Last week's Curios covered the discovery of bacon-flavored seaweed, evidence finally supporting "hot streaks" in sports, and the teen who crushed the Rubik's world record in a mind-blowing 5.25 seconds.
Curio #769 | Bacon-flavored seaweed?
Great news, bacon lovers! The holy grail of vegetables has just been discovered. Researchers from Oregon State University have patented a new strain of red marine algae called dulse. It's packed with vitamins and protein and grows extraordinarily quickly. But that's not the best part. That would be that, when cooked, it tastes just like bacon. Dulse naturally occurs along...keep reading
Curio #768 | Driving under the limit
Over 10,000 people die each year from drunk drivers in the US alone. Not to mention the roughly $60 billion dollars in costs related to the accidents. Since 2008 the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been working on a technology it claims "could virtually eliminate drunk driving." Known as the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS), the NHTSA's idea is getting close to reality. It's essentially a built-in breathalyzer that can analyze the driver's blood alcohol content (BAC) passively...keep reading
Curio #767 | A young ocean trash collector
In case you are feeling too good about your accomplishments, meet Boyan Slat. He's a 20-year-young Dutchman who has decided to collect the world's ocean trash. Slat started a non profit, The Ocean Cleanup, that is attempting to be the first organization to deploy a passive ocean cleaner on a large scale. Ocean Cleanup's stated goal is to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (also known as an ocean gyre). The Patch is an enormous collection of trash--estimated to contain hundreds of millions of pounds of mostly plastic...keep reading
Curio #766 | On a hot streak
The streak is alive! If you're a sports fan or an athlete, you probably believe in "hot streaks." But scientists have pooh poohed this supposed phenomenon for many years. A hugely influential study done in 1985 with NBA and college basketball players concluded "hot streaks" were a myth. Scientists argued making one shot made no difference in the odds of making the next shot. But hold on! A new study released recently shows strong evidence in favor of the hot hand...keep reading
Curio #765 | "Winning" the lanterne rouge
On July 26th, French cyclist Sebastien Chavenel crossed the finish line of the 2015 Tour de France to the roar of the crowd. But he didn't win the race. That honor belonged to Englishman Chris Froome, who'd won over four hours earlier. Instead Chavenel won another of the highest honors at the Tour de France, because he finished dead last. Known as the lanterne rouge, the nickname is given to the last finisher of the race and refers to the red lanterns that used to be hung on the cabooses of French trains. Traditionally, the lanterne rouge...keep reading
Curio #764 | New Rubik's record
Last year we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Rubik's cube. At that time, the current record was 5.55 seconds, set by Mats Valk from the Netherlands. But in April, American teenager Collin Burns set a new world record by solving the puzzle in a record 5.253 seconds at an official competition. Although the official books haven't been updated yet, Burns' record is expected to...keep reading
Curio #763 | The Curious case of Benjamin's button
Have you ever noticed that men's and women's clothing button up in opposite ways? Women's shirts have the buttons on the wearer's left, while men's have them on the right. It turns out there is no consensus among historians to explain this oddity. There are, of course, many theories. The most popular explanation for men's shirts is that wealthy men generally held...keep reading
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