You’ve heard of Cocaine Bear by now, the Georgia black bear that overdosed on cocaine dropped from a smuggler’s overburdened Cessna aircraft. But have you heard of Beer Bear? In 2004, a curious bear raided a camper’s cooler at Baker Lake Resort in Washington State and somehow made off with about three dozen beers, including Rainier Beer and Busch (which he eschewed). While Rainier suffers from a “Poor” score at BeerAdvocate.com, the bear drank the grainy beer until it reached an altere ...read more
Radioactive materials, also known as radionuclides, are chemicals in which the atom is unstable. As atoms try to restore balance, they break down and decay-causing the release of energy, known as radiation. Small amounts of radiation are all around us, including in everyday products such as microwaves and smoke detectors. Other uses include killing germs in food as well as helping diagnose and treat certain medical conditions. However, exposure to large amounts of radiation (by inhalation, abs ...read more
These days, it seems like the word “gaslighting” is everywhere. The term has surged in popularity over the past decade, given new life by political commentators and columnists and buoyed by social media, where it now attracts billions of views across Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. In 2022, Miriam-Webster crowned gaslighting its word of the year. But despite the term’s increasing ubiquity in pop culture, it underscores a serious reality. What Is Gaslighting? Broadly speaking, ...read more
The extent of sea ice around Antarctica has reached a record low level — for the second Southern Hemisphere summer in a row. This year’s low is 405,000 square miles below the 1981 to 2010 average minimum extent of sea ice around Antartica, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. That amount of ice loss is equivalent to more than half of the land area of Alaska. As Antarctic sea ice shrivels, it opens the way for waves to violently pound ice shelves that hold back the flow of gia ...read more
Cats have a reputation for being self-sufficient, especially when compared to their canine counterparts. Little bath time is required, for example, thanks to their overzealous grooming habits. They also don’t need to be taken outside for bathroom breaks multiple times per day. But make no mistake: Cats are not low-maintenance pets. Find out just how long it's okay to leave your cat alone. How Long Can Cats Stay Alone? “I would never describe any pet as low-maintenance if you’re providing ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine