Category: Science

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A Twitter Thread Explained Why Raising the Price of Junk Food Might Hurt as Many Kids as It Helps

There’s no way around it: eating healthy is expensive. You could easily pop over to a fast food joint or buy a giant bag of say, pizza rolls, and fill your belly to the brim for the same price (or less) than you could make a salad at home or keep an assortment of fresh fruit on hand for a healthy snack.

That said, childhood obesity is also a real and growing health problem across the Western world.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has created what he calls his #AdEnough campaign to try to fight it by changing the way junk food is advertised to children, which includes lobbying for a sugar tax that would increase the prices for fatty, sugary, junky food.

“This is a tax for good; this is a tax for love; this is designed to protect and give to the most disadvantaged communities,” he said in a statement.

That said, many people are calling him out for a couple of things.

First, Oliver has a Cookies and Cream drink that’s served in a chocolate cup and contains 46 teaspoons of sugar (6x the daily recommended allowance for a child).

Second, as pointed out in this brilliant thread by Twitter user Ketty Hopkins, the tax would not help “the most disadvantaged communities” at all, since those are the exact same people who need cheap food in order to survive.

Things got pretty bad for her and her family…

Like really, insanely, horribly bad…

Hopkins grew up in a low-income family, and explained, based on her own experience, why eating healthy sometimes (most of the time) wasn’t really an option.

But they weren’t lazy. Her father was emotionally devastated and completely overwhelmed.

This next part is just… wow.

Instead of making bad food cost more, Ketty has some pretty good insights – and suggestions – on how to help families and children currently struggling to make ends meet.

Being healthy takes effort, and her father simply didn’t have the energy.

She also reminds people that judging others for what they’re eating isn’t any more helpful than it is nice – it’s more often than not money, not laziness, that’s at issue.

After all, she points out, if her father had not bought cheap, unhealthy food, their family wouldn’t have been able to afford food at all.

Better to change the system that keeps people at a disadvantage than to try to keep all food out of their reach, price-wise, in the meantime.

It’s hard to disagree with her logic, though I’m sure some will!

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This Is What the “Guilty” Expression on Your Dog’s Face Really Means

Humans keep trying to explain and understand our pets in terms of human thoughts and emotions. Even though they’re, ya know, dogs and cats and birds and stuff.

So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the look your dog gives you when they’re in trouble for doing something they know they shouldn’t have isn’t what you think.

Like this guy who’s clearly guilty AF!

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I may look guilty right? That’s because I am, I chewed mummy’s trainer up, thought I may get away with it but as soon as she shouted ‘who did this Tink?’ My face automatically did this……? need more practice ???? Happy Friyay ? Tink xx #guiltydogface#happyfriyay#bettyboobeagle#tinkerbelle#justbeagles#beagleloveit#instagrambeagles#beagle#beaglesofinstagram#dogsofinstagram#dogs_of_instagram#beaglecentral#beagleworld_feature#beagleluvofficial#beaglevillage#boopmynose#dailybarker#worldofcutepets#dogsofinstagram#sendadogphoto #worldofcutepets#dog_features#dogsofinstaworld#mydogiscutest#igwoofs#dogmilk#beaglefaction#beagleloverz#beagles_petsagram#beaglepluss#beagle_us#doggytheworld @beagledream @beagle_top @boopmynose @beagleworld @beagle_loveit @beaglecentral @bestfriends_dogs @dogsofinstagram @beaglevillage @beagleloverz @beaglefaction @beagle_corner @dog.tagram @thekennelclubuk @beagleoftheday @beagle_top @beagles.gram @beaglemasters @sendadogphoto @justbeagles @mydogiscutest @beaglesplanet @thebeaglesparents @beagle_lovers @beagles_petsagram @beagles_all_day @instagrambeagles @beagle_society @beagledaily @beaglescorner @beaglestagrams @beagleig @beagle.boo @beaglesmile @beagle_corner @beaglezada @beagleloversfc @beaglecute @beagle.ins.gram @beagle_me @dogs @worldofbeagles @doglove @dogs_of_world_

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Actually, what we categorize as an adorable attempt to convey the complicated emotion of guilt is actually much more simple (and less cute) – fear.

