30 People Weigh in on What the U.S. Does Better Than Other Countries

People of the world are always ready and willing (probably rightfully so) to tell the U.S. and her citizens everything that we’re doing worse than our counterparts around the world, so it’s nice to stop and consider that there are still some things we’re absolutely doing right.

Here are 30 things that the people of Reddit are giving the States credit for these days.

30. There’s literally nothing better.

I had my first corndog last year when I was on vacation.

Dear god they are delicious.

29. A near endless source of entertainment.

We have Florida man.

Both an exceptional individual and a near endless source of entertainment.

28. It’s delightful.

Entertainment.

The variety, the output, the grand scale of it… no other country comes close.

27. We’ll take any compliments we can get.

Acronyms.

Just look at the USA Patriot act or Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism

26. Hence our weight problem.

Cola/Soda.

Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Dr Pepper were all created in US.

25. It’s all about balance.

We are simultaneously one of the fattest countries in the world and one of the most athletic countries in the world.

Sometimes we combine the two and make Offensive and Defensive lineman.

24. It definitely beats an English breakfast, that’s for sure.

As a Mexican it pains me to say this, but Breakfast food.

Dear God there’s nothing like an all American breakfast.

23. Everyone knows faster is better.

racing in general. The minute you make two of something we’re going to race them.

Barstools, lawn mowers, even cooler racing.

22. Fried cheesy corn ftw.

Turn corn into things that are not corn.

Edit: Obligatory and heartfelt thank you for the silver!

21. Born and bred.

The Blues and Jazz music

20. Americans do love their choices.

Love em or hate em…..buffet restaurants.

19. We do make the best guitars. Ask anyone who uses one.

GUITARS!

Almost every significant guitar ever made is American. Bands from every part of the world use American guitars.

18. You’re never very far from your next burger.

Fast food.

17. Rivaled only by China, really.

Having big names in technology: Intel, Microsoft, Apple, Google, NASA and on and on….

16. This just made me lol.

Calling ourselves world champions in national leagues.

15. We don’t like to wait.

Turn right on red

14. It literally stops foreigners in their tracks.

Grocery store variety. No other country that I’ve been to has grocery stores that compare to American stores in terms of sheer quantity and variety. I’ve seen grocery stores where the quality is higher, or where you can find things that you wouldn’t in American grocery stores, but they don’t touch the variety. Most of the things I need to make any type of cuisine are not only readily available, but I can usually pick between several brands.

Occasionally, there will be some vegetable or spice that isn’t available at my local grocery store, so I drive an extra 10 minutes to go to the farmers market that has a more international selection. Absolute worst case, I may need to drive to a specialty store. Since my family is originally from India, we make a trip out to the Indian store every few months, but really there’s only a few things that are available there exclusively.

Now granted, I live in a large city and that certainly helps. But I think even small town US grocery stores have greater variety than their foreign counterparts.

13. I mean, we like to complain but it is pretty impressive.

Might sound dumb but mail. USPS handles half of the world’s volume of mail any given day.

Edited due to wrong numbers. I don’t know what it was but clearly I was wrong. I’m at the Pittsburgh D&C. We handle most of the mail going to and from the NE seaboard and the Mid Atlantic. Either way, I’m glad I’m not a mail handler.

12. Just ask Joey Tribiani.

Sandwiches.

All of the best sandwiches were invented and perfected in the United States. This is due to having the widest variety of sandwich ingredients (due to size and the whole “great melting pot” thing) and the willingness to put anything edible between two carbs to see what sticks.

Edit: Where does it say in this post that the first sandwich was invented in America? Because I didn’t type what some of y’all are finding.

11. At least the ones we know about.

Stealth planes. Since the 70s, the US has developed four iterations of stealth aircraft: The F-117, the B-2, the F-22, and the F-35. In the same period, the European military-industrial complex has further refined the fourth-generation fighter concept, Russia has designed a single half-assed prototype, and China has put together a few different airframes trying out a few different stealthy techniques but nothing completely integrated yet.

