A few things I learned today
Apr. 8th, 2019 06:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
garote1.
Movie theater popcorn is vegan and gluten free. (That doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you though.) It’s not yellow because it’s got butter in it, it’s yellow because it’s coated in a mixture of two artificial dyes.
The optional “topping” that you can squirt out onto it does not contain butter either. That’s partially hydrogenated soybean oil, with beta carotene mixed in to make it look buttery. It is also has more calories in it than butter. Basically it’s worse for you than butter in every way.
2.
There is a gene that is used in limb development called the “Sonic Hedgehog” gene, supposedly named for the spiky shape of the protein it makes.
“At the time i discovered it,” says the scientist responsible, “my kids were playing a lot of Sonic.” (It was 1991 at the time.)
3.
A recent study attempting to correlate smartphone usage with mental development found a very slight negative correlation.
But before we all panic and declare the end of civilization, we should note that similar studies have found a very slight negative correlation between mental development and wearing eyeglasses, and between mental development and eating potatoes.
The brain is changed by every interaction we have, technological or no. It will be a good while before we see long-term studies come in that might actually justify our skepticism of smartphones.
4.
If you’re walking somewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa and you see a large snake rear up in front of you, with a gray body and a black mouth, back away slowly.
Keep backing away slowly for as long as you can, because if the black mamba decides to pursue you, it can move as fast as 10mph, which is faster than most humans can run, and it has a striking range way longer than you can reach.
Oh, and if it bites you, you will collapse to the ground in about half an hour, and die of respiratory failure by the end of the day. It is the most feared snake in all of Africa.
Did I mention that it can climb trees? If you’re really unlucky you won’t have a chance to back away. The snake may just land right on your head.
Movie theater popcorn is vegan and gluten free. (That doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you though.) It’s not yellow because it’s got butter in it, it’s yellow because it’s coated in a mixture of two artificial dyes.
The optional “topping” that you can squirt out onto it does not contain butter either. That’s partially hydrogenated soybean oil, with beta carotene mixed in to make it look buttery. It is also has more calories in it than butter. Basically it’s worse for you than butter in every way.
2.
There is a gene that is used in limb development called the “Sonic Hedgehog” gene, supposedly named for the spiky shape of the protein it makes.
“At the time i discovered it,” says the scientist responsible, “my kids were playing a lot of Sonic.” (It was 1991 at the time.)
3.
A recent study attempting to correlate smartphone usage with mental development found a very slight negative correlation.
But before we all panic and declare the end of civilization, we should note that similar studies have found a very slight negative correlation between mental development and wearing eyeglasses, and between mental development and eating potatoes.
The brain is changed by every interaction we have, technological or no. It will be a good while before we see long-term studies come in that might actually justify our skepticism of smartphones.
4.
If you’re walking somewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa and you see a large snake rear up in front of you, with a gray body and a black mouth, back away slowly.
Keep backing away slowly for as long as you can, because if the black mamba decides to pursue you, it can move as fast as 10mph, which is faster than most humans can run, and it has a striking range way longer than you can reach.
Oh, and if it bites you, you will collapse to the ground in about half an hour, and die of respiratory failure by the end of the day. It is the most feared snake in all of Africa.
Did I mention that it can climb trees? If you’re really unlucky you won’t have a chance to back away. The snake may just land right on your head.
no subject
Date: 2019-04-09 02:48 am (UTC)Still, interesting.