A 2009 study ran by scientist Dr. Alexandra Horowitz called “Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know” and “Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell,” addresses how we misinterpret fear as guilt in those moments when we’re upset with our dogs for disobeying.

“I look at a dog showing the guilty look and it feels guilty to me. It does! We’re kind of wired to see it this way, so it’s nobody’s fault.”

She describes the look as when the dog cowers, showing the whites of its eyes while looking up at you, possibly pinning it’s ears back in the process – all classic signs of fear in dogs.

They’re responding to your scolding and disapproval, basically, not to any higher thought process where they were aware they were doing the wrong thing when they were doing it, and are now feeling badly that they were caught.

“It seems unlikely that they have the same types of thinking about thinking that we do, because of their really different brains, but in most ways dogs brains are more similar to ours than dissimilar,” Dr. Horowitz told IFLScience.

The “thinking about thinking” bit refers to executive function, meaning the ability to reflect on past actions and feel a certain way about them in the present.

“There is some work showing that some animals are planning for the future and remember specific episodes in the past. With dogs, there’s not as much evidence yet. Which isn’t to say that they don’t, but it’s to say that it’s really hard to design experiments around it.”

Without solid evidence when it comes to how dogs experience emotion and memory, anthropomorphizing them is easy – and it’s essential to us, as humans, as a way to make sense of this creature now living alongside us in our home.

“When you adopted your dog, and suddenly you’re living with a dog, within a week we have opinions about the dog’s personality, what they’re like and what they’re thinking. It’s a way to try to predict what’s gonna happen next with an organism that we don’t really know. So we use the language of human explanation, and we just put it on the dog.”

Which is fine, of course, as long as you’re not expecting more from your dog that they’re really able to give.

It’s best to just love them for who and what they are – nosed-through trash bins and chewed-up shoes and all.

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Bill Gates Posted the Real Causes of Death in the US That Are Not Reported by the Media

Fact: you can’t trust everything you see online. Not by a long shot. But when we’re presented with facts that show what a large disconnect exists between media and reality, it can still be jarring.

And that’s exactly the feeling many people got after checking out this hard data on the causes of death in America (thanks to Bill Gates for posting it).

Because even though they’re not sensational or visually terrifying or able to be used as a tool to control the masses in some way, heart disease and cancer are still far and away the biggest killers stalking American streets.

Image Credit: Our World In Data

The infographic compares a chart showing causes of death, proportionally, to charts showing how often those causes are Googled, covered by mainstream media outlets in the US, and covered by mainstream media outlets in the UK.

Image Credit Our World in Data

Across the board, the “sensational” ways to die get coverage (and searches) disproportionate to their actual likelihood of killing us.

The data was compiled from the results of a project known as Death: Reality vs. Reported that was done by students at the University of California San Diego, who attempted to answer these questions:

  1. How do people die?
  2. How do people think they die?
  3. Is there a difference?

They used four sources to find answers – the CDC’s WONDER database, Google Trends search volume, the Guardian’s article database, and the New York Times’ article database – and concluded:

“For all of the above data, we looked at the top 10largest causes of mortality, as well as terrorism, overdoses, and homicides, three other causes of death which we believe receive a lot of media attention. Immediately, we can see that cancer and heart disease take up a major chunk of all deaths, each responsible for around 30% of the total death count. On the graph, everything is visible except for terrorism, which is so small it doesn’t show up unless we zoom in.”

When they move over to analyzing people’s Google searches for causes of death, terrorism, you can see, is far over-represented, and the same goes for newspapers – terrorism, cancer, and homicides are mentioned most often, even though they should be much smaller in proportion to cancer and heart disease.

“After looking at our data, we found that, like results before us, the attention given by news outlets and Google searches does not match the actual distribution of deaths. This suggests that general public sentiment is not well-calibrated with the ways that people actually die. Heart disease and kidney disease appear largely underrepresented in the sphere of public attention, while terrorism and homicides capture a far larger share, relative to their share of deaths caused.”

