brooke, Author at Interesting Facts

Original photo by FrankRamspott/ iStock

When we think of Earth, we tend to picture a blue planet with predominantly green landmasses. But billions of years ago, our world may have had a very different sheen.

This intriguing idea is known as the Purple Earth hypothesis, and it suggests our planet’s earliest life forms didn’t use chlorophyll like modern plants, but instead relied on a simpler molecule called retinal, which could have given the planet a distinctive purple hue. Should that astrobiological hypothesis be proven correct, it could change our understanding of early life on Earth — and also reshape how we search for life on distant planets.

Credit: Royalty-free/ Science Photo Library via Getty Images

What Exactly Does “Purple Earth” Mean?

The Purple Earth hypothesis was first proposed in 2007 by molecular biologist Shiladitya DasSarma of the University of Maryland. DasSarma’s theory takes us all the way back to Earth’s distant past, specifically the Archean Eon between 3.5 and 2.4 billion years ago. (This was before the Great Oxidation Event, which marked the rise of oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere.)

According to DasSarma and his colleague Edward W. Schwieterman, early microorganisms may have used retinal-based phototrophy to capture sunlight during that early period. Retinal is a much simpler molecule than chlorophyll, and that biochemical simplicity makes it an attractive candidate for early life. It’s easier to synthesize than the complex porphyrin-based chlorophyll, requiring fewer evolutionary steps and resources.

And retinal-based organisms still exist today. Halophilic archaea — microorganisms that thrive in extreme environments such as the Dead Sea and the Great Salt Lake — possess adaptive advantages under oxygen-poor, high salt, and high radiation conditions thanks to their retinal proteins.

The retinal lends those halophiles their vivid purple coloring. Retinal pigments absorb green and yellow light and reflect or transmit red and blue light — making retinal-based life appear magenta or purple in color.

Chlorophyll, by contrast, absorbs red and blue light, making chlorophyll-based plants appear green, because they reflect green light rather than absorb it. So if our planet was once home to predominantly retinal-based life, the surface biosphere would have appeared purplish rather than its current greenish color.

So Why Is the Earth Green?

If purple organisms did dominate early Earth, the question becomes: What happened to them? According to DasSarma and Schwieterman, they largely succumbed to their competition, chlorophyll. Multiple evolutionary steps led to chlorophyll pigments with progressively higher efficiency, which eventually led to photosynthetic microorganisms outcompeting retinal-based phototrophic microorganisms in most environments.

Over time, chlorophyll-based photosynthesizers, including cyanobacteria and eventually algae and plants, ousted their purple predecessors. The ecological success of cyanobacteria was the fundamental driver of the Great Oxidation Event, which began some 2.3 billion years ago, flooding the atmosphere with oxygen and fundamentally altering Earth’s chemistry — along with its color palette. But retinal-based organisms never disappeared entirely — they simply retreated to ecological niches where they continue to thrive today.

What Does This Imply for Finding Life Beyond Earth?

The Purple Earth hypothesis doesn’t just concern our planet. DasSarma and Schwieterman note that their theory may also have profound implications for astrobiology and the search for extraterrestrial life.

When scientists look for biosignatures on exoplanets, they often search for chlorophyll’s characteristic “red edge” biosignature — the sharp change in reflected light at red wavelengths caused by vegetation. But if purple organisms were to dominate a planet’s surface, they would create a different spectral signature — a “green edge” in a planet’s spectrum that could potentially be a biosignature for retinal-based life.

So a planet in an earlier stage of biological evolution may appear purple from space, and we could miss it entirely if we’re only looking for Earth-like green biosignatures. What’s more, the simplicity of retinal-based phototrophy may make it even more common throughout the universe than chlorophyll-based life.

So while we can’t say for certain whether Earth truly experienced a purple phase or not, the hypothesis reminds us that the universe may be far quirkier and more colorful than we ever imagined.

Tony Dunnell

Writer

Tony is an English writer of nonfiction and fiction living on the edge of the Amazon jungle.

Original photo by coldsnowstorm/ Adobe Stock

There can sometimes be a fine line between a nutritious meal and a swift trip to the emergency room. Certain foods we eat can be surprisingly toxic under the right — or rather, wrong — conditions. Plants may contain natural compounds that evolved as part of their defense mechanism, making otherwise edible fruit and veggies toxic if not handled properly. And many other types of food can develop toxins through improper preparation, storage, or cooking methods.

Perhaps the most infamous example of a high-risk food is the Japanese delicacy fugu, or pufferfish, which contains a lethal toxin known as tetrodotoxin. The fish can only be prepared and sold by specially trained and licensed chefs who know how to remove the poisonous parts, making it safe to consume in licensed establishments. If incorrectly handled or consumed, it can be fatal.

Most of us don’t eat pufferfish on a daily basis, but it’s not just rare dishes that can be toxic — some common foods can also pose a significant risk. Here’s a look at six foods you may be surprised to learn should be handled with extra care.

Kidney Beans

Who knew the humble kidney bean had a dark side? These otherwise healthy legumes contain high levels of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), a plant lectin that’s toxic to humans. Eating as few as four undercooked kidney beans can trigger a host of nasty symptoms, including nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting — potentially requiring hospitalization.

The FDA recommends soaking kidney beans for a minimum of five hours and then boiling them in fresh water for at least 30 minutes to remove and destroy the toxins. And if you’re thinking of using a slow cooker — don’t! It may not reach temperatures high enough to eliminate the PHA, thereby putting your health at risk.

Green Potatoes

Potatoes are the third-most consumed food crop in the world after rice and wheat — and normally, they’re very safe to eat. But if they’re stored in a warm, bright place, the tubers identify it as a suitable growing location and prepare to sprout. This increases chlorophyll production, which slowly colors the peel and some of the flesh green.

Chlorophyll is harmless, but its presence indicates the potato has also increased its production of a toxic glycoalkaloid called solanine. If enough is consumed, solanine can cause nausea, headaches, neurological problems and even be fatal. For that reason, you should always remove the green parts of potatoes — or discard green potatoes entirely.

Rhubarb Leaves

Rhubarb is great for incorporating into delicious pies, cobblers, crumbles, jellies, and jams — but only if you use the stalk. If you ever find yourself thinking about throwing in the leaves as well, think again. Rhubarb leaves contain dangerously high levels of oxalic acid (a known toxin), as well as anthraquinone glycosides (suspected toxins).

Consuming rhubarb leaves can cause all manner of issues, including breathing difficulties, burning sensations in the mouth and throat, nausea, vomiting, kidney stones, and seizures. In severe cases, consumption can even result in kidney failure, coma, and fatalities. So while the stalks are safe to eat, be sure to discard every bit of the leaves.

Cassava

Cassava, also known as yuca or manioc, is one of the most important tuber crops in the world, especially in tropical and subtropical regions, providing a major source of food to more than 800 million people globally. This starchy root vegetable, however, can be highly poisonous. The leaves and edible roots contain cyanogenic glycosides — in other words, cyanide.

If consumed raw, cassava can cause cyanide poisoning, leading to paralysis, organ failure, convulsions, and death. When prepared correctly — typically through peeling followed by prolonged soaking and boiling — the dangerous toxins are removed. But as a general rule, never eat raw cassava, and make sure it’s prepared by someone familiar with the correct cooking methods.

