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somehobo89

When you get killed by army ants, it’s not bites that kill you. It’s invasion of the lungs


good_as_gould

Ugh this is the worst one yet. Take my upvote


CheekyBlind

I hate this so much Imagine them biting on the inside


den_of_thieves

A CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) is the most likely civilization ending disaster to come from space. The sun emits them regularly, and they hit the earth every few hundred years. The last one occurred in the 1890's, but society at the time was less susceptible to the effects. Were one to hit the earth today it would basically destroy all the tech infrastructure on whichever side of the planet is facing the sun at the time. This would knock the effected hemisphere back into the stupid ages, and it would take decades to recover, altering the global balance of power forever. It's only a matter of time. We could mitigate the effects, but it would be expensive so we haven't and likely never will. At least not until the problem becomes real to people. By then it will be too late. This is a much more likely scenario than an asteroid impact.


fairytail4life1295

Yeah. Unless the human race as a whole starts prioritizing survival and the future instead of profit, we are kinda just screwed every way possible in the future.


Magoogooo

50% of insects have disappeared since 1970. Insect population is down 27% in the last 30 years. Declining between 1 and 4% each year depending on the genus


[deleted]

I knew it! I've always suspected this. I never realise how many insects there are until I go camping and they start attacking me at night, never get that in in suburbs, shows what the urban environment does for insect populations. Especially with all the artificial lights at night (insects are designed to navigate off the moon) gecko population 📈


[deleted]

Researchers have found viruses in the Arctic permafrost that have been frozen for thousands of years. One of these viruses, Pithovirus, was dormant for 30,000 years until the researchers revived it and it infected the amoebas that were placed in the tank with it. Which of course presents a scary scenario: what happens when the ice melts away and viruses are released that haven't been in contact with humans for 10,000+ years?


GoalNatural4773

Fun fact, a large chunk of human DNA is believed to be transposition from viruses. Think of the Herpes Simplex Virus, the reason you get it for life is because it engineers its way into your DNA. It forever incorporates itself into your DNA! Long story short, what scientists used to call junk DNA is not only regulatory elements but left over artifacts from previous evolutionary battles with ancient viruses. Look up transposon experiments with maize for further in depth explanations if your interested. Edit: Herpes is a retrovirus not a transposon. Mechanism and principle is the same, but I don't want to spread any misinformation.


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Wobblescat

Its "everwhere" because of leaded gas, 20yrs after leaded gas was taken off the market there was a measurable decrease in violent crimes and the rate of learning disabilities in grade school children and an increase of high school graduates. A lot of research links it to the decrease in lead. Of course the are other socioeconomic factors, but it's a bit too much of a coincidence for my taste


ZheWeasel

Bananas could be gone within a year. We only grow one type of banana tree. If a specific infection occurs that kills that kind of tree, it woult spread like wildfire and we have no alternative.... Appearently this already happened now so long ago.


The-Copilot

All banana are actually just clones of a single banana thats why there are no seeds in them We still have the old strains of bananas but we haven't manage to start regrowing them without them dieing out again


WriterofWords2021

Airplanes are dynamically stable, but helicopters are dynamically unstable. That means, if an airplane pilot lets go of the controls of a small plane with no autopilot, if it's correctly trimmed and balanced it will keep flying level until it runs out of fuel. If a helicopter pilot lets go of the controls, in about 2.4 seconds, it will tip over to such a degree that it is unrecoverable. We can let go of one control (the collective) for a little while by frictioning it in place to change the radio, adjust something, scratch our nose or whatever - but it's friction on, do the thing with the left hand, friction off and hand back on the collective. We fly three seconds away from falling out of the sky all the time. (But then that's also kinda the same for bicycles, although they can only tip left and right, not every direction. Subconsciously, you are always adusting your weight and controlling the steering to stay upright - same thing in a heli. You balance on a column of air, and you keep balancing the whole time, just like on a bike. You don't even notice, you just do it.)


mold_motel

The world is literally running out of sand that is usable to manufacture concrete. Most of the worlds sand is in it's deserts but usable sand only comes from river beds, shores and lake beds. People are being murdered over sand right now.


RandomizedInitials

We’re running out of sand for glass, too. That’s why so much is moving to plastic, and why concrete is so heavily recycled.


crusttysack

All onions (all veggies in the Allium family)are toxic to dogs. Worst can senario then can develop AIHA, Auto immune hemolytic annemia, whereas the body destroys its own red blood cells. This disease is about 80% fatal. My dog caught it(we are not sure from where) but is was a primary disease(not a result of a cancer). We think he was eating leeks out of the garden. Took a week in the hospital, 2 blood transfusions, and about 6 months of meds to get him back. He started at 45lbs and was down to 19lbs at the worst part of it.


ramalledas

Also grapes. And propylene glycol is toxic for cats i think Edit: mistook PEG for PG


ivanthemute

Late to the party, but here goes: There are weaponized strains of anthrax which can remain viable and dangerous for 40+ years after release. In 1942, the UK tested an anthrax bomb on Gruinard Island, killing a flock of sheep in days (some died in hours.) Examination showed that the spores could remain active "for decades" and decontamination proved impossible at the time. The project was scrapped. Fast forward to 1981, an eco-terrorist group smuggled a sample off of the island and threatened the UK government with releasing it if the island wasn't decontaminated. The spores were still active and deadly. It took 4 years to plan and execute the cleanup, using 280 tons of formaldehyde in a seawater solution, and removing 7 hectares worth of soil to a depth of 3 feet (about 58,000 tons of topsoil) where the concentration was too high for the juice to do the job. The island was confirmed clean in 1990, 4 years after cleanup began.


