Plastic-Filled Newborns

This is incredibly concerning.

Years ago there was a report where a self-defined "crunchy" mother raised her child on nothing but organic, "natural" foods, personal care products, etc. and tests revealed that the kid was still filled with a bunch of chemicals that broke her heart. Is there even a way to raise a child without filling them with unhealthy substances? Perhaps if raised in the wild with no couches, homes, clothing and other items filled with fire retardants and other chemicals... even then I'm not sure if it's possible.

Like our fish, today's babies are filled with microplastics, being born with 15 times more than adults have in their own bodies. Researchers think it's from pacificers, crawling on the floor and being exposed to the microplastics--which are in everything from our clothes to beauty products and so much more--on a constant basis. 

Researchers are hoping thaat mussels will one day filter many of the microplastics in our water, and they say that parents can choose more sustainable toys that don't have microplastics in them, too. 

What other weird news have you read this week? Share it in the chat.

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Other
News

Gods Created by Science

It's like Cartman's Trapper Keeper...

There's a lot of concern about where we're taking society with all of this artificial intelligence, either in existence or in the works, and frankly I think we should slow it down--or shut it down. If it's not something to help disabled people or otherwise benefit us in a significant way, why bother making machines that will only impact our workforce and even create a danger to us all?

Mo Gawdat thinks Silicon Valley is creating a god and I'd have to agree with him--not just because he's the expert, but because of the potential harm and what we've already seen. Our tech is growing faster than we can keep up with it legally, ethically, and on a global scale. People are already using and abusing it to do everything from create fake DNA to spy on others and it's only going to get worse.

The question is, how do we prevent the harm from happening? We obviously can't prevent the harms that have already occured, but do we need more laws in place to prevent people from furthering artificial intelligence before it dooms us all? Share what you think in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Society
Science

Glitches in the Matrix

Do you have a story?

Do you have a glitch in the matrix story? If you've never heard of these, they consist of times when events in your life just seemed as if they stopped, had a glitch in time and space, or even had something out-of-this-world happen. Have you ever found yourself walking on a sidewalk and suddenly looked up and you were surrounded by beings that weren't human, only to blink and have them disappear? Have you ever called a number and talked to yourself? These are just a few weird examples.

It's easy to get lost in the many glitch stories that have been shared over the years. My partner, then-boyfriend, and I have one ourselves. We had a glowing creature sprint across the highway in front of us in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, on the way home from college one night. It was an almost two-hour drive and nothing but  vast fields surrounded us. This beast was about as big as our car. We'll never know what the heck it was!

Do you have a strange glitch story or something similar? Share it in the chat and tell us what you think it means.

Klat Categories: 
Strange / Unusual

Upside-Down And Hanging Gardens

Your own little Babylonian garden at home!

Recently I saw a small farm post about how they're growing things upside-down from hanging gardens to save space and I have to admit, it's lovely. It makes a gorgeous focal point and I think it would be gorgeous to walk through, take photos and just see all that loveliness from a new perspective. I grow my strawberries this way and they are beautiful. 

That said, some of the items they have hanging include pumpkins, which gives me pause. I grow pumpkins and they can get pretty heavy. Even if you're only growing little sugar pumpkins for pie making they can still fall off the fine and knock someone in the head. Where I live, that could be a person, a chicken, a dog... So yeah, I don't think I'd feel comfortable growing pumpkins this way, but it does make sense and if you're super careful and not worried about unsuspecting people or animals under it, maybe it would work fine.

What other freaky, strange or just different types of gardens have you seen? Share them in the chat. 

Klat Categories: 
Culture

Food From Electricity

India's using waste to help generate energy

Freaky news isn't always baffling or horror-stricken. In fact, freaky is often fascinating and even fruitful, as we can see with the news that India is implementing technology to transform the country's food waste into electricity. It's an innovative solution that might help lead other nations to generate cleaner energy.

The great thing about using waste isn't just that it's reducing waste itself, but it's also reducing the cost of energy bills for residents. Any kind of program that eases the burden on both the consumer as well as the environment is a welcome one, weird or not. It's also employing workers who collect the garbage to be used to generate this energy. 

What other strange but awesome programs are happening where you live to combat climate change? Share them in the chat. 

Klat Categories: 
Science

People Without Uteri Continue To Make Laws For People Who Get Pregnant

Texas just condemned pregnant people to a precarious fate.