Elderberries

Cooked elderberries are perfect for concocting jams and syrups. They’ve also been used for centuries in folk medicine as a treatment for colds and the flu, and to this day they’re sold as “immune boosters” (although evidence for their effectiveness is limited). But raw or unripe elderberries, as well as other parts of the elder tree, contain poisonous cyanide-producing substances.

Thankfully, proper cooking eliminates those toxins, and commercial elderberry products are processed to remove any harmful compounds. If you do go foraging for elderberries, never eat them raw — and be sure to cook them properly before consumption.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is a no-brainer when you want to add a warm, nutty flavor to both savory and sweet dishes; this commonly consumed spice goes great in pumpkin pie and eggnog or sprinkled on a hot chocolate or latte. But beware: Nutmeg contains myristicin, a naturally occurring compound that’s toxic if consumed in sufficient quantities.

While a sprinkling on your Frappuccino is fine, ingesting as little as 1 tablespoon can produce a toxic reaction. According to a report by Michael K. Abernethy and Lance B. Becker in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, symptoms can include hallucinations, palpitations, and feelings of impending doom.

Nutmeg is normally perfectly safe when used for cooking, as the amounts used in recipes are far too small to cause harm — most recipes call for just ¼ or ½ a teaspoon of nutmeg, not a full tablespoon, with those amounts spread across an entire dish rather than being concentrated. But if large quantities are ingested, either accidentally or on purpose, the intoxicating, negative effects can last for days.

Tony Dunnell

Writer

Tony is an English writer of nonfiction and fiction living on the edge of the Amazon jungle.

Original photo by Teeradej/ Adobe Stock

We often think about our physical peak — the years when we can run fastest, stay up late without consequence, or bounce back from a pulled muscle overnight. But the brain’s peak isn’t quite so easy to pin down.

Mental performance involves many abilities, including how quickly we process information, how well we remember facts, how creatively we solve problems, and how deeply we draw on experience and judgment. The question of when the brain is at its best depends on which ability we’re talking about — and how we define “best.”

For decades, scientists assumed that mental capacity increased through adolescence, hit a high point in the 20s, and then declined steadily. But more recent research has overturned that long-held view. Our brains develop, plateau, and adapt in complex ways over their lifespans, with different skills rising and falling on their own schedules. Processing speed, memory, vocabulary, reasoning, and emotional intelligence all follow distinct arcs — and can peak at different times in our lives

The brain is far more dynamic than we once believed. It remodels itself constantly, responding to how we live, what we learn, and how we connect. Some kinds of quick thinking may slow with time, but deeper forms of intelligence — such as judgment, emotional regulation, and creativity — continue to grow as the decades stretch on.

The Long Climb to Maturity

When we talk about mental agility — how quickly we can reason, adapt, or learn new information — we’re referring to fluid intelligence. This ability underpins problem-solving, pattern recognition, and the capacity to think on our feet. Research suggests that fluid intelligence peaks relatively early, often in the late teens to early 20s for processing speed, while some aspects of fluid reasoning and short-term memory may continue to improve into the late 20s or early 30s.

That early advantage has biological roots. During adolescence and young adulthood, the brain undergoes synaptic pruning and increased myelination, refining connections and optimizing speed.

Importantly, the prefrontal cortex — responsible for planning, impulse control, and decision‑making — continues to mature into the mid‑20s and early 30s. As a result, adults entering their 30s are often better equipped to manage complex tasks, set long‑term goals, and regulate emotions than they were just a decade earlier. In other words, younger brains may process information faster, but older brains often make better choices.

So if “peak” brain function means raw speed, that typically occurs in our youth. But if it means the integration of knowledge, empathy, and problem-solving — the ability to balance logic with perspective — the real peak likely comes later, in our 50s, 60s, or beyond.

The Rise of Knowledge and Judgment

If fluid intelligence gives us speed, crystallized intelligence provides depth. This form of intelligence reflects our accumulated knowledge, vocabulary, and experience-based understanding — and it tends to increase for decades.

Studies have shown that adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s continue to expand their vocabularies and refine their decision-making skills. In fact, when researchers combined reasoning, verbal ability, emotional understanding, and moral insight into a composite measure of cognition, they found that the average mental “peak” occurred between ages 55 and 60.

Experience strengthens connections between brain regions, allowing older adults to integrate information more effectively. Tasks that rely on judgment and perspective — managing a team, interpreting social cues, or solving nuanced problems — often favor those with years of lived experience. Research has also found that older adults are less likely to make impulsive decisions or fall prey to cognitive biases such as overconfidence thanks to a lifetime of trial and reflection.

Different Peaks for Different Skills

A 2015 study based on data from about 48,000 participants found that different mental abilities peak at different ages, rather than all at once. Processing speed tends to reach its height in the late teens or early 20s, while short-term and working memory often top out in the late 20s to early 30s. Vocabulary and other knowledge-based skills, however, continue to improve well into middle age, with some measures peaking in the late 60s or even early 70s.

This variation reflects the brain’s adaptability. Younger adults excel at rapidly learning new skills, while older adults draw on broader context and emotional insight. For example, a 25-year-old may be able to master a new app more quickly, but a 60-year-old may approach a difficult decision with deeper understanding and better judgment.

Brain imaging studies have shown that as people age, the two hemispheres of the brain tend to work together more frequently — a phenomenon captured by the HAROLD model (hemispheric asymmetry reduction in older adults). Younger adults usually rely more on one hemisphere for specific tasks (for example, left for language and right for spatial reasoning), while older adults often use both sides. Researchers believe that this shift helps compensate for slower processing speed and declining neural efficiency, allowing older adults to maintain cognitive performance.

Emotionally, the brain often gains ground as it matures. Research shows that the amygdala — which helps process fear and negative emotions — tends to respond less strongly to negative stimuli in older adults, while the prefrontal cortex engages more strategically to regulate emotions. The result is often a calmer, more balanced emotional state.

Many adults in midlife report experiencing fewer negative emotional swings and the ability to focus more on meaningful goals, which can support clearer thinking and more thoughtful decision-making.

Keeping the Brain at Its Best

While some cognitive changes are inevitable with age, lifestyle plays a major role in maintaining brain health. Physical activity is one of the strongest predictors of long‑term cognitive function: Regular aerobic exercise, even brisk walking, boosts blood flow to the brain, stimulates the growth of new neurons, and supports the hippocampus, a key region for memory.

Nutrition and mental engagement also matter. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and healthy fats are linked to slower cognitive decline, with omega‑3 fatty acids in particular supporting neuron health and reducing inflammation. Learning new skills, tackling puzzles, exploring hobbies, or practicing music and languages stimulates neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to form and strengthen connections — and is linked with reduced risk of cognitive decline.

Social and emotional factors further protect cognition. Maintaining strong relationships and a high level of community involvement counteracts loneliness, which is associated with faster cognitive decline and higher dementia risk. Adequate sleep allows the brain to clear waste proteins that can impair cognition, while managing stress through meditation, yoga, or quiet reflection helps preserve neurons and supports long‑term mental resilience.

