Embracing Fakes
Gen Z has been called many things – and latest on the list is the dupe generation! While buying knockoff goods used to be a source of shame for many who would try to pass them off as the real thing, the digital generation is embracing fake by way of ‘dupe culture’. Though it may appear that dupes run counter to gen Z’s conscious consumption, dupe culture is considered “subversive, seemingly undercutting expensive brands, and even capitalism itself,” writes Erin Lowry for the Sydney Morning Herald. Now, #dupe is so popular on social media (6 billion views on TikTiok alone) that marketing experts believe that big brands should embrace the trend. Rather than fearing reputational damage, Sophie Hardie, the client director at influencer marketing firm the Goat Agency tells the Guardian, labels should use the dupes to playfully engage with popular culture to “bring new people in and show a confidence in the power of their brand”.
Plastic Pouches
Scientists might have finally discovered the cause of the decades-long decline in sperm counts around the world, and it’s hardly great news. A recent study by the University of New Mexico examined 23 human testes – and 47 canine ones! – and found traces of microplastics in all of them. Microplastics, defined as plastic particles less that 5mm across, have previously been found in everything from drinking water to food and also inside other human organs. They’ve even made it to some of the world’s highest mountain peaks and deepest oceans, created through the disintegration of larger plastic pieces. “At the beginning, I doubted whether microplastics could penetrate the reproductive system,” says Dr Xiaozhong Yu, the lead author of the study. “When I first received the results for dogs I was surprised. I was even more surprised when I received the results for humans.” PVC, he adds, can interfere with the production of both sperm and hormone production.
Pole Positioning
Paris might be revered as among the world’s most romantic destinations, but organisers of the upcoming Olympics are said to have ensured that love doesn’t blossom between the athletes in the Olympic Village in the coming weeks. While it’s admirable that the beds – including the mattresses – are fully recyclable, choosing to have carboard frames was driven more by sex than sustainability. Or rather, lack of sex. The single frame beds have been dubbed the “anti-sex” bed, reports The Sun, owing to their inability to support two people and/or too much kinetic energy! The measures are said to have been put in place owing to some steamy stories of orgies taking place at previous games. Organisers are not being complete killjoys, however – or leaving anything to chance – as they’re also providing 300,000 free condoms to athletes.
Brainstorming
Saunas have long been touted as a tonic for all manner of ailments. Used in Scandinavia for centuries, the intense heat is said to flush heat from the body and increase heart rate and improve circulation by mimicking exercise while also soothing joints and muscles following a real workout. A 20-year study of more than 2,000 middle-aged men who used saunas 1-7 days per week found them to be less at risk from death by cardiac events like strokes or heart attacks, while regular use has also been linked to improved sleep quality. Some of the latest research even suggests that saunas may be highly beneficial to our brains, too, with long-term use potentially staving off dementia. The warm environment triggers the release of stress-busting endorphins and boosts BDNF – a protein that promotes neuron growth and potential protection against dementia.
A Tall Order
The nuclear shadow seems to loom larger than it has done for generations – and should a disaster occur, the cleanup could come from the most unlikely of sources: the humble sunflower. Sunflowers are effective at absorbing certain radioactive isotopes, such as cesium-137 and strontium-90, from the soil through their roots, and once absorbed, the contaminants are stored within the plant’s tissues. Sunflowers were most notably used in the aftermath of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters to help cleanse the environment. “We plant sunflowers, field mustard, amaranthus and cockscomb, which are all believed to absorb radiation,” Koyu Abe, chief monk at the Buddhist Joenji temple, near Fukushima, told Reuters a few months after the disaster. “So far we have grown at least 200,000 flowers at this temple and distributed many more seeds. At least 8 million sunflowers blooming in Fukushima originated from here.” Cost-effective and environmentally friendly, the only drawback is that the sunflowers become radioactive after absorption and must be disposed safely to prevent further contamination. It’s all very fitting considering the sun is essentially a giant nuclear reactor, too.
Moon Landing
Fascinating and frightening in equal measure, a recent discovery of a metal ore dep inside the Moon suggests that it was formed when the ancient Mars-sized planet Theia crashed into Earth. Fragments of what are thought to be Theia’s remains have long been known to have been buried deep beneath Africa and the Pacific Ocean, but what became of the rest of the planet has remained a mystery. That mystery may now have been solved thanks to the discovery by Nasa’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft deep below the Moon’s surface which implies that Theia’s remains formed it. The collision is thought to have happened around 4.5 billion years ago, around 150 million years after the formation of our solar system. Nasa has a really neat short video that simulates the collision on YouTube that’s well worth 90 seconds of your time!
