Camp Century, a top-secret US military base, was built under the ice sheets of Greenland in 1960 to house missiles. Built under the cover of climate research, it housed 200 people and was powered by the world’s first portable nuclear reactor. Denmark didn’t uncover the base’s existence until 1995. 00
IKEA is legally a “nonprofit” organization…
IKEA is legally a “nonprofit” organization — a designation which dramatically reduces its tax burden — despite reported global sales of €26bn (≈$28B) annually. 00
A Naked Mole Rat can survive up-to 18 minutes…
A Naked Mole Rat can survive up-to 18 minutes without oxygen by dropping its heart rate and switching to fructose based anaerobic respiration. 00
You’re Going to Lose it Over Thursday’s Amazon Deals
Image credit:
amazon / istock
As a recurring feature, our team combs the Web and shares some amazing Amazon deals we’ve turned up. Here’s what caught our eye today, April 27.
Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers, including Amazon, and may receive a small percentage of any sale. But we only get commission on items you buy and don’t return, so we’re only happy if you’re happy. Good luck deal hunting!
GADGETS
Amprobe BAT-200 Battery Tester for $6.26 (list price $7.95)
Serenilite Hand Therapy Stress Ball – Kiwi for $10.99 (list price $17.99)
KITCHEN
OXO Good Grips Nylon Potato Masher for Non-Stick Cookware for $6.99 (list price $9.59)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier for $17.99 (list price $29.99)
The Bob’s Burgers Burger Book: Real Recipes for Joke Burgers for $12.01 (list price $19.95)
Lodge L9OG3 Cast Iron Round Griddle, Pre-Seasoned, 10.5-inch for $14.29 (list price $24.00)
Pictek Apple Slicer, Stainless Steel Apple Peeler Corer and Slicer with Suction Base, Slicing Coring and Peeling Machine, Red for $15.99 (list price $39.99)
HOME
Seville Classics Foldable Storage Cube/Ottoman, Charcoal Grey for $19.99 (list price $24.99)
The Original Asia 18″ Teak Shower Bench for $129.95 (list price $149.99)
Natures Miracle Laundry Boost Stain and Odor Additive – 32 FL Oz for $5.59 (list price $6.99)
Sterilite 01553V01 5 Shelf Unit, Flat Gray Shelves & Legs, 1-Pack for $30.70 (list price $60.00)
Organize It All 2-Tier Shelf with Towel Bars (1753W-1) for $14.55 (list price $30.02)
Puredown Feather and Down Pillow, Standard Size, Set of 2 for $31.99 (list price $59.99)
Affresh Washer Machine Cleaner, 6-Tablets, 8.4 oz for $9.26 (list price $13.98)
O-Cedar Multi-Use Scrunge Scrub Sponge (Pack of 6) for $8.99 (list price $9.99)
HEALTH AND BEAUTY
Active Wow Teeth Whitening Charcoal Powder Natural for $24.99 (list price $29.99)
Gardinesca Beard Oil for $15.99 (list price $31.99)
Conair Velvet Touch Paddle Hair Brush for $4.25 (list price $6.99)
Revlon Pro Collection 1875W Infrared Dryer for $16.19 (list price $29.99)
OFFICE, SCHOOL, AND ART SUPPLIES
Prismacolor Premier NuPastel Firm Pastel Color Sticks, 12-Count for $9.51 (list price $13.99)
Singer Quilting Twin/Specialty Needles for $7.99 (list price $9.99)
Sullivans Tailor Scissors, 8-Inch, Gold for $9.66 (list price $19.99)
Silhouette Rhinestone Starter Kit for $22.89 (list price $39.99)
Scotch Precision Ultra Edge Scissors, 8 Inch, 3-Pack (1458-3AMZ) for $18.12 (list price $25.62)
Shrinky Dinks Jewelry for $5.64 (list price $10.00)
School Smart 081943 Websters Tote Tray, 12″ x 8 x 5″, Yellow for $7.38 (list price $11.30)
Love2Knit Interchangeable Knitting Needle Set, US10-15 for $23.81 (list price $29.95)
OUTDOORS, GARDEN, AND SPORTS
PetSafe SSSCAT Spray Deterrent for $29.95 (list price $34.95)
TOOLS
Stanley 84-079 6-Piece Bi-Material Mini Plier Set for $12.99 (list price $25.80)
Black & Decker BDEG400 6-Amp Angle Grinder, 4-1/2-Inch for $28.99 (list price $44.99)
Kidde FA110 Multi Purpose Fire Extinguisher 1A10BC, 1 Pack for $19.98 (list price $42.99)
TEKTON 30508 Wood Handle Rubber Mallet Set, 3-Piece for $12.76 (list price $25.73)
Meguiar’s G18216 Ultimate Liquid Wax – 16 oz. for $16.97 (list price $22.99)
April 27, 2017 – 11:00am
Math and Nature Inspired This Artist’s Mesmerizing Spiral Sculptures
Image credit:
iStock
You don’t need to be a math expert to appreciate John Edmark’s “Blooms.” When photographed with a short shutter speed or under a strobe light, the rotating sculptures take on an otherworldly energy. But knowing the numbers behind Edmark’s designs makes them even more impressive.
Edmark, an artist and professor at Stanford University, uses the Golden Angle when sculpting his spirals. The Golden Angle is derived from the Golden Ratio, which (as Edmark describes it) is when “the smaller is to the larger, as the larger is to the whole.” In a circle, that angle comes out to roughly 137.5°. This number appears all over the place in nature, from the spiraling sequence of leaves in succulents to the arrangement of seeds in sunflowers.
