Valley fever is a respiratory disease that can cause flu-like symptoms, rashes, and (sometimes) chronic lung problems. It's caused by a fungus that lives in dry soil, essentially hibernating for years until it's reinvigorated by moisture. Valley fever is best known for infecting prisoners in the American southwest, but it's also an occupational hazard of archaeologists … who spend most of their lives sifting through the soils where the fungus lives.
A real graveyard curse: Archaeologists susceptible to fungal disease
Study demonstrates that anti-radiation phone stickers do nothing
Can stickers—as in adhesive- or magnetic-backed paper—block phone radiation? Not these ones, says the University of Surrey in England. The stickers are sold by a U.K. company, Energydots, to exploit the country's pitch into 5G conspiracy theories and mystic paranoia. The stickers are about $35 each, shipped; Energydots has also falsely claimed to be in… READ THE REST
Floating a foil boat on heavier-than-air gas
Others have done this demo, but this is a great recent example in a large tank full of sulfur hexafluoride. Their demonstration of its voice-lowering properties was not as good as some, though. Image: YouTube / Da Vinci TV READ THE REST
Is the human gaze a physical force?
Is the human gaze a physical force? It sure feels like it sometimes. Princeton University researchers scanned subjects' brains to gain insight into why we subconsciously interpret "other people's visual attention as an invisible, force-carrying beam projecting from the eyes." This isn't about the paranormal investigations into whether you can "feel" when someone is staring… READ THE REST
The Wayfarer combines style and function in a brilliant, yet attractive travel bag
It's the carrot on the end of the stick that's kept many of us going for the past year. Someday, hopefully someday soon, travel will resume. And, not just driving an hour or two on a day trip style travel. We're talking grand, get-on-a-plane-and-really-go-somewhere travel. And when that glorious day comes, we all want to… READ THE REST
These gorgeous Zenko Fusion knives can change how your kitchen looks and works
A quality knife set is literally something you can build an entire kitchen around. As the backbone of any meal prep, a set that handles all your basic slicing and dicing is not only how you craft a great dish, but it's also how you find a love for being in the kitchen. Because there's… READ THE REST
Consumer Reports loves the GhostBed… After trying out the memory foam, you probably will too
It's not often you find an industry where the top-selling product is also the one that customers find the least satisfying. That dichotomy pretty well sums up why buying a mattress turns out to be so much tougher than people expect. According to Consumer Reports, about a third of all mattresses sold are innerspring mattresses… READ THE REST