Also in today’s links: a new theory about infertility, solace in God, and sea sponges in Oman. A new study finds that women who had more difficulty getting pregnant had higher levels of nonstick chemicals in their blood. These chemicals are found in pots and pans, as well as popcorn bags and products treated with stain guards, and now in many people in the developed world.Is religion an evolutionary adaptation?...
When you’re deep in decompression you don’t want to have to find an outlet. And, once you’re finally heading home, it’s even worse. Sure, most modes of transport have outlets on them. But we said “most” and not “all” for a reason, and most of them don’t work. The Anker Power Bank Powerhouse 90—down 35% to $129.99—packs 24,000 milliamp hours of power for your cellphone, laptop, tablet, handheld console, and e-reader....
And that’s exactly why it’s become so useful. Eight years ago, researchers at the Salk Institute found that by removing a specific gene from the rabies virus used in vaccines, they could limit the virus’s spread. This trapped the virus, making it easy to examine how rabies spread from one neuron to another under a microscope. However, the virus quickly killed its host and destroyed the neurons. Now, researchers at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute have found a better strain of rabies that doesn’t kill the brain, but instead keeps the neuron alive, enabling new research methods that had previously been impossible....
“[T]he technological advances of security cameras combined with social media networks encourage changes in customer behavior, constituting a new form of workplace management that extends beyond the familiar forms of workplace monitoring,” write co-authors Aiha Nguyen and Eve Zelickso. The embrace of gig economics by many companies has had an effect on the American workforce. A Pew Research report from last year estimates that as much as 16 percent of Americans have earned some form of income from a gig platform....
There isn’t enough gravity to keep you from floating off the treadmill on the ISS. On the day of the marathon, I strapped in with a bungee-type harness that physically pulled me to the surface. At some points, the strap was so tight that my entire right leg went numb, which was a lot different than the typical muscle aches a runner experiences on Earth. That wasn’t the only quirk of my orbital marathon....
The term “zoom” has taken on two different meanings in the digital camera era. The traditional version of zooming involves physically moving around glass elements within the lens itself to change the appearance of light hitting the sensor. This is an uncommon feature in smartphones because it requires physical space, but it has shown up in some models like the Huawei P30 Pro and the Oppo Reno. Like those phones, the S20 Ultra uses a clever periscopic system that mounts the lens vertically inside the phone’s body, then uses refraction to bend incoming light to give the sensor a view of the outside world....
If you want to explore your snapping horizons, take your pick from this sale on special cameras, lenses, drones, and more, all discounted for a special Black Friday Sale for an extra 20 percent off with code BFSAVE20. 5-in-1 Clip and Snap Smartphone Camera Lenses Step up your smartphone photography game with this bundle of camera lenses. It includes a macro closeup lens for crisp pictures, fish-eye for distorted shots, telephoto lens for zooming in, and polarizing lens for reducing and eliminating light reflection....
If you’re upgrading your Apple gear this year, you may want to look into refurbished gadgets to save money and Mother Earth simultaneously. Here are some options, along with accessories that work well with them. Portable Keychain Apple Watch Charger (White) Refuel your Apple Watch on the go with this portable charger equipped with a USB tip that you can plug into your laptop when you need a quick top-up....
This Smartwool scarf is exceptionally soft and comfortable on your skin. It’s made from merino wool, which is thin and delicate, so it won’t feel itchy. You’ll also find that it’s a lot more lightweight and compact than expected, making it great for stowing in a bag as an extra layer. The scarf is available in a unique zigzag pattern with different color schemes. This infinity scarf by trusted brand the North Face is simple, comfortable, and easy to take on and off without mussing up your makeup or ‘do....
Comets are speeding chunks of ice and dust left over from the formation of the solar system, which occasionally venture from the system’s cold outer reaches to pass by Earth. Back in the 1930s, Gerhard Herzberg, who later won the Nobel prize for his research on free radicals and other molecules, guessed that the process behind the green comet glow might involve a molecule made from two carbon atoms bonded together, called dicarbon....