John Edmark recreates this perfect pattern in his studio. To see how his does it, check out the video from SciFri below.
[h/t Sploid]
April 27, 2017 – 7:00am
Still Capital-izing
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Scientists Decode the Secret of Glowing Mushrooms
Image credit:
Cassius V. Stevani/IQ-USP, Brazil
Artists’ conception of multicolored glow. Image Credit: Cassius V. Stevani/IQ-USP, Brazil
We’re just going to come right out and say it: mushrooms are weird. They pop up without warning and they can change the weather. Many of them can also glow in the dark, and we don’t know why. Now, at least, we might know how, as researchers writing in the journal Science Advances reveal the bizarre, “promiscuous” process of fungal bioluminescence.
Lots of animals light themselves up, glowing or flashing to send messages, find prey, or flirt with potential mates. And scientists have a pretty good understanding of how that happens. When a pair of enzymes called luciferin and luciferase combine with energy and oxygen, the resulting chemical reaction makes a compound called excited oxyluciferin. But excitation is not sustainable, so the oxyluciferin releases its fizzy energy in the form of light.
Scientists hypothesized that fungi were probably doing something similar (although really, with fungi, anything is possible).
Neonothopanus gardneri in the dark. Image Credit: Cassius V. Stevani/IQ-USP, Brazil
To learn more, an international team of researchers analyzed extracts from two glowing mushrooms, Brazil’s Neonothopanus gardneri and Vietnam’s poisonous Neonothopanus nambi.
They found that both species were sticking with the traditional luciferin-luciferase playbook … kind of. They were definitely making their own proprietary blend similar to excited oxyluciferin.
But the luciferase that the mushrooms were using was, in the scientists’ words, “promiscuous”—that is, it was happy to mix and mingle with multiple types of luciferin. And while the only bioluminescent fungi we know about all glow green, the researchers write that the luciferase’s indiscriminate approach could lead to a rainbow of lights in different colors and intensities.
“Future work on the isolation, characterization, and heterologous expression of the luciferase will stimulate the development of fungal bioluminescence–inspired applications,” the authors write. In other words, hey, we know about this bizarre thing now. We might as well use it.
April 27, 2017 – 6:30am
Morning Cup of Links: The Journal of the Whills
Image credit:
Disney/Lucasfilm
The Legacy of Star Wars’ Journal of the Whills. The early idea was to narrate the saga, and you won’t believe who was going to do it.
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J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis went to the theater together to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs together. They both hated it.
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Minoule is an urban cat who discovers that there’s a canary living in the building across the street. He takes grave risks to get that bird, and along the way, a lot of other things are going on in the city.
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There Is A Venomous Snake In This Picture, But Good Luck Finding It. Even after it’s pointed out, you might easily step on it.
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If a Unicorn Frappuccino doesn’t turn you on, maybe you’d prefer some charcoal-black Goth ice cream! Get them at ice cream shops in Los Angeles and New York.
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The new issue of National Geographic features an in-depth look at What Makes a Genius. We meet examples of genius, from Leonardo da Vinci to jazz pianist Keith Jarrett, with the research into what makes those people different from the rest of us.
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Gen. George Patton’s wife put a Hawaiian curse on his ex-mistress. She was dead within days.
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12 Creepy Lullabies From Around the World That Will Keep You Up at Night. They make “Rock-a-bye Baby” seem sweet and innocent.
April 27, 2017 – 5:00am
Why Do Our Bodies Need Electrolytes?
Image credit:
iStock
Sports drinks like Gatorade are marketed as a source of body-boosting electrolytes, which begs the question: What exactly is an electrolyte, and why are they so important? The short answer is that they’re dissolved salts, which break down into positively and negatively charged ions that conduct electricity and water. These charges control nerve impulses and the flow of water in our cells.
Electrolytes are lost from the body through sweat—but seeing as how we get plenty from food, should we really guzzle sugary athletic beverages after a tough workout? The American Chemical Society weighs in with their latest Reactions video:
[h/t Reactions]
April 27, 2017 – 3:00am
How a Pelican Survives a 40-Foot Drop Into the Ocean With No Broken Bones
Image credit:
iStock
Pelicans dive into the ocean all the time. They hunt by spotting fish from high in the air before zeroing in and dropping down into the water dozens of feet below. While they make it look like no big deal, it’s a dangerous maneuver. From 40 feet up, if they hit the surface of the water wrong, it’s like slamming into a brick wall.
PBS’s video series Deep Look recently took a dive into how brown pelicans manage to pull this off without breaking their necks, going blind, or otherwise maiming themselves. Part good form, part physiology, it’s an impressive feat. The muscles around their back tighten to protect their spine, a membrane flashes over their eyes to protect their vision, and their sword-shaped bill slices through the water.
And once they hit, they’ve got a built-in life vest that keeps them floating along the surface of the water instead of plunging down into deeper waters. When the pelican takes a deep breath as it dives, air rushes into special sacks under their skin and in their bones, called pneumatic foramina, that act like a cushion against the water. Their signature gular pouch doesn’t just hold fish, either. It acts like a parachute to slow the bird down, only inflating with liquid instead of air (it catches up to three gallons of water in the process).
Watch the full video to find out more.
If you’re really into pelicans, you can also experience a GoPro view of a pelican learning to fly.
April 27, 2017 – 1:00am