Trends are temporary-- they exist in the mainstream for a couple of months or years, but then eventually go out of style. Trends are lucky if they re-emerge after decades, as what we see with the rise of different ‘retro’ styles in fashion. But just like how current trends affect how we perceive clothes, tattoos also are affected by the current fancies of the majority. Except, unlike clothes, we can’t discard body art easily. 

So if you’re planning on getting a tattoo for yourself, maybe heed the advice of different tattoo artists about which designs to avoid. Check Vice’s full interview with them here. 

Image credit: Annie Spratt/Unsplash 

The first time humanity was able to land on the lunar surface was on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin trod carefully on the celestial body. After this momentous occasion, the last time someone landed on the moon was in 1972, which was Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt for the Apollo 17 mission. Have you ever wondered why there aren’t more recent crewed moon landings? WatchMojo explains the real reason why we haven’t attempted to return to the moon. Check the full video here! 

Image credit: NASA/Unsplash 

This will be a big help --I hope this really works! 

The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is an evidence-based method created by Gary Craig. The technique helps one regulate the intensity of their feelings quickly. It uses acupressure to relieve physical and emotional distress. To apply this technique, you use your fingers to apply pressure to meridian points, or energy points throughout the body, according to Chinese medicine. Learn the steps on how to do EFT here! 

Image credit: Yoann Boyer/Unsplash

One email changed this woman’s life. Not in the sense of money, or some grand opportunity to obtain power and fame. Kama Einhorn was emailed by a guy in Florida about her being his half-sister. When she looked at the guy’s profile picture, he looked like her long-lost twin-- except she didn’t have a twin. 

They initially thought that Einhorn’s father had an affair with her new brother’s mother. However, after speaking to family members, it turns out there was no affair at all. The two individuals had been conceived from donor sperm. The donor had been a resident at Yale New Haven Hospital, where scientists were pioneering intrauterine insemination. Read the full story here. 

Image credit: Brian Rea via The New York Times 

This man was purposely hidden from sight. Archaeologists discovered a skeleton of a young man with stab wounds. This body led them to a 1300-year-old Chinese murder mystery in a tomb raiders' shaft. Experts believe that the murder took place between 640 and 680 AD. In addition, the man, who was estimated to be around 25-years-old, was probably alive when he was thrown into the shaft and left to die. Tragic.

"The victim was dumped in this shaft to purposely kept from sight," the team wrote. "The strategy of hiding victims’ bodies in existing tombs or graveyards as a means of disposal, akin to 'hiding a leaf in the forest,' has been practiced since antiquity."

Image credit: Qian Wang

Well, people who live in Silicon Valley are smart people, so this development shouldn’t really be unexpected. Matt Krisiloff, owner of  Conception wanted to help biology labs in deciphering the recipe needed to copy how an embryo develops in order to copy it and transmute any cell into an egg.“I was interested in the idea of ‘When can same-sex couples have children together?’” Krisiloff told Technology Review. “I thought that this was the promising technology for doing this.”

Conception is the largest commercial establishment that specializes in vitro gametogenesis, which refers to turning adult cells into gametes—sperm or egg cells. The company is trying to make replacement eggs for women. Learn more about Krisiloff and his company’s pursuits here. 

Image credit: NICOLáS ORTEGA

It was a buy one get one for free kind of deal! 

Jane Pearson and her husband were surprised to find a cat in the house they planned to buy. Thinking that the current homeowners would take the animal with them once the transactions were finalized, they didn’t pay attention to the cat lounging on the home’s screened porch. However, the Pearsons were informed that the cat would be a permanent fixture in the house. 

The previous owners of the home took care of the kitten, Hidey. The wife kept her well-fed, loved, and cared for until the woman developed Alzheimer’s disease and could no longer take care of Hidey. Eight weeks after the woman died, the husband sold the house to Pearsons. “As we talked, it became apparent that she was just the wife’s cat, and the man missed his wife so much,” said Jane. Learn how the Pearsons ended up taking care of the cat here! 

