All posts by AlexisW
Once the social symbol of sailors and jail-hardened individuals, tattoos have surged in popularity among the global youth, with around 40% of adults between the ages of 18 and 29 sporting some ink. Tattoo artists spend years training and a lifetime honing their craft, often specializing in one of many forms of skin-based expression ranging anywhere from portraits to calligraphy to watercolor. Whether you’re a fan of the “I-Love-Mom” classics or elaborate Monet-esque mosaics, the practice of tattooing seems almost magical in nature – and like many other tattoo-lovers out there, you’ve probably found yourself wondering: how in the world do tattoos even work?
Vampires and zombies and werewolves, oh my! Halloween is upon us, and it’s time to get creepy!
Imagine a world like Sam and Dean’s Supernatural: where every monster, every soul-sucking, flesh-eating creature, every undead lurker you heard about in the shadows of the campfire actually existed. Except, instead of being sustained by magic, it was all scientific! How would that be possible? Let’s have a little fun today and talk about the science behind a few Halloween favorites.
The Internet Asks: Do cats cause mental illness?
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Science’s Answer: The rumor that cats can cause mental illness stems from the fact that some cats carry a parasite called Toxoplasmosis gondii, which can cause the disease toxoplasmosis under the right circumstances. However, you are just as likely to become infected with the parasite by eating under-cooked meat as you are from owning a cat, and most people infected with the parasite are not even aware of it (immune system FTW). Scientific studies have not found a relationship between cat ownership and the development of mental disorders. That being said, the CDC does caution pregnant women against cleaning the cat litterbox, because toxoplasmosis shed in cat feces may harm fetal development. In the end, probably just thoroughly cook your meat and don’t eat cat poop.
While it’s true that cats just see us as very warm, very loud, food delivery animals, and are probably plotting to overthrow the human race, they definitely have not developed mind control capabilities quite yet (or have they?).