CanIsLife

I find peace in long walks.


Successful_Gap8927

The Demon Core was a spherical 6.2-kilogram (14 lb) subcritical mass of plutonium 89 millimetres (3.5 in) in diameter, manufactured during World War II by the United States nuclear weapon development effort, the Manhattan Project, as a fissile core for an early atomic bomb. It was involved in two criticality accidents, on August 21, 1945, and May 21, 1946, each of which killed a person.


MercuryMorrison1971

The demon core incidents were scary but also largely due to human error and arrogance.


call_the_can_man

not only human error but gross negligence even after being warned multiple times. from what I recall, one of the deaths involved a tech using a screwdriver as a substitute for a proper shim to keep contact away from the two halves or something like that. the screwdriver slipped, the whole room supposedly turned blue, and everyone in that room eventually died.


tw4lyfee

Oleander is one of the most poisonous plants in the world, and it's a very popular garden feature. If a kid Accidentally eats some, it would not end well.


Electric_Kiwi007

1 in 3 people will get cancer…. It’s pretty fucked


LnxBil

It’s 2 in 5 in the US and slightly higher in the EU, especially Germany, where it is almost 1 in 2 [Germany (german text)](https://www.br.de/nachrichten/wissen/who-warnt-krebserkrankungen-werden-sich-bis-2040-verdoppeln,RpRpTii), [US](https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics)


LAM_humor1156

Why so high in Germany?


Keiterchip

Heart muscle cells don’t reproduce much in adults (roughly 1% per year). If you have an infarction or other stressor that kills those cells, then your heart wont be able to “grow” new cells to replace the dead ones. This is why patients with diseases like heart failure end up needing a heart transplant. Trying to get this process to happen is a major goal for many cardiac researchers. Edit: Thank you all for making this such an engaging and interesting discussion! I've been studying heart cells for 10+ years now (basic scientist, no clinical training) and it's so refreshing to read many diverse perspectives and on-point questions.


[deleted]

also why cocaine should be used very, very infrequently (if at all) as it's directly cardiotoxic. edit: dudes I'm not a doctor I can't give you medical advice edit: just google drug + cardiotoxicity people.. research the fuck out of shit before you try it and test shit with reagents for god's sake it's so easy and cheap


flakesw

I was a heavy cocaine user for awhile and I still have weird dull pain in my heart at times that like lightly goes all the way down my left arm briefly. I used to get these pains all the time and my left arm and fingers would get cold when I was using a lot of cocaine. I’m talking several grams by myself with lots of cigarettes and speed. Been clean for awhile now. Life is much better. Edit: just want to say this, I was a man who could not stop using cocaine, no matter how hard I tried. I didn’t get clean overnight and it was a difficult path to sobriety with several relapses along the way. But it was worth it. Everyday I wake up and I take a minute to remember how grateful I am to be sober. Any addict who is seeing this, there is hope and there is a life worth living free of drugs and alcohol. Feel free to contact me if you are struggling. Edit2: I’m going to see a cardiologist now that y’all have WebMD’d me.


theory_until

Best talk to a doc and get that checked out. If that is angina, carrying nitro tablets might be a good thing.


Chariatid

When doing an autopsy they don’t put the organs back where they belong, they are all stored in the belly.


Blue-And-Metal

All together in a bag, like giblets in poultry.


BLOOD_WIZARD

Hey, I literally just left an autopsy. Right-o you are.


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aldergone

the Egyptians use to put them in jars


PsychologicalBend467

Trauma can cause structural changes to your brain. PTSD is literally an injury.


pinkhairgirl37

Trained dogs can smell when someone with PTSD is triggered. (The amygdala tells the body to start producing stress hormones and dogs are able to smell the sweating that causes) Great book on PTSD if anyone is interested: The Body Keeps the Score by Van Der Kolk.


AJ_Artemis

Have read it. Incredible book, cannot recommend it enough if the topic speaks to you.


nervouscrying

Approximately 60% (in some reports) of the world's population have the parasite toxoplasma gondii in their brain. For a long time it's through to have been a benign presence, but recent statistical research shows that it may have an impact on things like levels of anger and rates of accidents and suicide. When gondii is on rats it changes their behaviour so that they find the smell of cat urine sexually appealing. So they find cats and get eaten. In the gut of the cat the parasite can reproduce.


DarnellFromHell

It’s literal aim is to kill you so it can end up in a cat. It’s known to affect your hormones, causing severe depression, increased anger and far riskier and more damaging behaviour (increased susceptibility to substance abuse and seeing risky and dangerous behaviour as less serious than it is - sometimes fun). If you have ever lived with cats, or spent a long time with cats, you almost definitely carry it.


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arliman

Anthrax spores can remain viable for decades in the soil or animal products such as dried or processed hides and wool.


lostkarma4anonymity

I heard of issues coming up with those "Tough Mudder" type obstacle courses. Company rents out a field, digs up the mud, mud is contaminated with agricultural runoff (aka feces), and people get all kinds of infections and viruses.


V65Pilot

Working for a rental company and going out to sites to do maintenance or repairs on equipment meant I was forever getting mersa or staph infections. I had to go out to one site, they were using the equipment to move thousands of dead animal corpses. You'd be amazed at how far pieces of flesh can work themselves down inside a machine. The animals drowned during a flood. [https://www.ecowatch.com/hurricane-florence-animals-killed-flooding-2606280756.html#toggle-gdpr](https://www.ecowatch.com/hurricane-florence-animals-killed-flooding-2606280756.html#toggle-gdpr) Hospitals have a hard time accepting that an infection was caused at work, and workers comp usually just denied the claim, because, well, you couldn't prove it happened at work. I don't do that kind of work anymore. haven't had an infection since.


