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People also often try to simply change the topic of conversation. Image credit: zeljkodan/Shutterstock.com ================================================================== Eating too much meat is bad for you, bad for the environment, and fatal for the animals involved. Those are straight facts, indisputable and proven through years of study. But counterpoint: have you considered that vegans are annoying? If the comments section under just about any media promoting a vegetarian or vegan diet is anything to go by, the answer to that question is probably “yes”. And, in any case, what about all the poor plants, huh? You okay with murdering them, IFLScience? The blood...

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

Whether it's freshly diced, sprinkled, or infused in oil, regularly adding some garlic to your diet has been found to keeps both blood sugar and cholesterol in check. A meta-analysis of 22 previous studies that included 29 randomized, controlled trials conducted by researchers from Southeast University and Xizang Minzu University in China confirms the consumption of garlic is linked with lower levels of glucose and some types of fat molecule. Glucose and lipids are key nutrients for the body, providing energy and the basis of a wide variety of building blocks. Modern diets can often lead to too much of...

If you're a small town or rural consumer, you might find this of interest. It's a 13-minute youtube video show how this corporation is taking you dollars to support people and causes you might find personally or morally repugnant, or to stockholders in larger dividends.

The leeches coil themselves back like a spring. Image credit: © Mai Fahmy If your nightmares have been feeling a little bland and repetitive recently, don’t worry, we bring you something that’ll be sure to add a fresh smattering of terror – jumping leeches. The existence of leaping leeches has been a matter of debate since Victorian-era naturalists were kicking about, with some providing field notes of encounters with their acrobatics, whilst others said the parasitic worms had likely dropped down on them from above. That over 100-year-old debate has now been settled by footage that researchers Mai Fahmy and...

Well, now we know how they are going to get us to eat ze bugs – and (they hope) take the drugs. They are going to use the excuse of “containing” the bird flu to kill the birds – chickens – and cattle, too. In this way, they’ll have succeeded in reducing the “emissions” of carbon dioxide emanating from the animals we eat – without having to convince us to stop eating meat. There just won’t be any to eat. Not for us, that is. The “elite” – as the agglutinators of power who like to use it to...

Yoshiharu Watanabe earned a Guinness World Record by growing a 63-leaf clover. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 20 (UPI) -- A Japanese man borrowed some of the luck of the Irish and broke a Guinness World Record by growing a 63-leaf clover. Yoshiharu Watanabe, 45, started cross-pollinating clovers at his Nasushiobara home in 2012 with an aim toward breaking the world record. "Since the number of leaves has increased year by year, I have been aiming for the Guinness World Records title ever since," he told Guinness World Records. Watanabe said he used a combination of letting...

Researchers at McMaster University have created smart packaging that detects spoilage, potentially reducing global costs by minimizing waste and illness. Despite its benefits, adoption faces hurdles due to cost concerns and regulatory challenges. A team of researchers from McMaster University has invented a suite of tests for food packages that can indicate if the contents are contaminated, aiming to reduce food waste and prevent illnesses. They are now focusing on integrating this smart packaging technology into commercial products by engaging with producers and regulators. Cost Considerations and Industry Adoption Although each test would add only a few cents to the...

Granted, huitlacoche may look horrible. After all, it's a fungus that grows on corn. It's also known as Mexican truffles, corn mushrooms or “corn smut.” Wyoming chef Petrina Peart says the $50 per pound delicacy is hard to get but fun to try. (Cowboy State Daily Staff) Call them Mexican truffles, corn mushrooms or, if you’re a farmer, the much less appealing “corn smut.” Whatever you call this funky-looking fungus that grows on ears of corn, huitlacoche (pronounced wheat-la-KOH-chay) is a delicious, prized ingredient across Mexico that’s been catching on with gourmet chefs around the world. In Wyoming it’s much...

After days of intense flooding in Florida, that state and many others are bracing for an intense heat wave, while the Pacific Northwest will experience unseasonably cold weather and the potential for late-season snow in the Rocky Mountains early next week. The chaotic weather map includes the potential for severe thunderstorms developing in between the hot and cold fronts. Forecasters said the colliding fronts could lead to areas of flash flooding between eastern Nebraska and northern Wisconsin on Saturday night, as well as strong storms across parts of eastern Montana into North and South Dakota. Meanwhile, a plume of tropical...

