Continuing to clear the news chum, here are some interesting “explanations” I’ve found of late:
- What Mangoes Have in Common with Poison Ivy… The mango is a classic summer fruit, but for some it can bring out a rash when they handle or eat it. This irritation is not unique to mangos – in fact, there’s some surprising chemistry in common between mangos and poison ivy. In this post, we look at the chemical culprit, as well as some of the chemical compounds behind the flavour and aroma of mangoes.
- How Do Fires and Campfires Work… This was a real fascinating post, that explored the history of campfires, and how fires actually work (which helps you understand how to build a good fire, and more importantly, why you need to build it that way). This could connect to the wonderful Flame Challenge by Alan Alda.
- Why You Shouldn’t Exercise to Lose Weight… We all probably believe that heavy exercise will cause us to lose weight. After all, calories in and calories out and all that jazz. Guess what? It isn’t true. You lose negligible weight exercising, and here’s why.
- How and Why You Write… Here’s a really interesting post exploring how culture shapes our instincts, demonstrated by how you draw a circle. The analysis suggests that the way you draw a simple circle is linked to geography and cultural upbringing, deep-rooted in hundreds of years of written language, and significant in developmental psychology and trends in education today.
- Why the Subway in New York Is Getting Worse… Here’s an interesting exploration of why the subway in New York is getting worse. Hint: It is the same reason that traffic in LA is getting worse.