At the end of the day, rather than asking when the brain peaks, it may be more accurate to ask which kind of intelligence we’re measuring and how we’re nurturing it. After all, the brain’s greatest strength may not be its speed but rather its remarkable ability to evolve throughout our lifetimes.

Kristina Wright

Writer

Kristina is a coffee-fueled writer living happily ever after with her family in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia.

Original photo by Evgeniya/ Adobe Stock

Most of us are familiar with that tingling sensation caused by tiny bumps rising across the skin in a phenomenon we call “goosebumps,” inspired by the texture of a plucked goose. You may also call those bumps gooseflesh, goose pimples, or chill bumps, and they usually appear as a built-in physical response to temperature change when the air turns cold or a sudden draft brushes the skin.

But cold isn’t the only thing that can make your skin prickle. Goosebumps can rise when you’re overwhelmed by emotion, regardless of the temperature. So why do we get goosebumps? The answer reveals a fascinating connection between our physical and emotional selves.

What Causes Goosebumps?

When you get goosebumps, what’s happening on a biological level is something called piloerection. Tiny muscles called arrector pili contract at the base of each hair follicle, making the hair stand up and the skin appear bumpy. In mammals with fur, raising the hair traps air and adds insulation. We humans, who lack a natural thick fur coat, still experience the effect even though it no longer provides much functional benefit.

When goosebumps occur in response to something other than cold — such as sudden fear, surprise, or awe — they reflect activation of the sympathetic nervous system, the same system that triggers the fight-or-flight response. The hypothalamus can signal this system when strong emotions arise, prompting the arrector pili muscles to contract even without a change in temperature.

Evolutionary psychologists suggest this reaction may be left over from a time when raising body hair helped our ancestors appear larger to predators or stay warmer in cold environments. Recent research also shows that the nerves involved connect to hair follicle stem cells, suggesting the reflex may still play subtle roles in hair growth and skin repair.

And goosebumps don’t just appear in moments of fear or awe, either. Some people get them during moments of intense concentration, pride, sudden nostalgia, or even sexual or spiritual experiences.

Music Can Cause Your Brain To “Shiver”

One of the most studied triggers of goosebumps beyond cold is music and other forms of fine arts. This phenomenon is known as frisson, a French word meaning “shiver.” Also called aesthetic chills or psychogenic shivers, frisson occurs when sound or emotion, rather than temperature, produces a sudden wave of shivering or goosebumps. During those moments, the brain engages a network connecting emotion, reward, and anticipation.

Brain imaging studies show that frisson involves areas linked to pleasure, motivation, and expectation. Dopamine — the neurotransmitter associated with reward and euphoria — is released during intensely pleasurable moments. In some studies, this surge occurs just before the emotional “peak” in a song, suggesting anticipation itself contributes to the thrill.

Emotion and Memory Are a Powerful Combo

The auditory cortex — the brain region responsible for processing sound — is functionally connected with emotional and memory-related regions, such as the amygdala and the hippocampus. That helps explain why frisson often feels both physical and nostalgic — it connects what we hear with memories and emotions we’ve experienced.

Research suggests that certain musical features are especially apt to trigger that response, including sudden changes in loudness, unexpected harmonies or key shifts, the entrance of a solo voice or instrument, or the gradual build-and-release of emotional tension as a song reaches its climax.

Demonstrating the range of music that can cause frisson, neuroscientists have curated a 715-song playlist of music reported to trigger the reaction. It includes classical works by Beethoven and Mozart alongside contemporary songs including Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” and Sia’s “Chandelier.”

The experience isn’t limited to recorded music, either. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a reading of Mary Oliver’s poetry, and iconic scenes from Star Wars have all been reported to inspire that wave of chills, as have emotionally charged live performances in symphony halls and packed arenas.

Not Everyone Feels Frisson

Studies estimate that between 50% and 66% of people experience chills or goosebumps from music. People who show stronger connections between the auditory cortex and the emotional centers of the brain tend to be more open to experience — a personality trait linked to imagination, curiosity, and emotional sensitivity.

People who don’t get chills aren’t less empathetic or less capable of being moved; their brains may simply process auditory and emotional input differently. Some researchers even speculate that frisson relates to predictive coding — the brain’s ability to anticipate what comes next — and the pleasure that comes when those expectations are subverted in a satisfying way.

Some scientists have compared frisson to a related phenomenon known as autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR. Both involve tingling sensations that spread across the scalp or down the spine, and both can cause goosebumps in some people. However, they arise from different triggers and emotions.

ASMR is usually brought on by soft, subtle sounds such as whispering or tapping, and tends to feel calming and relaxing. Frisson, on the other hand, is sparked by emotionally powerful stimuli — think a musical crescendo or a moving scene — and feels thrilling or awe-inspiring. Some people experience both sensations, while others feel only one or neither.

Ultimately, goosebumps are a small but fascinating glimpse into how emotion and biology intertwine. They remind us that we’re wired to feel as deeply as we think about the world around us, and those fleeting shivers are one of the simplest and most mysterious ways the human brain responds to anticipation and wonder.

Kristina Wright

Writer

Kristina is a coffee-fueled writer living happily ever after with her family in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia.

Credit: Images courtesy of vendors

Inventions such as the lightbulb and telephone are so commonplace today it’s hard to imagine what life was like without them, and there are some recent innovations that future generations may think about the same way. Look no further than TIME magazine’s “Best Inventions of 2025,” which gives a glimpse into the future with entries such as a household robot that can do laundry and autonomous big rigs.

The list also includes plenty of more compact and affordable concepts that would make excellent gifts this holiday season. Here’s a look at eight of the most giftable inventions of 2025.

Lotus Ring

The Lotus ring is an ingenious product intended to make life easier for people with accessibility concerns. Designed by former Apple engineer Dhaval Patel, it allows users to toggle power switches on and off from up to 30 feet away. You don’t even need to stand up; all you have to do is point in the direction of the switch and press a button.

Lotus rings slide onto your pointer finger just like any typical ring, and they don’t require Wi-Fi or any complicated technical setup. The only additional step is to place specially designed magnetized covers onto any standard wall switch — the ones that control overhead lighting, power up fans, etc. Once those covers are in place, point your finger toward the switch and press the small button on the ring, which emits an infrared signal to flip the switch.

Imagine lying in bed and darkening the room without getting up or turning the lights off for movie night while sitting on the couch. If you know someone who would love that idea, order here to try out a Lotus ring for 45 days with a money-back guarantee.

Shark CryoGlow Face Mask

Skincare can require a lot of trial and error to figure out which products work best for you. But SharkNinja’s new CryoGlow LED face mask is among the most innovative skincare products worth considering, thanks to a new cooling feature that reduces puffiness.

Developed under the guidance of dermatologists, these masks use high-energy LEDs and infrared lighting to stimulate collagen production and kill bacteria. While that feature is common in other face masks, it’s the cooling plates that distinguishes this mask from others on the market. These cold metallic plates gently rest against your face to reduce redness and puffiness.

You can select from a variety of treatments such as a 6-minute red light treatment meant to firm sagging skin, an 8-minute blue light program that targets acne, or a 15-minute treatment that cools and soothes the areas under your eyes. Purchase a CryoGlow face mask here to treat your loved ones to the gift of high-tech skincare.