If you find this interesting, you’re not alone – Twitter experienced some eye-opening, come to Jesus moments, as well.

We really need to think more about this kind of thing.

And not just accept what the media feeds us.

Because the truth always comes out in the long run.

As always – the more you know!

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Minnesota Offers Money for Residents to Create Bee-Friendly Lawns

Bee awareness has become engrained in popular culture in recent years, and for good reason – a dearth of our pollinating friends would spell disaster for humanity in terms of crop production and yields for years to come.

And if helping save the planet isn’t enough incentive, the state of Minnesota is willing to hand over some cash in exchange for its residents creating yards that are welcoming and sustaining for bees.

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20.06.2019 ''Ihr Zuckerwürfelchen, groß und klein, wir laden euch herzlich in unsern Garten ein. Kommt herbei von nah und fern, ihr seid willkommen, wir haben euch gern! Wir bieten euch Bettchen, Speis und Trank, für die reichlich Ernte ein herzlich Dank!'' Huch! Da ist mir doch glatt dieses kleine Bienchen während der gestrigen Eskalation im Gartencenter in den Einkaufwagen geflogen. Na sowas…wie konnte das bloß passieren? ? Wenn man einmal nicht aufpasst… Was mach ich denn jetzt? Ratlos stand ich nun da mit meinem Wagen und dem kleinen Bienchen. Zurückbringen? Aber wohin? Wo ist die Kleine überhaupt hergekommen? Mit hoffnungsvollem Blick schaute das kleine Bienchen über den Wagenrand ? Hierlassen oder gar am Straßenrand aussetzen? Oh nein! Das kleine Bienchen bricht in Tränen aus und flutet sogleich den Einkaufswagen ? Nein, das kann ich nicht über‘s Herz bringen. Mitnehmen? Was für eine Frage!?! Natürlich! Das kleine Bienchen hat doch überhaupt kein Zuhause mehr. Der Garten platzt zwar schon aus allen Nähten, aber für kleine fleißige Bienchen ist doch immer ein Plätzchen frei. Das war die beste Entscheidung! Seht euch die Kleine an…habt ihr schon mal so ein glückliches Bienchen gesehen? ? #bienenweide #wildbiene #wildbee #savethebees #beebetter #bienenwiese #wildblumen #wildflowers #natur #nature #bee #bees #biene #bienen #flower #gardening #insekt #insect #gardenlove #plant #vielfalthatimmersaison #garten #gartenliebe #blume #garden #gärtnern #flowerpower #spring #frühling #blumenliebe

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Legislators there recently passed a bill that was signed into law by Governor Tim Walz that sets aside an annual budget of $900k to be specifically used to help state residents convert their lawns into bee sanctuaries.

Specifically, they’re concerned about the safety and survival of the rusty patched bumblebee, a pollinator native to the Midwest that is in serious trouble – their numbers have declined by up to 87% in less than 20 years.

Once the law takes effect, people will be able to apply for financial assistance to convert their lawns, with 75% of the total cost covered – or up to 90% for projects specifically aimed at helping rusty patched bees.

The projects should be planted with “native vegetation and pollinator-friendly forbs and legumes,” according to the bill, including “undesirables” like white clover and dandelions.

They hope to put the bill into effect next spring, though there are some details (like who will handle the disbursement of funds) to figure out.

Minnesota isn’t the only place willing to go the extra mile when it comes to the bees, either – the UK has banned pesticides that are harmful to bees, and Holland has instituted “insect hotels” to be strategically placed in order to give bees a safe place to land.

If you’re wanting to do your part on your own dollar, have at it!

Just make sure your homeowner’s association is down with “weeds” in your “lawn.”

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Scientists May Have Found a Link Between Eating Beef Jerky and Manic Behavior

It’s a sad, sad day for me and m fellow lovers of cured beef products.

