Category: Science

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Scientists Developed a Vaccine That May Finally Solve Cat Allergies

This could potentially be a game-changer.

There’s not a whole lot of in-between out there when you talk to folks about our feline friends. Most people absolutely adore cats…or they despise them. And I’m pretty sure a lot of people use the excuse “I’m allergic” just so they don’t have to deal with cats on any level, whether at a friend’s house, significant other’s, etc.

Well, the people who pull the “allergy card” might not be able to do that for much longer. And on the flip side, people who really love cats and are legitimately allergic to them will be able to play with all the furry buddies they want to! How, you ask? Because scientists have invented a vaccine that can be given to cats to make us humans less allergic to them. Hallelujah!

The vaccine is injected into cats (meaning you don’t even have to take the needle yourself), and it makes them produce less of the allergen that causes people to sneeze uncontrollably around them. The researchers have been working on the project for five years, and they call the vaccine HypoCat.

One of the researchers, Martin Bachmann, said, “We feel the numbers and conclusions are sufficient to drive our investment in further development. This is also reflected by the fact that JACI the Nr 1 allergy journal, published our study. In 2020, more safety and efficacy testing studies will be initiated.”

Bachmann said that once it is released, HypoCat will be affordable for pet owners. According to one of the researchers, the vaccine should be available sometime in 2022. Hooray!

Do you think anti-vaxxers will just have to weigh in on this one as well?

The post Scientists Developed a Vaccine That May Finally Solve Cat Allergies appeared first on UberFacts.

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15 Amazing Photos of What Mars Looks Like

It’s just like in Total Recall! Kind of…

The Curiosity Rover on Mars sends photos back from the red planet daily. And they are MINDBLOWING.

We, and NASA of course, still have so much to learn about Mars, but even these images would have been inconceivable not so many years ago.

Take a look at these stunning photographs.

1. Check that out

Photo Credit: NASA

2. Tracks

Photo Credit: NASA

3. On top of the world

Photo Credit: NASA

4. Desert landscape

Photo Credit: NASA

5. Wide open

Photo Credit: NASA

6. There’s the Rover again!

Photo Credit: NASA

7. Fish eye

Photo Credit: NASA

8. Doing good work

Photo Credit: NASA

9. Endless

Photo Credit: NASA

10. Lonely

Photo Credit: NASA

11. Fascinating

Photo Credit: NASA

12. Cool shot

Photo Credit: NASA

13. Boulders

Photo Credit: NASA

14. Wow

Photo Credit: NASA

15. Science rocks!

Photo Credit: NASA

Be sure to follow NASA’s progress on Mars, it gets more fascinating by the day!

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This Is What It’s like to Run a World-Class Penis Museum

If you are reading this article, you’re clearly my sort of people – because who wouldn’t be curious about what it takes to run a museum full of penises?

Luckily, there’s a man with experience ready and willing to let us all in on the family secrets.

Hjotur Gisli Sigurosson curates the Icelandic Phallological Museum, a vocation handed down by a father who indulged a penis fascination by collecting interesting specimens wherever he ran across them.

Hjotur was just 10 when his father, Sigurour Hjartarson, began his collection in 1974. The first specimen was a “pizzle,” or a dried bull’s penis, that was given to Sigurour as a joke. He began a collection that grew until he opened it to the public in 1997.

Hjotur never thought the collection was odd, and recalls time spent with his father fondly.

“I had great adventures going to remote places to harvest organs with my father,” he told Mental_Floss.

The collection includes mostly Icelandic mammal specimens, harvested from dead animals (like beached whales) or given to the family by hunters. Hjotur says, though, that they “never ask for an animal to be killed just to harvest the organ.”

They have one human specimen.

“It was from a 95-year-old man. He signed a letter of donation in 1996, and when he died in 2011 a doctor removed his penis.”

The collection also includes 23 “mystical creature” penises, like “elves, trolls, and mermen,” though Hjotur acknowledges that “some, we suspect, are man-made.”

The museum sells every practical object in the shape of a penis you could ever want – cutlery, lamps, bottle openers, etc – so basically, now you know where to go before your next bachelorette party!

Hjotur isn’t ashamed of the collection, as “there is nothing pornographic or offensive on display,” and he points out that people from all over the world come to visit.

“The reaction is 99.9% positive. Most people see the humorous side and some get very into the scientific angle of it. Most people enter not knowing what to expect and come out smiling or laughing. Last year, we had a little over 20,000 visitors.”

He thinks, too, that seeing the, um, variety might help people understand that when it comes to anatomy, there is no “normal.”

“You’ll learn that as with everything in nature, the diversity in this department is as great as in any other; even within the same species the difference in size and shake is often quite remarkable.”

Hjotur, like his father before him, is always adding to his collection – “a new one, a bigger, better one, a different one” – and he’s open to starting a gallery that honors phallic art in all forms, too.

