Curiosity Aroused

At the beginning of 2017, the website 24/7 Wall St. released a list of the dozen most hated corporations in America. Now, this is a field where the competition is incredibly heated. There are so many good candidates, it’s hard to narrow it down to the most deserving winners of all. But a gamely effort was made and thoughtful selections were produced based on the evaluations of consumers, employees, and experts.

Did you know that certain kinds of charcoal can be used as a soil amendment to revitalize exhausted and polluted land? And that doing so on a global scale could seriously jumpstart efforts to claw back the atmospheric greenhouse gases that are driving global warming? And that one of the neat side effects would be massive increases in the otherwise dismal nutritional quality of the food we all consume? Heterotrophs of Earth, prepare to reduce your intake of multivitamins and dietary supplements.

There’s no question cannabis can ease the pain and suffering of cancer patients, especially those undergoing a punishing regime of chemo and/or radiation. Even the medical establishment admits as much. But the Internet is bubbling over with testimonials that take the claim much further: Not only is the green goddess Mary Jane a powerful medicine in her own right, but there may be no better treatment for the world’s most effective killer.

Colorful charity donation bins – you might’ve seen them pop up overnight on a block near you. They are unattended, Redbox-sized depositories placed in parking lots, by fill stations, outside strip malls. You can drive up in your car and load your second-hand clothes and shoes into a large steel drawer on the front of the bin. Presumably, someone will pick the stuff up later. Painted bright green, yellow, blue, or red, the donation boxes are printed with information about the numerous causes and projects your donation will supposedly benefit.

Do you have unfulfilled aromatherapy needs? Do you suffer from aches and pains that defy conventional pharmaceuticals? Are you looking for creative solutions to forehead wrinkles? Tuberculosis? Boring breakfasts and unresponsive politicians? Well you are in luck, my friend. Thanks to a budding partnership between high technology, primitivist nostalgia, and old-fashioned greed, now anyone can access the immense therapeutic potential of Essential Oils. “EOs” are the perfect all-natural panacea for the nature-challenged citizen of the modern world.

These days, it’s hard not to conclude Mother Nature is deeply pissed off at humanity. The very elements seem to have declared war on us. Wind, Water, Earth, and Fire routinely converge in ecological catastrophes around the globe, bringing whole populations to their knees as they struggle to catch up to the new normal of a changing climate. Here, we spotlight the intrigues of Fire within the fray. Fire plays an important role in global carbon cycling, putting it on the front lines of climate change wherever it occurs.

Culture. That thing that makes one person’s beloved treat another’s source of botulism. Of course, some cultures are more daring than others when it comes to sampling life’s ’exotic’ side. Learning what shocking culinary traditions people around the world have developed in the fullness of time can help shine a light on the fragility of our own assumptions about what’s good, what’s healthy, and even what’s safe to eat — and under what conditions.

Technically speaking, the most poisonous animal in the world wouldn’t hurt you if it bit you - but it sure would be bad news if you ate it! Although we often use the terms interchangeably, the word ‘poison’ is primarily used for things that we eat or drink. Venom however is a whole other story and is found in a sting or a bite. So, unless you’re sitting down to lunch, it’s the most venomous animals in the world you should be worried about!

Football has been catching a lot of heat lately due to traumatic brain injuries players have received. However, some sports throughout the ages have proven far more hazardous to one’s health-and life. As the weather gets warmer and thrill seekers answer the call of adventure and glory, let’s take a look at the most dangerous sports of modern and ancient times. 12. Freediving Do Hold Your Breath! This risky water activity involves taking a deep breath, diving as deep as you can go, and exploring underwater with just a mask and wetsuit: no air tank, just the oxygen you are holding in your lungs.

Sharks are a fascinating species, and they are notorious for causing fear in humans. Although many different species of sharks are not considered a danger to humans, there are some that are known for aggressive behavior. Of the 370 of shark species, only around 30 are known for attacking humans. In fact, some sharks are so aggressive they are known to eat one another in their mother’s womb before they are born.