A New Cavity Vaccine Could Save Kids from Discomfort and Their Parents from Spending Money

Many of us know what it feels like to get a cavity and go through the unpleasant process of getting it filled. And for many, the first cavities occur during childhood.

So while the discomfort was ours, the bill belonged to our parents.

Now, scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences are working on perfecting a “cavity vaccine” that could put an end to both.

It hasn’t been approved for human trials, but the developers hope that it could defend kids’ teeth from developing cavities in the first place.

Cavities are caused by acid erosion, which can be battled by mixing the bacteria that emits the acid with proteins that protect enamel from being eaten away. No one is immune to cavities, though some people are more prone to getting them (no matter how meticulously they care for their teeth) because of the shape of their teeth or their diet. Often whether you’re prone to cavities or not is a product of socioeconomic status.

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Cavities are the most common ailment in children and can cost around $2000 to maintain over a person’s life – a hefty price tag for parents already struggling to make ends meet.

If you’re searching for ways to mitigate cavities in your house pre-vaccine, then look no further than the sugar content in the foods you and your kids eat. As high-sugar foods break down, they release that cavity-causing acid and can start to cause decay within 20 minutes of touching your teeth.

But since avoiding sugar or brushing your teeth every half-hour doesn’t seem particularly realistic, here’s hoping that cavity vaccine passes into human trials and onto shelves sooner rather than later!

We could all use the break.

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A Horrible Fart Forces Kenyan Regional Assembly to Pause Their Debate

Everyone passes gas sometimes, but not everyone’s farts are smelly enough to disrupt the political process.

A member of a Kenyan regional assembly emitted a fart that was so foul, the entire assembly had to disperse in the middle of a debate, BBC reports. The Homa Bay county assembly had just returned from a lunch break to debate market stalls when they were interrupted by the sudden stench. Several men began to argue over who had dealt it (obviously).

“Honorable Speaker, one of us has polluted the air and I know who it is,” Julius Gaya reportedly told the assembly.

He went on to directly accuse a fellow member, who denied having done the deed, saying: “I am not the one. I cannot do such a thing in front of my colleagues.”

Speaker Edwin Kakach then paused the debate and told members to step outside and take a break from the smell in the chamber. Edwin also asked officials to bring in air fresheners “to make it pleasant.”

“Get whatever flavor you will find in any office, whether it’s vanilla or strawberry. We cannot continue sitting in an environment that smells bad,” Edwin said.

Fortunately, that didn’t prove to be necessary. After a 10 minute break, members returned to the room to find that the smell had subsided before any air fresheners were found. The heated debate on market stalls continued.

Guess we’ll never know who dealt it for sure.

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This 392-Year-Old Bonsai Tree Survived Hiroshima

If you find yourself at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington, D.C., check out a piece of Japan’s history that dates back to the 17th century.

It’s a bonsai tree, gifted by master Masaru Yamaki to America on its bicentennial. The 392-year-old white pine is the oldest tree in the collection – it was planted in 1625, cultivated and personally cared for over the years by one master or another, and was living only 2 miles from where the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

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i met a 400 year old tree today

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The Yamaki family – Masaru’s son and grandson – revealed that the tree was sitting on a garden bench at their home when the bomb went off. It survived (and so did all of the other trees in their garden, along with their family).

Though the tree’s history is amazing (it’s a rare specimen that hails from the island of Miyajima), it’s not the oldest bonsai in the world – that title belongs to a 550-year-old tree at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace.

They have one that’s 450 years old, too, though no word on how close either of those were to a bomb that stunned the world with its destructive power.

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Imperial palace Tokyo 🏯🇯🇵 #tokyo #japan #imperialpalacetokyo

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The gift of the tree was a nice gesture, but you have to wonder how it feels about residing in the country who dropped an atomic bomb so close to its home – and if plants had memories, whether it would ever be able to forget the devastation it must have witnessed that day, and in the years that followed.

