WTF • Fun • Fact    ( /dʌb(ə)lˌju/  /ti/   /ef/ • /fʌn/ • /fækt/ )

     1. noun  A random, interesting, and overall fun fact that makes you scratch your head and think what the...

WTF Fun Fact 13070 – Recessions and Mortality

You might expect more people to become ill, have accidents, develop chronic health issues, and die during times of economic recession. After all, poverty and stress have a strong correlation and stress can often lead to fatal outcomes. But research throughout time and from around the world found a surprising correlation between recessions and mortality. Most people are healthier and live longer during economic downturns.

How are recessions and mortality related?

An article in the scientific journal Nature (cited below) found that during recessions, “the health of a majority of people improved, while the health of a minority declined.”

The author, science journalist Lynne Peeples, noted a few reasons for the surprising results.

“One of the more predictable perks of a poor economy is fewer job-related accidents. The most-experienced workers are the ones most likely to keep their jobs during a recession, and slower production can allow for more attention to safety. People also tend to drive less, which translates to fewer traffic accidents. And fewer vehicles on the road might also help to explain why air quality is better.”

Even poor employment rates can have surprisingly beneficial effects on overall human health. Peeples quoted Tufts University’s environmental-policy specialist Mary Davis to explain: “When employment pops up, so do things related to pollution — commerce, industry, trucks on the road.” Similarly, Peeples noted that “The air-quality connection might also help explain why studies have also linked recessions to reduced cardiovascular and respiratory problems, as well as infant mortality.”

Is recession good for us?

No one would recommend a recession to improve public health. But noting the correlations can help us understand some of the issues that lead to poor health and tighter fatality rates. These can theoretically be fixed without encouraging an economic recession if organizations cut back on things like pollution and commuting and upped their worker safety protocols.

However, researchers also speculate that having less money is correlated with better health because people have less to spend on things like alcohol and tobacco. And while those without jobs face other stressors, the lack of job-related stress, the ability to get more sleep, and increasing the number of home-cooked meals are also related to better overall health.

In the past, data reveals that recessions are related to decreases in smoking and drinking and an increase in time to get physical activity. But reducing work stress and advocating for a healthy work-life balance could probably have a similar effect.

Of course, there are downsides for health during recessions. Those who do continue to drink during recessions may binge drink. Low-income and unemployed Americans also tend to have higher rates of opioid abuse. The stress of being under or unemployed can lead to self-medication. — WTF fun facts

Source: “How the next recession could save lives” — Nature

WTF Fun Fact 13069 – Enoteca Maria’s Nonnas of the World

A restaurant on Staten Island has two kitchens – and both are run by grandmothers with cooking skills. Enoteca Maria’s Nonnas of the World program provides customers with a rotating series of international grandmothers who offer their own menu each night based on their homeland’s regional cuisine. The main kitchen is always staffed by an Italian nonna.

Nonnas in the kitchen

According to the restaurant website: “Our two kitchens at Enoteca Maria will continue to serve regional Italian cuisine from the nonne of Italy, while offering a second menu of a different nonna every night from any and every country in the world.” Start following the online book that is being generated at www.nonnasoftheworld.com“

The restaurant’s unique angle was born out of tragedy. According to Atlas Obscura (cited below): “The project came about after owner Joe Scaravella lost his mother in the early 2000s. When he opened Enoteca Maria two years later, Scaravella staffed his kitchen with Italian grandmothers (“nonnas”) to create a feeling of homey comfort in his restaurant.”

Enoteca Maria’s nonnas go international

Once the restaurant was up and running, Scaravella tried an experiment. In 2015, he invited a Pakistani grandmother to cook for a night. It was such a success that he opened up a second kitchen in the restaurant with its own rotating menu of international cuisine. Patrons can choose from the Italian nonna or the international nonna menu.

While the nonnas are all skilled in regional cuisine, these days they live in and around Brooklyn. Atlas Obscura notes that “To date, Nonnas of the World has featured cooks from Japan, Syria, France, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Poland, Greece, Turkey, Liberia, Kazakhstan, the Dominican Republic, Czechia, Belarus, Pakistan, and of course, Italy, just to name a few.”

How does it work?

“Two nonnas work in the kitchen at any given time, one as the head chef, the other as her sous chef. This means a South American nonna and a Middle Eastern nonna could be working side by side in the kitchen, learning from each other’s recipes. Cooking classes are offered as well—for women only, many of whom are grandmothers themselves—and get booked months in advance. It’s another opportunity for cross-cultural recipe sharing, as well as a chance to eat food made with love.”

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Nonnas of the World” — Atlas Obscura

WTF Fun Fact 13068 – Religious Websites and Malware

When we think of dangerous websites that might infect our computers with a virus, we tend not to think of our local church blogs. Endless pop-ups and viruses are more often associated with adult content websites. But in 2012, antivirus software maker Symantec reported the increasing link between religious websites and malware.

Why target religious websites with malware?

According to Slate (cited below), Symantec “found that ‘religious and ideological sites’ have far surpassed pornographic websites as targets for criminal hackers. According to the company you’re now three times as likely to encounter malware—insidious software that can steal your data, pelt you with spam, or enslave your machine in a botnet—on your local church blog as you are on a porn site.”

The reason? People who run adult websites have long had to deal with hackers and became far more adept at blocking them from infiltrating their websites. “Those who build and host church websites, by contrast, may have the best intentions, but they tend to be naive and inexperienced. For hackers, that makes them easy prey.”

Protection is key

When an organization is eager to build a website, it may not hire security experts at the beginning. That’s because site builders may simply be unaware of the risks. Many people also fail to consistently download the security updates that come with host sites like WordPress, leaving them vulnerable to hackers.

But religious websites aren’t the most dangerous to your cyber safety.

“According to Symantec, pornographic sites now rank at the bottom of the top-10 list for malware threats. Blogs are first, followed by personal and self-hosted sites, business sites, and shopping sites. Religious sites aren’t a category unto themselves, but are split between blogs, self-hosted sites, and “education/reference” sites, which rank fifth on the ‘most-infected’ list.”

As a web user, it can be hard to protect yourself since the malware can infiltrate your machine as soon as you load the webpage. While overall cybersecurity has improved drastically over the last decade since the report came out, you still have to be careful what you click.

And if you build a website, it’s crucial not to cut corners when it comes to cybersecurity. — WTF fun facts

Source: “Unprotected Sects” — Slate

WTF Fun Fact 13067 – The Man With the Golden Arm

James Harrison earned the nickname “the man with the golden arm” after saving the lives of millions of children. That’s because Harrison not only has unique blood with disease-fighting abilities, but he donated that blood every week for 60 years. He “retired” from blood donation in 2018 at age 81.

Who is the man with the golden arm?

James Harrison is an Australian man who needed chest surgery at age 14. After blood donations saved his life at a young age, he pledged to become a life-long blood donor.

After Harrison started giving blood, doctors realized he had unique components in his blood plasma that allowed them to make Anti-D injections. These injections are given to pregnant women whose fetuses are at risk from Rhesus disease, which causes a mother’s immune system to attack her fetus’ blood cells. This puts them at higher risk of anemia and jaundice after birth.

Rhesus disease is rare and occurs when a mother has a rhesus-negative blood type, and her fetus has a rhesus-positive blood type.

Doctors believe that Harrison’s rare blood may be the result of transfusions he received as a child after surgery.

Saving millions

Harrison’s blood plasma can be used to make an injection that prevents women from developing antibodies that harm the fetus during pregnancy.

In Australia, roughly 3 million women with the rhesus-negative blood type have been given an Anti-D injection, nearly all of which are a result of Harrison’s donations. Even his own grandchild was saved by the injection.

Prior to Harrison’s blood donations, thousands of fetal deaths, stillbirths, and baby deaths occurred in Australia each year as a result of Rhesus disease.

For his donations, Harrison is considered a national hero in Australia and has received the country’s national Medal of Honor.

Harrison retired at the age of 81 – but that’s only because in Australia you can no longer donate blood beyond that age. — WTF fun facts

Source: “He donated blood every week for 60 years” — CNN

WTF Fun Fact 13066 – Video Games and Surgeons

Surgeons who play video games for at least a few hours a week make fewer errors during surgery. This specifically relates to non-invasive and very precise laparoscopic surgery.

Surgeons who play video games

In an article titled The Impact of Video Games on Training Surgeons in the 21st Century (cited below), researchers from Beth Israel Medical Center, New York University Medical Center, Montefiore Medical Center, Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, Iowa State University, and Virginia Commonwealth University found that video games are correlated with better surgical outcomes.

According to the authors:

“Past video game play in excess of 3 h/wk correlated with 37% fewer errors…and 27% faster completion…Current video game players made 32% fewer errors…performed 24% faster…and scored 26% better overall…than their nonplaying colleagues…Regression analysis also indicated that video game skill and past video game experience are significant predictors of demonstrated laparoscopic skills.”