Image credit: janerypetbeds

Quantum mechanics is complicated. It’s a fundamental theory in physics that tries to explain or understand the environment around us in terms of atoms and subatomic particles. For people who would just like to know this concept on a surface level, or a general level, the technical jargon and other scientific computations and concepts involved in quantum mechanics can be quite a headache! Rajasekaran Rajagopalan writes to Big Think’s Ask Ethan asking for an understandable explanation on how the physics theory works. Check the full piece here. 

Image credit: Anton Maksimov juvnsky

It’s a very valid investment! 

Natural capital startup Real Wild Estates Company is now convincing investors and landowners to turn their attention (and money) into acquiring land to rewild, restore biodiversity, and store carbon. The company says that it has tens of millions of pounds already pledged to their cause. With the funds they have amassed, the startup aims to create more than 100,000 acres of wild land across Britain by 2030.

The investment works as a tool for conservation efforts and a way for the investors to get more money from tourism, glamping and rewilding safaris, and from the government’s post-Brexit environmental land management schemes. 

Image credit: Geran de Klerk /Unsplash 

Bir Tawil is the last unclaimed, habitable land on Earth. Wedged in between Egypt and Sudan, the oddity has captured the attention of thrill-seekers, curious minds, and people who want a chance to own or rule an unowned plot of land. 

At the moment, Dwain Coward, a 41-year-old barrister from south London, proclaims himself the king of Bir Tawil. He even did a coronation ceremony, complete with a crown and oath to develop his ‘new country.’ His interest in the land is due to the belief that Bir Tawil can become an ‘oasis of possibility.’ When travel restrictions due to the pandemic are loosened, the barrister aims to travel to the land in order to redouble his efforts in persuading stakeholders to invest their futures in his vision.

Image credit: Dwain Coward

It looks pretty, too! 

A Zeer pot is a traditional pot-in-pot refrigerator that dates back as far as 3000BC. Surprisingly enough, this kitchen gadget is still used in India and Nigeria. These kinds of pots are composed of two clay pots, an outer pot lined with wet sand, and an inner pot where food items can be stored. 

London-based designer Ellie Perry created a modern interpretation of the Zeer pot called the Terracooler. Unlike its predecessor, this new pot is tri-tiered and fits right on the kitchen counter. Learn more about this handy kitchen tool here. 

Image via Yanko Design

I wonder if the student would mind if I borrow her idea? God knows we pour blood, sweat, and tears into making our thesis. It’s a very difficult feat, and we need to celebrate our success in every possible way! 

PhD Candidate Sarah Whelan Curtis finished her thesis in epigenetics after four long years of hard work. The Emory University student decided to create her very own ‘newborn photos’ with her ‘baby.’ 

Image credit: Sarah Whelan Curtis 

You can visit these extravagant and beautiful churches and marvel at their unique architecture. Each one is a testament to the trends of its time. They serve as a record of architectural trends that future generations can study regardless of religious affiliation.

From detailed sculptures that adorn these buildings, to their towering tops and onion domes, Luxury Columnist lists the top religious edifices around the globe. Check the full list here. 

Image credit: via Luxury Columnist

This dog has guts! A playful Labrador interrupted a soccer game and demanded a belly rub in Gori, Georgia. Many players tried to catch the dog and remove him from the field, including the referee. Instead of feeling scared or threatened, the dog thought they were playing a game and happily ran away from them. The dog was eventually coaxed to get off the pitch. No one really knows where the dog came from or how it got into the field.  

Image credit: Reuters 

These stunning photographs by kazkovuykyiv depict several Disney icons in real life. From Snow White to Belle to Rapunzel, the characters were photograpped in a gauzy wonderland setting. The photographer enlisted the help of some Ukrainian celebrities to play the roles. Check more photos below!  

Image credit: Facebook