National Hot Dog And Sausage Council | www.hot-dog.org
According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (sponsored by the American Meat Institute), the answer is as controversial as the existence of UFOs. The hot dog itself seems to originate from German immigrants to the US in the late 1800s. Read the Council's site for what they consider to be the most plausible origins of how these little weiners became known as "hot dogs".
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Center for Voting and Democracy
Learn about Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) and how it could help fix a broken election system.
Friday, July 30, 2004
What causes eggs to be brown or white?
According to the experts of the UC Davis Animal Science Department, the short answer is simply genetics. Here is an excerpt from their "Poultry Fact Sheet", by Francine Bradley, Extension Poultry Specialist and Annit King, Professor, UC Davis:
A brown or pigmented egg shell is the result of the hen depositing pigments on the shell during egg formation. Ultimately this is determined by the genetic background of the bird. Our typical commercial egg layer, the Single Comb White Leghorn, is one of the Mediterranean breeds. Developed in Leghorn (Livorno, It.), Italy, hens of this breed always lay white-shelled eggs. Our American breeds, such as the Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, and Plymouth Rock, lay brown-shelled eggs. The brown pigment is ooporphyrin, a break-down product of hemoglobin. The Araucana, or Easter egg chicken, from South America lays green or bluish-green eggs. This pigmentation is due to oocyanin, a by-product of bile formation. The color of the egg shell is not determined by the diet of the bird and is in no way related to the quality or nutritional value of the egg.
It has been suggested to me that egg coloring can be influenced by an additive to their feed. The above fact sheet does not specifically adress this. I will dig deeper for evidence of this possibility.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Transportation Futuristics : A Presentation of the Harmer E. Davis Transportation Library
Transportation Futuristics : A Presentation of the Harmer E. Davis Transportation Library
Fabulous online exhibit of the "future" of transportation according to the Leave it to Beaver era. The photos and drawings are a delight!
Fabulous online exhibit of the "future" of transportation according to the Leave it to Beaver era. The photos and drawings are a delight!
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Masquerade - the hunt for the jewel encrusted hare.
QUESTION: There was a book, written about 30 years ago in Britain, called "Masquerade". If you were able to solve the clues you were supposed to be able to find a gold, jewel encrusted, hare, buried somewhere in England. It caused problems with people digging up gardens at various private estates. I believe the prize was eventually found. Can you find the details?
ANSWER: The book was written in 1979 by Kit Williams. It seems that the last printing was in 1987 by Knopf and used copies are readily available. The BBC has a page to explain the book and its phenomenon. Also check out Bunnyears.net/kitwilliams for lots of interesting info and pics on the guy behind the book.
ANSWER: The book was written in 1979 by Kit Williams. It seems that the last printing was in 1987 by Knopf and used copies are readily available. The BBC has a page to explain the book and its phenomenon. Also check out Bunnyears.net/kitwilliams for lots of interesting info and pics on the guy behind the book.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Friday, July 02, 2004
Is "Ice cream headache" truly the scientific term for brain freeze?
A quick search in PubMed for "ice cream headache" drew 18 hits, the oldest from 1918. Looking at the subject heading for these records I found that the Medical Subject Heading term one would search on is "Ice Cream/adverse effects." Some abstracts use the term "cold-induced headaches" such as this one that examines the relationship of such headaches to migraines (Headache. 1992 Jan;32(1):35-8).
BMJ has a few open access articles on the subject, which you can read in their entirety:
Ice cream evoked headaches (ICE-H) study: randomised trial of accelerated versus cautious ice cream eating regimen BMJ. 2002 December 21; 325 (7378): 1445–1446
This one mentions that, in deed, most kids know this as brain freeze.
Ice cream headache BMJ 1997;314:1364 (10 May)
So, if you search in PubMed it seems that it certainly is in the scientific vernacular. However, I would venture that it is not an official medical term since neither Ice Cream Headache nor Cold Induced Headache appear in Stedman's or Taber's Medical Dictionaries or in Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2004.
Here's the link to the NPR Morning Edition show that got us on this subject: Morning Edition June 30, 2004.
