Category: Science

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Scientists Believe Drinking IPAs Could Negatively Impact Male Virility

Guys, listen up.

If you prefer more hops in your beer and you’re a dude, well…there may be some side effects that go along with enjoying your favorite brew.

And no, it’s not just the extra calories.

India Pale Ales have a signature, bitter flavor that comes from hops, and hops contain a plant-based form of estrogen called phytoestrogen.

And scientists believe that phytoestrogen could cause men to develop man boobs and also (oops) erectile dysfunction.

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Review 1992 – Even More Cowbell – Lervig / Amundsen – India Pale Ale – ABV 7.5% – Can from Systembolaget – "The most hops per litre ever used in Scandinavia. 50 gr/litre". This first statement could very much be true, I have no idea, but the main question is if it's even good with that crazy amount of hops? I may be a bit colored in my review, but I am a sucker for hops, it's as simple as that. Aroma is pretty light and malty despite the hops used here. Also citrus, grapefruits and pineapple spring to mind. I feared a massive hop burn in the taste, but that isn't the case. It does carry a light, hars note and a touch of salmiac, but it's still fruity and tropical sweet. Quite "milky" and murky in the taste, but fruity and tasty overall. There is a slight harsher sting in the end, but I think it doesn't go overboard. Interesting but maybe not worth the money in that sense? 50 gr per litre also mean the same amount in price increase. 4.0/5.0 #lervig #amundsen #evenmorecowbell #indiapaleale #hopexplosion #norwegiancraftbeer #craftcans #casksweden #thebeernation #hopmaestro #drinkitlikeyoumeanit

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They’re calling it “Brewer’s Droop,” which…I’m not sure that’s going to stick.

A team of researchers from Columbia and Spain wrote about the condition in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

“It does not seem to be just a temporary problem, because erectile ability was still affected after a year and, according to the results, did not seem likely to improve just with alcohol abstinence.”

Stephen Herrod Buhner, herbalist and author, warned in Vice that too much phytoestrogen in men can cause hormonal imbalances that could cause a condition called gynecomastia (enlarged breasts).

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Jaipur IPA от @thornbridge – пиво, обросшее признанием и наградами. По культовости сравнимо, пожалуй, с Punk IPA. Кстати, впервые оно было сварено в 2005 году сооснователем Brewdog Мартином Дики, который в то время работал на пивоварне Thornbridge. На тапке ни одного чекина от френдов и общая оценка 3,66. Тот случай, когда на невысокий рейтинг не обращаешь внимания, хочется же прикоснуться к истории:) . Это пиво из прошлого, каноничный американский IPA. Сейчас оно удивляет разве что очень светлым соломенным цветом. Хороший хмелевой букет из старых-добрых Chinook, Centennial, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Columbus и Cascade, достойная для 5,9% плотность, уверенная горечь, цитрусы, сосна, мед, пряности. Сбалансированное, легко пьющееся пиво, являющее собой лайт-версию современных мощных, ярких ипашек. 14 лет назад на заре крафтовой революции в Великобритании оно, вероятно, было откровением. Сейчас же какая-нибудь условная Прачка рвет его в клочья. Баночка подуставшая, майская. Ценник 170 р. в Пив&Ко на Вайнера. #thornbridge #jaipur #ipa #jaipuripa #indiapaleale #ипа #americanipa

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“From long-term exposure to the estrogenic properties of hops, they eventually have difficulty sustaining an erection.”

On the upside, hops also contain a substance called xanthohumol, which some believe has antiviral, anti-clotting, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties (according to Dr. Andrew Weil). Hops have been used since ancient times to promote sleep, too, and if you’re a woman (especially over a certain age), a little extra estrogen could be just what the doctor ordered.

There are pros and cons when it comes to most things in life, and I mean, man boobs never hurt anyone.

What I’m saying is that if you love hops, well, enjoy your beer.

You like what you like, right?

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Science recognises Ouija Board…

Science recognizes Ouija Boards users are “moving the planchette involuntarily” and a when answering “yes or no questions, ouija use was significantly more accurate than guesswork, suggesting that it might draw on the unconscious mind” and the users enter a “dissociative state”.

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After Just One Use, Vaping Can Damage Your Blood Vessels

A lot of bad news about vaping has come out lately, and here’s some more.

A new study published in Radiology claims that vaping one time – even without nicotine – can damage blood vessels, reduce blood flow, and create dangerous toxins.

