Folk singer Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” commemorates the sinking of this ship, the largest to traverse the Great Lakes at the time. Other wrecks have inspired folks songs, too, like the “Lady Elgin” and “The Eastland,” saluting the voracious storms and currents of these lakes. The ferocity of the Great Lakes waters have taken down thousands of other boats, with the cold, fresh water preserving their remains, and even holding onto the passengers as the frigid water temperatures keep bodies from floating up after decomposition begins....

The answer, it turns out, is the Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain, a relatively small struggle over control of a rail line between Virginia and Tennessee in 1864. A Union victory, the battle takes home the crown of “most combined facial hair of any pair of combatants in the entire war” thanks to the staggeringly long beard of the Confederate Brigadier General Albert G. Jenkins (the beard was almost three times the size of his face) and the trim mustache combined with untamed short beard of Union Brigadier General George R....

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City is reviving this microbial experiment by displaying a 6-foot-tall Winogradsky column through August. It’s part of an exhibit called The Secret World Inside You, which explores bacteria found in our bodies. Just as pond bacteria colonize distinct layers in the column, bacteria in our guts colonize distinct parts of our stomach and intestines to help us digest food. “The human digestive tract is one huge Winogradsky column,” says Rob DeSalle, an evolutionary biologist who helped curate the exhibit....

Nearly all of Hawaii is currently experiencing some degree of drought, from “moderate” to “exceptional,” according to federal monitoring data. While this year is not as severe as the 7-year dry period that ended in 2015, it falls in line with a larger pattern of declining inundation in Hawaii over the last 30 years. To make things worse, the drought has also corresponded with a rise in average temperatures, which speeds up evaporation....

Preventing the Next Pandemic The World’s Smallest Pacemaker Maps for Precision Medicine Health Stats That Stick A “Check Engine” Light for Your Brain The Most Comfortable Hearing Aid First New Antibiotic in Nearly 30 Years Targeted Cancer Radiation In One Go A Savior for Diabetics 3D-Printed Tissue A Monitor with Muscle A 3D-Motion Toothbrush

Researchers at Florida Institute of Technology’s Aldrin Space Institute planted Heinz tomato seeds in Earth soil that chemically simulates Mars’s regolith, loose rock and dust that covers solid rock. They grew the produce in water and weather conditions that mimic the Martian environment. On average, Mars temperatures hit -81°F, but they may vary between -220°F and 70°F depending on the season and region, though this experiment stuck with a controlled temperature....

Though other researchers have modeled the fluid dynamics of blood and looked at the effects of gunshot and shrapnel wounds to various parts of the body, this is the first time this modeling has been done for the legs, which are a very common site of injury, not only from gunshots, but also from mines and IEDs. To create the simulation, the researchers created scans of different layers of the leg: the hard bone, the soft tissue (containing muscle and blood vessels), and the skin encapsulating it all....

While the Tesla announcement was initially lauded and it pushed Tesla’s market cap to over $1 trillion for the first time, the situation got complicated when Tesla CEO and now new Twitter board member Elon Musk weighed in, declaring on Twitter that “No contract has yet been signed.” Hertz, it seems, is having to buy the cars at retail, rather than with any preferential treatment. It’s noteworthy, then, that the recent Hertz-Polestar deal was announced on the Polestar website....

When it came to futuristic cars, magazine cover artist Arthur Radebaugh dazzled millions with his imaginative visions of automotive transportation. From 1958 to 1962 in the comic strip, “Closer Than We Think!” Radebaugh depicted sci-fi-slick sedans and convertibles like the Flapwing Car, Sunray Sedan, and Quick-Change Color Car. Some of his designs have crossed the reality threshold, like electric car and self-driving car. But for the most part, his cars and other inventions never quite came to fruition despite the optimistic title of the strip....

But 3D can be taken seriously if it’s done right, says Jon Landau, producer of the (admittedly somewhat hokey) blockbuster Titanic, who is now working with his director partner Jim Cameron on the live action 3D flick Avatar. He extolled the virtues of 3D at the Consumer Electronics Show during a press event in which Panasonic announced plans to bring 3D capabilities to its plasma TVs and Blu-ray players. The trick to making a 3D film that isn’t gimmicky, says Landau, is not to think too much about the 3D....