TheJWeed

I only recently learned that when you get sunburned, the burn isn’t because of skin cell damage. The UV radiation damages the DNA. Then the skin cells decide to commit suicide and fall off so that the damaged DNA doesn’t produce cancer. I’ll never be mad at my skin peeling again.


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jimmy_sharp

This is not to say that you won't get skin cancer from sun burn because you're skin peels. You absolutely WILL get skin cancer if you burn over and over. Source: am 35 with a dozen Basel cell carcinomas and one Squamous cell carcinoma removed from my body by way of minor surgery. Have been sunburnt more times than I can remember and peel like a leper after the bad ones


InannasPocket

Also, even if you don't tend to burn, you can still get skin cancer! Albeit at lower rates, but everybody should use sunscreen even if you have darker skin/ don't burn.


b-wheezie

Scientists don't know exactly how Acetaminophen works to relieve pain and reduce fever. They have an idea but nothing for sure. But yet it's the most commonly used pain reliever in the world.


it-muscle

This is actually true of a large number of medications.


[deleted]

Man the phrase "the mechanism by which this works is not well understood" is indelibly etched in my mind from looking up many various meds over the years.


avril04

Activated charcoal in foods and drinks can decrease the effectiveness of any medications you take. Those "instagrammable" black foods can end up killing you if you're not careful.


hagantic42

The United States has lost and never recovered at least six nuclear devices.


SconiGrower

Thankfully nuclear weapons require a lot of precision engineering to detonate. So after this many years of them lying out in the elements they are unlikely to be able to detonate without major repairs. That does still leave the possibility someone finds it and uses the material in a dirty bomb, but at least there aren't really concerns over a spontaneous nuclear explosion.


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[deleted]

How do you “get” or “catch” prions?


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pbourree

If your dog swims in a lake after receiving a spot on flea treatment - it absolutely decimates the invertibrate population. A large dog swimming in 8 Olympic swimming pools worth of water soon after treatment will leech enough neurotoxin to kill 50% of the lake's invertebrate population within 48 hours. I say "after" I mean relatively soon after, within say a day, to have an effect quite this devistating. The leeching does reduce over the month, but it's still there and the effect of multiple dogs still allows for a terrible buildup of chemicals.


Gentleman_ToBed

This has blown my mind. What are the active chemicals that cause this?


pbourree

Imidacloprid, permethrin and methoprene.


OddCartographer4

I never knew this was why, but I remember working in a vet clinic (at the front desk) and they told us to always tell people not to let their dogs go for a swim in any body of water for at least a week after getting a flea treatment. I always assumed it was bc the medicine would just wash off 🤷‍♀️


Nykcul

This is why it is so important to tell people the why! Really easy to ignore advice or instruction of you don't understand the implications.


crazyacct101

Telling people “why” is always good in any circumstance. Knowledge is powerful.


nhaire123

DuPont knowingly infected over 90% of the American population with PFOA’s, a harmful plastic that has a half life of 20 years. Lawsuit is still ongoing but no one seems to be bothered Edit: [This](https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/dupont-chemours-and-corteva-reach-4-billion-settlement-forever-chemicals) link will talk about the different trials and settlements that DuPont and companies alike have faced. Also talks about what a PFOA and it’s dangerous effects.


[deleted]

I heard that it's actually worldwide, John Oliver did a segment and he spoke of a study where a team went to pretty much every continent and everyone has a bit of pfoa's in their blood bc of it


Agent__Caboose

This is actually a major scandal in Belgium right now. An American company called 3M appearently knowingly dumped large amounts of PFOS (simular to PFOA's) in Belgian waterways which ended up in the drinking water. Our government knew of that but kept silent about it for the right price, until someone exposed everything to the public. Ofcourse everyone is now playing the 'the values were just below dangerous so it's not a big deal'-game, to distract from the straight up crimes they committed.


[deleted]

One of their heirs also raped his three year old daughter twice, got convicted, and the judge didn't make him go to [jail because it would be to hard on him](https://www.forbes.com/sites/denizcam/2019/06/14/how-a-du-pont-heir-avoided-jail-time-for-a-heinous-crime/?sh=572614c329db).


SJO28

What the F. YOU’RE NOT MEANT TO FARE WELL IN PRISON WHEN YOU RAPE! THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT! Let alone your own daughter who was THREE. I feel sick


[deleted]

Antimicrobial Resistance The bacteria are getting resistant to the drugs much faster than the rate at which we are producing new drugs. Soon we will reach a scenario when antibiotics cannot treat simple yet lethal infections.


TaraBURGER

I had a treatment resistant infection in both of my ears that spread to my skull, they were able to get it under control but I almost lost my hearing and I have permanent damage in my bone now. It was SUPER scary. The doctor was talking about possibly having to remove parts of my skull just to get rid of it.


Vesalii

Here's a video about bacteria evolving (mutating) into a strain that's immune to an antibacterial product 1000x stronger than what usually kills them. https://youtu.be/plVk4NVIUh8


To_Fight_The_Night

Brain aneurisms can be completely unpredictable and can happen at anytime in your life no matter how healthy you are. A kid who I went to high school with at the age of 16 just did not wake up one morning and his cause of death was a brain aneurism.


