jtotheizzoe:

How a Virus Conquers the World, Animated

A truly fun animated look at how viruses mutate, jump species, cause pandemics, and what simple things we can all do to help prevent them. Check out more contagion-readiness tips at TakePart.

I’ve researched this myself (meaning “seen some movies”), and I think that as long as we keep Gwyneth Paltrow away from Chinese casinos, we should be fine.

In all seriousness, so-called “animal reservoirs” are a huge danger.  That is where virus (or bacteria) populations are passed animal-to-animal for a long time, mutating slowly and building up a huge number of variants before jumping to humans, where they can wreak havoc. Our factory farms might just be pandemic incubators.

Previously: Let Robert Krulwich tell you the story of how a virus invades your body, along with a fantastic animation. This would normally be scary, but it’s Krulwich, so it’s almost fun.

(↬Brain Pickings)

iheartchaos:

Japanese dentist invents the self-stirring pot

And it’s incredibly, stupidly simple— once the water starts boiling, its movement is guided by the whirled ridges along the side of the pot, giving the stirring action. BRILLIANT.

Via

You know, when you want more, it’s because you want to enjoy it. When you want less, it’s because it’s about work. And so, to boil it all down, simplicity is about living life with more enjoyment and less pain.

—

John Maeda