10. Am from Kansas City, can confirm.

As a Belgian who lived in Texas and NC for about a year, barbecue and a welcoming attitude to strangers. I was blown away by the hospitality like random strangers helping me out or inviting me to their homes, I really miss that in Europe where that is reserved for acquaintances and friends only. And before you ask Kansas>Texas>NC BBQ…

9. Boom.

Moon landings

8. You can definitely have too much of a good thing.

Confidence. There’s a reason that the type of impossible rags-to-riches story is branded as “the American Dream;” because by and large, the people most likely to follow that dream and believe in its achievability are American. The creation of the country in and of itself was an impossibility given their opponent in the Revolutionary War, and yet they succeeded. I don’t remember the exact quote, but a general in the early days of the country said, “A British soldier will do what you tell him. An American will as well, but he will first want to know why you told him to do it.” That sort of confidence to challenge authority in such a brazen manner is intrinsic to the nation and its people, and it’s unlike any other national identity on the planet.

Oh, and chain restaurants.

7. Go big or go home.

Extremes. The nicest/most humble and rudest/most arrogant people I’ve ever met are, in both cases, Americans. By far. Most foreigners I’ve run into fall somewhere in between. And the same goes for weight. Most obese, most skeletal, most fit? All been Americans in my experience.

Edit: since I realize it slipped my mind, some of the dumbest and some of the smartest that I have personally met have been Americans.

6. And we’re mighty proud of it.

BBQ…

5. We don’t really make new things, per se.

Find the best things from other countries and embrace them, if in a kooky or twisted way. An American can eat tacos while singing karaoke on St. Patrick’s Day and feel like they’ve had a red white and blue good time. France has to rename Big Macs.

4. As long as you don’t want to stay, sadly.

Americans themselves.

Seriously though, going to the US is amazing. People are open and nice and won’t hesitate to chat up strangers. They seem geniunely interested in who you are and where you’re from.

I could write a book about all the things wrong with the US, but despite all that it remains my favorite place to visit due to the way they treat foreigners. There’s no other country quite like it.

3. A very good idea.

National Parks are often considered “America’s Best Idea”. It’s interesting that in a country that prides itself with private ownership, is the same country that develops the world’s first free-to-use public land system. Anyone from prince to pauper is welcome and encouraged to enjoy the same mountains—it’s really incredible when you think about it.

But we have to remember, the national parks weren’t made for environmental reasons (Environmentalism didn’t exist and wasn’t understood back in the late 1800s). Nationalism, not environmentalism, explains the origins of the Yosemite Grant.

2. Love it or hate it…

There’s genuinely nothing quite like American optimism.

I know, I know… the done thing is to shit-talk America in threads like this, but speaking as a Brit, that’s what really makes the USA special and relatively unique in terms of national histories. America is a country that’s (at least theoretically) built on the idea of equality and justice quite literally for all. You had the sheer brass balls to put a big ol’ statue up at one of the most trafficked entryways in the world — yes, yes, OP’s momma notwithstanding — that literally asked the world to give you its tired, its poor, its huddled masses yearning to breathe free. You built an entire mythology around the idea that, by pulling together and with a little elbow grease, you can make something of yourself no matter where you start from.

Is it true? No, not completely — not for a lot of people. But it is important. It’s a hardscrabble world out there, and the idea that Americans are better because they’ll do the right thing, the honourable thing, the decent thing no matter how hard that might be makes things a little bit brighter. It’s important that the first thing countless immigrants got to see wasn’t a display of America’s power and strength and prosperity but of America’s guidance: a torchlight in the darkness. That most mythological of figures, Superman, espouses the idea of Truth, Justice and the American Way for a reason. That’s not because it’s the way things are, but because it’s the way things can be. It’s something to aspire to. It’s Atticus Finch and Jefferson Smith and Rocky Balboa and the Little Engine That Could.

You lose your way sometimes — and you really, really do lose your way; no one should dispute that, especially given recent events — but you’re never so far gone that you can’t pull your way back. America is one of very, very few countries where you always feel that that return is both possible, and something that you root for. It’s the world’s largest superpower that has never quite learned that it isn’t the plucky underdog.