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A Man Karaoked so Hard He Collapsed His Lung

You really have to admire people who put themselves out there on karaoke night. I mean, what’s the point of grabbing the mic and getting up there if you’re not going to give it your all, right?

Right.

Buuuttttt, that said, you probably want to avoid collapsing your lung in the process, eh?

Image Credit: Pixabay

Apparently, a 65-year-old Chinese man named Wang managed to do just that after attempting to hit a particularly intense high note, reports the South China Morning Post.

This came after singing 10 high-pitched songs in a row, so perhaps that was a contributing factor? Although I’ve honestly never heard of anyone collapsing their lungs from singing before.

The man experienced chest pains and breathlessness before deciding to take a trip to the ER.

Image Credit: Pixabay

“I was very excited in the heat of the moment and after singing a few songs with very high notes, I found myself having breathing difficulties,” he confessed.

The doctor in the emergency room said that the collapsed lung was due to “high lung pressure caused by singing high notes.”

A collapsed lung occurs when a hole or a puncture in the lunch results in air leaking into the space between the lung and chest wall. The air can build up and increase pressure in the chest cavity, which obviously causes some serious problems.

Though it’s unusual, collapsed lungs can occur basically out of the blue, but chest injuries are most often to blame.

No word on whether his age or physical condition had anything to do with the incident, but you might want to take it easy during your next karaoke session.

Just in case…

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Women in Africa Are Recycling Plastic into Bricks for a Schoolhouse

Tthe world produces over 300 million tons of plastic every year, much of which quickly goes into the trash where it takes centuries to decompose. In Abidjan, Ivory Coast, women are putting plastic garbage to good use by turning it into bricks to build schools, New York Times reports.

Many women in Abidjan make a living by gathering plastic waste from city streets and selling it to recycling centers. Those same women are now working with a Colombian company to convert the waste into bricks to build schools.

The project will result in hundreds of classrooms to serve about 26,400 students — plus, it’s an opportunity for the women to make a better living.

Many schools in the area are built out of traditional mud-bricks and wood. These buildings require a lot of upkeep, as they easily erode in the sun and rain.

The buildings made out of recycled plastic, on the other hand, will last practically forever. In this context, plastic’s slow decomposition is a benefit.

Also, the country’s classrooms are severely overcrowded, with up to 90 students in each class. Additional classrooms are desperately needed.

Since Abidjan produces about 300 tons of plastic waste a day, there’s plenty of plastic to use. Each classroom takes about five tons of plastic waste.

The company converting the waste, Conceptos Plásticos, initially produced the bricks at a factory in Colombia, but they are now building a factory in Abidjan, which will make the classrooms much cheaper to produce.

Several classrooms are already up and running, and the project plans to deliver 528 total, each of which will fit 50 students.

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Travel Instagrammers Share Helpful Tips for Taking Better Travel Photos

No vacation feels complete anymore without the perfect travel photos these days. If you want to take your travel photography up several notches, these travel Instagrammers have some advice for you.

Part of the magic of photography is all about timing. One Berlin-based travel photographer, Theodora Melnik (@______theo), tells HuffPost that sunrise is the perfect time for a photo.

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Sigh, time to leave Siracusa 😭😭😭

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“I can’t recommend shooting sunrise enough,” Theodora said. “Whenever I make the effort, I get to explore even the busiest of places practically by myself, which if you’re thinking of the Eiffel Tower or the Spanish Steps is really something.”

And speaking of the sun — sunset is also a picture-perfect time of day, but don’t make the rookie mistake of only photographing the actual sunset.

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Best coast

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“On vacation when you go to the beach at sunset, everyone has their phones pointed directly at the red orb going down over the ocean, which is really pretty and definitely worth capturing. But don’t forget to turn around and see what the sun is shining on,” Tyson Wheatley (@twheat) explains.

Similarly, when visiting a major monument, people tend to snap a photo of it for their records. But Elke Frotscher (@elice_f) recommends photographing the little things that surround the big monuments.