The researchers found that the heat created by e-cigs meant to turn liquid into vapor also stirs the compounds into toxic particles. They studied MRI scans of 31 healthy non-smokers before and after vaping nicotine-free e-cigs to come to their conclusions.

After the participants took 3-second drags 16 times from e-cigs loaded with tobacco flavoring and sweeteners, researchers found they had significant decreased blood flow in the femoral artery – the main artery that delivers blood to your thigh and leg.

Felix Wehrli, the study’s principal investigator, says their study defeats “the notion that e-cigarette vaping is harmless.”

“Beyond the harmful effects of nicotine, we’ve shown that vaping has a sudden, immediate effect on the body’s vascular function, and could potentially lead to long-term harmful consequences.”

The researchers observed an average 34% reduction in the artery’s dilation, and found vaping led to a 17.5% reduction in peak blood flow and a 20% reduction in oxygen in the veins.

Author Alessandra Caporale expanded on their findings in a statement:

“E-cigarettes are advertised as not harmful, and many e-cigarette users are convinced that they are just inhaling water vapor. But the solvents, flavorings and additives in the liquid base, after vaporization, expose users to multiple insults to the respiratory tract and blood vessels.”

With the recent issues sweeping the nation – 100 teens in 14 states have reported lung damage after vaping (including 14 hospitalizations and a number of deaths) – these findings are especially troubling.

Earlier this spring, another study found that flavored e-juice also had toxic effects, like weaker cell survival and increased inflammation.

The American Lung Association has joined with the CDC and others in warning care when turning to e-cigs.

“Inhaling chemicals into your lungs is dangerous. E-cigarettes are guilty until proven innocent, and we are very much in the guilty stage,” says one spokesperson.

Dr. Robert Jackler, founder of Stanford Research Into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising, has dark warnings, as well.

“Nobody knows what it does to the human lung to breathe in and out aerosolized propylene glycol and glycerin over and over. It’s an experiment, frankly. We will find out, years from now, the results.”

And since those results could be “it kills you, in time” avoiding the products altogether seems the smartest course of action.

To me, anyway.

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A Study Says You Can Tell If Someone Is Rich or Poor Just by Looking at Them

It’s said that people can tell a lot about you from looking you in the face, but until recently, no one suspected your gross average income could be one of those things.

A new study was published recently in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and it claims that you can tell whether someone is rich or poor simply by studying their face.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Co-author of the study, grad student Thora Bjornsdottir, explains.

“The relationship between well-being and social class has been demonstrated by previous research. In general, people with money tend to live happier, less anxious lives compared to those struggling to make ends meet, and these well-being differences are actually reflected in people’s faces.”

For the study, Bjornsdottir and a psychology professor, Nicholas O. Rule, had their subjects look at black-and-white photographs of 80 males and 80 females without any identifying markers like tattoos or piercings. Half of the photos were of people who made over $150k a year and the other half made less than $35k.

Image Credit: Pixabay

The subjects, who were from various ethnic backgrounds, then guessed the class of the people in the photos – and they were correct around 68% of the time.

That is, in case you’re wondering, significantly higher than random chance.

Dr. Rule told The Cut they were surprised themselves.

“I didn’t think the effects would be quite as strong, especially given how subtle the differences are in the faces. That’s the most surprising part of the study to me.”

Image Credit: Pixabay

“People are not really aware of what cues they are using when they make these judgments,” adds Bjornsdottir. “If you ask them why, they don’t know. They are not aware of how they are doing this.”

Interestingly, the subjects were also able to guess correctly when they were able to look just at the eyes, or just at the mouth, though not quite as often.

Bjornsdottir believes the effect is “due to emotion patterns becoming etched into their faces over time,” because the chronic contraction of certain muscles can lead to changes in the actual structure of your face.

When the subjects were shown pictures of people smiling, they were unable to discern the socioeconomic status of the people in the images with any reliability.

Image Credit: Pixabay

The researchers believe their results are important because first impressions come into play in the real world – a fact they proved when they asked the subjects to choose who they would hire as an accountant based on the images alone.

They chose the people who appeared to be high-earners, which means employers could be doing the same thing.

“Face-based perceptions of social class may have important downstream consequences. People talk about the cycle of poverty, and this is potentially one contributor to that,” they conclude.

So, even though “don’t judge a book by its cover” is one of the world’s more famous sayings, it turns out we’re all doing exactly that every day without even realizing it.