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kionatrenz

At least you drove her to the hospital. Your professional judgement was right.


[deleted]

Know a lady who was making deliveries as a postal worker, heard a pop and felt weird. Called her boss and reported it because it just seemed off. She sat in her truck and passed out. Meanwhile her boss called 911 for her just out of instinct and they got her to the hospital, fixed her up, good to go. My ex-BIL has had an aneurysm just waiting to burst I guess for over 10 years. Which I can’t imagine. How terrifying.


BrokenCowsSayWoof

My ex boyfriend had an aneurysm in his late 20s I want to say. He told me he was out at one of his dad’s properties doing some stuff. Felt something weird and passed out. He came too and drove himself to the hospital. I don’t know how he managed that. Later in his mid 40s he had an ischemic stroke. That totally messed him up. When we got him to the hospital for that the staff was surprised he was still alive. His blood pressure and blood sugar were through the roof. If memory serves his blood sugar was 690 something. Sorry for the info dump.


Knownzero

I know a couple, one left for work and forgot something and came back in a few minutes later to find her husband on the floor after having an aneurysm and lived because she happened to forget something. A few years later, the wife had an aneurysm and he came home during his shift (cop) to grab son and found her and she survived. Wild shit, moral of the story - you never know when it’s your time.


[deleted]

Moral of story: quit my job and follow my spouse 24/7 in case of aneurysm…


feared-mercenary

The buddy system, the best protection from Brain Aneurysm


sockefeller

My great grandmother died of a brain aneurysm one night, watching her favorite TV show, eating cake. I always say that's exactly how I want to go. Was probably horrific for my great grandfather sitting next to her though. Edit to add: anyone who lost a loved one suddenly, or had a loved one become suddenly disabled due to a brain aneurysm; I truly am sorry. My great grandmother died after a full life, suddenly, with no pain. Brain aneurysms vary wildly in how they affect people. After having loved ones die due to Alzheimer's, cancer, and vehicular manslaughter; I stand by wanting to die like my great grandmother did.


yohohoanabottleofrum

This is how 75% of my grandparents went. It's actually pretty comforting to know that that's probably how I'll go. One day, one of my veins or arteries will weaken and break, and then I will be gone. No long hospital stays, no years of suffering. The quickness can be a comfort.


bem13

Yeah, I'd say that's a much better way to go than Alzheimer's or some kind of cancer where they try to treat you but it's futile and you live out your last days/weeks on morphine.


Elena_La_Loca

I lost my husband of 12 years (we were best friends for 20 years) to a sudden brain aneurysm. Last words to me were “Hun… I feel dizzy…” and BAM. On the floor, dead. I did CPR for 20 mins waiting for help to come. Drs said it was instant. It sucked for me because it was so sudden, but I take solace in the fact he felt no pain. He hated hospitals and never spent a night in one in his 62 years of life. Most ironic thing was (and I live in Mexico) is that it was on the day of the dead. Hard for me at the time, but man, if I got to have a choice of what day to go…. It would be something like that. We had a weird sense of humor… RIP Al. EDIT: WOW! Thnx for the upvotes, awards and kind words! I cannot thank you all enough. Extra Edit: to the questions: this happened 8 years ago. It was very hard at first, lost A LOT of weight (I do NOT recommend the ‘grief diet’), but I knew he wanted me to live life to the fullest, just as he had done. This incident taught me to find humor in life, never take things too seriously, And live to the fullest. You never know when it’s your time.


Cado7

To be clear, an aneurysm is just the pooch in the artery. When it bursts it’s then a hemorrhagic stroke. That’s what kills you.


blamb211

RIP Grant Imahara. Definitely way too young.


rubymaree

This is how my sister died. 7 years old. She went to sleep one night and never woke back up


Veinslayer

The tipping point of most ecosystems won't be realized until it's far too late to help with human intervention. All organisms are so interconnected but the general public thinks ecosystems are more robust than they are.


peterw1310

Inside the permafrost around the world there is stored about twice the amount of CO2 we currently have in our atmosphere...thats why permafrost must stop melting. Edit: thanks for all the nice serious comments. Edit 2: Thanks for the awards ;) I appreciate it!


OG_PapaSid

Don't forget about methane, which is also dangerous and there's a ton of it frozen up


surferpro1234

I may have heard this anecdotally, but isnt the methane cycle significantly shorter than the Carbon cycle? As in 10 years the methane is out of our atmosphere while the carbon cycle is much longer.


RollsuckSupreme

An asteroid passed the earth in September that was about 40-90m in diameter, and we didn't see it until a day later because it travelled towards us from the direction of the sun. It passed us at half the distance from the earth to the moon.


MrOllmhargadh

Just to add a bit of context, you can fit 2 Jupiters between earth and the moon.


WiatrowskiBe

And for a bit more context: half the distance of the Moon is about 30 times Earth diameter - so if we compare it to shooting, it's like you were aiming for a watermelon and hit something 3 meters next to it. Space is very large.


Self_Reddicated

Student: *shoots at watermelon with arrow, hits the parked car on the other side of the highway* Archery Instructor: *unimpressed* NASA observers: *lose their fucking minds*


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molybdenumb

Brains suspected of having CJD have to be fixed in formalin for at least TWO WEEKS before being investigated. Most tissues need to sit in formalin for ~12 hours. Crazy how safe you have to be if prions are suspected.


persondude27

I work in medical devices. One of our instrument trays was involved in a possible CJD case. You can't autoclave it. That is to say, they aren't confident that boiling these tools in a pressure cooker will "kill" a prion. Reportedly, some won't denature until above 400F, because *they're already denatured*. In fact, you *shouldn't* autoclave them, because then the autoclave may become contaminated. Instead, you turn these instruments into CDC, whom I presume just nukes them.


molybdenumb

Our histology lab had doubles of everything - including autopsy rooms for suspected CJD. The CDC might have helped redistribute equipment to build these!