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Galloway House | Ella’s VW T2

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This allows for a more unique photo that truly captures the essence of the place, instead of just a photo of the Eiffel Tower that looks exactly like something you could find on Google.

Have a great trip, and hope the photos turn out great!

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Check out These 5 Ancient Legends Based on Real Events

A lot of kids go through a phase when they’re fascinated by the legends and myths that have wound their way through the centuries. Whether Robin Hood, Arthur and Lancelot, the antics of the gods of old, or creatures like a unicorn or a vampire, it’s fun to imagine that the world might have once been more magical than it is today.

And these 5 legends, which are rooted in reality, suggest that just maybe…it was.

5. Atlantis

Greek philosopher Plato was the first to describe a beautiful, advanced civilization that once disappeared beneath the sea, never to be seen or heard from again – but he was far from the last to re-tell one of the most well-known myths in human history.

Now, many archaeologists think he was describing the collapse of the Minoan empire after a volcanic eruption rocked Thera (modern-day Santorini). The core of the island collapsed in the aftermath, creating a tsunami that flooded the island and left it completely under water, sending it to a grave from which it never arose.

4. The Ape-Men Army of Sri Lanka

Indian Sanskrit epic the Ramayana features a classic kidnapping plot, in which Sita, the wife of god Rama, is stolen away to the Demon Kingdom on Lanka. To rescue her, Rama banded with an army of ape-like men to build a floating bridge between India and Lanka that they used to defeat the demon king, Ravana.

The tale, of course, is just good storytelling, but the bridge still exists – aerial surveys show a 30-mile-long stretch of limestone shoals under the sea that reaches between India and Sri Lanka.

Experts believe it was above the water until a 15th-century cyclone brought a huge storm surge into the channel.

3. Thunderbird and the Whale

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The Thunderbird awaits you.

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Native American lore tells of a benevolent, supernatural being called a Thunderbird, which once swooped over the sea to snatch a killer whale that was stealing resources from the Quileute tribe.

The bird prevailed, dropping the whale on dry land to die with a thud that shook the ground, and many natives died during the battle and ensuing chaos.

Back in the 1980s, geologists discovered that a powerful earthquake occurred in the area in 1700, one that would have been powerful enough to cause a tsunami. It would have hit the coast where the tribe lived, generating the tales to explain the giant shaking of the earth.

As far as the Thunderbird, many scientists believe it’s based on the Aiornis, a prehistoric giant bird that co-existed thousands of years ago with early North America settlers. The bird had a wingspan of up to 16 feet and used to feast on whales washed up on the beaches.

2. The Guest Star

In 1006, people looking at the sky all over the world described seeing a “guest star.” Persian scholar Ibn Sina was particularly intrigued, however, explaining how the star hung in the sky for months, changing color and eventually emitting sparks before fading away.

We now know that Sina was describing a supernova that took place 7200 years ago and whose dying remnants can still be detected by powerful NASA technology.

They believe the color changes he described were due to the merger of two white dwarfs, which astronomers say would create a supernova bursting with color. What Sina did, essentially, was provide details for modern scientists that would otherwise have been lost to time.

1. The Great Flood

There are stories from around the world that join the biblical account of a great flood that covered most of the earth, wiping out almost all of mankind in the process – so most think it makes sense to assume this event took place in our human past in some way, shape, or form.

Geological records show that around 11,500 years ago, glacier meltwater melted into the North Sea, causing the Black Sea to dry up while the Mediterranean Basin refilled with seawater from the Atlantic Ocean. Between them was dry land, but eventually the Mediterranean overflowed into the Black Sea, forcing the barrier between them to all but disappear.

The result would have been a waterfall 200x the volume of Niagara Falls and covering an area double the size of Manhattan in a single day.

That said, the worst flood of the last 10 millennia took place along the Yellow River in China at a date that coincides with ancient texts.

This is the next best thing to actually being a kid again!

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Here Are 6 Ways to Get Rid of Extra Hangers Without Throwing Them Away

You likely end up with a surplus of extra hangers on a regular basis. But those hangers don’t have to end up in the trash. Depending on what type of hanger it is, you can find a way to recycle it, Lifehacker reports.