Kind of makes me rethink my decision to not wear makeup most days.

How about you?

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Every Single Part of This Tree Could Kill or Maim You

Beware of this tree!

The manchineel tree is one of nature’s mysteries that no one is likely to solve anytime soon – every single part of it is toxic to animals (including humans).

Also known as the beach apple, la manzanilla de la muerte (the little apple of death), or sometimes arbol de la muerte (tree of death), the manchineel lives along the coast in brackish waters, occurring in tropical North, Central and South American settings and living in clusters.

The tree itself looks pleasant enough, even beachy, and its small, greenish-yellow fruits have surely been tempting to more than a few hungry, thirsty, unwitting travelers.

You definitely don’t want to eat the fruit, though. Or touch the trunk. Or a branch. Or stand under the tree when it’s raining or touch your eyes or the leaves or really even breathe in while you’re standing too close to it.

You could ask Juan Ponce de Leon why not, had the tree’s poison not (we believe) spelled his demise.

A brief guide to the tree, written by Michael G. Andreu and Melissa H. Friedman, minces no words.

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Wow, found this tree I’ve been dying to see right here in st kitts at the #tciawmc2019 !! The Manchineel Tree is considered the most poisonous tree in the world! It causes painful blisters if you stand under it during rain, blinds you if the smoke from its burned wood touches your eyes, can poison water with it’s leaves and will cause death if you eat it’s fruit!! #manchineeltree #deadly #spotted #poisonous #tciawmc2019 #tcia #isa #bts #bofingers #bofingerstreeservice #treecare #treework #treebiz #treeclimber #arborist #welovetrees #weekend #stkitts @husqvarnausa @arborwear @treecareindustry @carhartt @isaarboriculture @truewerk @allthingsarb @slattrax @treecaretips @treestuffdotcom

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“Warning: all parts of manchineel are extremely poisonous. The content in this document is strictly informational. Interaction with and ingestion of any part of this tree may be lethal.”

Reports from people who have been unfortunate enough to eat the fruit claim inflammation and blistering around the mouth and severe stomach and intestinal issues – accounts backed up by the unfortunate Nicola Strickland, who wrote about her taste of the fruit for posterity.

I rashly took a bite from this fruit and found it pleasantly sweet. My friend also partook (at my suggestion). Moments later we noticed a strange peppery feeling in our mouths, which gradually progressed to a burning, tearing sensation and tightness of the throat. The symptoms worsened over a couple of hours until we could barely swallow solid food because of the excruciating pain and the feeling of a huge obstructing pharyngeal lump. Sadly, the pain was exacerbated by most alcoholic beverages, although mildly appeased by pina coladas, but more so by milk alone.

Over the next eight hours our oral symptoms slowly began to subside, but our cervical lymph nodes became very tender and easily palpable. Recounting our experience to the locals elicited frank horror and incredulity, such was the fruit’s poisonous reputation.

While the fruit may not always be deadly, the milky white sap certainly is – it causes burn-like blisters, temporary blindness, and, if it finds its way under the skin and into the bloodstream, death.

Native peoples were thought to have used the sap to tip their arrows – arrows that killed Ponce de Leon on his second trip to Florida in 1521.

Natives have also used the manchineel and other trees in the spurge family for medicinal purposes (mostly as a laxative, hence the name).

Though the manchineel is the deadliest tree in the lower 48 (it can be found in Florida), it’s not the deadliest plant – that title belongs to the spotted water hemlock.

“A quarter-inch of the stem is enough to kill a person,” confirms botanist and naturalist Roger Hammer. “It’s probably the most violently poisonous plant on the North American continent.”

It is also found in Florida.

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#FunFactFriday: this is #TheMostDangerousTree in the ? ! The #ManchineelTree (Hippomane mancinella) is so toxic it can cause SKIN BLISTERING if you stand under it in the rain ☔ with minute droplets of it’s sap landing on you. The fruit is also known as #BeachApple or #PoisonGuava and in Spanish the tree has been called “arbol de la muerte” or the ? of ?! The tree is found in our FL Everglades, the Caribbean, and South America. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ? ? ? ? ? . . ?ZocDoc.com or ? to book an appointment w/ me, Dr. Dan Ilkovitch, for skin checks, medical concerns, and cosmetic desires ? ?! . ????????????????? Dan Ilkovitch, MD, PhD, FAAD 2320 NE 62nd Street Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308 ? 954-500-3376 ????????????????? . #florida #fortlauderdale #miamibeach #miami #sobe #southbeach #aventurafl #lasolas #Davie #westonfl #bocaraton #southflorida #wiltonmanors #ftlauderdalebeach #pompanobeach #pompano #delraybeach #oaklandpark #wynwood #brickell #floridaderm #BoardCertifiedDermatologist #ASDSskinMD #clearlyderm

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The moral of this story seems to be that when traveling to wonderful foreign places (or Florida), take as much care with the flora as the snakes and gators – just because plants don’t have teeth doesn’t mean they aren’t going to murder you before you know what happened.

