I Got My Robot Arm From ‘Star Wars’
Dueling with lightsabers can be dangerous…which is why both Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker had to rely on robotic limbs in the Star Wars movies. Those futuristic appendages were pure science-fiction…until now.
Science & Tech
Ask Uncle John Anything: It’s Gnat Time
What is the purpose of a gnat?
Ah, summer. Barbecues! Trips to the beach! Tiny, annoying insects buzzing around your face and flying up your nose! Yes, the gnat is as indelible a part of summer as the Fourth of July and sunburns, but they really do serve a purpose in the intricate web of nature.
It Came From ‘Germophobia’: The Boy Who Gave Birth To His Own Twin
While about 3 percent of all live births are to multiple babies, twins commonly develop and self-terminate very early on in utero. This is very early on, in the cell multiplication stage, before features develop, at which point one of the two twins simply “wins out” and absorbs the other.
It Came From ‘Germophobia’: Terrible Tales of Harrowing Hospitals
Hospital horror stories, bad doctors, botched surgeries, nightmare nurses, weird diseases, and all the things that can and will go wrong when it comes to your health. Here a few such stories from our brand-new book, Uncle John’s Germophobia.
Killer Weed
If plants were capable of evil, giant hogweed would be the most evil. In the spring of 2010, gardeners across Canada began to notice a new weed threatening their flowers, lawns, and vegetables. But similar to dandelions or clover, this weed was actually quite pretty, with its purple-red steams, big leaves, and foot-long heads of delicate, tiny white flowers. But these weren’t harmless weeds—this was giant hogweed.
Impossible Questions: Sweet Science Edition – The Answer
Think you’ve got a legitimate answer to this crazy question? Keep reading to see if you nailed it.
How can common table sugar be turned into a billion dollars?
Cancer Zappers!
Good news: You no longer have to choose between spending all your time playing video games and trying to cure cancer.
It’s Earth Day! Don’t Trash This Page!
We probably should’ve just recycled an article from one of our books…but we didn’t. Here are some fascinating facts and statistics on recycling (and trash).
- Curbside recycling programs started becoming widely adopted in the U.S. in the early 1990s. Today, about 87 percent of the country has regular access to recycling programs. It’s been effective, too—recycling of paper and paper products has increased by a whopping 90 percent in the last 20 years.
It Came From ‘Germophobia’: Not Quite Dead Yet
The threat of someone very ill being mistaken for dead and then buried was a major problem up until the late 19th century—dozens of inventions were even concocted to allow the mistakenly dead to let those on the surface know that they had buried prematurely, particularly graveside bells attached to an in-coffin string.
AUJA – “Lines from TV” Edition
When a TV screen is filmed, why does it look like it has lines bouncing up and down and all around it? It’s a common scene in home movies, or movies made in the ‘70s or ‘80s: a turned-on TV (or computer monitor) sits in the background, flickering weirdly.
It Came From ‘Germophobia’: How Your Next Flight Can Make You Sick
Not only is airplane food notoriously not very good, as well as expensive, and poorly portioned, eating it puts you at an increase risk of contracting a food-borne illness. LSG Sky Chefs is the largest provider of airplane food, preparing 405 million meals annually for 300 separate airlines
AUJA – A$tronaut Edition
When NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins landed on the moon in 1969, it was the biggest news story of the year – if not the biggest ever – and the public wanted to know as much as possible about Apollo 11, the moon, and the men who went there. A fun part of that were the nitty-gritty financials: How much did it really cost to go to the moon, and where did the money go?
It Came From ‘Germophobia’: A Plastic Surgery Nightmare
In 2011, a Utah woman named Jennifer Swalberg went in for two fairly routine plastic surgery procedures at the clinic of Dr. Joseph Berg: liposuction and an abdominalplasty (also known as a “tummy tuck”). Most of the details of what allegedly happened next were reported in a lawsuit filing, so, to say the least, things didn’t go well.
It Came From ‘Germophobia’: Chiropractic Catastrophes
We’ve got a brand new book out this week: Uncle John’s Germophobia. It’s all about hospital horrors, bad doctors, botched surgeries, nightmare nurses, weird diseases, and all the things that can and will go wrong when it comes to your health. Here’s a taste of the kind of thing you’ll find inside.
What Are You Going To Do With Your Amazon E-Book Refund?
Last week, Amazon issued millions of dollars in credits to customers who bought e-books between 2010 and 2012. It’s the payout of a class action lawsuit that alleged some publishers overcharged for e-books during that time. What should you get with all that free book money? We have some suggestions.
AUJA – What’s the Point of Mosquitos?
They bite. They suck blood. They spread disease. So what’s the point of mosquitos anyway? Those things are the point.
Mosquitos spread viruses and parasites through the animal kingdom (not counting humans). That naturally helps control the population of animals, keeping ecological balances in check.
A Weird App: Toilets-for-Rent with Airpnp
There’s an app you can use locate and rent other people’s homes for a few nights when they’re not occupied…but what if you only need a very particular part of that house, and for, oh, 10, maybe 15 minutes, at the most? Introducing Airpnp, a web-based app that allows users to find a clean bathroom in a private residence where they can confidently do their business.
Quokka: The Cutest—And Happiest—Animal on Earth
As far as cuteness is concerned, cats rule the internet. But a little Australian creature could give kitties a run for their money. Have a look at a quokka. These cat-sized marsupials can primarily be found on the islands and national parks near Perth, Australia. Sure enough, they’re pretty friendly and cheerful.
