What We Learned This Week
Welcome to "What We Learned This Week," a regular feature where we share all the most interesting nuggets of information we picked up in the past week.
The NYPD Really Shouldn't Be Engaging On Twitter
On Tuesday afternoon, the NYPD made a very bad decision. They decided to engage with a very, very bored Internet and asked people to tweet their photos with members of the force accompanied with the hashtag #myNYPD. The response was swift. The response was dark. The response was hilarious.
Owning A Home Isn't As Good An Investment As You Think It Is
The myth of profitable real estate will never die. When Gallup asked Americans to pick the best "long-term investment," real estate was far and away the most popular choice, ahead of mutual funds, bonds and Bitcoin. It's as if nobody ever even heard the term "housing bubble," nevermind lived through the year 2008.
How Much Doctors Actually Make
Over 24,000 doctors in 25 specialties participated in a survey about their earnings. Overall, those who perform procedures make more money than those who deal with chronic illnesses… oh who are we kidding, you guys don't care about the specifics, do you? Orthopedists make the most money.
A Day In The Life Of Your Friendly Neighborhood Drug Dealer
"Carlo" is a delivery man in demand. He delivers high quality products at competitive prices to around 200 customers in the comfort of their own apartments. Spend a few days with him and you get a better picture of the drug market in America.
Two High School Students Solved The World's Ketchup Problem
You know that disgusting first squirt of ketchup? That watery discharge that immediately ruins whatever meal you were hoping to improve with the addition of sweet ketchupy goodness? Yeah, that squirt. Two high school seniors solved the problem with a tiny piece of plastic. Do they give out Nobel prizes for food?
How To Make Graphene In Your Blender
Last week, we learned why graphene is the supermaterial of the future. This week we learned how to make it in the comfort of our own home so we can start inventing things in our garage. We hear that everything good started in garages.
What The Blood Of The World's Oldest Woman Tells Us About Death
Born in 1890, Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper was the oldest woman in the world before her death in 2005. Even more incredible than her 115-year lifespan was that she decided to donate her body to science. And it's proven extremely useful. Researchers studying her blood and tissue have found that our lifespan might be limited by the capacity for stem cells to keep replenishing tissues. The findings suggest that there is the possibility of rejuvenating aging bodies with injections of stem cells saved from birth.
How Often Most Couples Have Sex
The average man has 11 erections every day. The average male teenager is just a walking erection. But before you get bogged down with the numbers (and there are numbers), a sexual health doctor has some sage advice for you. "Quality wins out over quantity every time." Unless it's a threesome. Then quantity wins.
The Tumultuous Life Of The Man Behind Beanie Babies
Ty Warner — the intensely private and insanely wealthy man behind Beanie Babies — recently pled guilty to stashing more than $100 million in a Swiss bank account. But he's no simple tax-dodging billionaire. Here's the story of the man and his genius product. Did you know that Beanie Babies are under-stuffed for a reason? They're supposed to look like they're moving.
You Can Survive A Flight In A Plane's Wheel Well, But Probably Won't
Last weekend, a 15-year-old boy survived for over five hours in the wheel well of a jet flying from San Jose to Hawaii. The temperature at cruising altitude was more than 50 degrees below zero and the air is thinner than at the top of Mount Everest. So how did he (and several others before him) survive? This is probably the one case where hypoxia and hypothermia are good things.
The American Middle Class Is No Longer The World's Richest
The wealthiest Americans remain the wealthiest in the world, but the middle class has been left behind. Based on an analysis of surveys conducted over the past 35 years, it appears that though economic growth in the U.S. is as strong as in other countries, a smaller percentage of Americans are profiting from the growth. What does all this mean? Middle-class Canadians are now better off than middle-class Americans. Oh, and the poor are even worse off.
The Fastest And Most Efficient Way To Tie A Tie
If you think your current tie tying method is a bit too slow, this is for you.
