Gleanings of the Week Ending November 30, 2013

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Early Uses of Chili Peppers in Mexico - Capsicum residue found in different kinds of vessels…showing that chili peppers may have been used in a variety of ways in the centuries before the time of Christ.

Mind the Clock - Inforgraphic about the various ‘clocks’ in the human body.

Feathery Fungi - I almost enjoy finding shelf fungi…and these turkey tails seem particularly appropriate for the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Cataract Surgery Saves $123.4 Billion in Costs, Delivers 4,567% Return to Society - I hope that this kind of analysis is done for more kinds of medical interventions. Cataract surgery may be a bright positive star compared to other procedures.

Washington: A world apart - There are a lot of Super Zips (zip codes where the average median household income is $120K and 7 in 10 adults have college degrees) around Washington DC. The graphic at the beginning of the article is interactive - put in your zip code to find out the income and education for your zip code.

The Unsung Women of Tech - 13 women highlighted by Computerworld as part of the celebration of Ada Lovelace Day back in October.

Stunning Macro Details of Uniquely Beautiful Snowflakes - Just in time for winter….some snowflake photographs.

Maps of What the Earth Would Look Like If All Ice Melted - Lots of coastal population centers would be underwater.

Glaciers Sizzle as They Disappear Into Warmer Water - Audio recordings may be a viable complement to other measurements of ice melt.

Sour Cream Pumpkin Bundt - Yummy Bundt idea…and I still have lots of pumpkin in my freezer.

Gleanings of the Week Ending August 24, 2013

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Restricting Food and Fluids during Labor Is Unwarranted, Study Suggests - I can remember being very thirsty with only rationed ice chips when I had my daughter years ago. And I was ravenous by the time she was born (and only offered a rather stale boxed lunch since it was out of the normal food service hours in the hospital). Hopefully this study will be a starting point to change the food and liquid restriction rules.

These alien-looking ice sculptures formed all on their own - A collection of images from some very cold places. What a cooling post for August!

Astronomers Take Sharpest Photos Ever of the Night Sky - Using adaptive optics that have been developed over the past 20 years at University of Arizona.

Creative Fashion Illustrations Made with Leaves - Sparse lines - and then leaves. They work together to create appealing images. My favorite is the first one.

Fascinating Friday: 80 Maps That Explain Everything - Pointers to collections of maps from Buzzfeed and The Washington Post. It turns out that maps are good ways to display lots of data in an intuitive way.

State of Flux Images of Change - Pictures of the changes in the earth over day, months or years from NASA.

Iron Is at Core of Alzheimer's Disease, Study Suggests - Yet another reason why we shouldn’t get higher doses of iron. The foods I normally consume easily get me to 100% of the iron requirements - so fortified cereals and iron-contain multi-vitamins are of my grocery list completely.

Fall in the National Parks: Some Great Activities to Put On Your Calendar - Includes the following national parks: Voyagers, San Francisco Maritime, Acadia, Capitol Reef and Grant-Kohrs Ranch.

Amaranth: Another Ancient Wonder Food, But Who Will Eat It? - Chia - quinoa - amaranth - nutritious options abound.

The Common Cook's How-Many Guide to Kitchen Conversions - Very handy for the kitchen!

by ShannonLattin.
Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

South Carolina Aquarium

The South Carolina Aquarium is located at the edge of the historic district of Charleston and right on the harbor - with a great view of the Ravenel Bridge. My favorites of the many pictures I took are in the slide show below. The maps behind water (1) and on the floor (10) provided orientation to the area. Alligators (4) and pelicans (5) were both animals we saw elsewhere during our vacation. I had never seen the underside of rays (6) like I did at this aquarium and it was all because there is a ‘feed the rays’ exhibit and they rays are very good at positioning themselves along the glass of the tank to get the food! Have you ever watched a tank of jelly fish (8)? I found it intriguing and soothing in equal measure; they seem so graceful and relaxed.