NBC News has reported that processed meats that contain nitrates (like jerky, cold cuts, hot dogs, etc.) may provoke symptoms of mental illness – specifically, mania.

The claim comes after a study published in Molecular Psychiatry found that a significant number of participants began exhibiting symptoms of mania – like racing thoughts, intense euphoria, and irritability – shortly after eating some type of cured meat.

In fact, patients who had recently consumed products like salami, jerky, and dried meat sticks were more likely to have been or be hospitalized for mania than subjects in the control group.

Scientists narrowed the link down to the nitrates, which are preservatives added to many cured meats. People who were fed nitrate-free jerky acted less hyperactive than those who were given the nitrate-rich sticks.

That nitrates may not be exactly harmless to humans isn’t news – you can find numerous studies that contain warnings and show multiple risks associated with consuming them regularly. They don’t just make you hyper, either. They can lead to the formation of cancers and promote inflammation in the gut, though most scientists will admit that more research needs to be done in order to pin down exactly how and why consuming them has such negative outcomes for many people.

In the meantime, if you have a history of cancer in your family, a history of poor mental health, or have existing psychiatric or gut disorders, you might do well to avoid nitrates – and all process meats containing them – until the research is in.

I can tell you I plan to (continue) doing so, though saying no to hotdogs at the ballgame is gonna be tough.

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Whiskey Actually Tastes Better When You Add a Splash of Water. Here’s Why

If you’re like me, you might have been raised to believe that putting ice or water in your whiskey was some kind of cardinal drinking sin. But science would definitely quibble with my Scots-Irish grandma on this point, because chemists have the scientific proof we need to back up the idea that water (or ice) actually enhances your  favorite barrel-aged flavor.

Researchers from the Linnaeus University Centre for Biomaterials Chemistry in Sweden analyzed whiskey at a molecular level to see how exactly it interacts with water.

Image Credit: Pixabay

The molecule responsible for whiskey’s smokey taste and smell is called guaiacol, and it bonds to alcohol molecules in your glass, which distributes the taste evenly. But when you add a splash of water or a couple of ice cubes, the water molecules repel the alcohol (and the guaiacol), pushing more of the taste to the top of the glass.

When that happens, your drink’s distinctive, alluring taste and smell is what fancy bartenders would call “spirit forward.”

Image Credit: Pixabay

The results of the experiments were published in Scientific Reports, and recommend diluting your whiskey to about 40-45% alcohol. Of course, most commercial whiskey’s are diluted before bottling, so just a splash of water or a couple of ice cubes should do you.

Image Credit: Pixabay

You’ll have to do some experimenting of your own in order to find the optimal amount for you, but I’m sure you won’t mind.

I’m about to do some of my own. Just don’t tell my grandma.

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8 Great Facts That Will Send Your Brain Into Overdrive!

Attention! Attention! You will engage in some brain power exercises starting RIGHT NOW.

You’ve been a little lazy lately (haven’t we all?) and it’s time to kick that brain into overdrive!

3…2….1…GO!

1. I did not know that

Photo Credit: did you know?

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2. Disgusting!

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3. A wonderful idea

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4. Survivors

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5. Thank God

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6. Dum Dums

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7. Man of culture

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8. Wow

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Brain power!

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Michelin’s New “Puncture-Proof” Tire Promises to Make Flats a Thing of the Past

Flat tires have been an issue plaguing drivers ever since the dawn of the automobile. At this point, learning to fix a flat is a vital skill that literally every driver on the road should be familiar with.

That knowledge may not be as necessary for much longer, however, as Michelin is here for us!

They’re working with General Motors to develop and test a tire called Uptis (Unique Puncture-Proof Tire System) that doesn’t use air – and therefore, cannot go flat.

They debuted the groundbreaking design at the Movin’ On Summit in Montreal and I’ve gotta say…sign me up.

Image Credit: YouTube

Even though the Uptis has conventional treads on the outside, the middle layer is made of composite rubber and resin-embedded fiberglass spokes. Air would typically provide the support for the outer treads, but in this case, the spokes do the job just as well (arguably better).

