An old pecan farm in Atlanta grew wild from neglect. There were plans to build townhouses that never panned out. So, the land waited for years, close to the Lakewood-Browns Mill community, a food desert where one-third of its inhabitants live in poverty. Then Atlanta came together with the Conservation Fund, local nonprofits, and volunteers...
Pesticides have long been used in agriculture as an effective means of getting rid of weeds and pests. However, with a rising awareness of the harmful effects of pesticides, land managers today are now looking to flamethrowing tractors that cook weeds to death. That’s right: flame weeding. Most kids grow up wanting their very own...
After Disneyland finally reopened, the newly renovated Snow White ride stirred up controversy. The original ride, Snow White’s Scary Adventures in Disneyland, was replaced by Snow White’s Enchanted Wish. As opposed to the fun but frightening ride of the past, the new one presents a more cohesive and magical story — including the final scene...
Sometimes, life sends the most surprising curveballs. For instance, no one expects a little backyard construction to become an archaeological site. But this just happened in Las Vegas when a couple’s pool installation discovered bones potentially from the ice age. “What we found was when they were excavating the backyard pool, they were cutting through...
There’s nothing as magical as the fully lit night sky. Not everyone has had the chance to view it properly because of light pollution. Compare the visual quality of watching a movie on your phone in broad daylight versus a darkly lit movie theater. Yes, the contrast is that dramatic. To see the night sky...
A middle-aged man in the United Kingdom was hospitalized after months of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. He had also lost 28 pounds (12.7 kilograms) during that time. The symptoms had begun one month after the man started an extensive vitamin regimen recommended by a private nutritionist. According to the case study published in the...
You may find red, orange, or even green tomatoes at your local supermarket, but be prepared to potentially see purple ones next year. The USDA has approved a genetically modified purple tomato to be sold to the American public. In a September news release, the agency explained, “From a plant pest risk perspective, this plant...
Kathleen Kral, a retired English teacher in her 70s, was diagnosed with terminal cancer three years ago. She was already struggling with depression but the diagnosis exacerbated it. So she tried psilocybin “magic” mushrooms, which not only alleviated her depression but helped her process a traumatic miscarriage from her thirties. She appeared in the Netflix...
Scientists have discovered the Earth is spinning faster than usual. This is making days shorter; in fact, June 29, 2022, is the shortest day ever recorded, with the Earth’s full rotation taking 24 hours minus 1.59 milliseconds. If this rapid rate continues, scientists warn that we may need to remove a second from our clocks. ...
There are a lot of opinions on self-checkout. Some embrace it, others loathe it. Some prefer it after a short grocery shop, but others hate packing their own bags. It’s a great way to avoid social interaction unless you like the human interaction with the cashier. And there is the frustrating experience of trying to...
A fisherman caught the largest freshwater fish on record in northern Cambodia. It’s a giant stingray named Boramy (meaning “full moon” in the Khmer language) of a relatively unknown species. The massive female fish measured about 13 feet in length, weighing 661 pounds. It had roamed near an island on the Mekong River in the...
Children are becoming adults without basic life skills. Home economics used to be taught regularly, but this class is dwindling in schools. Unfortunately, it shows. Skills that adults take for granted, — like shopping for groceries, keeping a budget, how interest on credit cards work, how to pay taxes, and cooking — young adults lack....
