Welcome to DSC Original Content’s weekly podcast, where we explain a weird, tricky or surprising subject in mere minutes. In this edition, discover why the pain from a hot chili is all in your mind; find out what it is that makes this pain enjoyable; and learn...
Bad news for compulsive plate-clearers: The average size of many of our meals — whether from fast-food chains, sit-down restaurants or even the grocery store — has increased by as much as 138 percent since the 1970s, according to data from the American Journal of Public Health, the Journal of Nutrition...
When you grow up poor, it doesn’t take long before you realize that there are people in the world who have more than you (thanks, television!), but they mostly seem distant, almost unreal. When you grow up comfortable, you may never comprehend that there are people who...
The human body: An inspiring biological work of art? Or a meaty sack of germs and fluids? Either way, there’s still a lot we don’t know about what goes on in there — and that scientists are constantly attempting to figure out. Here are the most interesting things they’ve...
Americans don’t drink enough water. That’s a fact: A study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 43 percent of American adults drink less than four cups of water a day, and this figure includes 7 percent who drink no water at...
Welcome to DSC Original Content’s biweekly podcast, where we explain a weird, tricky or surprising subject in mere minutes. In this edition, discover the jerk of a brain chemical that’s responsible for making you want both booze and junk food; find out what’s really making you throw...
There are competing theories about the origin of the term “cup of joe.” Some say “Joe” is slang for the common man; hence a cup of joe is the common man’s drink. Others claim the term was born in 1914 when Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels...
Don’t have three hours a day to spend at the gym? Not interested in bulging like a bodybuilder? Unmoved by promises of “fat-blasting, ab-chiseling monster workouts”? This is the column for you, fellow regular human with very little free time. … The Man Josh, Los Angeles, CA...
We recently received a press release for a supplement claiming to be an all-natural alternative to Viagra. When listing the benefits, the press release mentioned something called “alcohol penis impairment syndrome.” Over Slack, we concluded that this must be the clinical definition of whiskey dick, though we...
Binge eating: It starts badly; it ends badly. Whether it’s because you’re drunk or you just ordered way too much of something that’s destined to never experience becoming leftovers, sometimes we just like to stuff ourselves. You can blame those devious food scientists who deliberately design junk...
You go to the grocery store with ambition. This week, you tell yourself, you will stick to the plan: You will eat healthily, or cheaply, or whatever your goal is right now. You will not waste a leaf, a drop, a scrap of food. This week, you...
When you’re hungry, you’re hungry, and sometimes that means tearing off the patch of green mold growing on a slice of bread in order to make yourself a sandwich. But is this really getting rid of the mold, or should you consider the entire slice a goner...