A significant observation they had was that poor children growing up in communities where cross-class friendships were more common were more likely to earn higher incomes as an adult (about a 20 percent increase on average) than poor children growing up in places where these types of friendships were not as common. This mobility pattern held even for neighborhoods with different median incomes. In fact, the commonality of cross-class friendships, also referred to as “economic connectedness” by the researchers, had a stronger impact on economic mobility than other factors like “school quality, family structure, job availability or a community’s racial composition,” The New York Times reported....

There are, in fact, three ways to change the background of an Instagram Story, and they’re easy to handle once you know the right buttons to press. The only time this first photo won’t disappear is when you share someone else’s Story post that you were tagged in. Do that, and Instagram will keep it on top and visible after you change the background. With an image in place, iOS users should tap the three dots in the top right corner of the screen, then Draw....

Stats Time: 12 to 14 hoursComponent and material cost: $340 to $360Difficulty: Moderate Components and materials Battery pack with a battery management system (new or used, with a voltage that matches that of the motor)Battery chargerMotor kitBattery storage box (or bag)Bike rear cargo rackCable tiesDouble-sided mounting tape2 ratcheting cargo straps(Optional) Female power cord adapters(Optional) Electrical tape (or silicone sealant)(Optional) Locking washers(Optional) Luggage lock(Optional) Female barrel connector for the motor controller charging port...

Buildings Based on Habitat ’67–architect Moshe Safdie’s experimental housing complex in Montreal–the buildings will have no consistent external layout, making it difficult to map the city and track residents’ movements. Smart Windows Made of multicolored glass, these windows will make it difficult to see in and easy to see out. They will also feature internal machines, which normally operate blinds, but could detonate if a scanning drone is detected nearby....

To be fair, the specific guidelines can seem daunting. The American Heart Association recommends five servings of vegetables and four servings of fruit a day. Nine total servings is a lot, and it may be enough to keep some folks from even trying. But there’s good news. A study published earlier this year found that just two fruit servings and three veggie servings are enough to help prolong your life....

But when the pandemic hit, the bike industry faced the same unexpected challenges as most of the global economy. Among them: trying to meet the increasing demand from new riders hoping to stay off buses and trains. “Retailers went from questioning if they would be deemed essential businesses, to a bike boom,” says Heather Mason, president of the National Bicycle Dealers’ Association. But what should have been excellent news for manufacturers and retailers became a headache, as commercial complications caused by COVID-19 resulted in shortages of new bikes, parts and accessories....

Fortunately, finding safe water is easier than you might expect, as long as you know the risks. Keep in mind that even though you may find water quickly, you should only drink from wild sources when absolutely necessary. Remember to bring enough water for your entire trip—usually two liters per person, per day, as the National Park Service recommends. And, if you get lost or stranded, know that your ultimate goal is to stay hydrated enough to survive and be rescued....

When kids should start cross-country skiing I decided to introduce my oldest daughter to cross-country skiing at eight, but I refused to take my five-year-old along. Reese Brown, the executive director of the Cross Country Ski Areas Association, recommends the sport to kids as soon as they can walk. A few years ago, I had a similar philosophy to Brown’s, but for downhill skiing. When my youngest was two, I put her on downhill skis and it took five instructors equipped with pool noodles to get my crying toddler down the hill....

Making your own herbal syrup is easy no matter what herbs you choose. Once you learn how to steep the plants and extract their characteristic tastes and aromas, you can make a myriad of delicious libations. Both of these concoctions are perfect for flavoring and sweetening cocktails and other beverages, like spritzers and teas. You can find them online or in stores, but it’s easier and more cost-effective to make them yourself....

This can be hugely convenient, but you may be concerned about your privacy and security online. And even if you are not, it’s important to be aware of what your browser is saving and where you can access it. Remember that anyone who sits in front of your computer can use this auto-fill data, so your computer password is essentially the only barrier protecting sensitive details such as your address or your social security number from unscrupulous eyes....