When audio engineer Stéphane Pigeon was asked if he would create sounds which are usually heard in the office, his immediate answer was “No, no, no, I will not do it!” Pigeon was very confused by the question. He thought that “people don’t want to listen to those sounds.” He thought wrong.

But Pigeon continued to receive more requests. So when the pandemic hit, he eventually gave in and set to work. Since its release in March, there have been 250,000 streams of Calm Office, making it one of his most popular sounds on myNoise. Users can adjust the volume of certain sound effects and tones using a series of animated sliders. Pigeon is still bewildered that Calm Office’s clackety keys, fax machine whirrs, and distant strains of conversation have become as popular as they are.

After all, people who use sounds to help them concentrate have traditionally veered toward the natural or peaceful: rainstorms, Buddhist gongs, chirping birds. In recent years, “lo-fi chill” and other forms of “focus music” have become so popular that there are now multiple YouTube channels devoted to the genre.

Those channels, however, have traditionally been aimed at college students looking to zone out and hit their study flow without interruptions from their roommates. Quarantine created a need for background noise among white-collar workers, who were used to open office plans and traversing from cubicle to meeting room and back.

It seems that in our long time being stuck in the four corners of our homes, we’ve become officesick. 

What are your thoughts about this one?

(Image Credit: Pixabay)

We all learned that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, along with many of the other modern conveniences introduced in the late 19th century. He patented it, didn't he? Well, we know that Edison was big on patents and taking credit for various devices that his team, or even rivals, worked on. It turns out that the light bulb had already been patented in other countries. In fact, the process that led to the light bulb began in the early 19th century. So who did invent the light bulb?  

The question itself betrays an underlying assumption that is flawed, and so there is no one correct answer. Instead, we have to confront the underlying assumption – that one person or entity mostly or entirely invented the lightbulb. Rather, creating the lightbulb was an iterative process with many people involved and no clear objective demarcation line. However, there was a sort-of demarcation line – the first marketable lightbulb. That is really what people are referring to with Edison – not that he invented the lightbulb but that he brought the concept over the finish line to a marketable product.  Edison sort-of did that, and he does deserve credit for the tweak he did develop at Menlo Park.

There were at least a half-dozen men who could claim they invented the light bulb, which was actually a long process involving several breakthrough moments, not all of which were by one man alone. Read the steps involved in the invention of the light bulb at NeuroLogica blog. -via Damn Interesting

Malaysian student Zackrydz Rodzi woke up late Saturday morning and couldn't find his phone. The family looked all over, and called the phone, but did not hear a ring. There was no sign of a break in.

Mr Zackrydz said he failed to find any trace of his phone until Sunday afternoon when his father noticed a monkey outside their house. On calling his phone again he heard ringing from the jungle a few steps beyond the back garden, he said, then discovered the muddied phone on some leaves beneath a palm tree.

His uncle joked that maybe there was a photo in the phone of the thief, he said, so after cleaning it he opened the picture gallery "and boom, it's full of monkey photos".

There was also a video, which showed a closeup of the monkey's wide-open mouth, indicating he tasted the phone. Where Zackrydz lives, there is no history of monkeys stealing items from homes, as there are in more urban areas. Read the story and see the video at BBC news. -via reddit

Oh, did you think that jelly beans were made in factories? No, sir, they are grown--a completely natural product.

At least, that's what it looks like when you're examining a fine example of glass gem corn. NPR describes the creation of this colorful plant by Carl Schoen:

Schoen moved to New Mexico a few years later, planted the corn, and crossed it with Pueblo popcorn. Ears appeared with not only brilliant colors but a shiny, glasslike hue. Schoen felt it was more than a pretty plant. It was a piece of the past that had nearly been lost. He says corn is woven with human culture, but diverse traits bred by generations of farmers began to vanish when agriculture became big business. For Schoen, saving that heritage wasn't just about genetic variety: "it also has cultural memory, and that's a powerful force."

-via Twisted Sifter | Photo: lurkface

You might not believe it, but urine used to be very valuable in Ancient Rome. A lot of people became rich for collecting urine that the Roman government decided to tax them. It might sound absurd and exaggerated, but it was big business at that time.

When it comes to poop, on the other hand, people in the past, from China and Japan, specifically, also had a different way of dealing with them. Back then, they didn’t have toilet papers at their disposal. Instead, they had hygiene sticks.

