The human body: An inspiring biological work of art? Or a meaty sack of germs and fluids? Either way, there’s still a lot we don’t know about what goes on in there — and scientists are constantly attempting to find out more. Here are the most interesting things we learned about our bodies in the last seven days…
American Kids Are Hooked on Peppa Pig, and Now They Have British Accents
Oh, bollocks. American parents are currently gathering on Twitter to discuss an epidemic among their children — apparently, their kids are developing British accents after binge-watching the popular British kids’ cartoon Peppa Pig. Parents have dubbed this strange phenomenon — which has also motivated their children to snort like a pig during plain conversation — the “Peppa Pig Syndrome.” Behold:
Has your kid suddenly developed a British accent like this cute girl from the Charlotte-area?
Well, it might be due to the "Peppa-pig syndrome" ?? https://t.co/X2UCz6WSVo (Video: Brandi Nichole Hall) pic.twitter.com/Fba7pwiFvu
— NBC Charlotte (@wcnc) February 13, 2019
D’awww. (Snort.)
Being Able to Do 40 Push-Ups Means You’re Healthy, and Oh Shit, This Isn’t Good
A new study performed by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that men who can do more than 40 consecutive push-ups are 96 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases than those who can only do 10 or fewer. Moreover, the researchers noted that being able to do a bunch of push-ups is an even bigger indicator of cardiovascular health than being able to run for long distances on a treadmill. Now, these results may also apply to women; however, the participants in this study were all men. Lemme give this a shot:
One!
Two!
Threeee…
Scientists Finally Figured Out How to Perfect Cheese Fondue
Thank God, and Hail Satan, because Swiss researchers have officially come up with the ultimate, game-changing recipe for cheese fondue, which apparently involves adding potato starch slurry and removing wine to produce a truly gooey mouthfeel. Now, I have no fucking idea why scientists are making fondue, but whatever, man. If you’re into fondue, you can check out exactly what they did here, but be warned — even as someone who does a fair amount of cooking, their approach was way too scientific for me to follow.
In the Future, We’ll All Be Wearing Squid Teeth
While plastic was busy ruining Earth and its oceans, scientists were also busy researching environmentally friendly alternatives — and apparently, they came up with… squid teeth.
On its face (see what I did there?), this might seem like an odd choice, but proteins in squid teeth — which are actually found on the arms of squids, not in their mouths — are both eco-friendly and biodegradable. The researchers also believe that their findings might someday lead to the development of “smart” clothes, which would protect us from air pollutants. I have literally no idea how that works, but I can’t wait to wear it.
Wanna Live Longer? Try Eating This Super Old Japanese Plant
In another edition of This-Ancient-Thing-Will-Make-You-Live-Forever, scientists recently found anti-aging compounds in a Japanese plant, angelica keiskei koidzumi, used in traditional Asian medicine. The compound is called 4,4’-dimethoxychalcone, and the researchers describe it as a “natural compound with anti-aging properties.” In fact, when they fed the compound to worms and fruit flies, it boosted their lifespan by a whopping 20 percent.
You win this round, ancient thing!
Ian Lecklitner
Ian Lecklitner is a staff writer at MEL Magazine. He mostly writes about everyone's favorite things: Sex, drugs and food.