Crowd Compass

While our cellphones have location features that can be shared with others, it can be difficult to find people in large crowds when the cell service gets throttled. That’s precisely what happened to inventor Chris Dimoff when attending a musical festival, inspiring him to invent the first battery-powered, water-resistant, GPS device that uses radio waves to connect with your crew.

Know as the Crowd Compass, this handheld device doesn’t require any network to use, and pairs with an unlimited number of devices. Its built-in screen allows users to see exactly where others are in relation to them, and allows for direct messaging over radio networks. The device is water-resistant, battery-powered, and holds a charge for up to 24 hours.

Not only is the Crowd Compass ideal for attending major events or busy places with friends and family, but it’s also useful for first responders such as EMTs who need to maintain communication with or without cell service in emergency situations. Get the Crowd Compass here and never worry about being separated from your friends or family again.

Camp Snap

Cellphones can be a major distraction, which is why parents often limit their children’s usage and many schools have banned the devices altogether. But in taking away a kid’s phone, you’re also hindering their ability to capture photographic memories. Enter the Camp Snap, a clever solution that looks like an old-school disposable camera.

But what makes Camp Snap so ingenious is that it’s actually a digital camera without any screen, so you can give it to your children without worrying about their screen time. It’s the first product of its kind capable of holding hundreds of photos (up to 500 images can be taken with each charge) that can be easily downloaded to any device afterward.

It’s perfect for sending with your kid to school or summer camp (hence the name), so they can capture memories while staying off their phone. You can order one here, and explore Camp Snap’s other options such as a screen-free digital video camera.

VASA Waterwheel Pet Fountain

A common problem with pet fountains is they’re hard to clean and are often full of stagnant water that becomes a breeding ground for germs. VASA Pet set out to solve this problem with a drinking fountain featuring an innovative waterwheel instead of a pump to keep water moving, which helps prevent bacteria from forming.

The rotating wheel is dishwasher safe and designed to be easy to clean. And this fountain doesn’t have any complex parts or motors, so you can break it down and reassemble it in seconds.

The company claims the machine’s wheel sanitizes the water so it’s 99.999% germ free, which makes the fountain especially suitable for senior animals, diabetic pets, or any other furry friends who may be more at risk by drinking contaminated water. Grab a VASA waterwheel fountain here as a gift for the pet lover in your life — their fur babies will undoubtedly thank you.

Manta Sound Sleep Mask

Manta Sleep has always been at the forefront of designing products to help you achieve the shuteye you deserve, but its new eyemask might be its best invention yet. Much like other high-quality sleep masks, the product is designed to fully black out light and is also side-sleeper friendly so you won’t feel any discomfort. But what makes this product extra special are the two Bluetooth speakers built into the ears, which lull the user to sleep with music, white noise, podcasts, or whatever they choose to listen to.

According to Manta co-founder and head of design Ben Schwarz, you won’t feel any discomfort when wearing the mask, as “it’s a very thin speaker component embedded in a foam sandwich.” So block out the bright lights and obscure any loud noises that may be keeping you awake at night, and purchase a Manta Sound Sleep Mask for a friend or loved one here.

Aura Aspen Digital Photo Frame

How do you pick just one memory to print out and frame at home? With so many photos in your phone’s camera roll, it seems impossible to choose. But thanks to Aura Frames’ new edition of the Aspen digital frame, you can have them all in the same resolution as seen on your cell phone and minus any glare. The unique frame features a slim design (just 1.1-inch wide), an anti-glare matte screen, and the ability to display in either portrait or landscape mode.

Aura Frames, which was founded by former Twitter chief scientist Abdur Chowdhury, unveiled its first digital picture frames back in 2012. This new model is designed to have the exact same aspect ratio as smartphone cameras, making it the perfect way to display any of your photos in their original form.

This 12-inch frame comes with a high-definition, anti-glare display and takes just a minute to set up and pair with your device. The frame cycles through any photos you choose to add and can even play up to 30 seconds of video with sound as well as live photos from any Apple iOS device.

Additional features include adding captions for context, scanning old printed photos of loved ones from pre-smartphone times, and adjusting the brightness so the photos come through as vividly as you’d like. For the photo-lovers in your life, grab an Aspen digital frame from Aura here.

Aurzen Ultra Portable Projector

Portability is a must-have in the modern world. Thanks to Aurzen, we now have a patented Z-shaped projector that folds down to half the size of a cellphone with a unique design that enables it to broadcast both horizontal and vertical video. Despite its small size, it still blasts images in 720p resolution, meaning the picture comes through in crystal-clear HD quality.

When you think of projectors, you probably think of those bulky machines used in school classrooms with a mess of tangled wires. But Aurzen’s ZIP Tri-Fold Portable Mini Projector is just an inch high when folded, making it smaller than the average wallet. There are also no wires or any complicated setup, meaning the projector is ready to use in seconds.

Set it upright to broadcast movies horizontally or turn the device onto its side to watch any vertical social media-style videos. You don’t even need Wi-Fi, allowing you to set it up even if you’re on a camping trip in the middle of the woods. Aurzen claims it to be the smallest foldable mini projector ever and the world’s first with a tri-fold design, and it can be yours by clicking here.

Bennett Kleinman

Staff Writer

Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Inbox Studio, and previously contributed to television programs such as "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Impractical Jokers." Bennett is also a devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.

Original photo by Liudmyla Chuhunova/ iStock

If you could raid your grandparents’ childhood kitchens today, you may find plenty of foods that would raise an eyebrow. But there’d also be a surprising lack of products that are now considered staples. Many of the foods we’re used to today didn’t exist before the mid-20th century, which saw advances in food science along with changing tastes and new consumer habits.

Some of these foods were born in company test kitchens; others started as humble home experiments and went global. Either way, many products that filled supermarket shelves by the 1960s and ’70s would have been unrecognizable to earlier generations. Here’s a look at some foods that, despite their ubiquity today, didn’t exist when your grandparents were kids.

Baby Carrots

In the early 20th century, most Americans were pulling their own homegrown carrots out of the ground rather than buying bulk bags at the grocery store. And it wasn’t even possible to bring home a package of baby carrots, since those were actually an invention of the late 20th century.

In the late 1980s, California farmer Mike Yurosek contemplated the overwhelming waste of throwing out produce that didn’t meet acceptable grocery store aesthetic standards. To solve the problem, he started cutting and peeling irregularly shaped carrots into small, consistent pieces. He sent them to a local Los Angeles supermarket as a trial, and the rest, as they say, is history.

What started as a way to make use of imperfect produce soon became a popular product of its own. Baby carrots consistently outsell regular carrots in stores, and today there is specialized machinery to turn carrots into those bright orange, uniformly shaped snacks we’ve come to rely on.

Ranch Dressing

Ranch dressing is a staple condiment today, used both as a salad dressing and a dip for everything from vegetables to chicken wings to pizza crust. It’s hard to imagine a time before it existed, but this creamy, tangy dressing didn’t really take off until the 1980s.

