Author: Josh Taylor
Is passive-aggressiveness really a personality disorder?
Posted by Josh Taylor / April 14, 2018We all deal with passive aggressive people. You’ve probably heard the slamming pots and pans in the kitchen when your roommate is mad, or you’ve seen the post-it notes with sinister smilie faces drawn on them. Maybe you have even left some of those notes yourself. And as sick as this behavior can be, is it a personality disorder? It used to be the DSM, and it was called a disorder. Anymore, though, it’s just annoying and not a disorder.
Read MoreHow awe changes your mind and body
Posted by Josh Taylor / April 14, 2018If you’ve ever visited the Grand Canyon, you know exactly what awe feels like. Exists both in the mind and in the body, it’s that tightness you get in your chest that accompanies intense emotions or the sense of overwhelming relaxation you get when those emotions pass. You might not have realized that watching the aftermath of a train rack is a similar sensation, but it is. This video explains what awe does to your body and what benefits scientists say it has.
Read MoreHere’s the “Incredibles 2” trailer
Posted by Josh Taylor / April 14, 2018In “The Incredibles” universe, superheroes are taboo. The first movie featured the family struggling to hide their powers and live a normal life. Adventures happen, of course, but the family still has to live in hiding. Enter the “Incredibles 2,” in which a character (voiced by Bob Odenkirk, also known as Saul Goodman from “Breaking Bad”) tries to make superheroes socially acceptable again. One part superhero movie, one part “Mr. Mom,” the new “Incredibles” looks, well, incredible.
Read MoreWhy you use Facebook despite hating it
Posted by Josh Taylor / April 13, 2018How much do you like Facebook? Take a few minutes to actually think about it. The more you reflect, the more you might realize you don’t actually like Facebook that much. If you’ve ever abstained from using it for awhile, you might have noticed you were happier when you weren’t on it––like participants in a University of Copenhagen study noticed. So why do you keep using it? Because all of your friends are on it, of course, and you don’t want to leave them behind. It would be rude not to keep in touch. So that’s why, despite the recent scandals, you’ll keep using Facebook.
Read MoreHow to make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-eqsue New York style pizza
Posted by Josh Taylor / April 13, 2018Anyone who grew up watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remembers the pizza. That cheesy, dripping pizza that the turtles (animated or live action), made look so good. Even watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze clip that starts this Binging with Babish episode will likely get your mouth watering. Here’s how you can make that delicious pizza and enjoy it at home, perhaps while you watch one of the cartoons or movies.
Read More6 supplements that might not waste your money
Posted by Josh Taylor / April 13, 2018Many doctors will tell you that supplements are, by and large, a big ol’ waste of money. The question is, though, are any supplements worth it? This SciShow episode lists six supplements that are actually good for you, based on scientific studies. Some of them are surprising, like creatine, which seems to be some meathead supplement, or even beet juice. Others are less surprising, like folic acid, which your body can’t make on its own.
Read MoreWill spicy food make you live longer?
Posted by Josh Taylor / April 12, 2018There are two kinds of people in this world: those who love spicy food and those who hate it. Spicy food lovers claim all sorts of things about it: that it makes them feel better, that it keeps them thin, that it makes them live longer. But how much of that is true? This video examines the health benefits of spicy of food, which turn out to be pretty impressive. For example, in general, spicy food has been linked to longer lifespans.
Read MoreTake a look at the presidential railcar
Posted by Josh Taylor / April 12, 2018Most Americans are familiar with Air Force One, the president’s special jet. Many Americans are familiar with Marine One, the call sign attached to the presidential helicopter. But most Americans don’t know about US Car Number 1, the Ferdinand Magellan. That was the presidential railcar, used regularly in the time before television, back when the president couldn’t just go in front of a camera to to show his face. Take a tour of this special railcar in this Tom Scott video.
Read MoreHow to make shawarma from the Avengers
Posted by Josh Taylor / April 12, 2018If you stayed through the credits of the first Avengers movie, you might remember seeing the team of heroes eating at a mediterranean restaurant, noshing on some shawarma. That’s actually a callback from earlier in the movie. Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, mentions that there’s a shawarma place around the corner from his house and invites the Avengers to eat with him there. If all this talk about shawarma has you hungry for a big cone of meat, go ahead and watch this Babish episode, it’ll teach you how to make it yourself.
Read MoreWhat is your maximum heart rate?
Posted by Josh Taylor / April 11, 2018When you sit and rest, your heart beats to keep blood flowing around your body, delivering oxygen to your brain and all the good stuff blood does. When you’re resting, your heart beats a certain number of times per minute to accomplish this, usually between 60-100 times for adults. The more you move and the more you tax your muscles, you have to get more blood to those muscles, so your heart beats faster. This video explores the upper limit of your heart’s beats per minute.
Read MoreJohn Oliver exposes crisis pregnancy centers
Posted by Josh Taylor / April 11, 2018Abortion is a difficult subject to talk about. Whether your pro-choice or pro-life, it’s important to have open and transparent conversations. That’s the subject of this John Oliver segment. Crisis pregnancy centers have a nice name, a name that indicates they exist to help pregnant women in crisis. But, as John Oliver shows in this clip, these centers are actually a guise for organizations to try to trick women out of abortions. They explicitly do this, too, it’s not an accident. Take a look and leave your opinion in the comments.
Read MoreA brief history of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Posted by Josh Taylor / April 11, 2018The Cuban Missile Crisis was, arguably, the most intense event of the Cold War. Essentially, after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, Cuba turned to the USSR for support against the United States. The USSR responded by sending nuclear missiles to Cuba, against which the United States took umbrage. The US initiated a naval quarantine and darn near started WWIII. Simultaneously, a near-miss with a Russian submarine almost led to a nuclear torpedo launch. One brave Soviet officer stood between the world and nuclear war. See the full story in this TE piece.
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