January 8, 2016

There were 5 posts published on January 8, 2016 (this is page 1 of 1).

This tree in the Americas is so toxic, you can’t stand under it when it rains – ScienceAlert

Whoa.

In 1999, radiologist Nicola Strickland went on a holiday to the Caribbean island of Tobago, a tropical paradise complete with idyllic, deserted beaches. On her first morning there, she went foraging for shells and corals in the white sand, when the holiday quickly took a turn for the worse.

Scattered amongst the coconuts and mangoes on the beach, Strickland and her friend found some sweet-smelling green fruit that looked much like small crabapples. Both foolishly decided to take a bite, and within moments the pleasant, sweet taste was overwhelmed by a peppery, burning feeling and an excruciating tightness in the throat that gradually got so bad they could barely swallow.

Source: This tree in the Americas is so toxic, you can’t stand under it when it rains – ScienceAlert

No, you haven’t read this déjà vu story before – CNN.com

.. or, could it be a future memory?

We know the feeling (or at least 66% of us do). Déjà vu is the belief you’ve been here or done that before, when you know there’s absolutely no way you could have. The phrase déjà vu is French, meaning “already seen.”

But we know less about why we have the feeling. Is déjà vu evidence of a past life, an out of body experience or just a good old neural misfire?

Source: No, you haven’t read this déjà vu story before – CNN.com

New study on Otzi the Iceman reveals humanity’s intimate affair with one microbe – The Washington Post

Gut microbe research has provided a fascinating look at the migration patterns of ancient man.

Otzi the Iceman, a famously well-preserved Copper Age man found in the Alps in 1991, has given researchers a lot of insight into how our ancestors lived. The long-dead man’s clothing, tools, manner of death, and even tattoos have given us a peek at how life was 5,300 years ago – or how it was for Otzi, anyway.

Source: New study on Otzi the Iceman reveals humanity’s intimate affair with one microbe – The Washington Post

Barking dogs

Gentle reader, if your dog has been barking its head off for fifteen minutes straight in your backyard, please do your neighbors a favor and bring your dog back inside. It’s not fun listening to a dog constantly barking for seemingly no reason at all. It’s one thing if there’s an actual reason for the dog to be barking – say, if Bigfoot is standing in your driveway. If on the other hand the dog is barking simply to hear itself bark or because it’s feeling a little lonely (which seems to cover about 90% of the instances), bring it inside. Your dog will love you and so will your neighbors.

This has been a public service announcement from MarkTurner.Net.

in Rant | 120 Words

Time Warner Cable advises 320,000 customers of possible hack

Rut roh.

Time Warner Cable has sent notices to 320,000 of its customers throughout the U.S., advising them to change the password to their email account out of concern that someone may have gained unauthorized access to that information. The telecommunication company said it was notified of the vulnerability by the FBI, but there’s no evidence to suggest that there was an actual breach.

Source: Time Warner Cable advises 320,000 customers of possible hack