It all began with Nebraska native Steve Henson. While working as a plumber in Anchorage, Alaska, in the early 1950s, he came up with the recipe — a mixture of buttermilk, mayonnaise, and various herbs and spices — while cooking for his work crew. In 1954, Henson and his wife, Gayle, moved their family to a 120-acre property near Santa Barbara, California, where they opened a guest ranch called — you guessed it — Hidden Valley Ranch.

Guests raved about the homemade dressing, and the Hensons began selling dry seasoning packets by mail so people could mix their own at home. In the early 1970s, the Clorox Company purchased the brand. A decade later, in 1983, the first bottled Hidden Valley Ranch appeared on grocery store shelves alongside the vinaigrettes and Thousand Island dressings that would have been familiar to those who grew up in the 1930s and ’40s. Today, ranch is the bestselling dressing in the United States.

Cup Noodles

For millions of college students, time-strapped professionals, and late-night snackers, few foods are as convenient as Cup Noodles. The instant ramen cups that can be prepared in minutes with nothing more than hot water feel like they’ve been around forever, but they didn’t actually hit U.S. shelves until the early 1970s.

Their story begins two decades earlier in postwar Japan, where food shortages inspired inventor Momofuku Ando to experiment with ways to make ramen quick and easy to prepare at home. In 1958, he introduced the result of his backyard-laboratory work: Chicken Ramen, the world’s first instant noodles. The convenience food took some time to catch on, but it eventually became a hit in Japan.

Cup Noodles (first sold as Cup O’ Noodles in the U.S.) arrived in America in 1973. The precooked ramen was sealed in a foam cup with dehydrated vegetables and flavoring that was ready to eat after adding boiling water. The packaging — pulling double duty as both container and serving bowl — has been found in pantries ever since.

Chicken Nuggets

Now a fast-food and home-freezer staple, chicken nuggets are a surprisingly recent phenomenon. In the early 1960s, Cornell University food scientist Robert C. Baker developed a way to bind ground chicken meat into bite-size pieces that could be breaded and deep-fried without falling apart. It was one of many poultry recipes Baker and his graduate students developed in order to utilize more parts of the chicken, along with chicken hot dogs and cold cuts.

When McDonald’s introduced Chicken McNuggets in 1983, this practical invention turned into a pop-culture sensation. The company’s version inspired other chains and frozen food brands to follow, and the nugget became a mass-market mainstay.

Cool Whip

Cool Whip was a prominent mid-20th-century dessert staple, frequently seen mixed into fruit salads and dolloped on everything from Jell-O to pie. While the sweet retro snack may seem timeless, the fluffy topping didn’t appear until 1966.

Invented by food scientist William A. Mitchell at General Foods, Cool Whip largely became a hit because it could be easily shipped and stored around the country. That’s because, unlike homemade whipped cream, it wasn’t really made from dairy at all: Its signature airy texture instead came from a blend of water, oils, and corn syrup.

Marketed as modern and convenient, the product fit neatly into an era when refrigeration and convenience foods transformed the kitchen. Today, the recipe has been reformulated to include trace milk ingredients, including skim milk and light cream.

California Rolls

Sushi has been a staple of Japanese cuisine for centuries, but the California roll — the avocado, crab, and cucumber roll turned inside out — is a modern invention that helped make sushi mainstream in North America.

The precise origins of the roll are contested, but it’s most widely credited to two Japanese chefs in Vancouver, British Columbia and Los Angeles in the 1970s. Both claim to have adapted traditional sushi to appeal to local tastes: Real crab was often replaced with imitation crab, and avocado and mayonnaise added a creamy texture, while rolling the rice on the outside hid the nori for diners unfamiliar with seaweed. Today, the California roll is often one of the first sushi rolls Americans try, and it’s as common in convenience store coolers as on restaurant menus.

Nicole Villeneuve

Writer

Nicole is a writer, thrift store lover, and group-chat meme spammer based in Ontario, Canada.

Original photo by andreswd/ iStock

Our bodies never stop evolving. From peak growth in young adulthood to subtle cellular shifts later in life, each decade brings its own physical, hormonal, and cognitive changes. While we may typically focus on major milestones such as puberty or menopause, the more subtle transformations over the years are just as interesting — and often far less obvious.

For instance, did you know that the average person shrinks a few inches throughout their life? Or that emotional well-being tends to increase with age? Here’s a look at what changes to expect in each decade of adulthood.

20s

Our 20s are often considered our physical prime: Muscle tone builds easily, recovery is quick, and there’s still usually plenty of resilience in both body and mind. The brain continues maturing throughout this decade — especially the prefrontal cortex, which handles decision-making, impulse control, and planning — while bone density reaches its lifetime peak, providing the foundation for long-term strength and mobility.

Collagen production, which helps skin appear plump and smooth, begins a gradual decline of around 1% per year starting in the mid-20s. Metabolism is generally strong and stable through our 20s and up to our 50s, but the habits we form in this decade, including how we eat, move, and rest, play an important role in our future health and long-term well-being.

30s

This decade often brings the first noticeable slowdown in physical resilience. Muscle mass and strength begin to decline after age 30 at a rate of about 3% to 5% per decade. For women, fat also redistributes more easily toward the abdomen due to hormonal shifts.

Skin begins to show early signs of aging as cell turnover slows and collagen production continues to gradually decrease. And reproductive and hormonal changes become more pronounced. For women, fertility begins a gradual decline and egg quality decreases. Meanwhile, shifting estrogen levels can ease menstrual symptoms and, for some, lead to more stable moods and emotional balance.

40s

The transition into middle age begins in the 40s, when many of the body’s major systems start to change in ways that are harder to ignore. For women, perimenopause may begin, triggering fluctuations in estrogen that affect everything from mood to metabolism.

Men experience a gradual decline in testosterone, leading to changes in energy, libido, and muscle retention. Research suggests men’s testosterone levels generally fall about 1% per year beginning around age 40.

Heart health becomes more important as blood pressure and cholesterol levels start to rise. Arteries stiffen and plaque accumulates starting around the mid-40s, increasing cardiovascular risk in both men and women, but regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and healthy lifestyle choices can significantly preserve heart function.

Vision changes such as presbyopia usually become noticeable in our 40s, often making reading glasses necessary. Weight can creep up more quickly, particularly around the midsection, and digestive changes can make certain foods less tolerable.

Recovery time after exercise, illness, or injury also lengthens noticeably. After age 40, height loss begins and can amount to a decrease of about half an inch per decade, depending on factors including posture, bone health, and spinal compression. However, regular physical activity and mindful posture habits can help many people maintain strength and mobility for years to come.

50s

Aging becomes more visible and physiologically significant in the 50s. For women, menopause marks a major hormonal transition, with declining estrogen levels influencing bone density, cardiovascular health, and sometimes libido. Both men and women face a more pronounced decline in muscle mass and physical strength — for instance, daily tasks such as lifting or climbing stairs may start to require more effort.

Skin becomes drier, thinner, and more sensitive, and sun damage from previous decades may make itself known in the form of age spots. Changes in hearing may become noticeable, and dental concerns such as receding gums become more common.

Along with those physical changes, many people in their 50s report greater confidence and emotional stability than they experienced in previous decades. Regular exercise can also help strengthen the heart, preserve muscle and bone, and improve endurance and balance.