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20 Interesting Signs from the Youth-Led World Climate Strike

Many people around the world admit that human emissions are slowly killing the planet via climate change, but no one seems to do anything. Scared for their futures, young people have been pushing the people in charge to not just agree, but to at least try to save us all from a fiery death.

Enter the recent youth-led global climate strike, a movement that numbered in the millions all over the globe. Participants everywhere hope their protest were heard by the UN during their Climate Summit (Greta Thunberg, a leader of the movement, shared some amazing words that made me tear up a little), and if these 20 signs have anything to say about it, these kids will be impossible to ignore.

20. It doesn’t seem like this should be asking too much.

19. I mean it takes a lot to get us out of the house.

18. Priorities, man.

Image Credit: Twitter

17. She’s walking the walk.

16. Incorporating a bit of our history lessons, there.

Image Credit: Twitter

15. Points for relevance.

Image Credit: Twitter

14. And justice for all.

13. Just a little something to think about.

Image Credit: Twitter

12. It’s so hot out you might not be able to feel this burn for much longer.

Image Credit: Twitter

11. I think this one is my favorite.

Image Credit: Twitter

10. That’s not at all romantic.

Image Credit: Twitter

9. On so many levels.

Image

Image Credit: Twitter

8. Fighting for the unborn on a whole other level.

7. A more perfect mashup has ever been conceived.

Image Credit: Twitter

6. It’s always a good time for a well-crafted pun.

Image Credit: Twitter

5. Who knew Mario Bros. would teach us so much about real life?

4. It’s quite backward.

3. My new favorite meme making an appearance.

2. I could not have bigger heart eyes for this sign.

Image Credit: Twitter

1. You are not alone.

 

It’s time to make a change, y’all. If it doesn’t start from the top, we’ll start it from the bottom. Consider looking into ways you can reduce your carbon footprint.

Are you impressed by the world’s youth campaigning for change? Are you inspired? Let us know how you plan to help in the comments!

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This German Train Only Emits Water

With the climate change debate heating up around the world, it’s no surprise that some countries are looking for more and better ways to cut carbon emissions from the transportation sector.

The train, dubbed the Coradia iLint, was developed over the course of just two years and runs on hydrogen fuel cellls combined with a lithium-ion battery to run its engine.

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Germany launched world's first Hydrogen powered train today . Two bright blue Coradia iLint trains, built by French TGV-maker Alstom, on Monday began running a 62 mile (100km) route between the towns and cities of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervoerde and Buxtehude in northern Germany – a stretch normally plied by diesel trains . Hydrogen trains are equipped with fuel cells that produce electricity through a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, a process that leaves steam and water as the only emissions. Excess energy is stored in ion lithium batteries on board the train. . The Coradia iLint trains can run for about 600 miles (1,000km) on a single tank of hydrogen, similar to the range of diesel trains. #quizx #sustainabletransportation . #hydrogen #hydrogenpowered #locomotive #automobile #train #travel #industry #technology #sustainability #cleanenergy #lithiumbattery #germany?? #france #coradiailint #energy #electricity #alstom

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Right now, Germany alone employs 4,000 diesel trains, but the iLint is expected to change that – and to drastically reduce the country’s carbon emissions in the process.

The trains have hydrogen fuel tanks on the roof and huge lithium ion batteries as part of their engines; they can travel 500 miles per day at speeds of up to 87 miles per hour. They give off only steam as a byproduct, and the only sound you’ll hear on board or as they whoosh past is the wheels and the air resistance.