BMJ has a few open access articles on the subject, which you can read in their entirety:
Ice cream evoked headaches (ICE-H) study: randomised trial of accelerated versus cautious ice cream eating regimen BMJ. 2002 December 21; 325 (7378): 1445–1446
This one mentions that, in deed, most kids know this as brain freeze.
Ice cream headache BMJ 1997;314:1364 (10 May)
So, if you search in PubMed it seems that it certainly is in the scientific vernacular. However, I would venture that it is not an official medical term since neither Ice Cream Headache nor Cold Induced Headache appear in Stedman's or Taber's Medical Dictionaries or in Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2004.
Here's the link to the NPR Morning Edition show that got us on this subject: Morning Edition June 30, 2004.
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
BreakTheChain.org - Stop Junk E-Mail and Misinformation
BreakTheChain.org - Stop Junk E-Mail and Misinformation
This is a good site to look up "urban legend" chain emails.
This is a good site to look up "urban legend" chain emails.
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Monday, June 21, 2004
You can't beat an octopus in Fooseball.
Okay - this headline is a tad misleading. However, this story about an octopus having a preferred arm reminds me of my left-hand blunders in the game. Thanks to Chris for finding this story.
Octopuses have a preferred arm
Eight-limbed creatures have a favourite.
15 June 2004
MICHAEL HOPKIN
From the 41st Animal Behavior Society meeting, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Octopuses have a preferred eye, which may dictates their favoured arm.
© Corbis
Most octopuses have a favourite arm, zoologists have discovered. This is the first time they have been found to show any bias when choosing which of their eight limbs is right for the job.
The creatures use their trusty first-choice appendage when exploring a new nook or cranny, says Ruth Byrne of the University of Vienna in Austria. She presented the discovery on Sunday at the annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society in Oaxaca, Mexico.
In terms of skill, octopus arms are created pretty much equal. "All eight arms are capable of the same tasks," Byrne told the meeting. "There's hardly any specialization."
This had prompted experts to suspect that the creatures simply use whichever arm is handiest. Indeed, one of their preferred hunting strategies is to jump on top of a rock and curl all of their arms underneath, grabbing whatever they find.
But when Byrne and her colleagues placed unfamiliar objects into an octopus's tank, or presented the animals with a T-shaped cavity to explore, each individual tended to favour one of its limbs when investigating.
more....
Octopuses have a preferred arm
Eight-limbed creatures have a favourite.
15 June 2004
MICHAEL HOPKIN
From the 41st Animal Behavior Society meeting, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Octopuses have a preferred eye, which may dictates their favoured arm.
© Corbis
Most octopuses have a favourite arm, zoologists have discovered. This is the first time they have been found to show any bias when choosing which of their eight limbs is right for the job.
The creatures use their trusty first-choice appendage when exploring a new nook or cranny, says Ruth Byrne of the University of Vienna in Austria. She presented the discovery on Sunday at the annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society in Oaxaca, Mexico.
In terms of skill, octopus arms are created pretty much equal. "All eight arms are capable of the same tasks," Byrne told the meeting. "There's hardly any specialization."
This had prompted experts to suspect that the creatures simply use whichever arm is handiest. Indeed, one of their preferred hunting strategies is to jump on top of a rock and curl all of their arms underneath, grabbing whatever they find.
But when Byrne and her colleagues placed unfamiliar objects into an octopus's tank, or presented the animals with a T-shaped cavity to explore, each individual tended to favour one of its limbs when investigating.
more....
Friday, June 11, 2004
When and why did Ray Charles become blind?
According to MSNBC: At age six, "to(presumably) glaucoma."
According to his own online autobiography, at age 5 he bagan to gradually lose his sight shortly after witnessing his brother's drowning. He was completely blind by age 7.
Ray Charles 1930-2004
According to his own online autobiography, at age 5 he bagan to gradually lose his sight shortly after witnessing his brother's drowning. He was completely blind by age 7.
Ray Charles 1930-2004
Thursday, June 10, 2004
What triggers a baby's first breath?
The Merck Manual provides a technical overview of perinatal physiology, beginning with ventilation and lung function. The third paragraph of this section explains 2 natural means, mechanical and hormonal, which clear the fluids from the lungs (aveolar and interstitial) so that normal gas exchange can commence. Once a tiny bit of air hits the lungs, they are triggered to breath.