Don’t let that optimism and hope for the future die out. Don’t let the feeling that you can step up and change things even when the odds seem stacked against you become apathy, hate and fear. Don’t be afraid to learn, to improve, to be better. I spend a lot of time writing about American politics, and I know full well how stressful it can be, but without hope there can be no change for the better. Improvement is aspirational, and it depends on people getting out there and choosing to try, even when it looks and feels like it makes no difference at all — because it still does.

If anything, that’s when it matters the most — and it’s worth keeping.

1. We’re so forward thinking…in some ways.

Tech innovation. The space industry.

I have to agree with all of these things, though some can certainly be a double-edged sword.

What would you say the US does better than other countries? What are some things your country excels at? Let’s compliment each other in the comments!

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A Twitter Story About a Tense Pastry Standoff Ends up Turning the Tables

This sure is interesting…

Manners are a double-edged sword.

Whether you’re being polite out of genuine kindness, social obligation, or just because you’re too much of a hopeless introvert to be frank with anyone, there come moments when the polite and realistic halves of your brain get into an internal screaming match about how to handle the sheer audacity of someone’s actions.

Twitter user @LittleCecil2 brought us a riveting story of white-hot public tension surrounding a pastry. It starts great, but wait ’till you get to the twist ending.

Oh boy…

Once might have been a mistake. But then…

Speaking up is out of the question. It’s time to strategize.

COUNTERATTACK!

Now it’s getting personal.

This is a matter of integrity.

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

Personally, I think I’d probably move to a new country with a new identity and start a new family after something that embarrassing. Glad he took it so well.

What manners-stand-offs have you had?

Tell us in the comments.

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This is How to Quickly Update Your Phone so It Stops Censoring Your Curse Words

You know when you’re really ducking angry about something, and you’re trying to text your friend about it, but your ducking phone won’t stop saying duck because the ducking autocorrect keeps ducking with your text? Well Buzzfeed finally released a guide to a workaround.

Their solution was for iPhone, which we’ll go over first, then I’ll show you how to do the same thing on an Android.

iPhone  – Step 1: Open Settings, go to “General”

iPhone – Step 2: Toward the bottom, click “Keyboard”

iPhone – Step 3: This is what we’re looking for

iPhone – Step 4: Click the top right + to add something

iPhone – Step 5: Tell your phone that you MEAN it when you swear

Android – Step 1: With keyboard open, click the cog on the top right

Via Ben Auxier

Android – Step 2: Now go to “Smart Typing”

Via Ben Auxier

Android – Step 3: “Text Shortcuts”

Via Ben Auxier

Android – Step 4: Click Add to…Add

Via Ben Auxier

Android – Step 5: Ta-da!

Via Ben Auxier

Now go forth. Swear and swear alike.

What’s your best/most cringey autocorrect story? You know where we want you to share it, right?

Let us know in the comments!

The post This is How to Quickly Update Your Phone so It Stops Censoring Your Curse Words appeared first on UberFacts.

Taking Care of Kids During Flu Season Is Really Stinking Hard

Taking care of little kids on a daily basis is tough anyway, and taking care of sick kids can be even more of a challenge. The hardest few weeks of my journey as a parent (so far) was when we moved, my youngest turned 1, and then he and the 2yo came down with Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease within 2 days of each other.

The house was full of boxes (the Motrin was in one of them!), neither kid was sleeping, and it seemed like it would never end.

Now, flu season is upon us. I’d be lying if I said my kids had been healthy since Christmas, even though I take hand sanitizer everywhere we go and wash hands like a woman on a mission (which I am).

There is nothing, nothing harder than taking care of sick kids when you yourself also feel like crap.

When little kids are sick, they don’t understand what’s going on. They don’t want to rest. They don’t want you to wipe their noses 16 times an hour. They don’t want to take their medicine. They don’t want you to put them to bed early and they most certainly don’t want you to stop holding them.

Like, ever.