Know more about how we dealt with our biohazardous wastes throughout history over at Cracked.com.

(Image Credit: Prichardson/ Wikimedia Commons)

It seems that astronomers have found some kind of gas in the atmosphere of our neighboring planet Venus. Apparently, this said gas could be a possible sign of life on the planet.

If the discovery holds up, and if no other explanations for the gas are found, then the hellish planet next door could be the first to yield signs of extraterrestrial life — though those are very big ifs.

“We’re not saying it’s life,” says astronomer Jane Greaves of Cardiff University in Wales. “We’re saying it’s a possible sign of life.”

[...]

Phosphine takes a fair amount of energy to create and is easily destroyed by sunlight or sulfuric acid, which is found in Venus’ atmosphere. So if the gas was produced a long time ago, it shouldn’t still be detectable. “There has to be a source,” Greaves says.

More details about this over at Science News.

What are your thoughts about this one?

(Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ Wikimedia Commons)

Hey, give those back! 🙃

— OnePlus USA (@OnePlus_USA) September 14, 2020

The US Customs and Border Patrol announced that they had intercepted a shipment of counterfeit Apple AirPods from Hong Kong.

On August 31, CBP officers seized 2,000 counterfeit Apple Airpod Earbuds from Hong Kong destined for Nevada at an air cargo facility located at John F. Kennedy International Airport. If the merchandise were genuine, the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) would have been $398,000.

“CBP Officers are protecting the American public from various dangers on a daily basis,” said Troy Miller, Director of CBP’s New York Field Operations. “The interception of these counterfeit earbuds is a direct reflection of the vigilance and commitment to mission success by our CBP Officers daily.”

However, it is clear from the pictures they posted that these are OnePlus Buds. They are even labeled as OnePlus, and there is no attempt on the package to claim they are any kind of Apple product. OnePlus sells wireless ear buds at around half the price of AirPods, and they have a different shape. See a comparison of the two brands at Geekologie. Many people responded to the announcement to let CBP know it made a mistake, but the agency is not backing down.

“Upon examining the shipment in question, a CBP import specialist determined that the subject earbuds appeared to violate Apple’s configuration trademark. Apple has configuration trademarks on their brand of earbuds, and has recorded those trademarks with CBP,” the spokesperson said. Configuration trademarks cover the general appearance of a product, if you were wondering. “Based on that determination, CBP officers at JFK Airport have seized the shipment under 19 USC 1526 (e).”

OnePlus introduced its wireless earbuds on June 24th, and Apple has made no attempt to claim intellectual property rights under their trademark.

When these people decided to take a timed photo on their hike, they were not expecting that Mother Nature would join their photo op. Just as the phone snapped a photo of them, a leaf fell down in front of it, covering their faces.

Well, what do you think?

(Image Credit: u/ BringBowlCutBack/ Reddit)

In Panama, some 200 critically endangered golden frogs are living inside fish tanks at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). The reason they’re living inside a controlled environment is a superfungus that threatens to wipe them from the face of the earth. The said superfungus has driven some 30 species into extinction.

Believed extinct in the wild, only about 1,500 of the tiny Panamanian golden frogs are found in zoos where they can reproduce.

But the golden frogs are not the only ones threatened by the superfungus. Other amphibians, like the toads, salamanders, and caecilians, are threatened as well.

"In Panama, we can say that about a third of the 225 species of amphibians are threatened in some way," said STRI researcher Roberto Ibanez.

Gina Della Togna, a specialist in molecular and cellular biology at the University of Maryland, described the situation as "critical."

Learn more about this superfungus and how it affects amphibians over at PHYS.org.

(Image Credit: Brian Gratwicke/ Wikimedia Commons)

Which wine goes best with a Taco Bell chalupa? Taco Bell's food scientists have taken the guesswork out of that decision by creating an optimal wine for your economy taco cravings. It's called Jalapeño Noir. CNN reports:

Taco Bell Canada said in a release the duo is "irresistible," adding that "the rich taste and crunchy texture of the beloved Toasted Cheesy Chalupa complements notes of wild strawberry, cherry and beetroot in this silky limited-edition red wine." The wine is made at an Ontario, Canada vineyard.