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#zeroemissions #train that runs on just #steam and condensed #water has successfully completed its first test run in #Germany. The Coradia #iLint is the world’s only #fuelcell #passengertrain, according to its French makers Alstom, who design #environmentallyfriendly rail solutions. Testing was carried out on the company’s own track in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony, with passenger test runs set to begin at the start of 2018. “This test run is a significant milestone in environmental protection and technical innovation,” said Didier Pfleger, vice president of Alstom in Germany and Austria. “With the Coradia iLint and its fuel cell technology, Alstom is the first railway manufacturer to offer a #zeroemission alternative for mass transit trains. “Today our new traction system, so far successfully proved on the test ring, is used on a train for the first time – a major step towards cleaner mobility in Europe.” The Coradia iLint, which is silent and can reach speeds of up to 140 km/h, is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, which produces electrical power for the traction. It is set to run on the Buxtehude-Bremervörde-Bremerhaven-Cuxhaven line in Lower Saxony. The Coradia iLint is the first low floor passenger train worldwide powered by a #hydrogenfuelcell, which produces electrical power for the traction. This zero-emission train is silent and only emits steam and condensed water. #CoradiaiLint is special for its combination of different innovative elements: a clean energy conversion, #flexibleenergy storage in batteries, and a smart management of the traction power and available energy. Based on Alstom’s flagship Coradia Lint diesel train, Coradia iLint is particularly suited for operation on non-electrified networks. It enables sustainable train operation while maintaining high train performance. “This test run is a significant milestone in environmental protection and technical innovation. With the Coradia iLint and its fuel cell technology, Alstom is the first railway manufacturer to offer a zero-emission alternative for mass transit trains. Today our new traction system, so far successfully proved on the test ring, is used on a train for the first time ??⬇

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Alstom (the company that builds the iLint), issued the following statement:

“Alstom is proud to launch a breakthrough innovation in the field of clean transportation. It shows our ability to work in close collaboration with our customers and develop a train in only two years.”

Hydrogen power works when hydrogen is burned with oxygen to produce huge amounts of energy. NASA has used liquid hydrogen and oxygen to propel rockets since the 1970s, but cost (and probably political lobbying) has kept it from being widely used in the consumer market until very recently.

There’s also the fact that in order to get hydrogen, you have to use electricity to split water into its constituent elements – and if you’re using electricity from a coal plant, hydrogen doesn’t wind up being that clean of a fuel. But if you’re using wind power, it can be totally emissions free!

Now, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway are all interested in buying some iLint trains of their own, and I can only assume more countries will follow.

Maybe there is some hope for the future after all.

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Russia Confirmed That the Cold War–Era Ex-Bioweapons Lab That Stores Samples of Smallpox Recently Exploded

Well, that’s not good…

Samples of the highly contagious (but eradicated) disease smallpox only exist in two laboratories in the world. As a relic of the Cold War, one is in the United States, and the other is in Russia – and the one located in Russia recently weathered an explosion.

The smallpox sample, along with cultures of anthrax and ebola (and other deadly pathogens), is housed at the Virology and Biotechnology Center in Novosibirsk. The lab was once in the service of developing bioweapons during the Cold War, and it still remains tightly secured. The walls around it are reinforced concrete, high-tech fences and motion detectors help with patrolling the perimeter, and even though a scientist died 15 years ago after an accident with Ebola, the facility is generally considered to be safe.

That is, it was before part of the facility exploded during regularly scheduled repair work.

The facility leadership put out a statement (translated from Russian):

“There was an explosion of a gas cylinder with a fire on the 5th floor of a six-story reinforced concrete laboratory building in the sanitary inspection room being repaired. No work with biological material on the body was carried out. One person was injured, building structures were not damaged.”

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Russia releases #smallpox #virus ???

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The employee suffered burns on his legs, and doctors confirm that no biohazards were found outside the facility, and that there is no threat to the general population.

If smallpox were to escape this facility or the one in the United States, containment would be a hard row to hoe.

The disease, caused by the variola virus, was a horrific scourge, killing 300 million people in the 20th century alone. It was declared eradicated in 1979 following a global vaccination program, with the final death coming from a terrible accident in 1978.

It claimed the life of Janet Parker, a medical photographer who came into contact with a sample of the disease in a Birmingham Medical School laboratory.

The head of the lab, one Henry Bedson, committed suicide due to the guilt of releasing the deadly disease.

Once free of the disease, world powers made the decision to destroy all cultures except for those at the two secure laboratories for posterity (or bioweapons…again, Cold War). The last samples of the disease still reside there today.

Except for the live virus scientists fear could emerge from the thawing Siberian permafrost.

That, it would see, is a problem for another day.

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A Corpse on a Body Farm Was Caught Moving

This can safely be filed under: Nightmare Fuel.

