Letter #4: For Science!
Letters from an Internet Traveler
September 25, 2015
Dear reader,
As a kid, I was always fascinated by science. To give you some perspective, before I started writing, I looked into studying astronomy, paleontology, geology, engineering, and medicine. Even though I didn’t end up in any of these fields, I still have a natural interest in finding out what the world around us is and what it’s capable of.
This week, I decided to focus on a few sciencey tidbits that really caught my attention. Keep reading to find out about something that’ll make you want to live in a bubble, something that’ll change the way you view the world, and something that you can’t get out of your head.
-CJd
[Article] Something gross.
Disclaimer: Germaphobes, beware. This article is your literary nightmare and will make you want to quit your job and live in a bubble. Non-germaphobes may be influenced to invest in a hazmat suit.
New research suggests that you live in your own unique cloud of microbes (bacteria, farticles, skin cells, etc) floating around you at all times. The best part? It’s a social thing too, meaning you share your cloud with virtually everyone you know and don’t know. At least there’s a use for this though. Scientists are hoping to be able to utilize this cloud to tell you who you are on a genetic level. Police are also hoping to cash in on this, though it might take a little bit more technology and ingenuity to convince a jury that I’m guilty because one of my skin cells were at the scene of the crime. It’ll be interesting to see where science will take us in the future. after reading this, you’ll never be able to stand next to someone without thinking about inhaling their microbe cloud.
[Video] Something bewildering.
So toss out everything you thought about the world, and how it’s unpredictable, chaotic, and often unfair, because Zipf Law is about to shatter everything you once thought about your reality. This law pretty much dictates the way the world works — the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. It’s a natural system of balance. And no matter how hard we try, everything will always work in this manner. It’s kind of an existential outlook on life, but it’s a law that makes us the way we are, and how we behave. Though it’s a bit of a long watch, and highly mathematical, it’s worth the watch. It really explains why I can’t remember a damn thing after ~17 years of school.
[Audio] Something happy.
The pursuit of happiness is the life goal for all humans. Some would consider it the purpose of life even, to be happy. But happiness feels so ambiguous to define. That’s because it is. According to science, happiness is a completely subjective concept that really depends on genetic makeup (seriously), community, social status, and yes, money (to a certain extent). And, not to burst your bubble or anything, but actively pursuing happiness, can actually make you unhappy in the long run. I think that’s something that we preach, but forget to practice. It’s kind of something you just have to let happen.
[Article] Something relentless.
Sometimes you just want a little piece and quiet, but that damn ringing in your ear prevents that. For some, it’s so bad it keeps them up at night. This constant ringing/hissing is a condition called Tinnitus. We’ve never really understood the cause of this issue, until now. Traditionally, we’ve thought it to be the result of too much loud noise — concerts, earbuds, cranked up, based-out car stereos. But the real problem is a malfunction of our own brain as a response to an injury. Now, I guess you could say that after a certain amount of decibels, you’re liable to injure your ears. But recent research shows that it’s a brain issue rather than an ear issue as previously believed. The more we know, the closer we are to a cure.
This is an adaptation of Letters from an Internet Traveler, the irregularly scheduled newsletter from an overactive cybernaut — sending you thought-provoking tidbits and internet obscurities you’ve probably overlooked, one digestible chunk at a time. You can also follow the Medium publication.
