to share with us, let’s see it!

The post Here are Some Interesting Maps of Stuff You Wouldn’t Normally Think to Map appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Koala Bears Aren’t Bears at All

We’ve been hearing a lot of sad news about koala bears lately because of the bushfires ripping through Australia. The flames and smoke have decimated a huge portion of the koalas’ natural habitat and killed enough individuals that experts estimate they may now be an endangered species.

But how much do we in the States know about this cute, furry little guys, really? I know that I learned a ton of new things when I visited a sanctuary outside of Brisbane, but I definitely don’t remember them telling us that the animal we know as a koala bear isn’t a bear at all.

Image Credit: Pixabay

In fact, they’re not even closely related to bears – they’re much more like another Australian animal, the kangaroo, which also raise their underdeveloped young in a pouch.

Both animals are mammals, like bears, but they re classified as Marsupialia, order Diprotodontia, family Phascolarctidae, genus Phascolarctos.

And that’s a very different branch of the tree of life from where you’d find a grizzly.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Koalas are known scientifically as Phascolarctos cinerus, and they are the only living species in the genus. Though there are three subspecies of koala, their differences are very minor.

Therefore, the koala is more closely related to the kangaroo and the wombat, both members of the order Diprotodontia, than to bears, which are in the order Carnivora.

You might be wondering, then, how they got so mis-named in the first place. Well, as with most things, we can blame English-speaking settlers.

In the 18th century, they spotted the animal for the first time, and, due to it’s bear-like appearance and behavior, they made an assumption.

Image Credit: Pixabay

You know, like how they met Natives all over the world and assumed they were “savages” based on strange (to them) appearances?

The koala’s scientific name comes from what Englishmen thought they observed – Phascolarctos is derived from the Greek phaskolos (pouch) and arktos (bear).

And now you know, though I doubt the sleepy little animals will much care what we call them as long as we save them from burning alive.

The post Koala Bears Aren’t Bears at All appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

People Discuss What They Think Are the Biggest Rip-Offs

We’ve all splurged on expensive goods or services at certain points in our lives, and sometimes those things bring value, while other times…other times they’re totally useless. Useless isn’t always bad as long as an object brings you joy, but if your purchase doesn’t even do that? Well, maybe don’t put your money down, then.

A Redditor asked contributors to expose some of these major money-wasters. Let’s dig in!

10. Edible Gold

Apparently it’s not a seasoning.

“Any food or drinks with gold flakes, it does nothing for the taste.”—OldMork

9. Abs Shortcut

Nothing can guarantee abs, ever!

“Those stimulation stomach belts that tell you it will give you six pack abs.”—steph074

8. Being a cheapskate is actually a waste.

Take it from this Redditor.

“Counter-intuitive but, buying cheap stuff to save money and then having to buy it again or pay for reparation. Example: appliences, shoes and furniture.”—marioguitar85

7. MLMs

Just stay away.

“Timeshares or any MLM program.”—llcucf80

6. Education

Well, in this context.

“An education for a degree you didnt end up using but whose loans you are still paying off.”—WindyShores42

5. Throwing a Fancy Wedding

Unless you can afford it without taking on debt, right?

“Throwing a lavish wedding. I get that people want to make the day special, but you can still have a very nice wedding without breaking the bank. Instead of spending so much on the wedding, you can use that money to help get your new life together as a married couple off to a great start!”—Gilbert_the_Gobblin

4. Paying for Cable

Especially with today’s streaming options.

“Cable TV. There are so many streaming options out there that cost a fraction of what cable costs.”—DeathSpiral321

3. Club Alcohol

This is why pre-gaming exists.

“Alcohol at clubs! 15 dollars for a drink in NYC. Flasking is the move!”—Reventon0207

2. Freemium

Apps can be a rip-off.

“In-game purchases in apps.”—wildjuicechase

1. Um…cults are bad.

Moral of the story: be careful about the groups you join!

“I was in a cult for decades that asked for 10% of my income every time I got paid. If I didn’t pay it, I couldn’t access the super secret magic rituals that would let me into Heaven.