A slower metabolism means the body requires fewer calories for daily function, though it can also make weight maintenance more challenging. Bones that were strengthened through earlier decades of weight-bearing activity tend to lose density more slowly than others, preserving better structural integrity. And lifelong physical activity can help muscle fibers adapt, allowing active people to sustain better mobility and stamina than their sedentary peers.

60s

Mobility, cognition, and independence take center stage in the 60s. Balance can become less steady as changes in the vestibular system — the inner-ear network that helps with spatial orientation — increase the risk of falls.

Sleep patterns also shift, with earlier wake times and less time spent in deep, restorative stages. Taste and smell sensitivity may decrease after 60, sometimes reducing appetite or altering food preferences. Skin bruises more easily as blood vessels thin, and enamel erosion can make teeth more sensitive.

Reflexes and coordination slow, influencing reaction time during activities such as driving. Mild memory lapses and slower word recall may occur, but those are typical signs of normal aging, and many people in this decade report increased wisdom, perspective, and emotional resilience.

Many adults in their 60s experience lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress than in previous decades, reflecting an increasing emotional resilience and stability.

70s

In our 70s, the impacts of our lifestyle choices become more pronounced. Sarcopenia — the gradual loss of muscle mass, strength, and function — becomes more dramatic, influencing walking speed and overall independence.

The immune system weakens, making infections more dangerous and recovery slower. Chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease may require increased medical attention.

Vision concerns including cataracts and macular degeneration are more common, and digestion slows, sometimes leading to reduced nutrient absorption. Bone density continues to drop, raising the risk of fracture with even minor falls. Skin becomes more fragile and prone to bruising and tears.

Height loss continues at a more rapid rate than in previous decades — over the course of our lifetime, we can lose up to 3 inches in height.

The 70s can also bring welcome relief for migraine sufferers — studies show migraine prevalence drops in later life, affecting only 5% of men and 10% of women over 70.

Many adults in their 70s also report higher life satisfaction and greater emotional contentment. Compared to 21% of people 60 to 69 and 18% of people 50 to 59, 27% of people 70 to 79 say they are “very happy.”

80s and Beyond

In our 80s and beyond, the body’s resilience and adaptability are rigorously tested as age-related changes become more pronounced, and the contrast between those who’ve maintained lifelong healthy habits and those who haven’t is often evident.

Frailty, which impacts up to 17% of older adults, is associated with a higher risk of falls and hip fractures, which are often life-altering events in this stage. Cognitive changes also become more common with age.

Lung function, which steadily declines beginning around age 25, is typically about 40% lower by age 80 compared to peak function in youth. That loss results from reduced elasticity in lung tissue and weakening of the chest wall and breathing muscles, which combine to limit breathing capacity and stamina. Meanwhile, digestion and nutrient absorption slow with age and appetite frequently decreases, making adequate intake of protein and calories essential.

Despite those challenges, many people in their 80s and beyond continue to retain cardiovascular efficiency, benefit from adaptive muscle responses, and preserve some endurance when physically active. And happiness may increase in this decade too — 34% of adults over 80 report feeling very happy with their lives.

Strong social connections, movement adapted to our ability levels, and safe environments further support health and quality of life, demonstrating that the body can continue to function effectively and maintain vitality even in our twilight years.

Kristina Wright

Writer

Kristina is a coffee-fueled writer living happily ever after with her family in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia.

Original photo by AnnaStills/ iStock

On game nights, you can rarely go wrong with busting out Monopoly or Scrabble — but sometimes it’s good to branch out and try something new. If you’re curious, look no further than all the fun and fresh board game concepts that have recently hit shelves.

If you want to liven up your leisure time and try one for yourself, it’s worth rolling the dice on one of what we consider the best board games released this year. Here are seven worth checking out.

Credit: Image courtesy of Stonemaier Games

Finspan

Finspan is the aquatic-themed successor to 2019’s avian-themed Wingspan and 2024’s dragon-themed Wyrmspan. Right off the bat, it’s hard not to be struck by the game’s vibrant and colorful design. There are more than 100 cards drawn by a series of talented artists, each featuring a detailed illustration of one of the game’s variety of marine creatures.

Each player board itself is equally beautiful, featuring three sections for three different parts of the ocean, known as the sunlight, twilight, and midnight zones. While the aesthetics of the game are reason enough to play, the gameplay itself is also fun and easy to pick up.

Between one and five people can play, each of whom takes on the role of a marine researcher. The goal is to amass the most victory points, which can be achieved by playing species cards with varying point totals printed on them, placing egg and fish tokens on the board, and hatching schools of fish.

Developer Stonemaier Games acknowledges that Finspan is designed to be slightly less complex than Wingspan, which makes it easier to learn and results in a game that’s far more forgiving of mistakes. Each playthrough is estimated to take 45 to 60 minutes, giving you and your friends or family ample time to get a couple rounds in before calling it a night.

Hot Streak

One of the silliest and most downright hilarious board games of the year is Hot Streak. This highly addictive concept involves players betting on four racing mascots: a bear named Gobbler, a hot dog named Hurley, a fish named Dangle, and a queen named Mum.

Hot Streak is fun for the whole family, as it’s recommended for anywhere between two or more players, aged 6 and up. The rules are also rather simple to understand, so you’ll be playing in no time at all — and it’s highly entertaining despite the basic ruleset.

Based on a random card draw, the mascots run along a racetrack toward the finish line. But there’s a catch that adds a bit of random chaos to each race: You never know which cards will be drawn or the order in which they’ll appear. While certain cards instruct a mascot to move forward, others cause them to move left, right, backward, or to turn around. This results in mascots bumping into each other and sometimes running off the track, resulting in an immediate disqualification.

Each game features three races, taking around 20 minutes total to complete. Before each run, players bet on which mascots they think will win. Once the race begins, there’s nothing more to do but hoot and holler in support of your chosen candidate. After three races, players tally up their money, and the person with the most cash is the winner.

Azul Duel

Azul Duel is the most recent entry in the Azul board game series. While the original and most famous version of Azul can accommodate up to four players, Azul Duel is for more intimate game nights where you’re playing one-on-one.

Players are tasked with compiling colorful tiles based on a type of Portuguese tilework known as azulejo. Participants then use those tiles to decorate a palace roof while taking into account how the patterns they create will look in both the daytime and nighttime.

The game is played over five rounds, each beginning with an acquisition phase in which players select randomly drawn tiles. While you may have an initial plan, part of the fun is pivoting when your opponent picks up the tiles you originally had your eye on.

At the completion of that phase, you place the tiles onto your player board, trying to replicate specific patterns that earn you victory points. After completing the fifth round, bonuses are paid out and scores added up, with whoever has more points being named the victor. With each play lasting only 30 to 45 minutes, this is the perfect game to unbox if you’re looking for a fun, quick activity on an otherwise quiet night.

Credit: Image courtesy of North Star Games

Nature

Nature is the latest installment from the design team behind the award-winning Evolution series. The premise of the game is straightforward: Each player is tasked with growing the population of their assigned species amid a scarce food supply and ever-changing ecosystem. You can also purchase complementary modules that make the ecosystem more fascinating, adding elements such as birds, dinosaurs, natural disasters, and so on.

