The Leading Types of Healthcare Apps Shaping Modern Medicine Today
Healthcare apps have rapidly become integral to modern medicine, reshaping how patients and healthcare professionals interact, manage care, and monitor health. Mobile technologies offer greater access to medical services and tools, facilitating everything from...
100 Million Years Ago, the Sahara Desert was Inhabited by Galloping Crocodiles
Fossil hunters have made an incredible discovery in the Sahara desert: the remains of ancient crocodiles that once roamed the land and dominated the rivers of North Africa millions of years ago. Led by renowned paleontologist Paul Sereno, excavations in the 1990s...
Before the 19th Century, Dentures were Made from Dead Soldiers’ Teeth
Before the 19th century, dentures had a rather grim origin story. Picture this: after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, dentists started making dentures from fallen soldiers' teeth. These dentures, aptly dubbed "Waterloo teeth," were crafted from the pearly whites of...
Heroin was Once a Perfectly Acceptable Medicine. Doctors Prescribed it for Everything from Coughs to Headaches
Once upon a time, heroin wasn't seen as a dangerous drug lurking on the streets; it was actually considered a legit medicine. Yep, you heard that right. Back in the day, doctors would hand out prescriptions for heroin like candy, using it to treat all sorts of...
Hawaii Gets 3 Feet Closer to Alaska Every Year
Every year, Hawaii inches about 3 feet closer to Alaska, a curious phenomenon driven by the relentless movement of tectonic plates. Positioned atop the vast expanse of the Pacific Plate, Hawaii finds itself gradually drifting northwestward, propelled on a geological...
Mary Anning’s unearthed the first complete Ichthyosaurus fossil at the age of 12
Mary Anning, a remarkable figure in paleontology, made a groundbreaking discovery at a remarkably young age. Born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, England, Mary's fascination with fossils was ignited by her father, Richard Anning, a cabinet maker and amateur fossil collector....
You Can Photograph the Energy of the Body Through Kirlian Photography
Kirlian photography, named after Semyon Kirlian, the Soviet inventor who pioneered the technique in the 1930s, offers a fascinating glimpse into the subtle energies surrounding living organisms. By capturing images of corona discharges—glowing auras of...
Unraveling the History of Solar Eclipses: Ancient Observations to Modern Understanding
Solar eclipses have captivated human imagination for millennia, inspiring awe, fear, and wonder across cultures and civilizations. As celestial phenomena where the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow on our planet, solar eclipses have left...
There are Still Cases of Bubonic Plague in Mongolia and Neighboring Cities in Russia
Cases of bubonic plague still persist in Mongolia and neighboring cities in Russia. Despite being commonly associated with medieval times, the plague afflicts populations worldwide. Regions such as Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Peru are...
It Took 60 Million Years for Nature to Develop Bacteria that Could Digest Trees
Yes, it's astonishing to think that nature took 60 million years to develop bacteria capable of breaking down trees. This remarkable process unfolded during the Carboniferous Era, which spanned from approximately 359.2 to 299 million years ago. During this era, vast...
Julius Wagner-Jauregg Treated Syphilis by Infecting Patients with Malaria
In 1927, Julius Wagner-Jauregg, an Austrian psychiatrist, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his groundbreaking treatment of syphilis. His innovative approach involved intentionally infecting patients with malaria to induce a high fever, which proved effective...
A Supervolcano Blacked the Sun for Around a Decade Around the Middle Ages
In 536 CE, a catastrophic event unfolded that cast a shadow over the entire Mediterranean region during the Middle Ages. According to Procopius, a Byzantine historian, the sun was shrouded in a thick fog that blanketed the skies, plunging the world into a year of...
The Ongoing (seventh) Cholera Pandemic is the Longest Pandemic We’ve Ever Seen, Started in 1961
The seventh cholera pandemic, which began in 1961, is the longest-lasting pandemic in history. It originated with a new strain of the cholera bacterium, known as El Tor, which was first identified in Egypt in 1897. This strain has since spread globally, causing...
Plague of Justinian Hastened the Fall of the Roman Empire
Between 541 and 543 AD, the devastating "Justinian" bubonic plague swept across the Mediterranean, claiming the lives of a staggering 35% to 55% of the population. While this plague did not directly cause the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it significantly hastened...
Victorians Ate Arsenic to Make Their Complexion Paler
They associated a pale complexion with elevated social status, viewing it as a sign of wealth and prestige. Also, a fair complexion was seen as evidence that a woman did not engage in outdoor labor, further enhancing her perceived refinement and gentility. In the late...
Ever Since Pluto has been Discovered, It hasn’t Made a Full Revolution Around the Sun Yet
Since its discovery in 1930 by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, Pluto has yet to complete a full orbit around the sun. Situated beyond the orbit of Neptune, Pluto was initially spotted using the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Named after the ruler of the...
Cats were Once Believed to be the Product of Crossbreeding Between Chimpanzees and Rabbits
Many people believed that cats were a product of crossbreeding between chimpanzees and rabbits. However, the assertion that cats were considered a distinct species until 1957 is incorrect. Cats have been known as their own species for a long time. They're called Felis...
The Acoustic Kitty Project
Back in the 1960s, the CIA had this wild idea called Acoustic Kitty. They wanted to turn cats into undercover spies to eavesdrop on the Kremlin and Soviet embassies. It was a super-secret project by the Directorate of Science & Technology. They called it...