10 Things We Learnt In August, 2024

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Here at Gowing Life, we are keeping our fun record of everything we learn in 2024, be it longevity-related or something else entirely. Here is a selection of our newly acquired neural connections for the month of August!

1: Watch a weaverbird build a nest. Weaverbirds not only construct their nest by weaving strands of grass together, but even build false entrances to deter predators.

2: A rare Halitrephes maasi, commonly known on the internet as the firework jellyfish.

3: Coal-seam fire: When underground coal ignites. Coal-seam fires are natural occurrences and can burn for thousands of years due to limited oxygen availability. One such fire has been burning underneath the town of Centralia in in Pennsylvania since the 1960s, possibly started by a garbage fire. Unfortunately, the fire spread to a labyrinth of abandoned coal mines beneath the town, fuelling it with oxygen and leading to the appearance of fissures venting toxic gas. After numerous attempts to stop the fire from spreading, the town was eventually abandoned in the 1980s.

4: Flanderization: A term used to describe fictional characters that start off with balanced personalities but see their most defining traits exaggerated over time, until they eventually dominate their entire personality, usually to the detriment of the fictional work. The term is named after The Simpsons character Ned Flanders. Flanders began as a friendly good Christian neighbour whose purpose was to contrast with Homer Simpson’s personality, but was eventually simplified into an evangelical bible-basher with faith as his defining trait.

5: Quantum entanglement in the brain: While our brains might not be quite analogous to computers, some scientists think that quantum effects might exist within the brain and even play a role in consciousness. Specifically, recent research suggests that the myelin sheath (the fatty material insulating our neurones) provides a suitable environment for quantum entanglement, in which two particles become linked and stay linked even when separated across vast distances. It’s hypothesised that this could facilitate the synchronisation of millions of neurons throughout the brain.

6: This chart showing how much sugar is added to the same baby food product in different countries:

7: The term hypochondriac did not originally refer to a person who is certain they have an undiagnosed serious disease. The hypochondrium is the anatomical term for the upper region of the abdomen. Until the 18th century, people believed that all manner of ailments were caused by ‘imbalances’ in the region below the ribcage, and so would attribute any health complaints without clear cause to hypochondriasis. As medical knowledge evolved, the term was used to refer to people who attribute minor health concerns to serious disease.

8: According to ancient Greek historians, as much as 85% of the population of ancient Sparta were slaves or ‘helots’ – among the highest rates throughout all of history. The elite Spartan warriors usually depicted in media were the nobility and made up only around 6% of the population, making them about as common as millionaires in the modern day United States.

9: Alexander Foley was born in Toronto in 1994 to Tracey Lee Ann Foley and Donald Howard Heathfield – at least that’s what he thought. In reality, Alexander’s parents were KGB spies and his real name was Alexander Vavilov – a fact of which he claims to have been unaware until his parents were arrested in 2010. After a lengthy legal struggle, courts ruled that he could keep his Canadian citizenship.

10: Crane WASP, a 3d printer that can print houses using natural resources like agricultural waste and dirt. It can be built in rough terrain and areas that construction machinery would struggle to reach. It is hoped to further sustainable building projects in Columbia, which currently faces a significant housing shortage.