View this post on Instagram

Well, friends. It's happened AGAIN. Honestly, I'm not all that surprised…. . Afterall, we are smack dab in the middle of the worst cold + flu season I've seen yet and his immune system never really had a chance to recover from the chemo before being thrust back into the germ-filled world of daycare so I could go back to work and start getting a paycheck again. . So…. Tuesday night I arrived home from work at close to 10 PM to find Abby with a sore throat so bad she couldn't sleep until we gave her some ibuprofen. It did the trick and after that she slept and was fine the next day at daycare and other than being more snotty and having a cougg, she's doing ok. . Well… then last night, Carter was up crying in the middle of the night (he's been sleeping through the night for some time now) and as we watched him on the monitor to try to see what was the issue, we saw he had developed a lovely cough and every time he coughed, he started crying. So we assumed throat, Tim gave him some ibuprofen and offered his sippy, and he went back asleep. He was fine most the day today other than being a bit more clingy, snotty, and coughing. . Well, you can't have a cough or be snotty If you're going to be sedated + intubated sooo we had to reschedule Friday's scans AGAIN. The next available date was March 11th ? and his MD isn't even in that week so we'll have to wait til the next week for results. . At this point, I think I'll be more surprised if he is finally healthy enough by then to get his scans than I will be if he isn't and we have to reschedule again. It has now been 3 months of sickness. Every 2-3 weeks since the middle of November, Carter has caught a new virus accompanied with fever and the whole shebang. I've had more sick days since my return to work than I ever did in the 6 years working prior. ?? . Don't get me wrong, he hasn't developed any serious complications or secondary infections from them. And we are SOO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL for this. But we also kind of need these scans, so a few healthy days surrounding his scheduled scan date would be AMAZING. ?? . . . #hepatoblastoma #followupscans #mri #ct #sickbabies #poortiming #shottyimmunesystem

A post shared by Becca (@rkclason21) on

There’s nothing you can do but try to distract them, try to keep them clean and comfortable, and try to hang onto the last shred of your sanity (and patience) until the ride comes to an end.

But here’s the thing that 3+ years of parenting have taught me – it always, always comes to an end.

There is a season for everything. Everything is a phase.

And one day, the thing that’s going to come to an end is your babies living under your roof, needing you every single day, and when that happens, I doubt we’ll even remember how we felt like worthless zombies during the long days and nights when they were sick.

You’ll be happy you were there for them, that you gave it your all, and I know that deep in their little souls, they’ll always be better for it, too.

The post Taking Care of Kids During Flu Season Is Really Stinking Hard appeared first on UberFacts.

Listen to What Millions of Monarch Butterflies Sound Like

If you’re someone who grew up around monarch butterflies, then the pretty, fluttering insects probably have a special place in your heart (I know they do mine!).

My mother is a teacher and at the end of every summer we would stop on the way home from the lake to traipse through farmland, intent on the mature stalks of milkweed. We turned over leaves until we found the right caterpillars with the yellow, black, and white stripes, then carefully put them, along with more milkweed, into jars topped with cut up pantyhose.

Image Credit: YouTube

We secured them with rubberbands, and though my mother took a couple to school, she always left one at home for us, too.

We watched and fed the caterpillar, watching it grow fatter and fatter until one day, it spun its cocoon.

Image Credit: YouTube

Then, it emerged, orange and black and honestly kind of breathtaking as we let it go on the autumn breeze.

Now, the butterflies have disappeared from some parts of the United States, but still winter in en masse in Mexico and South America.

Image Credit: YouTube

In Mexico, they gather at the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, an UNESCO-protected sanctuary, which is where entomologist and conservationist Phil Torres made a video later shared by The Kids Should See This.

The butterflies in the sanctuary completely cover the pine and oyamel trees, making the branches appear to flutter at first glance, and, according to Torres, is really something special to observe firsthand.

Image Credit: YouTube

“It’s not just visually stunning. It’s not just emotionally stunning… It sounds absolutely magical because you’ve never heard before the sounds of tens of millions of butterflies flying around you, because it only happens here. It’s one of the rarest sounds on Earth and you’re about to get a listen.”

Image Credit: YouTube

Around the 5:40 mark in the video, turn up your headphones and enjoying surprisingly soothing low buzzing sound created by thousands of butterflies.

