“Truth in advertising” sometimes seems an oxymoron, and the cosmetics industry is hardly where you’d expect to find much of it. So hats off to Neutrogena’s Norwegian Formula hand cream, whose statement on the tube that it “instantly relieves dry or chapped hands – just a dab needed” is absolutely correct. They claim it was … Read more
Care to guess what delightfully well-designed product is hidden inside this elegant 5 inch long metal case? Check it out in the latest article on the Possibly Interesting web site!
They say that form follows function. So – take a look at the form of this strange device, which stands about a meter tall. Can you guess its function? No, it isn’t a trashcan with dreadlocks. I saw this thing in the Biosphere at Potsdam. This pleasant museum is smaller and less ambitious (should I … Read more
These days, every product and service come with scary warnings intended to cover the maker’s back side in case you harm yourself. Electrical appliances warn you not to drop them in water (Duh!), restaurant menus tell you you can die by eating their food (not here, thank God, but in the US they do), coffee … Read more
A gem I saw in a museum recently: this is a large cuneiform-inscribed cylinder, maybe 3-4 inches thick, which describes the building activities of king Nebuchadnezzar (better known in the bible for his opposite exploit when he destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BC). Anyway, in one of those moments of associative memory, it struck me how … Read more
The first mass-produced toothbrush was made in England by William Addis in England, around 1780. His idea was to attach bristles to a stick, and make a little brush with a long handle, to allow one to brush one’s teeth. You’d think that’s all it takes; you’d think the toothbrush would remain just that, a … Read more
Speciation, in evolutionary biology, is the splitting of a species into two different sub-species that cannot interbreed; it is one of the engines powering evolution. One mechanism responsible for this is the appearance of a physical barrier that cuts part of the species off from the rest, as when tectonic activity creates an insurmountable rift … Read more
Remember those gloves with utterly superfluous instructions? Here is a new contender for “most unnecessary instructions”. This package of sunflower seeds, from the USA, bears the directive: Eating instructions: crack open shells, discard shells, enjoy the seeds! Nice try, Frito-Lay, but – Uh-oh! – you might still get sued by someone: you forgot to tell … Read more
In 1840 Sir Rowland Hill introduced postage stamps to the world, giving us an effective postal system, and a fascinating collecting hobby. The Penny Black, of course, had to be licked to affix it to letter – it was a stamp, wasn’t it? That’s how a stamp should behave! Well, not any more. These days … Read more
Until now, we had paper money, and we had plastic – which meant credit cards. Well, now the distinction is blurred: as of April, Israel joined a growing list of countries that have plastic paper money! See the two 20 Shekel banknotes above. The one on the right is the trusty ol’ paper banknote, showing … Read more