If you’re looking for something a bit off the beaten path on your next trip to Iceland, well, how can you pass this up? It’s education, it’s entertainment – what more could you ask for in a tour stop?

The post This Is What It’s like to Run a World-Class Penis Museum appeared first on UberFacts.

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More Than 28,000 Species Are Now on a Collision Course with Extinction

There’s no denying that the planet is warming, people are invading every last corner of the globe, and pollution is at an all-time high  – all of which combines to mean that there are thousands of species in danger of disappearing from the earth forever.

For the first time since it began in 1964, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s list of threatened species has surpassed 100,000. 9,000 were added in the past year, bringing the total to 105,732, and a full third of those – 28,338 species – are staring down extinction if nothing changes.

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Visual definition of the term: CONNECTION

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Freshwater fish are particularly at risk these days, with half of all species endemic to Japan threatened and a third of those from Mexico facing the same fate. The IUCN lists agricultural and urban pollution, loss of free-flowing rivers, dams, weirs, fishing, and invasive species as the main reasons for decline.

“To halt these declines, we urgently need policies on the human use of freshwaters that allow for the needs of the many other species sharing these ecosystems,” argues Willam Darwall, head of the IUCN’s Freshwater Biodiversity Unit.

Saltwater inhabitants are hardly faring much better, with an entire group known as Rhino rays ready to disappear in the wild at the drop of a hat. Though not technically sharks, their dorsal fins are making them targets of the same people decimating the world’s shark population for shark fin soup.

“To prevent losing these ray families, it is critical that governments immediately establish and enforce species protections,  bycatch mitigation programs, marine protected areas, and international trade controls,” warns expert Colin Simpfendorder.

500 deep-sea bony fishes have also been added to the list, endangered by deep-sea fishing, seabed mining, and the oil and gas industries.

On land, 7 new primate species find themselves officially endangered, 6 of which reside in West Africa. The IUCN says as many as 40% of West and Central African primates are threatened with extinction, including the roloway monkey, hunted for its meat. Deforestation also plays a critical role in the displacement and struggle many species face.

“With more than 100,000 species now assessed for the IUCN’s Red List, this update clearly shows how much humans around the world are overexploiting wildlife,” says IUCN Acting Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar.

“We must wake up to the fact that conserving nature’s diversity is in our interest, and is absolutely fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. States, businesses and civil society must urgently act to halt the overexploitation of nature, and must respect and support local communities and Indigenous Peoples in strengthening sustainable livelihoods.”

Here’s hoping enough people listen before it’s too late.

The post More Than 28,000 Species Are Now on a Collision Course with Extinction appeared first on UberFacts.

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Are Dogs Colorblind? Here’s the Science Behind What Dogs Can See

A lot of us have been taught that dogs, our four-legged friends, can only see the world in black and white. That they will never be able to see the beautiful colors that exist around us. It’s honestly sad to consider.

But is this true? Or is it just a thing people told their children?

Photo Credit: Pexels, Lum3n.com

Not exactly true, as it turns out.

The myth originated in 1937, per the American Kennel Club:

“It’s likely that all the external world appears to them as varying highlights of black and gray,” Rudy wrote in his 1937 manual, Training the Dog.

The phrase that catches my eye is: “It’s likely…” Okay, so there is some doubt expressed, but let’s dig deeper. The AKC also talks about a 1960 finding that may have supported Rudy’s claim:

“In the 1960s, other researchers hypothesized that the only mammals that can discern color are primates. There was little research to back up this assertion, especially in dogs; nevertheless, it soon became common knowledge that our canine pals are color blind.”

Again there is some doubt: “There was little research to back up this assertion…”

Can Dogs See Color?

The short answer is yes. Sort of.

Dr. Zay Satchu, a Chief Veterinary Officer of Bond Vet, talked with Reader’s digest:

“Yes! Dogs can see color. Both humans and animals have different types of cells in the back of our eyeballs—called rods and cones—that help us see. Rods detect motion and help with nighttime vision, and cones help with color and detail in what we see. Humans have three kinds of cones, meaning we see color and detail very well, while dogs have two kinds, meaning they can still pick up on colors, but probably can’t differentiate between forest and lime green as easily.”

But don’t go getting rid of Fido’s yellow tennis balls just yet! Dogs may not have the spectrum of color like us humans, but they can discern between certain ones.

What Colors Are Visible to Dogs?

Photo Credit: Pexels, Skitterphoto

“Most dogs can’t see much of red or green at all,” says Dr. Satchu. “The other ‘color’ that exists that humans can’t see but dogs can is ultraviolet, meaning ‘beyond violet.’ We’re still evaluating the true purpose of this vision, but we think it has to do with the ability to pick up on the kinds of substances that contain ultraviolet light, like urine and blood, that help with tracking out in the wild.”