Michelin and GM believe these tires will also last longer, because they aren’t in danger of wearing down more quickly due to over or under-inflation. For the same reason, they claim the tires are more environmentally-friendly, since fewer tires means less tire waste over all.

 

Image Credit: YouTube

Right now, over 200 million tires are tossed into the rubbish every single year.

The company plans to test the Uptis tires on a fleet of Chevy Bolts (electric vehicles) later this year. If it goes well, you can expect to see the tires on all new GM vehicles as early as 2024.

Right now, it’s not clear whether or not the tires would be available for purchase separately, so don’t let those tire-changing skills go dormant just yet.

But fear not! A brighter future with less squatting by the side of the road in the heat or rain could be on the very near horizon.

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Man With ADHD Perfectly Sums Up His Condition in This Viral Twitter Thread

Have you heard of Yashar Ali?

He’s a journalist and his tweets frequently go viral because he brings a lot of real talk to the table.

Recently, Ali shared what it’s like living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, in an epic Twitter thread. Soon enough, ADHD became a trending topic and the conversation about the often misunderstood condition had a spotlight shown on it.

Check it out!

1. The frustration people feel is overwhelming

Photo Credit: yashar/Twitter

2. People with ADHD can focus. But some things are significant triggers

Photo Credit: yashar/Twitter

3. Understanding is key for those who want to empathize

Photo Credit: yashar/Twitter

4. The cycle of shame is real with ADHD

Photo Credit: yashar/Twitter

5. Ali thinks adults are under-diagnosed for this disorder

Photo Credit: yashar/Twitter

6. It can have a significant impact on relationships

Photo Credit: yashar/Twitter

7. One key for Ali is not letting things slip

Photo Credit: yashar/Twitter

8. More and more, companies are willing to accommodate ADHD

Photo Credit: yashar/Twitter

9. Don’t let it destroy your life

Photo Credit: yashar/Twitter

Bravo Yashar! Bravo!

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New Study Finds That Having to Fake-Smile at Customers Makes Workers Drink More

In a bit of news that was absolutely no surprise whatsoever to anyone who has ever worked in retail/customer service, a new study has linked forcing a smile for customers with increased consumption of booze.

Researchers from Penn State University and the University of Buffalo recently discovered that faking smiles to please customers can be bad for the health of workers. The data from the research showed that people who work with the public (food service, retail, teachers, nurses, etc.) and who both regularly fake positive emotions (like smiling when they don’t mean it) and repress negative emotions (like the urge to roll their eyes) drink more alcohol after they get off work than people who don’t work directly with the public.

Penn State professor of psychology Alicia Grandey said about the results of the study,

“Faking and suppressing emotions with customers was related to drinking beyond the stress of the job or feeling negatively. It wasn’t just feeling badly that makes them reach for a drink. Instead, the more they have to control negative emotions at work, the less they are able to control their alcohol intake after work.”

And if you work in the service industry or know people who do, you know (and I know) that a lot of them do like to drink more than just a couple when their shift ends. Grandey hypothesizes that by faking or suppressing emotions, service industry workers may be using too much self-control, what she calls “surface acting.” And when they’re not at work, they don’t exercise self-control to regulate their alcohol intake.

Grandey said,

“Smiling as part of your job sounds like a really positive thing, but doing it all day can be draining. In these jobs, there’s also often money tied to showing positive emotions and holding back negative feelings. Money gives you a motivation to override your natural tendencies, but doing it all day can be wearing.”

The researchers analyzed data from 1,592 workers in the United States to draw their conclusions. Grandey also said that workers who have one-time interactions with customers, such as restaurants or call centers, tend to drink more than those who see the same people regularly, like teachers or health care professionals.

Grandey explained,

‘”Nurses, for example, may amplify or fake their emotions for clear reasons. They’re trying to comfort a patient or build a strong relationship. But someone who is faking emotions for a customer they may never see again, that may not be as rewarding, and may ultimately be more draining or demanding.”

What do you think? Share your reactions in the comments!

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