The wine, which is being called a collector's item because it has three unique bottle labels, costs $25 Canadian or about $19 US. Fans can buy it on Taco Bell's Canada website or in some locations in Ontario.

Soon, Taco Bell will be as classy as it appears in Demolition Man, which takes place only twelve years into our future.

-via Dave Barry | Photo: Taco Bell Canada

Dad: We are not feeding that feral cat. Also Dad: I set up a heated cat house in the backward and put a camera so we can make sure she’s home safe every night. from r/dadswhodidnotwantpets

Maria Cassano posted this picture that became the top post of all time at the subreddit DadsWhoDidNotWantPets. There's more to the story of how her father went from never allowing his children to have pets to doting over a stray mother cat. Read the rest of that story and those of other men who fell in love with pets they didn't want, plus a look into the psychology of how a dog or cat can transform a gruff guy into a softie at Mel magazine. -via Digg

One of the oldest methods of preserving food is by drying. This method is still used to this day, and researchers from Queensland University of Technology are seeking to improve the method.

Published in journal PLOS ONE, researchers used QUT's supercomputing facilities to examine the micromechanical behaviour of plant tissues and how biological cells behave while dehydrated or dried.

Lead investigator Dr Charith Rathnayaka is a computational scientist from QUT's Faculty of Science and Engineering investigating the physics, mathematics, and biology of agricultural cell structures to improve food production.

"By developing the computational model, it is possible to estimate how the cells are being damaged when they are being processed for preservation, storage or packaging," Dr Rathnayaka said.

"This innovation has the potential to influence the future of food drying processes globally in terms of reducing cost, optimising food processing, energy conservation and increasing dried food shelf life."

More details about this over at EurekAlert.

(Image Credit: Jean-Louis Vandevivère/ Wikimedia Commons)

That’s what scientists found out in their detailed study of the skeletons of the hillstream loach fish family in Asia. This fish family includes Cryptotora thamicola, or the cave angel fish (which is also known as the waterfall climbing cave fish). Scientists also found out that 10 other species probably have the ability to walk as well.

By identifying which species of hillstream loaches can potentially go for a wander on terra firma (ignoring the breathing difficulties for a moment), the researchers hope to learn more about how the very first land-walking vertebrates might have made their way out of the water and onto land.

What makes these fish capable of walking? Find out over at Science Alert.

(Image Credit: Chulabush Khatancharoen/ Wikimedia Commons)

In a time where facemasks are a necessity to the point that you can’t leave home without them (please don’t leave your homes without a facemask on), it’s difficult to obtain disposable ones. Most of us are relying on reusable cloth masks, as they are inexpensive and easier to find. But do we need to wash them after every use? The answer is yes, as Vox details: 

“It’s definitely recommended to wash that mask every day,” said Dr. Ravina Kullar, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist. Kullar points out that the purpose of the mask is to prevent the virus from spreading, so if there are virus particles on yours, wearing an unwashed mask is counterproductive.

The CDC also recommends washing masks: “Masks should be washed after each use. It is important to always remove masks correctly and wash your hands after handling or touching a used mask,” the website says. According to the CDC, taking off your mask correctly means handling it only by the ear loops or ties, folding it to be placed in the washing machine, and washing your hands immediately after.

Cloth masks can be washed by hand or in a washing machine. Surgical masks, another popular option, cannot be washed and should be discarded after one use. There is very little “peer-reviewed” information about how to wash an N95 mask. Some potential options include vaporized hydrogen peroxide, using dry heat, or UV light — methods that aren’t really suitable for experimentation at home.

For cloth masks, if you’re using a washing machine, the CDC recommends regular detergent and “the warmest appropriate water setting for the cloth used to make the mask.” If you’re washing your mask by hand, you should prepare a bleach solution and soak your mask in it for five minutes, then rinse in cool or room-temperature water. Mask filters should be washed by hand.

Image via Vox 

This artist repurposed vintage railway tracks to create an outdoor pavilion. The Interchange Pavilion is a 350-square-meter outdoor pavilion can be found in Sydney, Australia. The rails in the Interchange Pavilion were crafted to go in several paths upwards, where they converge at a central point. This repurposing project isn’t the first from the artist. In 2017, Chris Fox, the artist, reused old wooden escalators to create  a sculptural ribbon above Sydney’s Wynyard Station. 

Image via Colossal