He also says that blues and yellows are the showrunners in the rainbow that our canine friends see. Hence, the delight with the yellow tennis balls. Also, how interesting is it that a doggos’ vision goes beyond humans’!

So are you wondering why dog toys are brightly shaded in oranges, purples, and other colors? Well, here’s my take: The toys are eye-catching for humans, not pups. When we stroll down the pet aisle the manufacturers know who they’re selling too.

But as long at those toys make your dog happy, all’s well in dogland.

The post Are Dogs Colorblind? Here’s the Science Behind What Dogs Can See appeared first on UberFacts.

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If Your Child Is a Mouth Breather, It Could Be a Sign of Medical Troubles to Come

There are a lot of mouth breather jokes out there – the funny bit being that people who never learned to breathe out of their noses are odd – and it turns out that there’s actually some science to back that up.

So, if your children spend more time with their mouths open than closed, you might want to start thinking of it as a problem you want to address, rather than no big deal.

In fact, Dr. Anil Rama has some dire warnings about letting mouth breathing go on unchecked.

“Mouth breathing, especially occurring at a young age, changes the development of a person’s face. It makes their face long, chin recessed, nose drop, nostrils flare, teeth crooked, and smile gummy. It also leads to cavities, bad breath, bad sleep, and a miserable personality.”

Well, okay then.

But while it might seem like Rama is being overly harsh, there is evidence – lots of it – to suggest that kids who breath through their mouths most of the time are more likely to struggle in school, cry at night, grow at a slower rate, be moody, and even have larger tonsils than kids who breathe out of their nose.

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C O R R E C T. way to B R E A T H E . Breathing comes so naturally to us that we don’t normally stop and think about how it’s done and whether we’re doing it right or not. But the reality is, being a ‘Nose Breather’ or a ‘Mouth Breather’ will determine how we look, feel and function. (Refer to diagrams). As you can see, the correct way to breathe is through the nose, where this allows the mouth to rest in the correct position for correct jaw and facial developments. Whereas, breathing through your mouth causes recession of the jaw, a longer face, teeth crowding due to lack of palatal seal and incorrect tongue position. So take a moment. Take a breath. Are you a mouth breather or are you a nose breather? Not sure? Come in and have one of our specialist for an assessment. – – – – – – – #smiledentistry #braces #toothalignment #mouthbreather #nosebreather #breathing #takeabreath #orthodontics #teethstraightening #adultbraces #childrenbraces #malocclusions #teethstraightening #straighterteeth #smile #healthy #happy #sleep #breathebetter #dentist #dentaloffice #balmain #balmaindentist #holisticdentist #holistichealth #breathoflife

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As adults, those kids are prone to fatigue, brain fog, and, unfortunately, having a different-looking face.

Basically, using the term “mouth breather” to say that someone seems a bit “off” is accurate (if unkind).

The reason? Breathing through your nose triggers paranasal sinuses that produce nitric oxide, facilitating oxygen circulation throughout the body, helping the lungs absorb oxygen, relaxing muscles, and allowing blood vessels to dilate.

It also has anti-fungal, antiviral, anti-parasitic, and antibacterial properties that boost your immune system and help fight off infections, says Rama.

“Nose breathing is important for cleaning, humidifying, and processing the air for the lungs. It also directly enhances sleep and regulates breathing which helps one remain calm. A lack of nose breathing over time can take a tremendous toll on a person’s mood and mental health….Mouth breathers in general are more irritable, angry, lack patience, are stressed out, forgetful, sleepy, fatigued, and not as happy as they could be.”

If you’re concerned for yourself or a child in your life, talk to a doctor – mouth breathing could be triggered by asthma, allergies, and excessive thumb-sucking and create symptoms like poor behavior, dental issues, lisping, and hoarseness.

The post If Your Child Is a Mouth Breather, It Could Be a Sign of Medical Troubles to Come appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

If Your Child Is a Mouth Breather, It Could Be a Sign of Medical Troubles to Come

There are a lot of mouth breather jokes out there – the funny bit being that people who never learned to breathe out of their noses are odd – and it turns out that there’s actually some science to back that up.

So, if your children spend more time with their mouths open than closed, you might want to start thinking of it as a problem you want to address, rather than no big deal.

In fact, Dr. Anil Rama has some dire warnings about letting mouth breathing go on unchecked.

“Mouth breathing, especially occurring at a young age, changes the development of a person’s face. It makes their face long, chin recessed, nose drop, nostrils flare, teeth crooked, and smile gummy. It also leads to cavities, bad breath, bad sleep, and a miserable personality.”

Well, okay then.

But while it might seem like Rama is being overly harsh, there is evidence – lots of it – to suggest that kids who breath through their mouths most of the time are more likely to struggle in school, cry at night, grow at a slower rate, be moody, and even have larger tonsils than kids who breathe out of their nose.