Nature is intended for between one and four players aged 10 and up, with an estimated playtime of 45 minutes. Games are played over four rounds, with the winner having the highest population total at the end of the game. Certain cards expand the population, increase body size, and help you stock up on food for the feeding phase, where the goal is to keep as much as the population alive and fed as possible.

What makes Nature such a beautiful game is the freedom to make it as complex as you choose. The base game is fun to play on its own, but those in search of a challenge can add as many modules as they like. In fact, thanks to a 2025 Kickstarter campaign, there will soon be more than 700 unique combinations to select from.

Credit: Image courtesy of Miniature Market

The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship

The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) is a cultural juggernaut responsible for some of the best work in not only literature but also film and now board games. Look no further than 2025’s Fate of the Fellowship, which has received rave reviews across the board (please forgive the pun).

The game is designed by board game industry legend Matt Leacock, who also designed the classic game Pandemic. In fact, given the similar game mechanics, some have observed that Fate of the Fellowship is as if Pandemic took place in Middle-earth.

Be forewarned this game isn’t a quick play, but it is a rewarding one. Similar to Pandemic, you’ll be working with instead of competing against your fellow players in this cooperative game, with up to five players controlling two characters each in hopes of achieving a common goal. Each playthrough features a random mix of main goals and sidequests, adding to the game’s variation and replayability.

If you’ve ever read or seen the LOTR trilogy, you’ll note the premise of this game follows the plot. To claim victory, the team must protect Frodo, evade enemies such as the Nazgul, and deliver the One Ring to the fires of Mount Doom. But be careful, because if Frodo’s “hope tracker” hits zero, you lose.

This game is a must-buy for any LOTR fan, as it truly captures J.R.R. Tolkien’s original vision in game form. But you don’t have to be a superfan to play; the game’s mechanics are also well-crafted and would appeal to any board game enthusiast.

Knitting Circle

Not everyone knows how to knit, but everyone can play the new game Knitting Circle. In this delightful title from Flatout Games, players knit garments to achieve victory points. Along the way, each player has a feline friend that helps them acquire yarn.

The game is beautifully designed by illustrator Beth Sobel, resulting in a cozy aesthetic that captures the calm and pleasant nature of knitting. Knitting Circle is intended for between one and four players aged 10 and up, with each game lasting an average of 30 to 45 minutes.

Part of what makes this game so appealing is its charming narrative, providing a lighter contrast to more intense board games. But that doesn’t mean the game is a cakewalk — it still requires strategic planning to gather yard tiles and knit the most desirable patterns. Be careful to adhere to the approved patterns, or you risk getting an “ugly sweater” pin that causes you to lose points when scores are eventually tallied.

There’s also a puzzle element to this game, as you’ll sometimes be forced to pivot from your original design if certain yarn tiles are snatched up by other players. While it can be frustrating to lose out on the perfect color, you’ll feel a sense of completion the moment you finally complete that mitten you’ve been working on all game. Try Knitting Circle for a calm, thematically pleasant experience the whole group can get behind.

Galactic Cruise

Galactic Cruise is ideal for more avid gamers seeking a real challenge on game night. Up to four players aged 14+ can play this title, which generally takes between 1.5 and 2.5 hours. But be aware that Board Game Geek classifies it as having a high complexity rating at 3.95/5, so it may take a playthrough or two to familiarize yourself with the rules.

Thankfully, each box has an introductory note that gives you instructions on how to organize the game, and a very detailed rulebook as well as clear and concise player aids to guide participants. And the game is just plain fun once you figure it out.

The premise of Galactic Cruise is building and launching spacebound cruise ships as a form of luxury tourism. Each participant plays as a supervisor competing against their fellow supervisors to become the company’s new CEO.

On each turn, players can opt to research new technologies, hire more employees, or take similar actions with the goal of helping the business achieve success. At the end of the game, the supervisor with the most victory points becomes CEO and is declared the winner. In addition to its fun and challenging premise, Galactic Cruise should be lauded for its high quality and attention to detail. While the board may appear overwhelming at first, the layout is quite intuitive in practice.

Bennett Kleinman

Staff Writer

Original photo by ClassicStock/ Alamy Stock Photo

When we think back on our childhood years, it’s a miracle some of us survived. Kids were known to ride bikes all day without wearing a helmet, and were often allowed to roam around unsupervised as long as they made it home in time for dinner. There are also plenty of toys from decades past that were quite popular yet flat-out unsafe by modern standards.

While today’s playthings undergo rigorous safety testing, those systems haven’t always been in place. Some mid-20th-century gadgets were extremely sharp, contained harmful chemicals, or fired projectiles that could easily put an eye out, to name a few concerns. Here’s a look at five childhood toys from yesteryear that were actually quite dangerous.

U-238 Atomic Energy Labs

In 1950, the now-defunct A.C. Gilbert Company began to sell the U-238 Atomic Energy Lab, a toy lab set intended to both entertain and educate children. It didn’t come cheap: The product was sold at a hefty price tag of $49.50 (roughly $665 today), which covered the costs of all the equipment and radioactive material inside. Yes, you read that right — the toy included real radioactive material, hence its notorious reputation as one of the most dangerous playthings in history.

Each set came with four tiny jars containing samples of uranium ore. Advertisements boldly claimed that the materials were “certified as completely safe,” which was true in theory, if not practice. A 2020 analysis concluded that handling the jars was no riskier than spending a day in the sun — assuming the jars remained closed.

While the kit featured warnings that stated, “Users should not take ore samples out of their jars,” we all know getting a kid to follow instructions is easier said than done. And if a child were to open a jar and physically handle its contents, they’d be exposed to potentially unsafe levels of radioactivity.

Perhaps fortunately, the product sold poorly, and fewer than 5,000 kits ended up in the hands of young wannabe scientists — though entirely possible that poor sales had more to do with the high cost than any fears about harmful radioactivity. Gilbert stopped marketing the toy by 1952, and the company ultimately went out of business in 1967.

Belt Buckle Guns

Mattel may be best known for Hot Wheels, Barbie dolls, and Fisher-Price toys, but in the 1950s and ’60s it was notorious for creating one of the oddest and most unsafe toys ever produced: a belt buckle that doubled as a working pistol.

A version of the product called the Agent Zero Buckle Gun was released in 1959. This metal-plated belt buckle could be affixed to any normal belt, and with the simple push of a button, it propelled a spring-loaded plastic projectile across the room.

While plastic is comparatively safer than a lead bullet, the idea of giving children loaded weaponry would be unthinkable today. And this wasn’t the foam-padded ammo in your typical Nerf gun, mind you, but rather a plastic pellet that could put an eye out.

The guns were also known to fire off unexpectedly, and that unpredictability made the toy even more unsafe. It was only a matter of time before Mattel realized the hazards of the toy and ceased production.

Credit: A.C. Gilbert Company/ The Smithsonian Institution

Glassblowing Sets

Between the open flames and risk for shattered shards of glass, the practice of glassblowing is best reserved for properly trained artisans — but that didn’t stop the A.C. Gilbert Company from manufacturing a glassblowing kit in the 1920s.