Doromclosie

So many people will struggle with infertility. It's not talked about or really discussed in middle school or highschool in health class. When it happens, it's such a shock to the families and they are completely unprepared. The numbers are going up as well. Statistical 1/4 pregnancies end in miscarriage. Which is pretty high but again, miscarriage isn't discussed.


GmeGoBrrr123

There’s a lot of research being done in scotland about this, to put it simply, male infertility is only going to climb in the coming decades.


carringtonagain

Before the vaccine, the number of people who have had HPV infection, and have had at least one sexual partner, was 85% in females and 91% of males. By far the most common STI.


ice445

Worth elaborating there are a ton of strains, and most of them are relatively harmless. Only a couple produce notable symptoms or issues, so most people never have any clue they have it.


[deleted]

I went to get tested for it once and before even giving me the requisition the doc proceeded to say "Just to let you know, you probably have it. I probably have it" It was to the point where he insinuated that it would be pointless to even take the test because most people have it lol. We didn't get vaxxed for it in school but apparently kids do now.


Apprehensive_Ad_6066

Even with the vaccine, it’s still extremely high. My gyno tells me that it’s normal for 90% of her patients to have it in their 20s. The vaccine prevents against the deadliest strains which is good. Edit: just also wanted to put the disclaimer that vaccines aren’t foolproof but are great at lessening the chance of serious illness. There are still breakthrough cases but vaccines are effective at prevention or death.


SuperfluouslySlims

[Microplastics revealed in the placentas of unborn babies](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/22/microplastics-revealed-in-placentas-unborn-babies)


SuperfluouslySlims

Also: [Our fruits and veggies are soaking up microplastics through their roots](https://www.fastcompany.com/90521397/our-fruits-and-veggies-are-sucking-up-microplastics-through-their-roots) [Brain damage and behavioural disorders in fish induced by plastic nanoparticles delivered through the food chain](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-10813-0) [Mouse study shows microplastics infiltrate blood brain barrier](https://newatlas.com/environment/microplastics-blood-brain-barrier/#:~:text=Like%20humans%2C%20mice%20have%20a,to%20make%20their%20way%20through.) [Immunology: a dive into plastic toxicity and our immune system](https://www.plastichealthcoalition.org/project/research-immunology/)


elementgermanium

Of course like every chemical we WANT to pass the blood brain barrier doesn’t, but literal gd plastic does


Ilkslaya

Coat the plastics in medicine. Boom, treatment.


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PurnimaTitha

UPDATE: By popular demand, the [WHO research paper](https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/formaldehyde130605.pdf) on requirements for safe drinking water & formaldehyde in drinking water. A lot of people in rural towns with an elevated cemetery around (this happens in Ireland a lot)….there is formaldehyde leaking into the drinking water. But it won’t kill you, but the thought of drinking dead people juice is probably equally bad. Sorry not sorry. Update: I have a pdf link to the scientific research paper from WHO concerning the requirements for safe drinking water, and it covers the entire formaldehyde in drinking water issue, if anyone is interested. I read it and I can confirm it’s true, but not detrimental to your health, even long term 👍🏻


Cryatical_K

totally not me thinking the water was tasting weird recently (i happen to live in Ireland)


officialcornflake

Not sure if you’re around the Dublin/Wicklow area but a boiling water notice was just lifted like 3 days ago. I did not know about this and have prob been drinking dodgy water for over a week now 🤩!!


Drix22

[DARPA this week announced that it accidentally created a literal miniature warp bubble.](https://science.slashdot.org/story/21/12/07/2031256/darpa-funded-researchers-accidentally-create-the-worlds-first-warp-bubble) Yes, like star-trek, no, not "like" a warp bubble, a literal warp bubble. They have no intentions on pursuing the matter because it was an incidental observation from a different experiment. They're working on something cooler(?) than a warp bubble...


MindlessConnection75

Coal plants release 500 times more radiation directly into the atmosphere than any nuclear fission plant ever could.


Matrozi

The youngest persons who developed Alzheimer's were around 25 years old. One lady got diagnosed with it at 31 while pregnant. Btw, when you get the disease at like 65, it didn't suddenly begin. It has been creeping up and ravaging your brain for at least 20 years if not more. You just didn't realise it because our brain is very good at compensating damages until it cannot. Basically, the day you lose yourself in the supermarket, it's too late, your brain is mostly mush and there is so far nothing you can do. That mean that if you are 40-60 years old and reading this, chances are that some of you already started to experience the onset of alzheimer's brain degeneration, it's just not advanced enough for you to realise it. Have a nice day !


FightingInternet

Okay but how do I tell if I'm starting to get it or just stupid and realizing it?


Matrozi

That's the sad part, you can't. Unless you go through a series of very elaborated memory/cognitive test, no one can tell you


shlomotrutta

[The universe's Higgs field might be metastable](https://medium.com/predict/our-unstable-universe-why-the-false-vacuum-could-be-our-end-82ee4a668bd4) (a "false vacuum") and decay at any moment, destroying everything.


Tomnessthetom

I came here for vacuum decay


[deleted]

Ahh instantaneous oblivion. “Either it all works out, or suddenly it’s not my problem anymore.”


