Health
Into Thin Air: Weight Loss At High Altitudes
In addition to a lack of oxygen, there may be another reason its called thin air–researchers have been exploring the relationship between weight loss and high altitudes.
Stories by Layla Eplett
I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas Dinner: Tracing The Anglo-Saxon Origins Of The Traditional Holiday Feast
In response to a piece in Slate by Aisha Harris, Fox News host Megyn Kelly recently declared that Santa Claus (along with Jesus) was a white man.
The Sciences
Nelson Mandela’s Long and Hungered Walk To Freedom
Since his passing last week, Nelson Mandela has been described as a father,fighter, rebel, resister, amateur boxer and a champion of freedom, human dignity, peace and reconciliation.
Face Off! A Debate About Eating Anything With A Face
Is it healthier to be a vegetarian? Or an omnivore? And how much of an environmental impact does livestock really have? These questions can spark a lively debate and thats exactly what happened last week when Intelligence Squared presented Dont Eat Anything With A Face...
Whiskey on the Rocks: A Taste of Climbing Kilimanjaro
“So, you take the whiskey?” This was one of the first questions, Patrick, my guide for Kilimanjaro asked me over breakfast while going over logistics for the trip.
Flour Power: Exploring the Nutritional Potential of Grape Pomace Flour
“Leftovers” isn’t exactly the first thing I think of when it comes to wine, but fortunately it’s something Barbara Banke and Peggy Furth, founders of Whole Vine, considered.
Organic Synthesis: Towards An Inclusion Of African Americans In Organic Farming
George Washington Carver is widely known for his contributions to agriculture in the twentieth century. In the South, crops were predominantly monocultures such as cotton but Carver advocated a change to a polyculture that included more diverse crops including peanuts, soybeans and pecans...
From Biergartens to Boozegartens: Growing Your Own Cocktails With The Drunken Botanist
Do you know the story of the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees? Yes, there’s that one. But there’s also a more literal one that involves creation, specifically, how the world’s greatest alcoholic beverages came to be...
The Heir And The Spare: Preserving Heritage And Heirloom Apples
When it comes to apples, Macs pretty much dominate the market but there are some that would prefer a shift to something even more old school than a PC.
The Sciences
Linguistically Modified Foods? How Language May Shape Perception Of GMs
As politicians are aware, you betcha language can impact public opinion. In the 2012 presidential election, both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney had their word selections analyzed.
Culture of Resistance: Protesting Greece’s Politics With Yogurt
It’s official: Greek yogurt is all the rage. As Americans demand more Greek yogurt, Greeks demand more with yogurt–the economic crisis in Greece has led to a resurgence in yogurt protests...
Pitch/Fork: The Relationship Between Sound And Taste
Sometimes a toffee sounds really good–not just the suggestion of it, but the actual toffee itself. That’s according to a study that found altering the pitch and type of instruments used in an accompanying soundtrack can modify the way food tastes...
Environment
The Fast and the Not Necessarily Furious Ramadan Mood and Circadian Rhythms
The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is currently in full swing and observing it requires adapting to a certain rhythm of fasting, feasting and festivities.
Environment
Rub a Dub Dub, Is It Time to Eat Grubs?
Excuse me, waiter, but there’s not a fly in my soup. Increasing the prominence of insects on menus is just one of the suggestions made in a report recently issued by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) The recommendation to consider the untapped potential of insects as food comes at a time when there is looming concern regarding food security...
Environment
Second Helpings: Recycling Cairo's Food Waste
Forget about candy bars and potato chips--if current trends continue, the term “junk food” might have an entirely new meaning. In January, a report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers found that of the four billion tons of food produced globally, approximately half becomes waste...
Evolution
Exploring the DromeDairy: Camels and Their Milk
Got camel milk? This may or may not be a strange question, depending on where in the world you live. Although camels and their milk are most commonly associated with the desert landscapes of the Middle East and North Africa, the camel’s origin can be traced back to the Protyplus , an animal similar in size to a hare that inhabited North America nearly forty million years ago.Thirty six million years later, the camel set off in search of not exactly greener pastures...
Evolution
Fava-the Magic Bean
A friend of mine once recounted his evening of clubbing after taking magic beans, describing them as transporting him to an entirely new place. I could see why he did it; if I was surrounded by adults sucking on pacifiers and hula hooping to techno beats, I’d want out of there, too...
Health
Viral Videos and Infectious Disease-Healing in Northern Uganda
Invisible Children's video, Kony 2012 recently went viral with over 100 million views, earning both praise and criticism from Ugandans. A vast amount of complexity surrounds the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), and it has been suggested to use the attention as a platform to raise awareness about another issue in the region, Nodding disease...
Evolution
When Sparks Fly: Aphrodisiacs and the Fruit Fly
If your partner has ever given you anything like this......or this......you might be wondering things like: how am I supposed to react to this? Or, should I re-evaluate this relationship?Researchers have also asked questions regarding reactions and relationships when examining the connection between foods and sexual desire.Historically, sex, appetites and the intersection of sexual appetites have spanned the globe for centuries...
Evolution
Talk "Dirty" to Me: Blood, Purity and Cuisine
Maybe it’s because of the recent popularity of True Blood and Twilight , but I’ve been thinking about blood consumption a lot lately.
