Curiosity Aroused

Tourism revival threatened by massive sand-mining (c) Tommy Trenchard/IRIN It’s easy to take sand for granted – until it’s gone, that is. It is the second most important natural resource in the world after water, yet beaches are disappearing right from underneath our feet… When most people think of sand, they think cheap, common and abundant. Sandy sediment doesn’t exactly fit the profile of a hot commodity. And yet, sand sustains livelihoods.

Archives and Records Administration) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons While it is customary to assign specific start and end dates to historical events, the reality is always more complex. The Holocaust is a case in point. Though it is associated with World War II, the ideology and infrastructure of the genocidal program were seeded in the preceding decade. The lead-up to war and genocide during the 1930s was an essential precursor to the the Holocaust and must be understood as its foundation.

Photo credit: Popofatticus via Flickr Did you know that the speed of electricity travels at 186,000 miles per second? Just imagine a huge bolt of lightning crashing to the surface in a blink. Now you know why the DC Comics hero, “The Flash,” moves so quickly. Speaking of thunderstorms, lightning is actually one of the most powerful forms of static electricity. If you’re curious about static electricity, here are some random facts on this shocking matter.

Photo by Perspecsys Photos via Flickr In the modern world, warfare is no longer conducted with just weapons. Since everything from planes to smartphones are connected to computers, asymmetrical and non-traditional warfare programs stress the value of cyber security. Although worrying about a cyber attack from a foreign nation is always a threat, an even greater problem comes from hackers and online criminals. With just a simple software program, hackers can steal information, person data and financial details without the victim realizing it.

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.