I hope these butterflies can find a way to survive in our brave new world, and that generations to come can help them mature, then set them free to their winter adventures.

What do you think about what you just heard? Let us know in the comments!

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10 Cheap Places That Might Allow You to Stop Working and Live Abroad

All of us have probably dreamed about this at one point or another, but very few people actually take the big leap and make it a reality. I’ve often thought about living in a seaside cottage in some desolate corner of Ireland or Scotland.

I’m talking about having enough money in the bank to move somewhere completely foreign to you for two very important reasons: 1). it’s cheap, and 2). you’d never have to work again.

Here are ten places where the cost of living is so cheap that you might not even have to work anymore.

Let’s take a look at the list…and let’s all keep dreaming.

1. Portugal

Sintra, Portugal

Portugal is one of the world’s safest and friendliest countries.

One expat said,

“After living here for more than seven years, I’ve been asked many times, ‘Why Portugal?’”

My response is often to enumerate factors like affordable lifestyle—which includes quality professional healthcare—temperate climate, high safety rating and excellent food and wine.”

Portugal offers a variety of culture-rich cities like Lisbon and Porto and small towns brimming with life. Expats say that their living expenses in Portugal are about one-third of what they would be in the U.S. Not a bad deal…

2. Panama

Panama

Panama has a lot of things going for it. The climate is tropical, taxes are low, and the official currency is the U.S. dollar. Excellent English-speaking doctors and one of the best retiree programs in the world that is open to all is another draw for Panama.

Panama is a pretty small country and has everything a person could ask for: beaches, mountains, and cities. A couple can live on a budget of only $1,700 in Panama City and it’s even cheaper once you leave the capital city.

3. Costa Rica

Costa Rica 2013 160

Unlike some of its neighbors, Costa Rica is attractive because it has a history of stability and peace. In fact, it’s the largest democracy in the world without a military force.

The locals are friendly, the beaches and nature are stunning, and then there’s the price. A lot of couples report that they live well on $2,000 a month, which includes all costs.

4. Mexico

Let me tell you...

Our neighbor to the south has high-quality healthcare and a low cost of living.

One expat says,

“The country has something for everyone: beautiful, warm oceans, crystal-clear tropical lakes, fertile farmlands, temperate-but-majestic mountains, starkly gorgeous deserts, small towns or sophisticated cities. And it’s quite easy to fit in.”

Prices vary throughout the country but a couple can live in Mexico for $1,500 per month, and that includes healthcare and rent. Viva Mexico!

5. Colombia

Colòmbia

Colombia has been on the rise recently after years of having a reputation for violence and instability. Great healthcare, a low cost of living, and the beautiful scenery and vibrant cities make Colombia an attractive destination. Oh, and the people are notoriously friendly, too.

One expat who calls Medellín home says that his cost of living is 60% lower than when he lived in a small town in Maine.

Sounds pretty enticing to me!

6. Ecuador

Quito, Ecuador

Like the other countries on this list, Ecuador offers a great selection of big-city culture, small-town life, and beautiful natural landscapes.

Rent is very cheap, you don’t have to own a car in most places because of reliable bus systems, and everyday life is incredibly affordable.

7. Malaysia

malaysia

The first Asian country on this list, Malaysia draws expats because of its beautiful beaches and its rainforests. All road signs are in Malay and English, so that’s a nice bonus, as well.

Malaysia is made up of over 800 islands, so outdoor activity can be found everywhere. Healthcare, food, and the cultural scene in Malaysia are added benefits to this unique country.

8. Spain

Spain

The beautiful country of Spain has one of the lowest costs of living in Western Europe. Even the big cities in Spain, like Madrid, are affordable. Venture outside the cities and it’s even cheaper.

One expat said this about living in France,

“Imagine going out for a three-course meal and paying less than $30.”

Ummm… yeah! That sounds amazing!

9. France

France

Yes, France! You probably already know the strong points about this fascinating country. Wine, food, culture, beautiful countryside, the list goes on and on. France is also surprisingly affordable.

