Cheesy

(Photo by Alice Wiegand)

Long before cameras were invented, people were apparently saying “cheese” with gusto.

This became evident when a 3600-year-old Chinese mummy was found to have cheese “laid out around her neck like a piece of jewelry.”

When paleogeneticist Fu Qiaomei analyzed this post-mortem adornment, she identified it as “kefir cheese” that was fermented from the milk of cows or goats. The addition of kefir bacteria helped the lactose-intolerant Xiaohe people to healthfully digest dairy. 

Over time, humans and kefir became quite compatible.  Our immune systems learned to welcome these tiny helpers into the microbial swamps we harbor within.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/worlds-oldest-cheese-found-ancient-160125930.html

 

Eight Miles Low

(Fair Use)

In 1965, the Byrds had a hit song called “Eight Miles High.”  It loosely referred to the altitude that a jet flies, although jets don’t usually go higher than seven miles up.  Nevertheless, the band that brought us an Ecclesiastes hit single should be allowed some poetic license.

In 2024, eight miles low seems more in vogue.  During August of this year, geophysicists confirmed the presence of liquid water within the Martian midcrust – “6 to 12 miles below the surface.”  In fact, there's enough down there to “fill ‘oceans’ on the planet’s surface.”

This bodes well for the theory that life once existed on Mars.  It  suggests that life might still exist within the depths of our crusty neighbor.  There are creatures at the bottom of Earth’s oceans, so why not “eight miles low” on Mars? 

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/news/scientists-first-kind-discovery-mars-190058737.html

 

Rats!

Temple of Karni Mata Deshnoke
(Gunther Jontes)

Although many humans are not the least bit fond of rats, favorable views of such creatures range from “tasty” to “downright divine.”

When folks aren’t studying, coddling, eating or even worshipping rats, they’re bent on exterminating them.  That’s because these mammalian “cousins” can be lethal to people and other species.

So what's a body to do if Mickey and Minnie come scampering their way?  Those who dwell on the Alaskan island of St. Paul (a "Galapagos of the north") will spring right into action. Known as a bird haven, St. Paul can’t afford to have rodents gnawing their way through “eggs, chicks or even adults and upending once-vibrant ecosystems.”  

Its citizens have therefore embarked upon an intense search for a single specimen that one resident allegedly saw.  Because “it took nearly a year to catch the last known rat on St. Paul,” folks will not give up until they are convinced that the island is completely Rodentia-free.

Resources

https://time.com/7023280/st-paul-island-alaska-rats/ 

It isn't what it isn't

 

Blausen.com staff (2014)

“It is what it is” is more often a sigh of resignation than it is a sign of Buddhist equanimity.  This is unfortunately the case when it comes to women’s health care.

Women, especially African-American women, tend to wait longer than men for emergency-room services.  They are often given psychological diagnoses for physical ailments such as endometriosis, fibromyalgia and cardiovascular disease.

Medical professionals might best take a cue from Michelangelo, who famously declared: “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”  Many female patients have a bodily malfunction and it is the task of the physician to discover it. 

Coming up with quick “it’s all in your head” conclusions may seem easier than whittling away at rote responses, but can ultimately be a lot less effective for all concerned.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/america-health-care-system-fails-100000151.html

What's in a name?

(Public Domain)

Sometimes an MMM-MMM-good name becomes MMM-MMM-NOT-so-good over time.  A rose must remain a rose no matter what, but corporations get to loom beyond where they’re planted.

So as Campbells began using their noodles to morph beyond soup, a name change was definitely in order. If you’ve ever munched on cheesy Goldfish or craved Pepperidge Farm sweets, you may now thank a Campbells executive.

Never mind that such snacks are usually not up to the nutritional value of soup.  Never mind that they usually overload the body with sugar, salt and chemicals.  It’s a brave new world when it comes to food conglomerates, and the name says it all.  Campbells is no longer just a meal, it is now a company with a capital C.

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2024-09-11-campbell-soup-company-to-change-its-name/?mid=1349675&rid=98364581&sc=email&pname=newsletter&cid=NATIONAL&keyid=National%20iHeart%20Daily%20NewsTalk&campid=headline6_readmore

 

 

Buried

Daric Coin

A stash of valuable gold coins had been hidden for thousands of years within the ancient equivalent of a neighborhood bank. Archaeologists recently discovered this buried treasure beneath the floor of a fifth-century BC home.

They believe it belonged to a mercenary soldier who fought and died “when tension was high” between Greeks and Persians.  This soldier had likely been paid with said coins, thus exchanging health for wealth, and life for death.

Chances are that he never got to benefit from his valiant efforts.  Chances are that he was never even buried as carefully as these coins.  Chances are that people the world over are still making bets that hearts broken by strife will go on beating indefinitely.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/pot-gold-coins-uncovered-turkey-234247857.html 

Flying High with Hydrogen

(Fair Use)

Yesterday’s science fiction is fast becoming today’s fact.  Who would have thought that George Jetson’s aerocar might soon be ours?

For those still wrestling with e-mails, the thought of eVTOLs is mind-boggling.  An eVTOL is “an electric vertical takeoff and landing craft,” a recent version of which “flew over 500 miles… powered by hydrogen fuel cells and electric technology.”  Such travel can occur “with no emissions except water.”

While soaring past highway routes and traffic, you can get from place to place in record time.  Forget about airport hassles, this aerobic buggy can fly high from numerous locations.

Although the element hydrogen is widespread here on earth, isolating and storing it can be a daunting task.  Joby Aviation seems up for the challenge.  It aims to begin air-taxi “commercial operations in the U.S. in 2025.” 

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/news/tech/aircraft-developer-completes-over-500-073000340.html