We often touch our faces unconsciously. Research says that we touch our face approximately 23 times an hour. Amidst the coronavirus outbreak, where we are told to keep ourselves from touching our faces to prevent potential infection, how do we break that unconscious habit? Lifehacker gives us some tips on how to do so, such as raising awareness to the act, and using barriers that make touching the case less convenient.
Head over to the site to know more details.
(Image Credit: Pixabay)
Did you know that an octopus’s arm basically has a mind of its own? Apparently, these arms have two-thirds of the aquatic creature’s neurons.
With each arm having around 280 suckers, capable of sucking even on rough surfaces, the octopus is a force to reckoned with at sea.
An octopus arm is a thing of beauty. It is capable of opening childproof bottles, and can wrap around prey of any size and shape. It is a thing of inspiration, and researchers from the Beihang University just got inspired by it. They…
… have developed a robot that mimics an octopus’ arms. The octopus-inspired soft mechanical arm is a flexible, tapered design, complete with suction cups. It can move, grip, and manipulate a wide range of objects. Its suction cups give the gripper a stronger hold on objects of all sizes, shapes, and textures, including eggs, iPhones, and large exercise balls.
Check out the video over at Intelligent Living. It’s amazing.
(Image Credit: the Bertoldi Lab/Harvard SEAS)
Because why not? If you had the amazing skills to cut stuff in ultra-thin slices to the point that they are nearly transparent, you wouldn’t hesitate to make the world’s thinnest sandwich in a heartbeat.
Via Laughing Squid
(Video Credit: oiri_kitchen/ YouTube)
Ahead of Autism Awareness Month in April, Vans launched a new line of sensory-inclusive footwear, named Vans Autism Awareness Collection. The footwear was designed with Autism Spectrum in mind, and was created in partnership with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. The shoe collection includes calming colour palettes and design features, as The Independent detailed:
Sensory issues such as hypersensitivities often accompany autism, according to autism advocacy organisation Autism Speaks, and be triggered by stimuli such as light, sound, smell or touch.
“For example, many people on the spectrum are hypersensitive to bright lights or certain light wavelengths such as fluorescent lights,” the organisation states.
Sales of the Autism Awareness Collection will benefit others as well, with Vans donating a minimum of $100,000 of its proceeds to A.skate, an non-profit organisation that introduces children with autism to skateboarding.
image via Vans
この子は社会に卒業式を上げられなかった挙句、家庭によって卒業式を上げることを規制されることがなくて良かった
— そるてぃ【定理】 (@salty_cube) March 14, 2020
The coronavirus epidemic has disrupted schools around the world. My two daughters are graduating from college, but will have no commencement ceremony. However, students at an elementary school in Japan have found a way to hold a graduation ceremony without people coming into contact with each other. Not only did they do it online, but in the game world of Minecraft!
The original post was made by Japanese Twitter user @backyennew showing the virtual graduation that his elementary-school son had put together with his friends.
What’s really impressive about this is that it wasn’t something set up by teachers or faculty, it was just something that the students decided to do for themselves!
After all, Minecraft is where a lot of those students get together anyway. See more on this story at SoraNews24. -via reddit
An accident at birth left this golden retriever with only one ear. Strangely, as Rae grew, the single ear migrated to the top of her head! That leaves her looking like a canine unicorn. Rae is only 12 weeks old now, so that might change. But she's already an internet star.
That's a good dog. You can see more of Rae at her Instagram page. -via Laughing Squid
Some days you need a little more help to find the happy. On those days may we suggest channeling the inner positivity of Bob Ross with the Bob Ross Happy Little Mints from the NeatoShop. This cheerful little tin, of peppermint flavored mints, is there to remind you that there is still plenty of beauty all around you.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Mints & Candies. New items arriving all the time.
Don't forget to stop by the shop to see our large collection of customizable apparel and bags. We specialize in curvy and Big and Tall sizes. We carry baby 6 months all the way to 10 XL shirts. We know that fun, fabulous, and optimistic people come in every size.
The reviews are in, and the best potato chips are the ones you can't have -unless you are in prison. The brand called The Whole Shebang is made by a supplier to the correctional industry, and you won't find them at your local store.
One inmate told NBC News that “The Whole Shabangs are a ray of sunlight in the very cloudy and drab existence that is prison.”
A former inmate joked (one hopes!) on Facebook, saying “why did I have to go to jail to experience the best chips ever made???? Well…. back to jail it is.”
Another posted to Facebook that although she “won’t do time again” to get the chips, she hopes to find someone on the inside who can send her some: “[I’ll] find out who’s about to get out and send some money so they can bring me at least 10 bags of them. They are delicious.”
Even non-criminals swear by the snacks; according to the Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal-Star, “Nebraska Parole Board members have a standing request for the canteen to hold a couple of bags so they can buy them when they come to the center for hearings.”