Also they asked me to work for them in a foreign country, for free, for two years convincing other people to join the cult. I was supposed to pay my own way. While this wasn’t exactly considered necessary to get into Super Extra Heaven, it was heavily implied that it would help. Also that my future spouse would be better looking if I did it.

Turns out my money, and the money of millions of others, is now sitting in a tax free, 100 billion dollar investment fund.”—applezombi

Regardless of what you think of some of these opinions, you can be certain Reddit users will always find a way to entertain you with their insight. What did you think of these “money-wasters”? Sound off in the comments!

The post People Discuss What They Think Are the Biggest Rip-Offs appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Babies Nap Outside in Scandinavian Countries – Even When It’s Below Freezing

Some folks prefer to sleep with the thermostat turned down or with a fan blowing on them. Cooler temps promotes more restful sleeping.

But could you stand napping outside when it’s almost zero or even below zero degrees F? Would you make your child do it?

Let me ask you another question. Do you want your child removed from your custody and raised by other people? Because that’s what would happen – at least in the United States.

Midday nap
But in the cold-climate countries that make up Scandinavia, no one would bat an eye. In fact, infants’ that are only days old commonly put outside to catch a few z’s in sub-zero weather.

If that sounds cold, it’s because it is cold. You’re not nuts.

According to the BBC, it’s not even just parents putting the freeze on their kids. Preschools will routinely wheel the babies outside at nap time in the winter. In the Stockholm area, one school pushes the kiddies out until the age of three.

Head teacher Brittmarie Carlzon says,

When the temperature drops to -15C (5F) we always cover the prams with blankets … It’s not only the temperature that matters, it’s also how cold it feels. Some days it can be -15C but it actually feels like -20C (-4F) because of the wind.

To be clear, that’s a day the kids can nap inside, When it feels -4 F.

Photo Credit: Pxhere

So, what exactly is the deal?

Linda McGurk, author of There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather, wrote on Rain or Shine Mama about these outdoor naps. She explains that it’s one of those charming Scandinavian concepts that’s hard for Americans to understand at first and impossible for Americans to pronounce ever.

She calls it friluftsliv, which translates to “spending time outdoors to get a change of scenery and experience nature with no pressure to compete or achieve.” It’s a return to nature, learning about nature, an immersion in nature, while also cultivating love and respect for it.

Sticking your baby outside for a nap is part of friluftsliv. There’s no need for music players, wave machines or heartbeat noises because the sounds of nature are lulling and relaxing enough.

Scandinavian style nap: outside

There is also the belief that kids who spend a large amount of outdoors and away from the petri-dish that is preschool are less likely to get sick.

If you want to try this, make sure your baby is reclined in a stroller. They should wear a wool layer under a snow suit with attached mittens, plus a hat and bunting bag. You should be able to see their face and they shouldn’t be able to turn their head. Check your baby often for signs they are getting too cold. Watch for wild animals, nosy neighbors and child protective services.

Or, embrace your American-ness, put them in a onesie and let them sleep inside. That’s okay too.

The post Babies Nap Outside in Scandinavian Countries – Even When It’s Below Freezing appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

These Tweets About Being in Your Twenties Are All Too Real

Your twenties can be a turbulent time. You’re supposed to now be “an adult” but you still haven’t really figured out what you’re supposed to do or what’s next.

It can be very confusing and downright frustrating a lot of the time.

But…you can also have a lot of fun as well, because at that age, who gives a shit?

These tweets sum up that unusual decade very well…enjoy.

1. A real mind f*ck.

2. I remember it well…

3. It’s all true.

4. How could you?!?!

5. Fun while it lasts.

6. Seriously…what are you doing?

7. Plenty of time.

8. Here’s the list.

9. That’s a good goal.

10. Here are the lessons.

11. You think so?

12. Two sides of the coin.

13. It’s all a game.

14. Didn’t turn out as planned.

Well, those tweets definitely brought back a flood of memories for me.

Do you remember your twenties? Are you still in your twenties?

Drop us a line in the comments and tell us about your experiences! We’d love to hear from you!

