Castoreum is a natural flavoring that can be used in vanilla or strawberry-flavored foods. But it’s not a lab-made creation, neither is it a unique-sounding plant. It’s the name of an excretion from the anal castor sacs of beavers. This substance has been used for centuries in medicines and soaps in addition to food. But...

A teenager from Oklahoma was electrocuted and nearly killed by his phone charger. Sixteen-year-old Rayce Ogdahl was lying in bed wearing his cross necklace when it grazed an exposed prong of a plug. The metal chain seared in his neck and caused second, third and fourth-degree burns. His mother, Danielle Davis, 38, is trying to...

This article was originally published on January 7, 2020, and has since been updated. A great percentage of the lands in northern Africa are afflicted by desertification, a process whereby fertile land becomes a desert as a result of drought, inappropriate agricultural practices or deforestation. There just isn’t enough clean water to reverse this process,...

“I would find myself sitting at my desk, wishing the day was over so I could go home. And I would wish that it was Friday, so I could have the weekend off, and I would wish my next vacation was coming up. And then I realized I was very literally wishing away my life,”...

The skeleton of a Viking woman who was buried in Soloør, Norway alongside a hoard of deadly weaponry was ‘brought to life’ using facial recognition technology. She lived over 1,000 years ago, and her remains are now preserved in Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History.[1] With cutting-edge facial recognition technology, British scientists have brought her features...

This article was originally published on February 26, 2019, and has since been updated. An opioid epidemic is affecting millions of newborn babies, nationwide. The National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that a baby is born suffering from opioid withdrawal every fifteen minutes [1]. These babies experience pain and suffering before they can experience anything...

Italian illustrator Marco Melgrati is currently living in Mexico City where he creates strikingly poignant art that urges us to question modern society while reflecting on our collective past. Throughout his career, Melgrati has done editorial work for international newspapers and magazines. However, his creativity has reached the online masses and resulted in quite the...

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, just ask 90-year old Anežka (Agnes) Kašpárková. After stories came out about a small village in Poland that was covered in painted flowers, this Czech grandma decided to spread the same kind of joy and beauty in her town. The village in Poland is called Zalipie, just 90...

Many of us probably already know someone who has suffered or who is currently suffering from dementia. Perhaps an aunt or uncle, a grandparent, or a family friend – maybe even our own parents. Anyone watching someone go through this condition knows how difficult it is. Dementia is a neurological disorder that affects cognitive function,...

Starbucks was once the epitome of coffee culture in cities across the world, but it’s now facing a crisis as millions of customers are looking elsewhere for their caffeine fix.1 The decline in customer base has prompted questions about the chain’s future strategy and if it has the ability to adapt to new and changing...

From our view on Earth, outer space is a vast but serene place. However, it has weather that can be as dramatic as hurricanes or tsunamis. A solar radiation storm occurs when the sun emits flares that create a wave of magnetic fields and electrical charges toward Earth. Sometimes, these flares’ effects are unnoticeable to...

Dementia doesn’t exclusively affect seniors. It can also occur in children. Childhood dementia comes as a result of rare genetic conditions, and its symptoms are as devastating as the more commonly known class of dementia. They include loss of memory, confusion, and trouble communicating. The disorder also worsens as time goes on.  What Causes Childhood...