#gross science

[exrook]

Happy holidays! Did you know mistletoe is such a good kisser that it's lost most of its ability to respire, instead relying on the plant that it parasitizes to breathe for it? 

I'm making an zine featuring this and other plant facts I wish I didn't know, coming next month!

Footnotes:

Mistletoe is not technically an epiphyte (it follows the same lifestyle, but apparently blatant parasitism disqualifies you)

Plants don’t breathe the way most animals breathe, so respiration here refers to cellular respiration, which fulfills most of the same function without superfluous bits like lungs.

Learn more in EXISTENTIALLY DISTRESSING PLANT FACTS next month, and follow for updates and sneak peaks at the horrifying knowledge this zine shall contain.

[grossscience]

The virus rabies may have contributed to legends of werewolves, vampires, and zombies.

It’s a horrible disease that’s preventable with modern medicine. But it still infects—and kills—around 60,000 people a year across the globe.

Explore the history of the disease, and what it does to the body in this week’s Gross Science.

[cibyl]

inspired by https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9DQTjv_u3Vc

[snowy-weather]

The Strangest Plant In The World?!

@ask-the-eccentric-botanist I wonder if Isolde might have this strange plant somewhere in her greenhouse? XD

[pbsdigitalstudios]

Your gross earwax can reveal a ton about who you are, where you’ve been, and how stinky you are.

[grossscience]

Got extra borax leftover from your last experiment making SLIME? Use it to grow your own crystals!

I was on vacation with my family last week, and decided to do this fun experiment. It turned out great! Definitely an activity kids should do with parental supervision, though—you’ll be using the stove quite a bit, and borax can be irritating.

Check out my tutorial here!

[grossscience]

OMG. Watch this giant snail slurp up an earthworm like spaghetti! 

[grossscience]

Around 4 million American households with children are exposed to high levels of lead. Clearly, lead poisoning is still a huge problem in the US today, and not just in places you may have heard of like Flint, Michigan.

Lead poisoning can cause permanent damage to our brains—and it’s especially dangerous for children. But how does lead harm our brains? And is there anything we can do to stop it?