When I, as a person with a uterus who has been pregnant several times--all of them life-threatening--make a statement reminding people how dangerous pregnancy is, they never seem to understand, especially if they don't own a uterus like me. Over 800 people die a day from pregnancy, and that doesn't count the people left sick, injured and even permanently disabled from pregnancy. Pregnancy is a health condition that needs to be treated as such. Aside from all of that, it's an economic issue that can condemn someone to a life of poverty. It's a personal choice that can alter one's life forever. It is a highly personal decision that should have nothing to do with the government.

Yet instead of leaving the risky choice to be pregnant or not, people like Texas legislators who normally say they don't want government interference in their lives are out here making laws on bodies they know nothing about. Laws that say you can't get an abortion after six weeks, a time period during which most people have no idea they are pregnant--we are talking one possible missed period here, and if spotting occurs, people can easily think it's just a light month--are reprehensible. There is nothing freakier than people without a uterus putting laws on people with uteri. We know this isn't about "the unborn," either, or there would be laws on people who can impregnate, stopping them from doing so without permission. This is about controlling people with uteri, especially women.

If you have any actions to take against this heinous legislation, especially if you're from Texas, please share them in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Politics

Honey: Nature's Miracle Elixir?

Some Say So

Bees are freakily phenomenal on their own. They are so productive, unique and inspiring that it's hard to not admire them as they go about their days. It's also hard to not shake a fist at all the misconceptions about bees spread by unknowing people and cartoon movie writers. Tsk, tsk.

The honey bees make is also a wonder of the natural world. Just look at it. Is there anything more versatile, more delicious, that doesn't go bad and that is potentially good for you? Sure, it's sweet and not great if you're avoiding sugar, but look at all its potential health benefits. Some say honey is better for a sore throat than typical medicine; I would have to agree. It's the first thing I reach for if I have one myself. Well, that and some hot tea to go with it.

Some argue that it's a good way to treat seasonal allergies, as long as you use local honey. Honey is good for the skin, for fuel, even for sleep! It might help with wound healing, hangovers and bug bites, too. 

What do you use honey for? What is the weirdest use for honey you've ever heard? Share it in the chat. 

Klat Categories: 
Animals

Free Guy: Symbolic of Our Own World?

Are we a simulation?

Plenty of people postulate that humans aren't real at all, but either video game or computer simulations. The argument behind this idea mostly stems from how rapidly the world is changing right now due to our technology. It's definitely a startling concept to ponder when you dive deep into it, especially since we all want to be a real person, as well as the main character in our own stories.

But what if we aren't? What if we're all NPCs in a video game? That's the situation in Ryan Reynolds' new movie Free Guy, which is about an NPC who has no idea he's a video game character. It's a really fun action movie that features Taika Waititi as the villain, which makes it even more enjoyable, but the message behind it might be reassuring for anyone who does believe this is all a sim.

What do you think of the idea that humans are simulations and that our world is nothing more than an experiment to test out new tech? Share your thoughts in the chat. 

Klat Categories: 
Science

The Cryptid Comeback

Cryptids are all the rage!

Cryptid creatures have never been forgotten. Every generation has plenty of cryptid creature fans, and Bigfoot and Nessie and their cousins will never go out of style. That said, it seems as if they've had a strong sense of renewal lately, and my teen is all here for it.

There are cryptid buttons and merit badges. There are little creature figures, t-shirts, and even classes all about cryptids. You can even find stuffed cryptid creatures! The yeti is especially cute, and if you want to go even darker, there are Kreeptures to collect, too. It's an exciting time to love monsters and all their relatives. 

What kind of cryptids do you collect? Share the ones you've found in the chat.

American Horror Story Bakery

It's a pop-up in New York!

Even fans of American Horror Story seem to have a love/hate relationship with the show, whether that's due to the varying levels of horror between seasons or the many shock factors that often seem insensitive that push some of us away from an otherwise really interesting, fun series. Whether you're in love or not with the last season you saw, the new AHS cafe is sure to pique your interest.

Unfortunately, it's a pop-up shop, so who knows when and if it will be open? But in July guests were treated to lots of freaky treats, from show theme-shaped cookies courtesy of Funny Face Bakery, to a creepy little hall ending with a scary server! It's such a fun pop-up and I hope we get to check it out sometime.

What is the freakiest pop-up or restaurant experience you've ever had the chance to enjoy? Share it in the chat!

Klat Categories: 
Lifestyle

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