Suctioning the baby's mouth and nose is common and obviously helps clear the fluid and let you hear how well your kid will be able to scream at you for the next 6 months.
So why did doctors used to hold the baby by the ankles and slap the baby on the bottom?
And, no - by all indications of recent literature this is not normally done anymore. Holding them upside down might help drain fluid and smacking them gets them ready for what you will do every time they begin to sass back - just kidding of course. Really - A.D.A.M. does make mention of "spanking" the baby to get them to cry... which requires breathing. A.D.A.M. also mentions that, if necessary, breathing may be stimulated by holding the baby's feet higher than its head and slapping the bottom of its feet, as well as by rubbing their back. If you ever find yourself in a blockbuster feature end of the world type situation where you have to deliver a baby on mountain top... here are the instructions.
Hmmm... Baby Survivor???
p.s. - any of you scientists that would like to add to or correct my interpretation of the science please leave a comment! thanks.
Suctioning the baby's mouth and nose is common and obviously helps clear the fluid and let you hear how well your kid will be able to scream at you for the next 6 months.
So why did doctors used to hold the baby by the ankles and slap the baby on the bottom?
And, no - by all indications of recent literature this is not normally done anymore. Holding them upside down might help drain fluid and smacking them gets them ready for what you will do every time they begin to sass back - just kidding of course. Really - A.D.A.M. does make mention of "spanking" the baby to get them to cry... which requires breathing. A.D.A.M. also mentions that, if necessary, breathing may be stimulated by holding the baby's feet higher than its head and slapping the bottom of its feet, as well as by rubbing their back. If you ever find yourself in a blockbuster feature end of the world type situation where you have to deliver a baby on mountain top... here are the instructions.
Hmmm... Baby Survivor???
p.s. - any of you scientists that would like to add to or correct my interpretation of the science please leave a comment! thanks.
Monday, June 07, 2004
Werther's Candies - where are they made?
The Dutch among us insists that delectable Werther's hard candies are made in his beloved home land. As you were all enjoying your buttery treats, I did some checking...
First, they are owned by the confection conglomerate called Stork ("Brands that capture your heart"). Hmmm... sure sounds and looks like anything but American. In addition to Werther's they own the brands Merci, Nimm2, Knoppers, Campino, and ... yes, .... Super Dickmann's. Nope, doesn't sound American.
Now, why would anyone have thought they were American in the first place? Misleading advertising. Remember those adds about the grandfather standing by the white picket fence sharing Werther's with the sweet little wholesome grandkid?
Well, to make a long story short (and sweet)...
You can read a silly little history, no doubt crafted by a slick marketing guru, called Candies From the Good Old Days. And those good old days were in
Germany.
First, they are owned by the confection conglomerate called Stork ("Brands that capture your heart"). Hmmm... sure sounds and looks like anything but American. In addition to Werther's they own the brands Merci, Nimm2, Knoppers, Campino, and ... yes, .... Super Dickmann's. Nope, doesn't sound American.
Now, why would anyone have thought they were American in the first place? Misleading advertising. Remember those adds about the grandfather standing by the white picket fence sharing Werther's with the sweet little wholesome grandkid?
Well, to make a long story short (and sweet)...
You can read a silly little history, no doubt crafted by a slick marketing guru, called Candies From the Good Old Days. And those good old days were in
Germany.
What did Elvis call his fried PB and banana sandwiches?
Just for all those who ever told me that i think i always know the answer - here I prove that i can admit defeat.
What did he call it? The fan sites don't say and most people I ask say "well, a fried PB and banana sandwich". Yep - exactly! Recipes are easy to come by (http://southernfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa081097.htm) but not the elusive (or non existent) moniker. Only one other person besides the one posing the question even believes that Elvis did have a special name for the sandwich.
If anyone knows more, please leave a comment.
What did he call it? The fan sites don't say and most people I ask say "well, a fried PB and banana sandwich". Yep - exactly! Recipes are easy to come by (http://southernfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa081097.htm) but not the elusive (or non existent) moniker. Only one other person besides the one posing the question even believes that Elvis did have a special name for the sandwich.
If anyone knows more, please leave a comment.
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