Hey Weed Warriors! Thanks to the upcoming 420 holiday, you’re probably going to have scientific questions. Anticipating your interrogative state, here’s a groovy video of me explaining the “whys” of the pot/hunger connection. Well…just the one “why,” really. Apparently this video was shot in the 70s, when I worked for the DHARMA Initiative.

…was the worst pun I could come up with to describe this horrible, horrible sounding pedicure treatment. The Garra Rufa, which feeds on dead skin and even delicious psoriasis, is also known as the "Doctor Fish," because you know how doctors love to eat their patient’s sickness right off them. Well, plucky Virginia spa-owner John Ho has turned these creatures’ scamperin’ into pamperin’. For a mere $50 American a school of flesh-hungry fish will do what no other carnivore will do: leave the good skin. While trying not to evacuate the full contents of their stomachs during the procedure, customers can focus on the fish’s tiny, adorable mouth, which is the only thing that keeps this from being mind-blowingly horrifying.

It seems like the classic "What’s grosser than gross" playground riddles: What’s grosser than gross? Feet. What’s grosser than that? Feet caked in dead skin and fungus. What’s grosser than that? 20 fish eating it off. What’s grosser than that? An old Asian man is getting paid to watch it happen.

The only thing that could make this more disgusting is if during the treatment the fish had diarrhea that turned into spiders.

The Garra Rufa hungrily chows on matter that is actually more disgusting than the crap they’ll make from it. (Jacquelyn Martin/The Associated Press)

Via [IHT]

You know the problem with lasers? They’re far too cool and exciting. For years science fiction has been showing us that lasers can do everything from shooting at aliens to shrinking our vaginae (that one came true). Finally, someone has made lasers boring. Effective, yes, but definitely a snore. That someone is dentists. Apparently, bacteria related to tooth decay scatters light differently than pristine, Mormon-like teeth and can therefore be identified in its early stage before it is allowed to grow, so in that sense it’s kind of like killing a baby. Think of it as being able to kill the young Hilter of your teeth before he creates the Molar Third Reich, if that helps you sleep better. To illustrate the point to redundancy, Frances Downey, a plucky PhD student working on developing the technique at
King’s College London, pointed out: "The earlier you spot decay the better as
you can remineralise the area so there is no cavitation and therefore
no need for a filling." I suspect he then went on to say, "I’m so very, very lonely."

Expect the Photon Teeth Police to be coming to a mouth near yours within five years.

Via [Science News Daily]

Deoxyribonucleic Acid! It’s not just for Nature anymore, thanks to Japan. Chemists there have recently stitched together the first viable artificial DNA strand. Normally, DNA uses the same four bases (A, T, C, G) to construct a variety of organic material, from everything to everything else. Never one to be outdone by the limitations of Nature, Japanese Science has created four faker bases and successfully inserted them, like Prince, into DNA’s sugar walls. The uses are unclear as of yet but future strands will most likely will hop on the gene therapy boat or enhance the boobs of nanotechnology. No matter what application I think we will all agree that this new Japanese faux-helix is probably ADORABLE.

Via [Science Daily]

Watch as I narrate a thing which you, of course, shouldn’t try at home!!!

Hey, Cotton…Nitric and sulfuric acids OWN your ass! The aforementioned cellular ass-owning was recently demonstrated by Dr. Chris Schrempp and myself on Wired Science. While this experiment would have no doubt led to accusations of witchcraft and bodily crushing by stones as directed by a 17th-century Middlesex court, today’s Science has rendered its exhibitors little more powerful than a party clown. Lance Burton was unable to comment, mainly because we never asked him to.

Many years ago, Rainn Wilson and I were skillfully carved up by Rob Zombie in a movie. Now, reunited in the name of science, we peel back the enigmatic layers of a common household item to reveal the pulpy chemical center. Rainn was kind enough to take an afternoon away from The Office to donate some time to Public Broadcasting because he is, quite simply, a terrific guy. Or it was part of a court-ordered community service…but probably the former.

Going to a rave in 1993? You need a glow stick! I can’t help you with the Dr. Seuss hat and clock necklace, but I did manage to dig up some chemicals on the web that were flagged as hazardous materials three whole times before they were delivered. All you need is hundreds of dollars and a good explanation for the FBI and you’re on your way to a homemade glow stick!

My two least favorite thing about this video: 1) I somehow forgot to put on safety gear. Brilliant! 2) The segment is called "Hack," a word that every comic wants in giant letters right next to them when they’re talking. Oh well. The glowing part is cool.

PS- Really, don’t try this.

This was a particularly fun segment to shoot. It’s part 1 of a 2 part series of exothermic reactions. Dr. Chris Schrempp, professor of chemistry at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucumonga, was kind enough to drop by and make the most of the WiSci flask and hot plate set.

All stuff has smaller stuff in it! Look out for the moment that reveals the depths of my Harry Potter nerddom.