It wasn't easy being a beekeeper in the medieval Europe, but the honey that bees produced was exceptionally expensive and worth the effort. Instead of beehives with removable frames, bees were kept in woven baskets called skeps. Harvesting the honey meant scooping everything out of the skep, which destroyed the colony. So skeps were small, which encouraged the bees to swarm, looking for a new home when their numbers outgrew the skep. When that happened, beekeepers had to be ready to gather them up and lodge them in a new skep. That process involved throwing dust on the bees, banging metal objects together (called tanging), and reciting magical incantations. These were called swarm charms.

That's a lot of work to reproduce a hive, but it worked more often than not. Beekeepers were loathe to experiment to determine what part of that process actually did the job, as they didn't want to risk failure. Modern beekeepers say it was probably the dust, although things are much easier now that we've learned to identify and relocate queen bees. Read about swarm charms and the difficult medieval practice of beekeeping at Atlas Obscura.

It's a common home remedy that our mothers would have us eat when we have a cold or the flu: chicken soup. It seems almost every culture in the world has some variation of the chicken soup remedy, but does it really work? Can chicken with some noodles, vegetables, and broth really cure our upper respiratory illnesses and bring down that fever? Or is it just some placebo?

Colby Teeman, an assistant professor of dietetics and nutrition at the University of Dayton, answers that question. And the answer is not as complicated as we might think. Remember that our bodies have a defense mechanism that can stave off and eradicate any kind of infection, the immune system. The only way to help the immune system fight off illnesses is to give it the proper fuel, and we do that by eating food. However, while we're sick, what generally happens is a loss of appetite, and so we're not able to provide ample energy and nutrients for our immune system to kill the pathogens. That's where chicken soup comes in. And not just any old chicken soup. Prof. Teeman suggests homemade chicken soup is the best way to go.

For a more detailed explanation as to how homemade chicken soup helps us feel better when we're sick, check out his article on The Conversation.

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Growing children need their calcium, and we all know that the best source for calcium is milk. I remember when I was younger, my parents used to buy me milk which contained gingko biloba and it tasted like soy milk. I actually liked it and I could drink several cartons in one sitting though I tried not to. However, it was quite delicious so there were times when I would have more than I should.

Unlike me, a research had found that majority of Japanese school kids, being provided milk by Gifu-based dairy manufacturer Seki Milk, were not finishing their milk, thus they were not getting their daily dose of calcium. In order to address the issue, the company had turned to manga. Particularly, they had drawn manga on the bottles with white ink, so that the only way for one to read the whole scene was to drink the whole bottle. Now, that's one way to get children to finish their milk.

(Image credit: Seki Milk)

We know Mars as the red planet. We know that the reddish coloration of Mars is due to the presence of iron oxide on its surface. The planet was first discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610, and the first successful Mars landing was done by the Soviet Union's Mars 3 in 1971. These are only a few of the facts we have learned about Mars since we began to explore it. But these barely scratch the surface of the discoveries we have made about Mars.

Shi En Kim, a writer with Smithsonian Magazine, shares with us the seven most amazing discoveries uncovered throughout the past 50 or so years of exploring Mars. Some of these might seem pretty obvious while others can be quite thought-provoking. To me, I think the fact that Mars was once a lot like Earth seems to be the most fascinating. This is probably the reason why many astronomers and astrophysicists consider Mars as a potential habitat for humans. You may read about the other six discoveries here.

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For someone who is not an expert in the kitchen, I cannot tell you the difference between stock and broth, because to me, they refer to the same thing. However, there is a difference between stock and broth, and you may want to throw in bone broth and bouillon into that mix as well. From Zoe Denenberg and the editors of Epicurious, they give us a short rundown of the nuances between the two.

The main difference is simply the amount of time it takes for the liquid to simmer. Broth usually takes a relatively shorter time to simmer, from around 45 minutes to 2 hours, meanwhile stock takes 4 to 6 hours to simmer. What this does for the stock is that it allows the flavors to be fully brought out, and the longer simmer time also adds to the consistency of the mix. Apart from these two, they also elucidate the peculiarities of bone broth, bouillon, and even vegetable broth. To learn more, check out their article here.

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Weddings are usually very simple ceremonies. There's the bridal procession, then the minister begins. The bride and the groom say their vows, and then they end the ceremony with a kiss to seal the deal. They run out together, the family takes photos, and everybody heads for the evening reception. Traditionally, that would be how weddings are conducted these days. Many couples who prefer to have a little bit of spice in their weddings add gimmicks to make it exciting, entertaining, and just a day to remember for everybody present, as much as it is a memorable for them.