View this post on Instagram

C O R R E C T. way to B R E A T H E . Breathing comes so naturally to us that we don’t normally stop and think about how it’s done and whether we’re doing it right or not. But the reality is, being a ‘Nose Breather’ or a ‘Mouth Breather’ will determine how we look, feel and function. (Refer to diagrams). As you can see, the correct way to breathe is through the nose, where this allows the mouth to rest in the correct position for correct jaw and facial developments. Whereas, breathing through your mouth causes recession of the jaw, a longer face, teeth crowding due to lack of palatal seal and incorrect tongue position. So take a moment. Take a breath. Are you a mouth breather or are you a nose breather? Not sure? Come in and have one of our specialist for an assessment. – – – – – – – #smiledentistry #braces #toothalignment #mouthbreather #nosebreather #breathing #takeabreath #orthodontics #teethstraightening #adultbraces #childrenbraces #malocclusions #teethstraightening #straighterteeth #smile #healthy #happy #sleep #breathebetter #dentist #dentaloffice #balmain #balmaindentist #holisticdentist #holistichealth #breathoflife

A post shared by Smile Dentistry (@smiledentistry_au) on

As adults, those kids are prone to fatigue, brain fog, and, unfortunately, having a different-looking face.

Basically, using the term “mouth breather” to say that someone seems a bit “off” is accurate (if unkind).

The reason? Breathing through your nose triggers paranasal sinuses that produce nitric oxide, facilitating oxygen circulation throughout the body, helping the lungs absorb oxygen, relaxing muscles, and allowing blood vessels to dilate.

It also has anti-fungal, antiviral, anti-parasitic, and antibacterial properties that boost your immune system and help fight off infections, says Rama.

“Nose breathing is important for cleaning, humidifying, and processing the air for the lungs. It also directly enhances sleep and regulates breathing which helps one remain calm. A lack of nose breathing over time can take a tremendous toll on a person’s mood and mental health….Mouth breathers in general are more irritable, angry, lack patience, are stressed out, forgetful, sleepy, fatigued, and not as happy as they could be.”

If you’re concerned for yourself or a child in your life, talk to a doctor – mouth breathing could be triggered by asthma, allergies, and excessive thumb-sucking and create symptoms like poor behavior, dental issues, lisping, and hoarseness.

The post If Your Child Is a Mouth Breather, It Could Be a Sign of Medical Troubles to Come appeared first on UberFacts.

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Learn Some Great New Information with These 10 Facts

Ready to exercise that brain? Ready to learn?

Then let’s get to work!

1. I need one of these

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

2. Where the bodies were buried

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

3. That makes sense

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

4. Ouch…

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

5. Nice and quiet

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

6. WOW

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

7. Improvement

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

8. No more, no less

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

9. Double rainbows!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

10. Wild animals

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

That was some good learnin’!

The post Learn Some Great New Information with These 10 Facts appeared first on UberFacts.

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Learn Some Great New Information with These 10 Facts

Ready to exercise that brain? Ready to learn?

Then let’s get to work!

1. I need one of these

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

2. Where the bodies were buried

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

3. That makes sense

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

4. Ouch…

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

5. Nice and quiet

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

6. WOW

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

7. Improvement

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

8. No more, no less

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

9. Double rainbows!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

10. Wild animals

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

That was some good learnin’!

The post Learn Some Great New Information with These 10 Facts appeared first on UberFacts.

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This Is How to Crack an Egg Perfectly Every Time

If you’re someone who panics when it comes time to crack that egg into a skillet or a pancake batter or a batch of cookies, afraid of getting shell into food that you or someone else is about to dig into, well, keep reading!

It turns out that it all comes down to the method of cracking, and that only about a quarter of American cooks are doing it the right way – on a flat countertop instead of the edge of a bowl or pan.

So, the flat countertop method is the way to go if you want to avoid bits of shell, according to America’s Test Kitchen, Real Simple, and Reader’s Digest…but why?

Three reasons:

  1. The sharp edge of the bowl or pan actually pushes the shell inside the egg, increasing the risk that small pieces of shell will get inside the egg’s liquid.
  2. Cracking the egg directly on or over the bowl or pan increases the chance that broken shell will fall directly into your mixing bowl/pan.
  3. Cracking the shell on a sharp edge actually breaks through the shell’s thin inner membrane, destroying the safety net that catches broken pieces of shell. Cracking on a flat surface keeps the membrane intact, adhering to the loose pieces of shell.

Which is not to say that plenty of people – even professional chefs – have long gotten along cracking on the edge of a bowl.

But if you’re not confident, or if you find yourself or your guests frequently picking shell out of your food, well, you might want to switch it up.

Give it a try!

The post This Is How to Crack an Egg Perfectly Every Time appeared first on UberFacts.