Data released Wednesday by Weedmaps revealed that New York consumers spent more on their individual cannabis purchases than in other markets. The average order value for New Yorkers on orders placed through the platform outstripped than the national average by more than 50% during the first quarter of 2024 ($123.16 in New York vs. $80.78 nationally). In addition, New York has a 6% higher basket size through Weedmaps vs. the national average in the same period (2.35 items vs. 2.22 national). Another difference between New Yorkers and national cannabis shoppers: New Yorkers prefer in-store shopping versus delivery.

Excavation Represents an Unprecedented Discovery of Pre-Revolutionary War Artifacts and Biological Matter **************************************************************** Archaeologists at George Washington’s Mount Vernon have unearthed an astounding 35 glass bottles from the 18th century in five storage pits in the Mansion cellar of the nation’s first president. Of the 35 bottles, 29 are intact and contain perfectly preserved cherries and berries, likely gooseberries or currants. The contents of each bottle have been carefully extracted, are under refrigeration at Mount Vernon, and will undergo scientific analysis. The bottles are slowly drying in the Mount Vernon archaeology lab and will be sent off-site for conservation. This...

NATIONAL CUCUMBER DAY Today is June 14 and National Cucumber Day at National Day Calendar and we are enjoying fresh cucumbers all day long! Join us as we crunch on this crisp summer favorite and enjoy the fruits of summer. #NATIONALCUCUMBERDAY You can almost taste the crisp, watery goodness of a cucumber during the summer months. With fresh fruits and vegetables at our fingertips, we feel very little guilt indulging in this salad favorite. Whether we grow them in our garden or purchase them at a local farmers market, we love the freshness a cucumber adds to our diets. Most...

NATIONAL WEED YOUR GARDEN DAY National Weed Your Garden Day on June 13 serves as a reminder to all gardeners to take an extra 5 or 10 minutes to weed their gardens. This National Day is not only used as a reminder, it's also used to inspire people to keep their garden free of weeds to allow for a healthier crop. #NationalWeedYourGardenDay One of the best tips you will ever get is to stay in control of your garden, especially with weeds. Unfortunately, weeds grow fast, very fast. With inattention, they can soon become overwhelming. Giving daily attention to your...

Some bugs are eating on my son's pumpkin plants in the backyard. They are getting sun and some shade to cool part of the day. Temps here are about 90 but with shade and a little breeze it's been nice so far this season. Is there some chemical to spray on them that keeps bugs off but doesn't hurt the plants?

Idaho farmers are in danger of having their water shut off. The water shutoff order affects half a million acres of farmland and about 6,400 people who use the water. Without water, their farmland is worthless. The state of Idaho has put a water curtailment order, which is basically a water shutoff order on literally a half million acres of farmland. ‌ Many farming this land have already invested in thousands of acres, thousands of dollars per acre, to grow potatoes. It’s too late for them to survive without water. Why is the water being cut off? Essentially, this curtailment...

How to Tell the Difference Between Good Ladybugs and Bad Ladybugs Ladybugs, also known as lady beetles or ladybirds, are members of the Coccinellidae family of insects. And, like in many families, there are both good and bad members. The good lady beetles help maintain order in the garden by eating pesty insects that would make a short meal out of plants otherwise. The bad lady beetles also do that, but then they crash in your attic, make a huge mess if you try to remove them, and invite all their friends along. So, how can you tell the...

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

Scientists hope the study of it and other giant genomes will shed light on species resilience. The New Caledonian fork fern (Tmesipteris oblanceolate) possesses the largest genome yet found. ORIANE HIDALGO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The human genome is made up of 3 billion base pairs of DNA. But that’s nothing compared with the New Caledonian fork fern (Tmesipteris oblanceolate), a leafy, tendrilled plant native to several Pacific islands. Its genome contains an astonishing 160 billion base pairs, making it the largest genome ever discovered, researchers report today in iScience. The finding could help scientists understand how genomes grow so large, and how...

May 30 (UPI) -- Traffic on a pair of California highways turned into a jam when a truck loaded with strawberries overturned, dropping barrels of the fruit into the road. The California Highway Patrol said the overturned truck, carrying about 40,000 pounds of fruit, blocked the northbound connector ramps to Highway 101 and Interstate 880 in San Jose on Wednesday morning and was leaning over a guardrail. The ramps were closed as crews worked to lift the truck upright and remove the fallen barrels of strawberries. No injuries were reported from the crash or ensuing traffic jams on both highways....