Videos games for surgical success

The researchers set out to measure the relationship between “laparoscopic skills and suturing capability, video game scores, and video game experience.”

Because they found a correlation between video game skills and positive laparoscopic surgical skills, the researchers suggest that medical training curricula might video games in the future. But this applied to surgery that didn’t require a large incision. Instead, laparoscopic surgery uses a small incision or hole and is largely computer-guided. It’s a more popular kind of surgery because there are typically fewer risks involved for the patient and less down-time.

While the authors acknowledged the drawbacks of playing video games excessively (such as poor grades and possible heightened aggressiveness), they also highlighted the benefits.

More specifically:

“Disturbing negative correlations with video game play include lower grades in school; aggressive thoughts, emotions, and actions (including physical fights); and decreasing positive prosocial behaviors. Excessive game playing has also been linked to childhood obesity, muscular and skeletal disorders, and even epileptic seizures. Other physical findings have included increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones (norepinephrine and epinephrine)… However, positive benefits of video game play include increased performance on eye-hand coordination tasks and neuropsychological tests and better reaction time, spatial visualization, and mental rotation.”

The benefits of gaming

The authors cited other studies that found correlations between playing video games and the ability of gamers to process visual information, improve their spacial awareness skills, and develop better visual attention processing.

These are all crucial skills for surgeons. — WTF fun facts

Source: “The Impact of Video Games on Training Surgeons in the 21st Century” — JAMA Surgery

WTF Fun Fact 13065 – World’s Largest Diamond Mine

The Popigai crater, located in Siberia, is estimated to be the world’s largest diamond mine. It may contain trillions of carats of diamonds. Previously, the Russian government has claimed that, if mined, the diamonds could tank the entire worldwide diamond market. But there’s a catch.

Is Popigai crater the world’s largest diamond mine?

There are a few things we know for sure about Popigai. First, it’s one of the largest (the 4th largest, to be exact) and most well-preserved asteroid impact craters on the planet. It’s located in northern Siberia and is roughly 60 miles in diameter.

According to NASA, “The crater sits on the northeastern margin of the Anabar shield, which contains a mix of graphite-bearing rocks and sedimentary rocks. The impact from the asteroid melted 1,750 cubic kilometers (420 cubic miles) of rocks and instantly transformed the flakes of graphite into diamonds. Diamonds formed in a hemispherical shell about 1.6 kilometers (a mile) thick and about 12 to 13 kilometers away from the impact site. Scientists estimate that diamonds did not form at the impact site because the collision’s heat and pressure were likely too great to survive there.”

The Russians have claimed for decades that the crater contains “trillions of carats” of diamonds. But it’s been largely left unexplored.

Not your average diamonds

Because the diamonds in the Popigai crater are impact diamonds, they didn’t form the same way as gemstones. That means they’re of no use to the jewelry industry.

While they range in size, most are smaller than 2 millimeters. But more importantly, they aren’t pure.

While they hold great value for industrial uses, Russia has left Popigai largely unmined because they have the means to produce synthetic diamonds for industrial purposes without going through the trouble of mining at such a large scale.

First discovered in the 1970s under the Soviet regime, the diamond mind made world news in 2012. At the time, the Russians claimed the crater held enough diamonds to supply the international diamond market for 3000 years. But, again, that would be for industrial diamonds.

Russia already has a series of diamond mines. Right now, it appears the cost of mining the diamonds so far does not outweigh their value – at least to Russia. Others have speculated that mining the diamonds could lead to an enormous technological revolution. — WTF fun facts

Source: “Popigai: Russia’s Crater of Diamonds – Estimated To Contain ‘Trillions of Carats'” — SciTechDaily

WTF Fun Fact 13064 – Australia’s Pink Lake Hillier

Australia’s pink Lake Hillier is located in Western Australia. It lies near the Pacific Ocean, so when viewed from above the fact that the lake is bright pink is even more striking.

Australia’s pink lake

It’s less than a half mile across (600 meters x 250 meters, more specifically), but Australia’s pink Lake Hillier is truly a sight to behold. Unfortunately, you can no longer access it from land.

The good news is that while it’s Australia’s most famous pink lake, it’s not the only one. And there are others in the world as well. Senegal, Mexico, Spain, and Azerbaijan all have pink lakes too.

