Category:

Hygiene

Tue 11 Jul 2006

Nikola Tesla turns 150 today

Tuesday, Jul 11th, 2006 at 9:13 am
Categories: Energy; Hygiene; Genius; Invention; Tesla, Nikolai; Edison, Thomas
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Nikolai TeslaNikolai Tesla … an archetype of genius and tragedy.

Tesla was born precisely at midnight during an electrical storm, to a Serb family, in the village of Smiljan near Gospić, in the Lika region of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (today in Croatia). He was baptised in the Serbian Orthodox Church. His baptism certificate reports that he was born on June 28, 1856 (Julian calendar); July 10 in the Gregorian calendar ….
[Link]

Tesla disliked Thomas Edison. Upon Edison’s death, most of the remarks made in his epitaph were kind, save those from Tesla, who said of Edison:

Thomas Alva Edison“He had no hobby, cared for no sort of amusement of any kind and lived in utter disregard of the most elementary rules of hygiene.”

- Tesla on Edison, via Jason Bellows @ DamnInteresting.com: Link

Via Boing Boing



Mon 3 Jul 2006

Chewing Gum Causes Body to Emit Rose Fragrance

Monday, Jul 3rd, 2006 at 5:44 am
Categories: Flowers; Hygiene; Literature; Candy
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A new chewing gum “causes a rose fragrance to be emitted from the body one to two hours after it is chewed” –

The gum, called “Otoko Kaoru” (male scent) Rose Menthol, contains the fragrant component geraniol, which is found in roses. According to Kanebo’s food research laboratory, Otoko Kaoru Rose Menthol Gum from Kanebothe component is emitted from sweat glands easily, in much the same way as garlic and alcohol. Maca, a plant that is rich in nutrition, was added, creating a mint-flavored, sugarless gum.

The gum is aimed at men between their 20s and 50s who are worried about body odors and scents. Each packet, which costs 126 yen, contains nine pieces of gum. The product will be sold at station kiosks and convenience stores.
[Mainichi Daily News: Link]

Via Fark

See Also: Hygiene @ Wikipedia

Which reminds me. Commercially bred flowers are losing their scent — flower breeders have selected for bloom size and color, at the expense of scent. See Diminishing Nutrition.

Ascendancies, by D.G. ComptonI’m also reminded, obliquely, of the novel Ascendancies [1980] by David G. Compton … mysterious substance falls from the sky, people start to disappear into thin air, leaving behind the smell of roses ….