The post These Tweets About Being in Your Twenties Are All Too Real appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Affordable, Government-Subsidized Phone Comes with Pre-Installed Malware

Yikes…

Smartphones and their related phone plans can be expensive. That’s why many low-income Americans depend on the FCC’s Lifeline Assistance Program so they can access quality service at an affordable price.

According to WIRED, the program currently provides UMX U686CL Android phones tied to the Virgin Mobile Assurance Program.

Unfortunately, Malwarebytes reports that the phones contain a malware called HiddenAds, and removing the bad programs could make the phone unusable.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The surprising thing to security and malware experts is that the malware comes pre-installed in the phone, meaning that customers are getting a defective product right off the bat – and the government is paying to provide it.

WIRED says the malware is capable of installing apps and adware without the user’s permission beforehand. This can subject the phone’s owner to a lot of unwanted ads and unseen data-collection.

One of the apps the device has been shown to download is called AdUps. In 2016, this app reportedly collected data from users without prior consent or warning. Malwarebytes comments that the app itself isn’t of much concern, but it’s still unacceptable that smartphone users are being subjected to data collection, downloads, and adware without their consent or knowledge.

Photo Credit: < ahref=”https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/red-pirate-skull-on-smart-phone-screen-gm1067920116-285623129″target=”_blank”>iStock

This isn’t the first time phones for low-income users have been found to carry malware. And the devices are such an important lifeline to low-income people in the digital age that it’s frankly shameful for the government to be providing a pre-infected product.

Share your thoughts (or outrage) in the comments section.

The post Affordable, Government-Subsidized Phone Comes with Pre-Installed Malware appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

A Billion Dollar Solar Power Plant Flamed out, Costing Taxpayers Millions of Dollars

This billion-dollar solar plant has flamed out worse than a Kardashian relationship.

According to a Bloomberg report, the Crescent Dunes plant located outside of Las Vegas has generated far more controversy than power since it opened in 2015. Built with technology that was outdated even during its construction, the solar power plant has become a giant sore spot in the solar power industry.

Instead of providing a more efficient and environmentally safe fuel source, the plant has become a financial albatross. And SolarReserves Inc. and ACS Cobra, the two companies involved in the highly expensive Crescent Dunes project, received more than $700 million in government loan guarantees.

Unfortunately, the results simply didn’t measure up in comparison to modern solar power plants. The Bloomberg report pointed out that the plant cost about $135 per megawatt-hour compared to less than $30 per MWh at a new Nevada photovoltaic solar farm.

The $1 billion, 1,500-acre Crescent Dunes farm was supposed to provide 110 megawatts of power. However, that pales in comparison to other renewable power projects, including a plant recently approved by the Trump administration that will span 7,000 acres and provide 690 megawatts of solar energy.

There is certainly no shortage of interest or funding involved in solar technology. The Department of Energy’s portfolio includes $38 billion in projects similar to the Crescent Dunes project. Other entities such as the Department of Defense, NASA and the U.S. Air Force continue to fund university research in similar areas.

Of course, there is always risk involved in backing any new technology or large-scale infrastructure projects. Though Solyndra got a lot of heat for crashing and burning, a number of other non-renewable energy plants have had similar stories, or worse, like a $9 billion failed nuclear power plant in South Carolina. Plus, the United States spends hundreds of billions of dollars of unrecoverable money on baked-in subsidies for oil and gas companies, so this question of where the public invests is really is a matter of social priority.

Yet, taxpayers do shoulder the burden when failed projects are partially backed by public funding. For example, Crescent Dunes relied on $737 million in taxpayer money – funds that will likely not be repaid.

The plant, which as we’ve mentioned was technologically out-of-date before it even opened, only ever operated at 20 percent efficiency – a far cry from its target of 50 percent. Moreover, the plant killed local wildlife due to its heat-focused mirrors before it was shut down in April 2019.

Ultimately, Crescent Dunes proved to be a billion-dollar mistake that, unfortunately, leaves a black cloud hanging over the solar power industry right at a critical time in the world’s fight against climate change.

The post A Billion Dollar Solar Power Plant Flamed out, Costing Taxpayers Millions of Dollars appeared first on UberFacts.