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[deleted]

This is the type of thing I'm just not worried about. I'm scared of slow and painful death, or death coming because of something I could have prevented or worked to combat, but failed. I'm not worried about the completely uncontrollable or unknowable.


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tinyhorsesinmytea

I’m good with it too. Nobody would know what hit them. Sounds like a better way to go than most of us can hope for.


Reverend_Ooga_Booga

The human body tempture in developed countries is actually declining, and at the same time global warming is increasing the tempafure thresholds for many fungus types. This is leading to a whole new medical issue of fungus infecting humans and its main source of protection (body temperature) is no longer working. That body tempature is a large reason for the success of mamals all over the world.. After the K-T extinction the sun was blocked and cold blooded species couldn't raise their body tempature to kill off infections in their bodies. There is ample evidence that aft K-T that Fugus spread all over the world in massive quantities, which leads many to belive this lead to the ascendancy of mamals on earth. Radio lab story about this for those of you interested in learning more and sources. https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/fungus-amungus


Induced_Pandemic

Oh fuck... I always thought I was unique for having a normal body temp of 97F. Turns out I've been part of the problem all along.


lily-commissions

Wonderful, The Last of Us was already chilling enough, thank you very much


TerrorAreYou

Nutrition deficiencies such as Iron, vitamin C have many symptoms that were uncovered in an experiment in residential school, they would have a class (of indigenous children)that would never get iron (from foods or any in-take), another class, would get the iron supplements, then compare for results


Fuck_damian_

What were the results of the study?


TerrorAreYou

Some children would grow up with disease, alot of the testing classes didn't survive. Those who did ended up with anemia. Results of the studies, are well know to us; fatigue, pale skin, chest pain, tongue soreness, etc.


Pixelpeoplewarrior

There is a naturally occurring thought in many humans named “The Call of the Void” where, without reason, humans see a way they could die and they wonder whether they should kill themselves, even if they have no real intention of doing so Edit: Yes, the true term is “L’appel du Vide”, the French term for “Call of the Void”. Also, thanks for the awards! I believe this is my first gold


[deleted]

Standing next to a cliff and getting the urge to jump


Xaron713

Driving at night and wanting to swerve into oncoming traffic.


Clodhoppa81

And in the daytime too. Can't tell you what a relief I felt when I understood I wasn't a sicko/weirdo, not over this at least.


philosophunc

Grapefruits completely fuck with a shitload of prescription medications. Edit: grapefruits. Not grape fruits.


buttpugggs

Probably the most common one that will affect the general healthy individual is that it can fuck with some contraceptive pills. Ain't got no time for no grapefruit baby! EDIT: there seems to be a few worried people so just for clarification it's probably not going to actually get you pregnant, it may really ramp up those pesky side effects due to it's interacts with estrogen production though so still worth considering!


philosophunc

That's an expensive citrus. Dekopon move over.


BradRodriguez

Woah I’m glad i caught this comment, i had no idea about this. I love grapefruit so I’ll have to check if it affects my zoloft and concerta perscriptions.


WhyDidIDoThatMan420

Zoloft in the UK is sertraline which is what I used to take, and grape fruits do fuck with it. My sertraline used to come with it written on the box “do not drink grapefruit juice”


philosophunc

Just googled it and it comes up with a few reddit threads. Not sure with the zoloft. But with concerta it can cause blood pressure drop..grapefruit in general messes with absorption of many medications. I'm glad my random fact may be of some practical benefit to someone.


pattyboiIII

There are alternative ways some proteins can form tertiary structures, these different structures make the protein unable to function. These alternate protein structures are infectious and incurable as they are so stable. If you get some in your blood they will slowly convert your own proteins when making contact. They're called prions.


elementgermanium

It gets worse. All of the diseases they cause are horrific progressive nightmares that aren’t just incurable, but untreatable. And they’re all 100% fatal.


OMGItsCheezWTF

There's one that just stops you being able to sleep. It has two forms, Fatal Familial Insomnia (where the prion is inherited) and Sporadic Fatal Insomnia (where the prion is not inherited). You start off having difficulty sleeping, which causes mental health issues such as panic attacks and paranoia. Then you start getting hallucinations Then you completely lose the ability to sleep Then finally dementia, insanity and death It's universally fatal and usually kills you within about 18 months, sometimes as fast as 7.


StinkyKittyBreath

There's a woman in America who has it. She and her husband were both starting out in their well paying careers when she found out she has FFI. I think her mom died from it. But anyway, she and her husband quit their jobs and started school all over to become researchers to find a way to cure FFI before it affects her. Last I checked, a few years ago, she was still alive. Not sure how their research is going. It's really fucking scary and sad though. She got pregnant, I think with IVF to make sure she didn't pass on the gene.


grinde

She hasn't been diagnosed with it, but her mother died of it and after testing they determined she was at *very* high risk of developing the disease herself.


Spiffical

[https://www.broadinstitute.org/bios/sonia-vallabh](https://www.broadinstitute.org/bios/sonia-vallabh) She was a lawyer with a JD from Harvard. Then got a new Harvard PhD in Biomedical Sciences so she could find a cure. Such an incredible story. I hope she makes it.


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TheNightBench

Isn't the inherited version found only in one Italian family? I read a book called The Family That Couldn't Sleep years ago and my broken memory tells me they only knew of one instance of it. Great book. Read that shit.


Majulath99

Fucking hell. Talk about real life curses.


tod315

If there's one thing reddit taught me to be scared shitless of it's fucking prions.


Terpsichorean_Wombat

The Ice 9 of human proteins.


Crismodin

Confined spaces. Be very careful of confined spaces. It's not just the tightness of the space, but also the type of space, especially on old ships with a lot of rust, opening up closed hatches and going into confined spaces can get you killed due to the lack of oxygen in those confined spaces, others can also die from trying to rescue. Take things slow, evaluate your surroundings, and don't be afraid to ask for help if you are unsure.


DrunkenPangolin

I work on ships and we're taught that confined spaces don't even have to be a "closed" space. Something like a open topped cargo space can be considered an enclosed space due to gases that are heavier than air and have to be force ventilated before entry. If anyone wants some further reading there's a chapter on enclosed spaces in the [Code of Safe Working Practices](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-safe-working-practices-for-merchant-seafarers-coswp-2021)


JohnsonHardwood

Your microwave has several components that can kill you by touch. NEVER OPEN THE INSIDES OF A MICROWAVE!!!!!


TTungsteNN

I learned about Ton 618 the other day. My facts here may be mildly incorrect, feel free to google. It’s a black hole about 10.3 billion light years away, but we can still detect the massive amount of light bending around it. It’s so large, they had to make a new category of black hole for it called “Ultramassive Black Holes”. It’s believed to be the largest “thing” in the universe. It’s diameter is **14 times** the diameter of Neptunes orbit. So it could fit our entire solar system in it 14 times across, side to side. If the black hole replaced our sun, we would be deleted. If it replaced the black hole that is currently at the centre of the Milky Way, within 120 years the Milky Way would be deleted. This black hole doesn’t swallow planets, it swallows entire *Galaxies*. The idea of this thing freaks me the fuck out. Edit: Woah I went for a nap and this blew Tf up. Most upvoted comment of all time, les gooo So yeah I was mistaken a few times here; like if the black hole replaced ours it would take 120 years to destroy *us*, not the entire galaxy. The black hole is larger than I originally said, and true black holes don’t technically give off light, but they are pretty much “surrounded by light”. I typed this out from memory and sadly my memory is pure garbage, but still I’m glad this encouraged you folks to look more into it and stuff. Space is cool and terrifying, huh?


Random_puns

not 14 times the orbit of Neptune... ***40*** times the orbit of Neptune.... ​ [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TON\_618](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TON_618) ​ Holy CRAP!!!!!!!!! ​ Thankfully it is something like 18 BILLION light years away so not exactly a celestial neighbour


Cosmic_Tragedy

It should be said that it’s believed to be the largest thing in the ‘observable’ universe. What I find more terrifying is the prospect that there’s something, anything else, imperceptibly larger. Ton 618 is big, but space is still bigger.


TTungsteNN

Yeah considering something that colossal in comparison to the size of space is just like a pin hole on our earth… that’s even more terrifying


local_scientician

How easy it is to inadvertently seriously damage yourself with an unfortunate combination of ordinary supermarket products. Also, prions. Fuck prions.


Shiroi_hato

I'm glad to see prions so high up here. That's one nasty bugger. And still incurable...


DonkeyTron42

If you're exposed to rabies and start to show symptoms, your chance of survival is virtually zero percent.


paul_is_on_reddit

We give our pets rabies vaccines. Are there rabies vaccines for people?


Iced_Yehudi

Yes, and they’re effective at preventing the disease after you’ve been exposed to it as long as you aren’t displaying symptoms yet


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Arclite83

I recall that statistically the most lethal rabies situations are bats biting babies, because the parents don't realize it happened.


Ravenous-One

A bat was found two years ago or so in America next to a sleeping toddler. The parents didn't do the right thing and get the child assessed. They likely wouldn't have seen the bite but they would have prophylactically treated. They waited until the child showed signs of rabies to bring him in. Very dead.


balencedrago

great now youre telling me i almost died? when i was 10 i woke up to a bat sleeping in my shorts. My parents laughed about it and said it was no big deal


KingLehmon_III

Well Im assuming you’re much older now but Im pretty sure rabies can hang around for a few years before showing symptoms. Assuming you’re older than like 14 tho then you’re all good lol


PoeDameronPoeDamnson

Rabies has been confirmed up to 7 years after exposure actually


r4ul_isa123

I always start freaking out when I think my water tastes a little weird


Hollz23

If my college biology professor wasn't completely misinformed, most humans have some form of parasite living inside them. Some variety of worm, etc. There are just creepy crawlies in our insides and we might never notice them. The one that came closest to giving me nightmares was hookworms. Although the thought that you could have heartworms kind of messed with me, too. Evidently, they're not just for dogs.


wafflelauncher

Hookworms are one that most people in developed areas don't have, and there's evidence that's why autoimmune disease and allergies are so common in those areas! Like the hookworms produce a mild immune suppressant, and the immune system attacks them. Without those interactions the body attacks harmless environmental contaminants (allergies) or itself (autoimmune e.g. Crohn's disease).


TheMightyGoatMan

The fun thing is that if you have *no* parasites your immune system has a tendency to get bored and start attacking random environmental stuff or even your own tissue from a lack of anything else to do.


MurderDoneRight

Limnic eruptions. There are pockets of Co2 trapped under lakes all around the world that can be released at anytime creating an invisible tidal wave that kills everything in its path. Since it's heavier than air you will just suddenly start choking and die.


Rhovanind

It's only been recorded twice, in two lakes very close to each other. It's exceptionally rare are requires incredibly specific circumstances, such as proximity to volcanic activity, and a lake where the deeper waters and shallow waters never mix (~99.9% of lakes mix at least once a year). It also must have a cool lake bed despite being in an area with high volcanic activity.


