The leaves are changing, a chilly autumn wind is blowing and front porches host bright orange pumpkins. As Halloween or All Hallow's Eve — whichever you prefer — draws near, the pumpkin starts to show itself everywhere. But have you ever wondered why? Take a look at the lore behind Jack-O-Lanterns, the health benefits of pumpkins and how some farmers can grow these massive gourds.Where Did Jack-o'-Lanterns Originate?(Credit:Stock Holm/Shutterstock)Jack-o'-Lanterns get their roots from an I ...read more
For centuries, a beached whale provided coastal dwellers with a windfall of resources. People harvested the baleen, blubber, bone, meat, oil, and spermaceti. They used oil and spermaceti to fuel candles and lanterns. They consumed whale meat. And they repurposed bone and baleen (a plate in the upper jaw) to structure corsets, collars, and hoop skirts. Around 1710, people wanted a steady supply of whale-based products. The commercial whaling industry developed in response to the increasing dem ...read more
While ubiquitous now in some of our favorite true crime shows, the technique of using DNA samples to identify potential criminals started making its way into the forensic world by chance — and still is not as popular or helpful as one might think.Who Invented DNA Profiling?The method for DNA profiling as we know it today is largely attributed to Sir Alec Jeffreys, a British geneticist. Jeffreys' groundbreaking work led to real-world applications, from immigration disputes to solving heinous cr ...read more
Flushing food scraps down the garbage disposal in your kitchen can be borderline therapeutic. No digging out the potato peels or apple cores — just mash them down the drain, turn on the appliance, and hear the sweet sound of your problems disappearing.Of course, the food doesn't actually vanish. More specifically, it goes to a local wastewater treatment plant, where all the water coursing through your home plumbing ends up.Truthfully, washing away your troubles this way can cause issues elsewh ...read more
In his influential book Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, psychologist John Gottman describes the intensifying marital tempest of Eric and Pamela, a couple he interviewed extensively. Year by year, their relationship grew worse, eventually deteriorating to the point that Eric would shut down at the first sign of conflict, muttering a few monosyllabic responses before escaping to the local tavern.The pattern may sound familiar. Often, in the midst of a heated dispute between romantic partners, one o ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine