All fields of study have their own language. For people interested in learning about microbes, the language can sometimes be downright difficult — but it doesn't need to be. From antibiotics to xerophiles, we have you covered in an easy-to-understand glossary. Terms are liste ...more
You can do a lot with water guns. Have trouble waking up? Make a water gun alarm clock that (almost) no one could sleep through. Prefer real ammo? Turn your water gun into an airsoft BB gun. And if you don't have one, you can even make your own. One of the best things about w ...more
Will the predicted apocalyptic date—December 21st, 2012—really be the end of the world? In this ongoing five-part series, we examine what would happen if zombies, nuclear weapons, cyber wars, earthquakes, or aliens actually destroyed our planet—and how you might survive. End ...more
For the first time ever, iPhones will be getting live panoramic wallpapers in iOS 7, but it's something Android devices have always embraced. On your Samsung Galaxy S3, you can have anything as your Home or Lock screen background, from a static wallpaper, to a live interactiv ...more
Over 6,500 waterfowl—mostly ducks—have died in Canyon County, Idaho, stricken by avian cholera. The outbreak started in February, and before it's over, it may not only be Idaho's largest outbreak, but one of the largest in the country. Avian cholera is caused by infection wit ...more
Remember concerts? Those were fun. While gathering in large groups to listen to live music might not be allowed at the moment, the live music part still is. Thanks to the internet, more and more musicians are taking the stage each day to perform for those of us stuck in social ...more
If you are living in California, you have probably already heard by now that the state is in a severe drought of unprecedented levels. Even if you don't live in a drought-affected area, it is extremely vital for everybody on this planet to conserve water as much as possible. ...more
It's a small but very real frustration: you want a chilled drink, but you open the freezer only to see nothing but empty ice trays. Fortunately, there's a simple way to make ice cubes quickly—use hot water. Yup, you read that correctly. Hot water freezes more rapidly than cold ...more
Dutch artist Theo Jansen creates incredible kinetic, wind powered sculptures, resembling the skeletons of ambiguous beasts. Jansen's artist statement: "Since 1990 I have been occupied creating new forms of life. Not pollen or seeds but plastic yellow tubes are used as the ...more
In iOS, Apple provides a few live wallpapers that you can use for the background on your iPhone's lock screen, but these animated options are just wavy color shifts and ink-in-water effects. To really customize your lock screen, you can use a Live Photo for your wallpaper. If ...more
Google I/O 2014 is currently going on in San Francisco, but as the conference rolls on, the Android Gear smartwatches continue to be one of the hotter topics. LG G Watch The LG G Watch is a square smartwatch with 280x280 resolution, 36 hours of battery life, water resistance ...more
"We all want to escape our circumstances, don't we?" Benedict Cumberbatch may have been talking about acting, but the sentiment rings true for all of us at some point or another. Whether it's work, school, or just boredom at home—we all wish for an escape sometimes. If only. ...more
You know the signs—sneezing, fever, nagging cough, no energy, no appetite. It's the flu, but this time, it's your dog who's down and out. Yes, dogs get the flu, too. However, a team from the University of Rochester Medical Center and their collaborators have developed a new va ...more
Seagrass may help your favorite beach stay a little less toxic. A new study, led by Joleah Lamb, a postdoctoral researcher in the Harvell Lab at Cornell University, found that coastal seagrasses reduce levels of pathogens dangerous to humans and marine organisms in near-shore ...more
While this is pretty out of the way for people who don't live in Poland, this restaurant, Wodna Wieza, is really gorgeous! If I'm understanding right from the website, the building used to be a water tower and it was redone into a restaurant. This gives the Edison in LA a run ...more
In the ongoing search to find better ways to use antibiotics, an extract made from maple syrup has some surprisingly important medical benefits. As bacteria continue to outmaneuver antibiotics, our options for treating infections narrow. Plus, slimy bacterial communities call ...more
Many lazy cooks skip rinsing off their grains before they cook 'em, but that's a big mistake for a few reasons. Some grains have coatings on them that need to be rinsed off to cook properly and taste good. In other cases, grains are stored with diatomaceous earth to keep out ...more
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the largest living system on the planet. Yet more than 90% of the reef is bleaching because of the loss of a tiny algae that lives within the coral. After three serious bleaching events in 1998, 2002, and 2016, the Great Barrier Reef is ...more
Cholera may be rare in the US, but cases of the disease have increased worldwide since 2005, particularly in Africa, southeast Asia, and Haiti. An estimated 3 to 5 million people are infected, and more than 100,000 die from the disease globally each year, mostly from dehydrati ...more
Multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infection in humans have led the Centers for Disease Control to advise caution when interacting with poultry. A press release on June 1st mentioned eight multistate outbreaks connected to backyard flocks. As of May 25, 372 people in 47 states ...more
That soil under your feet is not just dirt. It is teeming with life that may not change as fast as we would like when challenged by global warming. The warming climate has people wondering about the future. But soil scientists have found a way to look forward — by looking bac ...more
With tick-borne diseases on the rise, it is especially important to protect yourself from the prevalence of ticks in the outdoors, especially if you live in a high-risk region like New England, the mid-Atlantic states, and the upper Midwest. You can make your own all-natural, ...more
If you have never heard of skim boarding, or think you can't skim board because you don't live near the beach this is for you. Step 1: What It Is Skim boarding (a smaller counterpart to a surfboard without fins) is basically riding a board of basically foam or wood on shallo ...more
By connecting the dots between theory and real-life effect, two new studies offer more proof that neonicotinoid insecticides are causing extensive damage to honeybee colonies. Research studies have linked neonicotinoid insecticides to damage to honeybee colonies, while agricu ...more
If you consider yourself a regular coffee, tea, or hot chocolate drinker, you probably have a kitchen cabinet full of stained mugs that refuse to scrub clean. Thankfully, there is a better solution that doesn't involve continuing to fight those stains with a sponge, bleach, an ...more
You're alone in the wilderness. Stranded. Hungry. Cold. What do you do? Naivety could be your downfall, but you don't need to be an Army Ranger to survive. The five most basic survival skills are fire, shelter, signaling, first aid, and food and water. Learn them. Know them. ...more
Say goodbye to boring video chats over Messenger. Now the app is rolling out new features that can make any chat interesting and fun. There are a ton of them too, ranging from filters, to AR masks, to reactions. Reactions can be found by clicking on the 'thumbs up' icon at t ...more
If there's a better way to impress your friends than with cocktails, I don't know what it is. Some nice glasses, quality spirits, and a recipe that doesn't involve pre-made margarita mix, and you'll automatically look suave. However, the most overlooked cocktail accoutrement ( ...more
Poaching, the cooking method that gently cooks food at the barest simmer, is awesome because it keeps in moisture and flavor. The no-cook poaching method is even better, because you don't add heat to your kitchen on hot days, and you don't have to watch the pot. How the No-Co ...more
How to use Teflon tape for plumbing applications. I know it sounds simple but there are a few tricks to applying the Teflon tape. Teflon tape is also known as PTFE Tape. In the perfect world, a tap or pipe fitting when correctly fitted should not leak. However we don't live i ...more
Congratulations, you've made it deep into the middle of flu season! If you're reading this, you're either a very smart preemptive sick day prepper, or already in the throes of fighting off a cold or flu situation. Either way, welcome, keep sipping on that hot toddy, we've got ...more
With summer just ahead, you, or your children, may be looking forward to some pool time or the water park. When planning water-based fun this year, keep a heads-up for microbes. Between the germs on the bodies of swimmers and fecal material in the water, the clean looks of th ...more
In the summer of 1976, 4,000 American Legionnaires descended upon the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a four-day convention. Several days later, many of the attendees experienced symptoms of severe pneumonia. By the beginning of August, 22 people ha ...more
Before I get ostracized by all of you whisky lovers who live and die by whisky served neat, let me say my piece. In the past, I haven't been much of a whisky fan—I would shoot it back or add it to Coke or ginger ale, but I certainly wouldn't sip on it and enjoy it. In fact, t ...more
When it comes to busted smartphones, liquid damage ranks right up there with shattered screens as one of the most common issues owners have to deal with—as well as the most embarrassing. Thankfully, though, with the rise of waterproof phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and e ...more
Out of all the questions that we receive from our readers and viewers here at Gadget Hacks, the most frequently asked one is "What wallpaper is that?" On occasion, our wallpapers may be personal or images from the web, but for the most part, they come from dedicated wallpaper ...more
The future of forests looks dreary in the face of a warming climate, but scientists are exploring the relationship between soil microbes and the ability of trees to move to higher altitudes, a key component of their survival. With the rate of ice melting and sea level rise ha ...more
You can feel it in your bones. You may die if you don't get this phone. There's just one problem — the price. Suddenly, you come across what seems like manna from heaven. That very device, at a deeply discounted rate, can be yours. The only thing that makes you pause is that ...more
I don't know how many of you had this experience in your youth, but when I was a kid, I used to actively think about what would happen if I suddenly woke up in a fantasy land, or were to pass through a portal into another space and time. I knew it wouldn't really happen, but w ...more
The emergence of Facebook's collaboration with Ray-Ban to launch Stories smartglasses has finally put an exclamation point on a new category of smartglasses: the pre-augmented reality wearable segment. And while the Facebook device isn't particularly groundbreaking in terms o ...more
Bamboo is easy to grow, but there are a few things you should know before starting. There are hundreds of species of bamboo and they can be roughly divided into either running or clumping bamboos. Almost all cold hardy bamboos are runners and almost all tropical bamboos are cl ...more
The worst can always happen. Even if you think you're absolutely prepared, you can somehow find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere by yourself. It can happen. Without a map, without a compass, without a cell phone... without food and water. There are plenty of dange ...more
Fire. It’s everywhere— always has been. From the Ordovician Period where the first fossil record of fire appears to the present day everyday uses of the Holocene. Today, we abundantly create flames (intentionally or unintentionally) in power plants, extractive metallurgy, i ...more
Snails and slugs can really be a problem sometimes if you are a gardener. They feed on plants and can be considered pests, sometimes even getting inside your house. They are identified by their tell-tale slime trails. A bad infestation can be very hard to deal with. However, s ...more
Angel fish live in tropical waters and are known for their extremely sharp-looking, angular fins and pointy faces. They also happen to be incredibly beautiful, coming a variety of opalescent colors and often striped like a zebra. Learn how to fold one of these eccentric wonde ...more
Getting pregnant is one of the most joyous times of many women's lives, but carrying an eight pound baby doesn't come without its share of wear and tear on your body. Your feet go up half a size to one size, you swell up all over, and stretch marks usually set in wherever your ...more
Just like all living organisms, lawns need the proper amount of food and water in order to survive. Not giving them enough can lead to a dead looking yard that is unpleasant to look at. In this next tutorial from Sears, you'll find out what you need to do in order to ensure y ...more
Chris Giorni, Mr. Science with Tree Frog Treks, demonstrates how to make simulated frog skin. To make the simulated frog skin, you will need glue, water, borax laundry powder and food coloring. First, add a pinch of the powdered borax to water and dye it green using the food c ...more
*WARNING* This experiment uses heat and boiling water, so be sure to have an adult around to help. This classic experiment is a fun way to learn about air pressure. We don't usually think much about the air around us, even though it plays such a vital role in our lives. it giv ...more
Most of us would love reclining into a steaming, soothing bath of warm water with a glass of champagne and a good romance novel, but let's face it: With all that we have to do these days, we're lucky if we have ten full minutes in the bathroom to ourselves. Make the most of y ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to start an urban living indoor garden during the winter. You can easily place a shelving unit over the side of a window sill. This will also need a fastener attached to it to give it extra support. After this, you will need to install florescent ...more
Sea bream is a type of fish that lives in tropical climates, prefering to live in shallow waters and typically dwelling at the bottom. It's not nearly as easy to find at supermarkets as salmon or tilapia, but it's worth a try because it has such a unique flavor. To learn how ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to deal with bed bugs in college. There is no treatment for bed bugs, you just have to get rid of where they are living. If you suspect they are in sheets, blankets or clothes, you must wash these in extremely hot water or freeze them for 24 hour ...more
John White of Southwest Yard and Garden along with Kitty Schafer teach you about bio-intensive gardening. Bio-intensive gardening is the combination of two techniques. Part of the technique involves composting top soil with other coarse organic material into a lasagna style mo ...more
Late in the Dwarf Fortress game building machinery can allow you to pump water around the map and power mill stones to make more advanced food. This video will show you how to build and use machines safely, without destroying your fortress and the lives of your dwarves. Slave ...more
If you want to learn a little bit about fishing, Wade Bourne of MyOutdoorTV is the perfect fisherman to learn from. In this video tutorial, Wade shows you the steps to fishing a live bait rig. Watch, learn, then try this live bait rig action on your next trip out on the lake. ...more
In this first aid video, learn the simple procedure of caring for burns and scalds, in sign language. It's specifically geared to helping the deaf and hearing impaired. No one can escape the wrath of fire. Eery living person will experience some sort of burn during their life ...more
With the current oil spill in the Gulf, the victims suffering the most are birds and fish. All of these gorgeous animals that have been living in this area forever are suddenly covered in BP oil and fighting for their lives. If a bird is covered in oil, they will most likely ...more
No one can escape the wrath of fire. Eery living person will experience some sort of burn during their lifespan, from scalds to third degree burns. Burns and scalds are among the most common injuries requiring emergency treatment in hospitals, but would you know what to do if ...more
I like to grow vegetables all year round, and I couldn't afford the big gas bulbs, or the power to run them. The big gas bulbs: can explode can burn you and your plants cost upwards of $50 a month to operate raise the temperature in your home, causing the air conditioning to ...more