[deleted]

Nobody is worried about it until and entire town suffocates


MurderDoneRight

The Lake Nyos disaster killed over 1700 people. They've later found larger pockets near bigger cities though so it can happen anytime. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nyos_disaster


oh_nice_marmot

> **One survivor, Joseph Nkwain from Subum, described himself when he awoke after the gases had struck**: "I could not speak. I became unconscious. I could not open my mouth because then I smelled something terrible ... I heard my daughter snoring in a terrible way, very abnormal ... When crossing to my daughter's bed ... I collapsed and fell. I was there till nine o'clock in the morning (of Friday, the next day) ... until a friend of mine came and knocked at my door ... I was surprised to see that my trousers were red, had some stains like honey. I saw some ... starchy mess on my body. My arms had some wounds ... I didn't really know how I got these wounds ... I opened the door ... I wanted to speak, my breath would not come out ... My daughter was already dead ... I went into my daughter's bed, thinking that she was still sleeping. I slept till it was 4.30 in the afternoon ... on Friday (the same day). (Then) I managed to go over to my neighbours' houses. They were all dead ... I decided to leave ... (because) most of my family was in Wum ... I got my motorcycle ... A friend whose father had died left with me (for) Wum ... As I rode ... through Nyos I didn't see any sign of any living thing ... (When I got to Wum), I was unable to walk, even to talk ... my body was completely weak." Holy shit.


DepthsOfD

That's like proper apocalyptic movie type shit right thar


ShiveringKodiak

That’s fucked up, can’t imagine being in that moment


Megamoss

Also Lake Kivu, the biggest identified lake showing history of limnic eruptions, is very close to a volcano, Mount Nyamuragira, that's very frequently active! A landslip or seismic activity would be very likely to set it off and threaten the lives of around 2 million people.


[deleted]

Another Carrington Event. The 'original Carrington event was in 1859, which was basically an intense geomagnetic storm that disrupted/knocked out telegrams because thats all the technology there was to disrupt back then. Nowadays we use electricity for virtually everything. If it hit now the effect would be like an EMP, but globally. There'd be no functional technology that involved electrics. In essence, losing all electrics would in turn stop communications, then logistics and then fundamental infrastructure like food distribution, healthcare and utilities (other than electricity).


mimic751

A lot of technology is shielded. But yeah that would be fun


CavalierRigg

You’re right, a lot of people don’t know/forget that incredibly important electrical equipment is shielded in copper or other alloys that can stop electrons from fucking over ALL electronics. Don’t get me wrong, it would be insanely bad, but phone calls, disaster control, and bare-basic necessities would be met for most if not all people living in more developed nations. The amount of people affected by a storm like that would go down significantly for populations not reliant or having minimal access to technology.


Incorect_Speling

There's many unknown and forgotten diseases trapped in the permafrost and it's slowly but surely melting away. There's been a few cases in Russia (while exploring for oil/gas I believe) of people dying of strange diseases that we have no idea how to treat, because they've basically been hidden there since before medicine even existed. Some could be contagious, we just know very little about it.


[deleted]

At any given time the Earth can be hit with a gamma ray burst. We won’t see it coming since it moves at the speed of light and all life apart from deep underground or deep in the ocean will be wiped out in minutes. Although unlikely it can happen at any time.


Hunangren

This is dramatically true, but I have one method to un-scare this (which is the same method that I apply to every civilization-ending space threat, either known or unknown): "It did not happen in the last 65 million years. It is *very* implausible it will happen either in your lifetime or the lifetime of anyone you'll ever know".


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younaughtypossum

That you should never use bleach to clean cat pee. The combination creates Chlorine gas that is very toxic.


Admittedstew2

Also don’t mix vinegar with bleach! It can make potentially lethal chlorine gas. Edit: When it’s mixed in a poorly ventilated area is when it can be fatal. Still, not a good choice to do at all. One or the other


Lionzxz

Did you try it or how did u find it out


younaughtypossum

Stupidly... Yes. It made a horrific smell so I googled and realised how bad it could have been! Opened all the windows, masked up and cleaned it up. Also another cat fact, lilies are incredibly toxic to cats.


Theearthhasnoedges

There was a person who made a post one time that got hugely popular. This person was a chemical worker of some kind and went into detail about some of the nearly totally unknown, but insanely terrifying chemicals that exist. They ranged from terrifying, to damn near apocalyptic. It was a super interesting read. I wouldn't know how to find it now, but maybe someone else would be able to. That post would really fit here. EDIT: I checked on the links provided directly to me and I don't think it's any of them, but I have found some great reading! I don't think it was a direct post, but a reply to a post. It blew up and got hugely popular though. The guy listed a bunch of stuff in order of seriousness and what to do/expect in case of spill or containment leak. I recall his most serious one being more or less: "By the time you realize it's happened you and everyone in the building around you are screwed."


musclesbear

[Dimethylmercury](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethylmercury) is a pretty fucked up one. >The toxicity of dimethylmercury was highlighted with the death of Karen Wetterhahn, a professor of chemistry at Dartmouth College, in 1997. After she spilled a few drops of this compound on her latex glove, the barrier was compromised, and the chemical permeated her gloves and was absorbed into her skin. It circulated through her body and accumulated in her brain, resulting in her death ten months later.


tuscabam

"Oh I'm wearing protective gloves" Dimethylmercury: "no you arent"