Universal healthcare is guaranteed to everyone after three months (including expats) and prices are very low. As for where you live, obviously Paris will be more expensive than other places in France, but there are so many other places to consider, including small towns, beach towns, and even the Alps region.

10. Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam is at the top of my list for vacation and reading more about this country makes it even more enticing. Vietnam has one of Asia’s strongest economies and some of its friendliest people.

The cost of living is extremely low and items usually cost less than half of what they would in the U.S. English is widely spoken in Vietnam as well. A couple can live very comfortably for around $1,100 per month even in the big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.  If you live elsewhere in Vietnam, it will be even cheaper and you’ll have a very nice lifestyle.

Sounds like the dream, doesn’t it?

What do you think? Will you ever be able to do this? Would you even want to do this?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

The post 10 Cheap Places That Might Allow You to Stop Working and Live Abroad appeared first on UberFacts.

A New Immune Cell Discovered May Treat All Cancer

In what could be an incredible development in the world of scientific research and the long fight against cancer, a team of researchers from Cardiff University in the UK discovered a new immune cell that could be used to treat ALL kinds of cancers.

The new immune T-cell was discovered by accident by the researchers when they were studying how the human body’s immune system responds to cancerous cells.

Photo Credit: iStock

T-cells have receptors that can recognize threats to the body and destroy them when discovered. In lab experiments, the new T-cell that scientists discovered has been able to recognize far more cancers than usual. Until these new findings, drugs made from human T-cells have been helpful but have only worked against a limited number of cancers and have had a hard time fighting against cancers that form tumors.

In the lab, the new T-cell found and destroyed skin, lung, colon, blood, breast, bone, prostate, ovarian, kidney and cervical cancer cells. And, on top of that, healthy cells were all left intact.

Solar cell research

The researchers are still exploring why and how the new T-cell is so effective in the lab. The team thinks that it might be due to how the T-cell’s receptor interacts with a molecule that is on the surface of every cell in the body called MR1.

One researcher said,

“We are the first to describe a T-cell that finds MR1 in cancer cells – that hasn’t been done before, this is the first of its kind.”

The lead author of the study, Professor Andrew Sewell, added,

“It raises the prospect of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ cancer treatment; a single type of T-cell that could be capable of destroying many different types of cancers across the population. Previously nobody believed this could be possible.”

The new findings have not been tested on patients yet but the team of researchers says that this could have “enormous potential.”

Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this new discovery opens the door to fighting and eliminating cancer from our world! What a game-changer that would be!

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This Family Built a Private Tiny Village Where Their Kids Each Have Their Own House

This is pretty awesome.

Back in 2015, the Brinks family decided they wanted a new start. Parents Ryan and Keli Brinks uprooted their family from Michigan and moved to a 21-acre plot of land in London, Kentucky. The Brinks’ paid $57,000 for the land and built an energy-efficient village complete with six tiny buildings.

Three of the buildings serve as homes, one for parents Ryan and Keli, and one each for their kids, Lennox and Brodie. Daughter Lennox now splits her time between home and the University of Kentucky while 16-year-old Brodie still lives on the family compound.

@lennoxbrinkstiny house tour! (again) #foryou #foryoupage #fyp #tinyhouse #youreinvited♬ original sound – lemuellsmith

Being able to live in their own tiny house while still being teenagers was part of the selling point for daughter Lennox.

She said,

“My mom showed me a brochure with a bunch of different models and was like, ‘You can pick the one you want. How could I say no to that?”

The tiny houses that the kids live in are 160-square feet each, while Ryan and Keli’s house is 280-square feet. The parents’ pad has a bathroom and a kitchen, while the kids’ houses do not.

The other buildings on the property serve as a bathroom, an office, and a barn.

Lennox said the separate bathroom situation took a little while to get used to:

“That was the scariest part in the beginning, when I’d have to go in the middle of the night.

I remember calling over to Brodie and asking him to stand on his porch and watch me while I ran to the bathroom.

But now we have lights and lamp posts, so it’s not bad.”

Most importantly, Lennox said that the living arrangement brought the family closer together.

She said,

“We always eat dinner together and we’re constantly outside. In Michigan, I don’t remember playing yard games.

