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

True Colors

From the day that babies are brought home and cradled in their pink or blue blankets, implications have been made about gender and color. While there are no concrete rules about what colors are exclusively feminine or masculine, there have been studies conducted over the past seven decades that draw some generalizations. 

This week, a look at the true colors of gender.  You can find the full size chart at http://blog.kissmetrics.com/gender-and-color/?wide=1.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week:

   True Colors Short by fredwine

The 500 Phases of Matter

Forget solid, liquid, and gas: there are in fact more than 500 phases of matter.  Thankfully that portion of my education is in the past and memorizing the other 497 is not on my to-do list.

This week, a look at how everything I ever learned about states of matter is now outdated.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "There are places I remember all my life, though some have changed, some forever, not for better, some have gone and some remain." – The Beatles, "In My Life" (Lennon-McCartney)

  The 500 Phases of Matter by fredwine

Sticking Power

Velcro: a man-made interpretation of nature's glue that never wears out.  When it first arrived in America, it caused a sensation. In 1958, a syndicated financial columnist named Sylvia Porter announced that “a new fastening device” had so bewitched her that she spent days playing with it. “It’s on my desk as I type this,” she wrote.

You want to open and close some now, don't you?  This week, a look at velcro.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "When I cannot sing my heart, I can only speak my mind." – The Beatles, "Julia " (Lennon-McCartney)

   Sticking Power by fredwine

Flush with Success

Call it what you will: privy, latrine, water closet, lavatory.  It makes our lives better that we can even imagine.  And while it is disappointing to find it is just an urban legend that it was invented by Sir Thomas Crapper, it is good to know that King Minos of Crete had the first flushing water closet recorded in history, over 2800 years ago.

This week, a look at the indoor toilet.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Sleep pretty darling, do not cry and I will sing a lullaby." – The Beatles, "Golden Slumbers" (Lennon-McCartney)

   Flush With Success by fredwine

Packed With Power

Imagine a world where everything that used electricity had to be plugged in. Flashlights, hearing aids, cell phones and other portable devices would be tethered to electrical outlets, rendering them awkward and cumbersome. Cars couldn't be started with the simple turn of a key; a strenuous cranking would be required to get the pistons moving. Wires would be strung everywhere, creating a safety hazard and an unsightly mess.

Thankfully, batteries provide us with a mobile source of power that makes many modern conveniences possible. This week, a look at batteries.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Someday when I'm lonely, wishing you weren't so far away, then we will remember things we said today." – The Beatles, "Things We Said Today" (Lennon-McCartney)

   Packed With Power by fredwine