The Surprising History of the Pencil

"Take out your No. 2 pencils for Iowa Test of Basic Skills."  There are many things about grade school that no longer haunt me, but a call for pencils will make my stomach churn in a flash.  Rigidly timed, complicated instructions and inflexible rules made standardized test taking very different from normal classroom life.  And while it was not the cause of the anxiety, the No. 2 yellow pencil, the easily remembered visual associated with those tests, gets the blame. 

This week, a look at the history of the pencil.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Take a sad song and make it better." – The Beatles, "Hey Jude" (Lennon-McCartney)

   The Surprising History of the Pencil by fredwine

Molasses and Sharks

Imagine a jar of molasses...24 ounces of sticky goodness.  Now multiply that by 1.19 million and you will have how much molasses was spilled into the waters off of Hawaii: 223,000 gallons.  The spill has killed thousands of fish and the massive die-off could attract sharks, which is not the sweet treat anyone was expecting. 

This week, as look at molasses and sharks.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Seems that all I really was doing was waiting for love." – The Beatles, "Real Love" (Lennon)

   Molasses and Shark Attacks by fredwine

Health 'Facts' You Only Thought You Knew

It was Mark Twain that said, "Be careful when reading health books; you don't want to die of a misprint."

This week, as look at health facts that may not be facts at all.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Though I know I'll never lose affection for people and things that went before, I know I'll often stop and think about them." – The Beatles, "In My Life" (Lennon-McCartney)

   Health 'Facts' You Only Thought You Knew by fredwine

Faster Than the Speed of Light

So far, Albert Einstein's theory that nothing can travel faster than light has yet to be disproved.  Not for lack of trying, I assure you, as numerous scientists across the globe try to poke holes in the math over and over again. 

And while it seems ripped straight from an episode of Star Trek, NASA has invested real money into understanding the science behind travel faster than the speed of light.  We may be a while yet from muttering "Engage" on the command deck of a starship, but you have to start somewhere.

This week, a look at photons and the possibility of traveling faster than light.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "When you find yourself in the thick of it, help yourself to a bit of what is all around you." – The Beatles, "Martha My Dear" (Lennon-McCartney)

   Faster Than the Speed of Light by fredwine

A Race to Save the Orange by Altering Its DNA

Citrus greening, also called Huanglongbing or yellow dragon disease, is one of the more serious diseases of citrus. This bacterial disease is thought to have originated in China in the early 1900s.  Other than tree removal, there is no effective control once a tree is infected and there is no known cure for the disease. It reduces the quantity and quality of citrus fruits, eventually rendering infected trees useless. In areas of world affected by citrus greening the average productive lifespan of citrus trees has dropped from 50 or more years to 15 or less, and trees in the orchards usually die 3-5 years after becoming infected.

Is genetic engineering the last hope of citrus?  Many farmers think so. 

This week, a look at altering the DNA of oranges in an attempt to stave off citrus greening.

TTFN, Fred. 

Quote of the week: "Out of college, money spent, see no future, pay no rent, all the money’s gone, nowhere to go." – The Beatles, "You Never Give Me Your Money" (Lennon-McCartney)

   A Race to Save the Orange by Altering Its DNA by fredwine

10 Oldest Known Diseases

In the study of ancient diseases, nothing speaks like the dead.  So it's relatively easy to date tuberculosis due to the lesions it leaves on bones. Pneumonia may be more ancient than TB, but lung tissue doesn't hold up so well after being buried. DNA testing of samples from mummies and skeletons can conclusively identify disease. And even without the evidence of a body, genes in existing samples of TB and leprosy bacteria suggest prehistoric origin.

This week, a look at the 10 oldest known diseases.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "I may not have a lot to give, but what I got I'll give to you." – The Beatles, "Can't Buy Me Love" (Lennon-McCartney)

 

   10 Oldest Known Diseases by fredwine

Every Night You Lose More Than A Pound While You Sleep

Why do we weigh less in the morning?  This article suggest is it carbon loss.  Maybe it is water vapor, maybe it is something else entirely like running in your dreams.  Then again, may it is magic.  

Two of the many comments attached to this article: "now if i can just figure out how to sleep 30 days in a row" and "to sleep: perchance to diet".

This week, a look at losing weight through sleep.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "I need to laugh and when the sun is out, I've got something I can laugh about." - The Beatles, "Good Day Sunshine" (Lennon-McCartney)

   Every Night You Lose More Than a Pound While You Sleep by fredwine