On Sundays, after church, we’ll play three different yard games like corn hole. Some people might think, ‘Oh, the parents want to push the kids out and have their own space,’ but it’s the opposite.”

Lennox Brinks has quite a few videos of the family compound on her TikTok page, if you want to check them out.

I’m sure this arrangement wouldn’t be for everyone, but it sure works for the Brinks family! What do you think about this kind of living? Would your family be able to pull it off?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

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A Miner in the Arctic Circle Takes Beautiful Photos of Foxes on His Work Breaks

In the north-eastern Chukotka region of Russia’s remote and mountainous Arctic, one photographer finds the animals living there and captures them with his camera on his breaks from mining.

Posted by Kislov Ivan on Friday, May 11, 2018

The environment is bleak, and sparsely populated with ethnic Russians, Chukchis, and other indigenous peoples.

Лисенок.Чукотка.2014г.

Posted by Kislov Ivan on Saturday, September 23, 2017

There are virtually no roads and people here survive mostly by hunting reindeer.

Posted by Kislov Ivan on Friday, September 22, 2017

 

But wildlife thrives and Ivan Kislov has no problems finding it for his fantastic photos.

Posted by Kislov Ivan on Monday, September 18, 2017

Kislov lives in the north-eastern port city of Magadan and works as a mining engineer in Chukotka.

Posted by Kislov Ivan on Monday, September 18, 2017

 

He told Bored Panda that he likes to take “relaxation from routine,” go on “hikes to inaccessible places, raftings,” and walking to “observe the wildlife.” 

Posted by Kislov Ivan on Monday, September 18, 2017

 

He enjoys these activities on his breaks during long shifts at the mines.

Mining for oil, natural gas, coal, gold and tungsten is a major part of the economy here.

Posted by Kislov Ivan on Monday, September 11, 2017

 

He often finds bear, deer and wolves, but it’s the foxes who let their natural curiosity keep them from retreating.

Posted by Kislov Ivan on Monday, September 11, 2017

 

Kislov says they will let him get close-in so he can shoot with wide-angle and telephoto lenses for amazing shots.

Всем огромное спасибо за поздравления!!! Очень приятно.Снежный лис.Чукотка.Ноябрь 2014г.

Posted by Kislov Ivan on Tuesday, August 15, 2017

 

His photos show all the playfulness and beauty of these animals against the stark environment of the Russian Arctic.

What an absolutely wonderful hobby? But we want to know what you think! Would you get so close to take these beautiful pics?

Let us know in the comments!

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A Russian Scientist Injected Himself With 3.5-Million-Year-Old Bacteria

When I first heard about this story, I assumed this action was taken for some kind of test, but I’m wrong.

Russian doctor Anatoli Brouchkov injected himself with 3.5-million-year-old bacteria because he believes it will help him live longer.

Dr. Brouchkov discovered the ancient bacteria known as Bacillus F back in 2009. The bacteria was found frozen in the permafrost on a mountain in Siberia (does this sound like a movie plot, or what?). Brouchkov estimated that the bacteria was 3.5-million-years-old and also discovered that it was still alive. The bacteria was frozen deeper in the permafrost than even wooly mammoths.

Brouchkov discovered that Bacillus F makes things around it live longer, as well. Tests have shown that the bacteria has indeed caused mice, fruit flies, and crops to live longer. Also, the people in the region of Siberia where the bacteria was found live longer than average-and it might be because Bacillus F is in their water supply.

So Dr. Brouchkov decided to be a human guinea pig and be the first person to inject themself with this interesting bacteria. In 2015, two years after he injected himself with Bacillus F, the doctor said he felt better than ever and that he hadn’t gotten the cold or the flu since he took that big step.

Scientists are still working on finding out just what exactly makes Bacillus F causes things to live longer, so it will be a while before this bacteria may be harnessed to benefit the greater good of humanity, if that happens at all.

It’s a pretty amazing story, no doubt about that. Has Dr. Brouchkov discovered the elusive ‘Fountain of Youth’ that explorers and scientists have been searching for? Time will tell…

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