Apparently, corpses don’t stop moving for up to a year after death, due to the various decomposition processes they go through.

Which makes me wonder how many of those bells rang at Victorian gravesides even though the people in the coffins were, in fact, dead.

Yikes.

The research that brought you this lovely tidbit of macabre information comes from an Australian body farm (a place where scientists study how bodies decompose in order to improve forensic techniques.

In a time-lapse video containing images taken every 30 minutes over a period of 17 months, researchers saw movement for far longer than they expected to – over a year and a half in some cases. In an interview with ABC News Australia, the authors said they believe the movements were mostly the result of drying ligaments.

“What we found was that the arms were significantly moving, so that arms that started off down beside the body ended up out to the side of the body.”

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So from Obesity TV programmes I go straight onto food!!: This is an amazing "5 Stages of Decay Cookie" by Claire Ratcliffe for the special Halloween event I'm holding at Barts Pathology Museum where I work: "Delicious Decay – The Edible Body Farm!!! The event (Friday night 28th and all day Saturday 29th) will feature edibles – savoury and sweet – based only on human decay and decomposition. The point is to raise awareness for the need, in the UK, for a Body Farm (or Taphonomy Research Facility) that actually uses human remains, like the one in Tennessee. We use pigs at the moment and they're consistently unreliable. That's why I'm working with @conjurers_kitchen (amazing food artist) and Dr Anna Williams (Forensic Anthropologist) to make this incredibly realistic. We even have the scents used to train cadaver dogs and a make up artist to make you look "decomposed"! www.deliciousdecay1.eventbrite.co.uk and www.deliciousdecay2.eventbrite.co.uk (I'll talk about the 5 stages in another post ?⚰) #humanremains #decomposition #remains2beseen #ediblebodyfarm #decay #deliciousdecay #taphonomy #bodyfarm #anthroplogy

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They’ve yet to publish their study, but hope their findings will continue to add to a body of research that helps police solve murders, among other things.

“This research is very important to help law enforcement to solve crime and it also assists in disaster investigations. It’s important for victims and victims’ families, and in a lot of cases it gives the victim a voice to tell their last story.”

Just an FYI: Body farms exist all over the world, and they depend on body donations from people looking to assist science after they’ve expired.

I say you might as well be helpful. Either way, you’re just going to be decomposing.

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A Tree-Planting Search Engine Saw a 1150% Increase in Use After the Amazon Rainforest Fires

Step aside, Google. An eco-friendly search engine saw a 1150% increase in daily downloads in a single day after the Amazon rainforest fires.

Ecosia is a search engine that uses 80 percent of its profits from advertisements to plant millions of trees in Brazil, Ethiopia, and other emerging economies, Business Insider reports. The website claims to have planted 65 million trees to date – an impressive number.

Usually, Ecosia sees about 20,000 downloads per day. But recently, large swaths of the Amazon went up into flames in an urgent environmental disaster. As more people became aware of what was going on, people began using Ecosia en masse in an attempt to help combat the damage.

Photo Credit: iStock

On August 22, the company experienced 250,000 downloads in a single day, but the record-breaking moment was bittersweet for Ecosia.

“We had our team meeting and people were, on the one side, very happy because of the numbers but also very sad because of the forest fires,” Christian Kroll, Ecosia’s chief executive, told Business Insider. “So it’s both exciting and a tragic occurrence.”

The sudden burst in popularity is largely thanks to word-of-mouth. The app is frequently mentioned by Instagram and Twitter users who are spreading the word about the rainforest fires. Ecosia is now the top-ranked iOS app in Brazil.

Photo Credit: iStock

The Amazon rainforest experienced over 72,000 fires this year so far, an 83 percent increase from 2018. This is partly because of dry weather, and party because Brazil’s new president, Jair Bolsonaro, has walked back a decade’s worth of environmental protections. His actions have given cover to thousands of illegal farmers and ranchers to light fires to burn down forest to create more arable land for them to use. It’s a difficult situation because many of them have no other way to earn income, but the damage they’ve done to the forest – and thus to the world – is enormous.

Christian says he was inspired to start Ecosia after learning about environmental damage during his travels to South America and Nepal.

“In my opinion, planting trees helps people and the environment at the same time,” he said. He’s right.

He founded Ecosia in 2009, but it doesn’t do all that search work on its own. It partners with Microsoft’s search engine Bing to power its search results and display ads.

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