A team of astrophysicists discovered a new Earth-like planet on the doorstep of our solar system at our neighboring star, Proxima Centauri. This is about as close as another planet like our own could get, since it is only about four light years away. This planet was named, Proxima B.

While this planet may be Earth-like, there will be some significant differences to our planet since the star is completely different from ours. Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star, a couple of million years older, and its size is more similar to the size of Jupiter than the sun. Many theories and hypotheses have been made about the star and the Earth-like planet, such as:

The temperatures on Proxima B range where liquid water could occur on its surface. There has been plenty of time for the planet to undergo the chemistry to create life. But just as many other dwarf stars, Proxima Centauri is dim and has sudden and highly aggressive solar flames.

This will produce sudden changes in brightness and extreme high x-ray fluxes. Also, there is the possibility that projected particles will reach the planet which can be deadly for any form of life living there.

Since the star is this old, there is a big chance the planet managed to create a coping mechanism for these flares. Though, this would mean for us that we would end up slightly toasted if we would visit. The Earth-like planet is orbiting very close to its star, about 7.5 million kilometers. Continue reading →

We all know that water is essential to life on this planet, yet very few of us realize that only 3 percent is actually drinkable. Did you know that of that 3 percent, much of it is trapped in glaciers and ice caps? This is a deep-seated, growing problem as the demand for fresh drinking water is insecure and unsustainable.

There may soon be a way to make clean, fresh water more abundant and a team of engineers at Washington University may just have the answer in the form of a material known as biofoam.

Biofoam is made of two structural layers comprising of a sheet of graphene oxide and a bottom layer of nanocellulose which is interestingly produced by bacteria.

How it works is even more interesting. The sheet is placed on top of a layer of water. The bottom layer of cellulose has sponge like properties, drawing water up to the top layer of graphene. Graphene oxide possesses tremendous thermal conductivity, which works in unison with the sun, creating a concentration of solar energy  which heats up the upper layer of the biofoam sheet. Continue reading →

The dream of living forever is as old as time. It’s a universal concept whether it’s due to a fear of death, love of life, a thirst for knowledge, or even the sensation of invincibility. Many ancient cultures declared different tactics to achieve eternal existence. Here are ten ideas that expanded through the passing centuries.

Japanese Mythology: Eat a Mermaid

The ancient Japanese believed in the ningyo, a creature described as a cross between a monkey and a carp. Like mermaids, they lived in the sea, and if caught, they brought bad luck or stormy weather.

Eight Hundred Nun is a famous myth in which a man accidentally served ningyo meat to his daughter.

After the girl had taken a bite, she was cursed with immortality. Her existence became depressing after watching her many husbands and children die, one after the other. Therefore she devoted her life to Buddha.

Because of her holy nunhood, she was fortunate to die at the ripe old age of 800.

Christian Mythology: Taunt Jesus

Legend says that there was a Jewish man to taunted Jesus as he was being brought to be crucified. The man hit Jesus with his shoe and told him to hurry up. Jesus replied that even though he was leaving, this man will have to remain until he returned.

Realizing the gravity of his actions, the man converted to Christianity and took the name, Joseph. However, the curse had painful side effects. Joseph could not sit or rest, except on Chrismas. At the turn of every century, he would become fatally ill and fall into a seizure, after which he will become 30-years-old once again.

Greek Mythology: Anger A God

A common thread in Greek tales is prideful humans who attempt to challenge or trick the gods. Many of them were punished for all eternity. Continue reading →

Many people suffer from a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that seems to be untreatable with today’s medical standards. In fact, some statistics show that about half of people with OCD don’t respond to treatment they’re given, whether it’s in the form of prescribed medication or lifestyle practices like yoga and mindfulness meditation.

But a new study might be opening the door for treatment that actually works, especially for those who are unresponsive to other options!

More on OCD

OCD is a mental “disorder”, characterized by either obsessions, compulsions or both. Obsessions are uncontrolled thoughts that are interrupting and won’t go away. These obsessions cause a lot of anxiety,  and can diminish quality of life greatly.

Compulsions are repeated actions that are usually associated with quelling the problem at the root of the obsession. As a small example, if the obsessive thought is that dangerous people are always around,  the compulsive action might be to double and triple check locked doors.

OCD is not just a quirk, it’s a serious disorder that can get in the way of accomplishing daily tasks and having fruitful, healthy relationships. Many OCD symptoms fall into one of these categories: Continue reading →

I know when you hear “gluten free diet” the first thing you think of is boring bland food. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Whether you are gluten intolerant or not it is always helpful to know what you are putting into your body.

First, let’s answer the biggest question, what is gluten?

Gluten is a protein of which most of our store bought products consist of, such as , French fries, pasta, bread, beer, rye bread and many more.

Gluten is made up of proteins which are known as gliadin (a prolamin protein) and glutelin (a glutelin protein).

These don’t affect most people but in a recent study published on the online journal,  Gastroenterology & Hepatology, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and Celiac disease are the two leading intolerances caused by gluten and wheat, affecting up to 20 percent of American adults and 1 in every 145 Americans.

People who suffer from any sort of gluten or wheat intolerance digest this protein differently to people who are not suffering from the intolerance. Continue reading →