From Hawaii's feral chicken problem to snowstorms on Mars, Pablo Escobar's hippopotamuses, and the US's lifeguard shortage, The Atlantic is a great source of well-reported and intriguing stories about unusual topics. The editors have just published a fascinating list "81 Things That Blew Our Minds in 2023." Here are some of them:
- You have two noses, and you can control them separately via your armpits.
- The genetic mutation behind "Asian glow" might help protect people against certain pathogens—including tuberculosis.
- In the 1930s, the U.S. Army considered distributing daily rations of yerba mate to soldiers.
- Gender-neutral baby names are more popular in conservative states than in liberal ones.
- Hawaii's feral chickens are out of control.
- When you look at a tattoo, you're seeing ink shining in the "belly" of an immune cell that has gobbled up the ink and failed to digest it.
- Until the 1800s, merchants, lawyers, and aristocrats each wrote in their own distinctive script.
- A pill may be easier to swallow if you turn your head as it goes down.
- The Italian government provides gluten-free-food vouchers for people with celiac disease.
- Podiatrists have seen a spike in plantar-fasciitis cases since the coronavirus pandemic began, partly because so many people who work from home shuffle around barefoot on hard floors.
"81 Things That Blew Our Minds in 2023" (The Atlantic)