Some go for themed weddings, others have their weddings in places other than a chapel or a church, and there are some with unusual wedding traditions like the log cutting ceremony in Germany or plate smashing in Greece. For this one couple, they wanted to go way outside of the box, and into the mountains. Alicia and Crystal Blakely wanted to go on an adventure to start their life together, and so they hiked 273 miles through the state of Vermont, and climbed Camel's Hump, Vermont's third highest mountain, before getting married at the summit.

Both are hikers and have hiked many trails together before, and so they wanted to commemorate their special day by going on the Long Trail, which was Crystal's grandfather's last hike at the age of 88. To top off their unique wedding, they hiked the whole trail for 23 days in their wedding dresses, which were tailor-made to make it easier to hike in. Afterward, they celebrated at Crystal's parents' house with close friends and family.

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In many parts of Africa, finding a clean and safe toilet to use, especially at night can be a dangerous prospect if you're a little girl. Apart from the possibility of falling into a pit, as latrines are the most common toilets found in remote parts of Africa, there is also the chance of being assaulted. However, the risk can be somehow reduced if the areas were lit, so that girls can become more aware of the surroundings to better respond to what might happen as they try to pee. In this regard, scientists from the Bristol Bioenergy Center have tested the method they have developed to convert urine into energy in Seseme Girls School in Kisoro, Uganda.

With the ingredients found in urine, scientists put microorganisms that breakdown urine into components which can be used to power a fuel cell which then generates electricity. Dubbed "pee power" by the Seseme girls, a survey showed that there was a high level of acceptance for the technology as it made them feel safer at night. Several also expressed the hope that the technology can be introduced to their village. Launching the field trials at the school also helped in lowering the cost of electricity at the school. The next step for the project is simply to mass-produce the fuel cells, so that they can be rolled out. It would require more investment and funding, but the benefits are well worth the costs.

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Many groups and individuals have been trying their best to find solutions for climate change, by reducing their carbon footprint. One company's attempt is by creating concrete that, not only supposedly minimizes carbon emissions but also captures carbon from the atmosphere and absorbs it. That company's name is Partanna, and their latest project is building a house made from carbon negative concrete in the Bahamas for former Lakers player and co-founder of the company Rick Fox.

After retiring from professional basketball, Rick Fox turned to Hollywood and pursued an acting career. But now, he has a new passion project in Partanna, specifically developing a new method of creating concrete that will combat climate change. With the help of architect Sam Marshall, they founded Partanna and worked with material scientists to create the process of manufacturing concrete without using cement. Without revealing much about the process, Partanna says that they use brine and slag as ingredients for their concrete, and with this mixture it allows them to reduce the amount of carbon by-product.

(Image credit: Partanna)

There are a few exams in the world notorious for their difficulty. You might have heard of the California Bar Exam, considered the most difficult bar exam in the United States. Mensa, the organization of individuals whose IQ must be within the upper two percent of the general population, also gives out a brain-racking exam. And if you are a fan of Korean drama, you might have heard of the suneung (an equivalent of the CSAT in Korea), which has taken on an identity in and of itself, with the whole country pausing for a single day as thousands of high school students sitting for the exam in the hopes that they could get scores good enough to enter their dream universities.

But nothing can quite compare with China's Gao Kao and civil service exam, both of which go all the way back to an ancient Chinese institution called Keju, or the imperial civil service exam. Though it sounds similar to the Japanese monstrosities of mythical proportions, the Keju was a different beast in its own right. It was a sign of prestige in ancient China, as only 400 in roughly a million examinees get through to the final round of tests, and even then, only very few eventually receive their degrees. Nobility coveted the Keju as most, if not all, the prime ministers finished at the top of the Keju.

Despite the prestige and benefits conferred on someone who passed the Keju, the journey toward completion was a grueling one. The test was based solely on memorization of the Confucian classics, which meant thousands upon thousands of characters and phrases. No wonder only those with the highest mental fortitude and capacity were able to pass it, and eventually become the leaders of the nation. They had definitely succeeded in building a strong nation, however, at what cost? Yasheng Huang explores the impacts of the Keju in Chinese society today in his article at Aeon.

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One of the most difficult natural fibers to acquire is spider silk, because it's very difficult to rear spiders as they have this tendency to cannibalize each other. So being able to produce spider silk in a large scale at a low cost would be extremely arduous, time-consuming, and not to mention would require a huge investment. We're not even talking about the technical aspects of harvesting the silk and processing it to turn it into usable fiber. So far, the only natural animal fiber that we have been able to harvest and use is silk worm fiber. But, the tensile strength, durability, and ductility of spider silk makes it highly desirable.