Hangers come in three basic types: wire, plastic and wood. Wire hangers usually can’t go into the recycling bin (unless you live in New York City, where they’re included in the recycling program). Plastic and wood hangers, too, generally shouldn’t go into the recycling.

Photo Credit: iStock

However, you can research your city’s curbside recycling program to see whether they do accept any of these types of hangers. If not, you can ask your dry cleaner if they take used hangers. You can also look for an organization that might need them, such as a shelter. If the hangers are from a clothing store, some of them also take their own hangers back for reuse, such as Target (and next time you go shopping, refuse the hangers so you don’t have to deal with this issue).

You may also be able to recycle wire hangers by taking them in bulk to a metal scrap recycling plant.

Photo Credit: iStock

Of course, you can always reuse these hangers at home by simply adding them to your own closet — if you have any room.

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10 Facts That Are Good for Quiet Reflection

With this fact set, you’re getting quality and quantity.

Enjoy! And learn!

1. Harmful

Photo Credit: did you know?

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2. Get a load of those names

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

3. Are you living it?

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

4. Prudish

Photo Credit: did you know?

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5. Thank God!

Photo Credit: did you know?

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6. Dream away

Photo Credit: did you know?

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7. I think I sound like Barry White

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

8. That is cool!

Photo Credit: did you know?

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9. Clone wars

Photo Credit: did you know?

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10. Ahhhhh, that’s better

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

I can safely say I didn’t know any of those facts. How about you?!?!

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These Service Dogs-In-Training Attended a Performance of “Billy Elliott” and Paid Adorable, Rapt Attention

In case you didn’t know, service dogs go through official good citizen training – the and training that allows them to best assist specific disabilities – but that they also typically spend time with foster families so they can learn how to behave in everyday social situations?

It’s true.

One of those everyday situations might be going to the theater – live, musical, or movie – with their trainer, so that if the person they’re paired with wants to take in a show of any kind, they’ll know exactly what to expect and how to behave.

And that’s how we got this theater full of pups, all quietly, cutely watching Billy Elliott.

The dogs are part of the K-9 Country Inn Service Dog program in Canada, and they were all very good dogs – every one observed proper theater behavior.

The pups attended a “relaxed performance” at the Stratford Festival theater, which means it’s a showing specifically for people who need more accessibility, accommodations, or reduced noise, lighting, or startling effects.

According to the Stratford  Festival website:

Relaxed performances are specifically designed to welcome patrons who will benefit from a less restricted audience environment. Patrons of all abilities are welcome, including but not limited to those with intellectual or learning disabilities, sensory processing conditions or autism. There is a relaxed attitude to noise and movement within the auditorium, and some minor production changes may be made to reduce the intensity of light, sound and other potentially startling effects. Babes in arms are also welcome to our relaxed performances.”

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Thank you Stratford Festival @stratfest for welcoming us to Billy Elliot – The Musical! – It was a phenomenal show, all of our teams had a fantastic time. We greatly appreciate the assistance from the staff and local goodies for our service dogs from The Barkery! – Photo description: A group of handlers and their service dogs sit in front of the Stratford Theatre. They are all smiling at the camera. – #k9countryinnservicedogs#servicedog#assistancedog#firefighter#endthestigma#healing#ptsd#ptsdservicedog#ptsdrecovery#ptsdawareness #veteran #canadianarmedforces #ivegotyourback911#firstresponders#911dispatcher#posttraumaticstressdisorder#goldenretriever#billyelliot #mentalhealth #k9cisd #paramedic #medic #toronto #ems #labrador #standardpoodle #stratfordfestival #poodle

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What a great combination of events, all of which prove there are good humans (and pooches) out there with making the world accessible for everyone on their minds.

And, just for fun, Mark Hamill wins for best response on Twitter.

The force is definitely with him, and may it be with these pooches when they go on to take their permanent assignments!

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