According to Lake Hillier’s website (cited below):

“The reason of its unique colour is still a topic that is not fully understood by scientists, although most suspect it has to do with the presence of the Dunaliella salina microalgae. The Dunaliella produces carotenoids, a pigment found in carrots as well. But the presence of halophilic bacteria in the salt crusts could be another explanation. A reaction between the salt and the sodium bicarbonate that is found in the water may cause it as well.”

More facts about Lake Hillier

Discovered in 1802 by cartographer Matthew Flinders, the lake is located on Australia’s Middle Island in the Recherche Archipelago. It’s most pink when viewed from above. And, unlike other pink lakes, its water samples appear pink in a glass as well.

While it’s safe to swim in, you can’t actually get near its surface.

“There are Scenic Flight Services departing Esperance Airport several times a day but you cannot land on Middle Island…There are no regular services to set foot on any of the Islands in the Recherche Archipelago with the exception of Woody Island.”

If you try to get to the lake, don’t be fooled by the nearby Pink Lake (aka Lake Spencer) in the town of Esperance. That lake used to be pink but has lost all its color and is now a milky white.

You’ll just have to enjoy Australia’s pink Lake Hillier from above, which is the best way to see its color anyway. — WTF fun facts

Source: “Lake Hillier” — Lake Hillier Official Website

WTF Fun Fact 13063 – MIT Pirate Certificate

It’s hard to get into MIT. But if you do, you not only have a chance to earn a great education and get plugged into an enviable alumni network, you also have the chance to earn the MIT Pirate Certificate.

What’s the MIT Pirate Certificate?

According to the MIT Alumni webpage (cited below), the school made a piece of underground culture a formal certification program in 2011.

“…in 2011 the Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation (DAPER) began issuing MIT pirate certificates to students who completed specific requirements. Six students earned the inaugural certificates and, today, 354 MIT students and alumni have received certificates at a spring ritual—Pirate Induction Day.”

Studying swashbuckling

While actor Matt Damon received an honorary pirate certificate from the university, “Only MIT students and alumni can earn the genuine article.”

The biggest part of the pirate challenge is getting into the appropriate courses. They fill up in minutes. That means MIT gives the “distinction” to only around 50 students a year.

The courses you need to pass as an MIT student to get a pirate certificate are: pistol (or rifle), archery, sailing, and fencing.

“Since sailing requires passing the swim test, successful pirates have wrapped up their PE requirements with a hearty arrr, arrr, arrr,” jokes the website.

Of course, life as an MIT pirate doesn’t mean sailing the high seas in search of booty. The certificate is for entertainment purposes only.

According to the website:

“The certificates, authorized by the ‘swashbuckling’ Institute, are printed on faux parchment and affirm that the named “’salty dog’’ is entitled to a pirate certificate ‘with all its privileges and obligations thereof.'”

So not only can you get a great education at MIT, but you can also put “pirate” on your resume. — WTF fun facts

Source: “Arrrr! MIT Pirates—and Matt Damon—Certified” — MIT Alumni Association

WTF Fun Fact 13062 – Catnip Better Than DEET

Could catnip be better than DEET at repelling insects? If so, that’s great news for those of us who would like to avoid spraying synthetic compounds all over our bodies.

Research on repelling insects with catnip and DEET

Researchers from Northwestern University and Lund University have been investigating catnip as an insect repellent, particularly for mosquitos. Since mosquitos carry potentially deadly diseases, it’s crucial to find a way to protect vulnerable people during warm weather.

Catnip is part of the mint family and, when dried, is exactly the same substance that you’ll find inside cat toys. However, catnip extract – a more concentrated form – is what you’d need to scare away mosquitos and other insects.

An ancient insect repellent

“Catnip and its active ingredient, Nepetalactone, have been used for millennia to ward off insect pests, at least since the time of Pliny the Elder,” said Marcus C. Stensmyr, associate professor at Lund University. “But why Catnip is so potent on such a broad range of insect species has remained unknown.”

According to Northwestern University’s website on the research “Traditional approaches to mosquito control involved insecticides, but those eliminate other insect species as collateral damage. Modern formulations of insect repellents such as DEET target mosquito odor and taste receptors, rendering the insect incapable of recognizing the chemical cues that signal a human prey.”

Nepetalactone, the active compound in catnip activates a pain receptor found in some insects. It’s still unclear how cats are so attracted to it.

So-author Marco Gallio noted that plant-derived repellants like catnip are also cheaper and more readily available than something like DEET.

In 2001, a paper presented at the American Chemical Society suggested that nepetalactone could be up to 10x more effective than DEET in repelling insects. — WTF fun facts

Source: “Could catnip become the new DEET?” — Northwestern Now