But even if rollbacks are on the horizon, that doesn’t mean that you should stop shopping smart. As we’ve learned over the past few years, you should be prepared for anything — including an incredibly volatile market. When it comes to lowering your grocery bill, it’s still better to draft up a plan, take advantage of sales, and bulk buy items you consume regularly. A subscription to a big box store like Sam’s Club can help, and for a limited time, you can score a 1-year membership for half-off, with a $10 gift card to boot....
AspireAssist, created by Segway inventor Dean Kamen and a team of bariatricians, works like this. A valve gets surgically implanted in the user’s stomach, and the gadget sends a tube through it into their belly. About 20 minutes after eating, the gadget sucks out some food, and when the user squeezes a bag filled with water, the liquid gets sent back into the stomach instead. Rinse and repeat until up to 30 percent of your meal is gone....
We keep so much data and personal information on our little pocket computers that handing them over to others, even voluntarily, can seem like a potential invasion of privacy. But there’s really no point in feeling that way—both Android and iOS include useful built-in options that restrict what guests can and cannot do on your smartphone. Even when it’s unlocked. Stressful. Having somebody else’s hands on your unlocked device can give you heart palpitations....
However, emissions caused by agriculture must be addressed, too. “The food we eat is the biggest cause of biodiversity loss in the world and the second biggest source of greenhouse gasses, so it’s very difficult to address those problems without considering the food system,” says Ian Bateman, co-director of the Land, Environment, Economics and Policy Institute (LEEP) at the University of Exeter. Is there a way to take the idea of carbon taxing to the grocery aisle?...
Sleep is the key to improving your overall well-being, but it’s tricky for those who regularly snore. If you happen to be a so-called saw logger at night, you can still achieve quality sleep with a snoring solution like the Snore Circle Smart Electronic Muscle Stimulator Pro. For a limited time, you can get it on sale for over 45 percent off. An IndieGoGo hit with more than a thousand backers, Snore Circle is a device specifically designed to relieve snoring, nasal congestion, and other common sleep disorders....
As the partial government shutdown continues into its 28th day, many national parks remain open but minimally staffed. On January 6, the National Parks Service decided to dip into entrance fee funds to help restore trash pick up and toilet cleaning in some areas. And hundreds of volunteers have been picking up trash at parks nationwide. Still, the actions of just a few can cause long-term harm to sensitive areas like deserts....
The same is true of spontaneous nonhuman combustion. A video recently made the rounds that showed a cotton ball catching fire after having been soaked in several tubes of Super Glue. How cool is that! Of course, I had to try it—again and again—with every kind of Super Glue and cotton ball I could find. It never worked. There’s no question that Super Glue gets really hot when mixed with cotton....
The bot, a flying Frankenstein-type contraption, has four sets of propellers on top that fly it, and two legs underneath. The legs look similar to the legs on a bird you might see out the window, but are attached to a quadcopter. The research, published in Science Robotics on Wednesday, details the development of the bot, which requires minimal computational power from its control board. This allows it to be incorporated in the future in other projects without demanding a lot of computational space, leaving room for other objectives like observation, recording, other movements, and more to be programmed in....
All the major social apps include livestreaming capabilities, and any followers who want to can tune in. Before you jump in, though, it’s important to know what you can do and how many people will be able to see it. If the idea doesn’t instantly make you uncomfortable, you can use livestreaming for all kinds of purposes. You can have your own show, share an experience with your friends as it happens, lead a workout routine for people to do at home, deliver an announcement to multiple colleagues at once, host a virtual gig, and much more....
Take advantage of the screen in your Google Nest Hub and the bigger Google Nest Hub Max by using the Google Assistant, the apps on your phone, and the features built into your device. 1. Queue up some videos One of the best ways to make the most out of your smart display is to watch videos on it. Say “Hey Google, show me wildlife videos,” or “Hey Google, show me travel videos,” and the Nest Hub will do the rest....
