Curiosity Aroused

Photo credit: David Ohmer via Flickr Americans are odd ones. We live in fear of certain kinds of ’terrorism,’ yet many of us remain complacent in the face of ghastly domestic massacres committed by seemingly ordinary citizens with guns. We spend billions fighting terror around the globe annually, but cannot seem to grapple with our own uniquely American brand of terror at home – gun violence – with even the most common-sense reforms on gun control.

By Deborah Austin, via Wikimedia Commons About 2000 years ago, humans began using extract from willow bark as a treatment for pain and fever. Although they did not know it, they started humanity’s long relationship with NSAIDs, or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. NSAIDs are still one of the most common treatments for pain and fever, along with several other prevalent options. A common pain medication that most everyone has either used or heard of is Tylenol, however contrary to some popular misconceptions, Tylenol is not an NSAID, but rather belongs to another popular category of painkillers- Acetaminophen-based medications.

Coal is one of the most important sources of energy in today’s word- both the US and China, the two largest economies, make heavy use of coal as a source of electricity. Coal’s value as a source of power has a price, however- it’s a nonrenewable resource that takes a long time to form. In this post, we’ll talk about the origins of coal, its role in power generation, and other uses for coal.

In 2010, the History Channel developed a list of the ten most extreme airports around the world, based on dangerous terrain and poor runway construction. Many of these constitute the most dangerous airfields but not all, as extreme is plainly a broader classification than dangerous. So which are actually the most dangerous? 12. Qamdo Bamda Airport, Tibet As yet, no accidents have occurred here, but this is still a place to avoid.

It’s no secret that drug use is rampant in America, with a staggering 70 million Americans admitting to the regular use of mind altering drugs. 100 people overdose on drugs every day in the United States, with a number of the most dangerous drugs available toeing the line of legality- some drugs with high abuse potential are available through a prescription. Here, from least to most fatalities, are the twelve most dangerous drugs in America.

With the many demands that the human race puts on the Earth, it is no wonder that there are many dangerous jobs out there that have to be done by someone who needs the job badly enough to actually put their life in danger every day to make money. These are just the top ten of those dangerous jobs. 10. Snake Milkers Snake milking is a very necessary, often forgotten-about, yet very dangerous occupation.

No doubt you can win the giant panda. But how much dough do you want to blow on something that cost about 50 cents to make? The minds behind these games have set them so you’ll pay big for that damn bear. We asked game –booth managers at some of the country’s busiest state fairs, boardwalks, and carnivals just how lousy your odds really are. Balloon darts – 57% Aim at the shiny ballons; they’re reflecting light because they’re most inflated or ready to pop.

Cluster Headache - Photo credit: Peter Hellberg - Flickr If you’ve ever had a cluster headache, you know how painful it can be. These sudden-onset headaches have specific symptoms that identify them, such as: Sudden pain in one eye that may spread to other parts of the head or face. Pale facial skin. Eye problems such as tearing, redness in the eye, and a droopy eyelid. Nasal issues such as a stuffy or runny nose on the affected side.

What is the longest running TV show? There are a number of ways to approach this question. The first is the most obvious: duration or number of years. Meet the Press is the clear winner here. It premiered in 1947 and is still airing today, which means it’s been around for a staggering 68 years and counting. Even if you define “longest running” in terms of actual minutes on the air, Meet the Press still probably comes out on top.

Photo Credit: Auntikhaki, Flickr Every pre-teen party is filled with high-calorie, waist-ballooning snacks, loud music, endless movies and, of course, truth or dare. No party is complete without a round of this forever-loved game, because nothing is better than getting down into the dirty details and embarrassing all your friends. While truth or dare has been around for ages, the questions have not really changed. Everyone is going to hear the classic “Who is your crush?