Read more about these chips at Now I Know. -via Nag on the Lake
Since the invention of agriculture -and maybe even before- the cycles of nature and the potential of seeds have fascinated the human race. Knowing those cycles is of utmost importance in growing the food we need. Over time, many myths, legends, and superstitions have developed around seeds and the process of growing plants. For example:
Of many legends relating to seeds, one stands out above all. The many-seeded pomegranate symbolizes life, death and fertility in many cultures. In Greek mythology it sealed the fate of Persephone, captured by Hades and imprisoned in his Underworld. As she mourned her daughter, Demeter, goddess of fertility, halted all growth. To save the planet Zeus, Persephone’s father, ordered her release but Hades tricked her into eating six pomegranate seeds, forcing her, by the power of the Fates, to remain in the Underworld for six months each year. So it came about that the earth has its seasons of growth in spring and summer and dormancy in autumn and winter.
In March, many of us develop spring fever, a strong urge to plant seeds and celebrate the return of the growing season. It's only natural. Feed that urge by perusing a collection of folklore about seeds at Folklore Thursday. -via Strange Company
(Image credit: Forest & Kim Starr)
We get older every day, and eventually that fact can astonish you. The website You're Getting Old will spell it out for you. Just enter your birth date, and it will generate a report with all kinds of facts, such as the historical milestones of your life, how many miles you've traveled around the sun, how many people born on the same day are still alive, and even an estimate on how many times your heart has beaten. It's part of Pleated-Jean's roundup of useful websites to keep you busy while you're staying home and practicing social distancing. You might find something else there that's more your cup of tea, or at least less depressing. -via Metafilter
How far will people go for $70,000? It seems that they’ll be willing to play hide and seek! MrBeast challenges people to hide in different places at a rundown amusement park. Whoever he finds last will keep the money. Watch to find out who brings the money home!
Hungry monkeys were fighting over one banana in Thailand. Due to COVID-19, the number of tourists in the country declined, and they are the ones who usually feed the monkeys. The monkeys were from two ‘rival gangs’, a gang from the city, and the other from the temple areas. The monkeys were never seen to be that aggressive as they fought for the banana, as DailyMail details:
Footage shows hundreds of monkeys crossing a road and then chasing a single monkey which has got hold of a banana.
At first the primates are seen running independently as they appear to look for food.
But then the noise of their cries increases dramatically as dozens chase a single monkey which seems to have a banana.
They are seen jumping on it and others as they fight over the food.
Even locals who are used to seeing the monkeys were shocked by their ferocity.
Onlooker Sasaluk Rattanachai captured the scene from outside a shop where she works.
She said: 'They looked more like wild dogs than monkeys. They went crazy for the single piece of food. I've never seen them this aggressive.
image credit: ViralPress via DailyMail
With the spread of COVID-19, businesses and establishments are trying their best to adapt to the changes brought by the pandemic. Due to the pandemic, Pokemon Go will now make you not leave you house, which is the opposite of what the game originally did. The game normally requires players to go outside and head to points of interest. The developers of the game are “prioritizing updates to Pokémon GO features and experiences that can be enjoyed in individual settings,” as Polygon details:
Notably, the game will be increasing habitats so that trainers can see more monsters nearby while playing closer to home.
Incense packs, which increase monster spawns, are also going on 99% discount — and when they’re active, they will now last an hour.
Incubators, which ask players to accrue a certain number of steps before hatching eggs containing Pokémon, will now be more effective. “Trainers can hatch Eggs twice as fast,” Niantic said.
Finally, PokéStops are dropping Gifts with more frequency. All of these changes are in effect immediately, and will continue until “further notice,” Niantic told Polygon. In addition to these tweaks, Niantic has already postponed its previously-planned Abra Community Day, along with some other real-world events. Existing events, such as the first season of the game’s Battle League, will allow players to compete with one another without being in the same place, while the upcoming Special Research adventure that will debut Genesect will require tasks that can be “completed by individuals,” Niantic says.
“While we’ve made these updates based on the current global health situation, we also encourage players to make decisions on where to go and what to do that are in the best interest of their health and the health of their communities,” Niantic said.
image via wikimedia commons
A farm in northern England was set on fire by one of the pigs! The pig swallowed a pedometer, and when it finally excreted the inedible device, the copper in the object’s battery sparked a flame in the pig dung and dried hay. The fire spread out to about 75 square meters of the farmyard before it was put out. Fire crews and civilians rushed to the farm with water to “save the bacon”, as LiveScience detailed:
In recent years, lithium-ion batteries in personal devices such as cellphones and vape pens have spontaneously combusted, sometimes causing severe burns and even broken bones, Live Science previously reported.
However, no animals involved in the pigpen fire — including the firehog who inadvertently started the blaze — were harmed by the flames or smoke, according to the firefighters' tweets.
image via LiveScience
'Why is it important to wash your hands ? pic.twitter.com/exz0Z3H5kd
— B@$$ 🛡 (@24onlinee) March 13, 2020
Why is it important to wash your hands? Because soap scares away pepper!
Kids love science experiments, and this is one anyone can do at home. It impresses kids, especially those who are too young to learn about surface tension. To them, it's magic. This teacher uses the trick to impress upon children the importance of washing their hands with soap (or detergent). You could go deeper and explain the hydrophilic and hydrophobic aspects of soap molecules, but that would be boring to children young enough to believe in magic. What's important is that they form of habit of washing those grimy hands. -via Fark
