Have you ever wondered why the avocado fruit has such a large pit? It would’ve been so much easier to propagate if it was the size of, say an apple seed. (That’s why we’ve never heard of a Johnny Avocado.) Was this an evolutionary malfunction? Sort of. The current scientific evidence is the avocado plant
Parasites are probably the least popular life-form on Earth. For example, Guinea worm disease is a very painful infection cause by a parasite that can be found in areas of Africa without safe drinking water. The details are too gruesome to detail here and there is no treatment. The only good news is eradication efforts
Monday, August 31, was the 100th anniversary of the first radio news program, a milestone worth commemorating in this election year. One hundred years ago, the users of radio were hobbyists. In Detroit, home of the Scripps newspaper family’s The Detroit News, the company faced a dilemma. Radio was a threat to newspapers, yet it was
What would you think of someone who hasn’t showered in five years? Meet James Hamblin. He occasionally gets his hair wet, but some time ago he quit using soap (except on his hands), shampoo, antibiotic deodorants, and similar personal-care products. And he hasn’t showered in five years. He doesn’t recommend this lifestyle for everyone, but
When I got back from running Thursday afternoon, I had a voice message from the high school. They needed a substitute teacher for special-needs classes. I’ve been so bored I was happy to take the job. The students I had today were functional special needs. They’re attending half-days, one group in the morning and one
In August 2019, I announced the publication of a story about a girl and a very special doll. One story has led to three, and now all three are available at at this website by clicking on the link in the heading. They are also available on Amazon.com in multiple formats — Kindle downloads ($1.99
On July 7th, I first wrote about how all lives should matter, but they never have, illustrating my point by listing six instances of massacres of Black communities in this country between 1898 and 1923 (https://www.bobwelbaum-author.com/all-lives-should-matter/). Today, I’m making the point that systemic racism wasn’t always violent, but has been part of the fabric of
I’m sure you know Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press with moveable type in Mainz, Germany in the 1450s. But who brought the printing press to England? Credit is given to William Caxton, who was born sometime between 1415 and 1424, most likely in Kent, England. His career path was set when he was apprenticed
Joe Biden has decided to run for President with a woman, Kamala Harris. I remember when John McCain picked Sarah Palin in 2008 as his running mate, and when Walter Mondale selected Geraldine Ferraro in 1984. You may have thought of these women as ground-breakers in national politics. But no, it goes back further than
Are we in a recession? The classic definition is “a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters.” (Google) Certainly the GDP falling by a heart-stopping 9.5 percent in the second quarter of 2020 got everyone’s attention. But what