Now, researchers from China were able to genetically modify silkworms so that they can produce spider silk. They used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology to insert spider silk protein genes into the silkworms as well as other modifications so that the genes can be adapted into the silkworms' internal system and allow it to properly produce the fiber. This may be a great feat in and of itself, but the researchers are hopeful that this is just a stepping stone and their research can be further built upon toward producing spider silk from both natural and engineered amino acids.

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What makes people happy at their job? Is it the remuneration or the extensive compensation packages? Maybe, a good work-life balance or job security. Perhaps having a great working environment and opportunities for career advancement. Or, it could be that sense of fulfillment and achievement that you get after a hard day's work. Whatever it may be, a survey was conducted by BambooHR, a human resources tech company, across a whole range of industries and companies to evaluate the level of job satisfaction employees had based on factors like wage, flexibility, and opportunities for development to name a few. And the results of the survey is probably not what you would expect.

The company surveyed eight different industries - health care, finance, construction, education, travel and hospitality, food and beverage, and technology - and ranked them based on their scores. If you were to guess which industry ranked the highest in job satisfaction, you would probably go for technology or finance, since, logically speaking, they are most likely paid the highest among all the industries. But surprisingly, those two industries took the second and third place overall. To find out which among the eight industries reported the highest level of job satisfaction, check it out on Reader's Digest.

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The Sydney Opera House was officially opened on October 20, 1973. Every step to getting the building completed was fraught with controversy. Danish architect Jørn Utzon's design was rescued from the rejection bin and eventually became his greatest work, leading to a Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2003. Yet fights with Sydney authorities led him to quit the project before it was completed. The initial reaction from the public was mixed, with some calling it breathtakingly beautiful while others dubbed it ridiculous and referred to it as a dish rack. In the years since, it has become a beloved landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Sydney Opera House hosts more than 1500 performances for more than a million people every year.   

To celebrate the Sydney Opera House's 50th anniversary, they posted a music video with a song written and performed by Tim Minchin called "Play It Safe." The video features a long list of those who have performed at the opera house (listed at the YouTube page). The lyrics belie the venue's actual mission to bravely stretch the limits of creativity by taking risks and to expand the very idea of art and performance. -via Metafilter

In 1984, Wes Craven launched the career of Freddy Krueger, the most terrifying movie monster ever, in the film A Nightmare on Elm Street. The reason he was so scary is that he invaded a victim's dreams while they were sleeping, when they were most vulnerable and unable to fight back. But the people Krueger killed in their dreams were also dead in real life. A brilliant idea for a horror film, yet it was inspired by real life events.

In the late 1970s and the '80s, a mysterious series of deaths occurred among young, healthy people in their sleep. All but one of the 117 documented victims were men, and the vast majority were Hmong refugees from Laos. They had no underlying illness, and their autopsies revealed no cause of death. The syndrome was named SUNDS for "sudden, unexpected, nocturnal death." The victims had horrific experiences during the Vietnam War, but why did they suddenly die years later, in a land where they were safe? Read about SUNDS, what we've learned about it in the years since, and how the epidemic inspired Wes Craven to create Freddy Krueger, at Mental Floss.

The athletic store Distance in Paris has a strange promotion in the run-up to the Olympics next summer. In the "Rob It To Get It" campaign, they say go ahead and shoplift from them- you can keep the merchandise if you can outrun the store's security guard. The twist is that the security guard is French Olympic sprinter Méba-Mickaël Zézé. In this compilation video, he caught 74 would-be thieves, while two people got away.

The stunt makes Zézé look really good. But what does it say about theft? If it wasn't completely staged, this had to be a low-key, limited time offer. There doesn't seem to be any consequences for attempted theft, and probably was pretty hard on Zézé while it lasted. Besides, they will never see those two potential champion runners again, unless they try again. Also, any American will unlock the secret to this stunt in about ten seconds. All you need is more than one thief making a break for it at the same time, running in different directions. -via Digg

There is an unnamed grocery store in rural Norway, near the border with Sweden, that apears to be haunted. For years, employees have experienced unexplained phenomena such as electrical malfunctions, shadowy figures, and broken flower pots. People who worked there questioned their own sanity, but eventually customers started noticing things, too. When a customer was hit with a flying potato, the news got out and paranormal investigators descended. So far there is no explanation for the eerie happenings. Well, no logical explanation, anyway- three ghosts have been identified.

Lars Birger Davan came to the store by accident and learned of its history. He is a doctoral candidate in sociology at Oslo Metropolitan University, and began to study the store. No, not the ghosts' mischief, but the employees' response to it. It turns out that experiencing paranormal activity can be very isolating, because people are afraid others will think them crazy. It's actually a relief to know that other people are observing the same things. Read about the haunted grocery and the people who must deal with it at Atlas Obscura.  

(Image credit: Lars Birger Davan)