Category: Coping with COVID
The mystery of Alice in Wonderland syndrome
(BBC) A surprising number of people experience symptoms of this curious condition, which is named after Lewis Carroll’s heroine, who changed size after eating and drinking Nine-year-old Josh Firth was in the car with his parents when he noticed something strange happening to the buildings on either side – they seemed to be getting bigger. […]
Mar 14, 2023
Study shows artificial sweetener erythritol linked to increased stroke and cardiac risks
Chemistryworld The sweetener erythritol has been linked to a dramatically increased risk of cardiovascular problems. Erythritol is a four-carbon sugar alcohol naturally present in small amounts in fruits and vegetables, but at levels 1000 times higher in some processed foods such as pastries and ice creams. It is around two-thirds as sweet as sucrose and […]
Mar 7, 2023
6 doctors swallowed Lego heads for science. Here’s what came out
(NPR) When Dr. Andy Tagg was a toddler, he swallowed a Lego piece. Actually, two, stuck together. “I thought, well, just put it in your mouth and try and get your teeth between the little pieces,” he says. The next thing he knew, it went down the hatch. As an emergency physician at Western Health, in Melbourne, […]
Feb 21, 2023
Happy belated birthday, Phil Collins!
As I was collecting content for this issue of The Transmission, I learned Phil Collins turned 72 yesterday! His music will live on forever, especially In the Air Tonight, a true classic. I heard a story long ago about the origin of that song, a dark tale of an icy murder, and anger. The real […]
Jan 31, 2023
Test your knowledge of spillover viruses, starting with … what are they?
(NPR) After three years of living with an unprecedented pandemic, how much of your knowledge has changed about how these catastrophes start? Like, what exactly is a “spillover”? Where do viruses like SARS-CoV-2 come from? And how often do they … spill over? Take our quiz and test your knowledge.
Jan 31, 2023
Greetings from the North Shore of Oahu
Winter kinda sucks, so I decided to check ticket prices on flights to Hawaii, found a great deal and clicked the purchase button. I was on a plane headed West in less than 12 hours after that search. Best purchase ever! It’s a quick trip, but just enough to warm my soul in and make […]
Jan 24, 2023
Several celebrities test positive for COVID after Golden Globes…
and speaking of the Golden Globes, I would like to talk about Jennifer Coolidge and (spoiler alert) why did season 2 of the White Lotus end the way it did? (ABC) In the wake of the Golden Globes last week, several celebrities said they have tested positive for COVID-19. At least four stars, including Jamie Lee Curtis and Michelle Pfeiffer, […]
Jan 17, 2023
Who named the new COVID variant “The Kraken?”
Source article in Fortune. Everyone knows the names of the major COVID variants like Alpha, Delta, and Omicron. But last year, viral evolution shifted, muddying the waters, as well as the names of the major variants. Instead of spawning entirely new variants, COVID began evolving within Omicron itself—at a breakneck pace, no less. The organization responsible […]
Jan 10, 2023