This toy was primarily marketed toward science-minded children, aiming to teach them how to blow test tubes and beakers from scratch. It came with several glass tubes, a flame-producing bunsen burner, and a blowpipe, all of which added up to a disaster waiting to happen.

The flames were powerful enough to cause third-degree burns, and bending hot glass in various ways could cause it to shatter if mishandled. Children were also prone to ingest potentially noxious fumes and vapors through the blowpipe, which was a necessary tool for inflating the molten glass.

Given the toy kit was produced more than a century ago, there’s little reliable data as to how many kids were injured as a result of the product. It’s also unclear whether Gilbert stopped manufacturing the toy because of safety concerns or for other unrelated reasons, but what we do know is there were thankfully no models of this glassblowing kit produced after the 1920s.

Credit: Chris Howes/Wild Places Photography/ Alamy Stock Photo

Clackers

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, clackers were all the rage. The toy was quite simple in its design, featuring two hard balls at the end of a single string. Kids swung the toy back and forth to clack the balls together, but there was one teeny tiny problem: The balls had a reputation for easily shattering and exploding. To make matters worse, early versions of the toy were made of tempered glass, which could fly into people’s eyes or cut their skin.

While manufacturers pivoted to creating clackers from plastic in an effort to make them safer, clackers often still exploded and caused injury. Eventually, those risks became too obvious to ignore. In 1971, the FDA issued new safety standards that effectively got most clackers pulled from shelves.

The toy was also the subject of the 1976 court case United States v. an Art. Consisting of Boxes of Clacker Balls. The case classified clackers as a “mechanical hazard” and also granted the government the right to seize and destroy any clacker balls in the name of public safety.

Javelin Lawn Darts

Javelin lawn darts — or “jarts” for short — were a popular children’s toy from the 1950s until their original metal-tipped design was banned in the 1980s. Hasbro was a leading manufacturer of these pointed projectiles, which caused thousands of injuries and even fatalities.

Playing jarts was similar to playing a game of horseshoes or cornhole. Each box came with two circular targets meant to be placed on grass roughly 35 feet apart, and players would alternate throwing darts, trying to land them in the target.

But this is where danger arose: While jarts weren’t necessarily razor-sharp, the pointed aluminum tips could seriously injure someone. Each jart was also weighted, meaning they’d come hurtling back toward the ground and could harm anyone in their path.

By the 1960s, the Consumer Product Safety Commission began gathering information about injuries caused by toy jarts, and the FDA proposed a ban in 1970. But toymakers and the CPSC reached a compromise that kept them on the shelves — lawn darts could no longer be marketed as a children’s toy.

Even still, they continued to find their way into the hands of adults and children alike, causing an estimated 6,000+ injuries over time. A ban was finally implemented in 1988, and the jarts were removed from stores the week before Christmas.

Bennett Kleinman

Staff Writer

Original photo by Nature Picture Library/ Alamy Stock Photo

The modern animal kingdom certainly has its fair share of megafauna, but many of today’s smaller creatures are actually pint-sized versions of their prehistoric ancestors. Imagine otters the size of lions, sea turtles as big as Volkswagens, and penguins as tall as NBA players.

Over millions of years, evolution and environmental changes have dramatically downsized some species. You’ve heard of woolly mammoths and megalodons, but you may be surprised to learn that these six animals used to be much bigger than they are now.

Credit: Stocktrek Images, Inc/ Alamy Stock Photo (left), mirjana simeunovich/ iStock (right)

Sloths

Modern three-toed sloths weigh around 8.8 pounds and stand about 2 feet tall — but their prehistoric ancestors were massive. The largest species, Megatherium americanum (meaning “great beast from America”), weighed around 8,000 pounds, roughly the size of a modern Asian elephant.

These prehistoric creatures looked similar to today’s grizzly bears, but they were much larger, standing up to 12 feet tall on their hind legs. However, like their modern descendants, giant sloths were peaceful herbivores. Because they were too large to live in trees as sloths do today, many species sheltered in caves, even digging their own using their long, curved claws.

Various species of giant ground sloths roamed the Earth throughout the Pleistocene Epoch, between roughly 2.6 million and 11,700 years ago. Like many large mammals on Earth at the time, they disappeared at the end of that period, between 52,000 and 9,000 BCE, when more than 178 species of the world’s megafauna megafauna went extinct due to a combination of factors, including climate change, changing vegetation, and human hunting. Those extinctions mark the end of the Pleistocene and beginning of the Holocene.

Credit: blickwinkel/ Alamy Stock Photo (left), Philip Thurston/ iStock (right)

Sea Turtles

During the Cretaceous Period, around 80 to 66 million years ago, the oceans were home to sea turtles more than twice the size of the largest ones you’ll find today. Known as Archelon ischyros, this species clocked in at an average of 13 feet long and at least 4,550 pounds — roughly the size of a small car. Its closest living relative is the leatherback turtle, which measures only 6 feet long and weighs up to 2,000 pounds.

Archelon ischyros had a long lifespan, living up to 100 years. However, it did have to watch out for prehistoric predators, including ancient species of sharks and mosasaurs (extinct aquatic reptiles). Like modern sea turtles, it was an omnivore that ate plants, jellyfish, and shellfish, using its sharp beak to crack open prey.

Females likely nested on land under the cover of night, just as sea turtles do today. Experts believe the species went extinct 66 to 68 million years ago due to climate change, which reduced food availability.

Credit: lunstream/ Alamy Stock Photo (left), Hung_Chung_Chih/ iStock (right)

Apes

The largest modern apes are gorillas, with males measuring around 5.5 feet tall and weighing between 300 and 485 pounds (females are about half that size). But they pale in comparison to Gigantopithecus blacki, the largest primate ever known. Weighing around 550 pounds and standing more than 9 feet tall, this enormous ape was nearly twice the height of the modern gorilla.

This mega-species lived in the forests of what is now southern China, beginning at least 2.3 million years ago. It went extinct about 300,000 years ago due to limited food availability as climate change impacted forest conditions. Fruit became scarce, and the apes relied on barks and twigs for sustenance, which proved insufficient to support their massive size.

Credit: i creative/ Alamy Stock Photo (left), Alan_Lagadu/ iStock (right)

Otters

Prehistoric otters were very different from the playful creatures we see at the zoo today. Enhydriodon omoensis was a gigantic, lion-sized otter species that roamed the Earth between 3.5 and 2.5 million years ago. Experts believe that unlike modern otters, E. omoensis was mainly terrestrial based on fossil evidence from its teeth, which indicated that it hunted land-based prey, similar to what modern big cats and hyenas eat.

Today’s otter species vary significantly in size, from the 6.6-pound Asian small-clawed otter to the 99-pound sea otter. E. omoensis weighed more than four times the largest modern sea otters, at 440 pounds or more, based on fossil estimates from Ethiopia. As for their extinction, scientists point to several possible causes, including climate shifts, geological events, and the rise of early hominins (ancient primates related to Homo sapiens), which increased competition for prey.

Credit: CoreyFord/ iStock (left), Luis/ Adobe Stock (right)

Snakes

The green anaconda holds today’s record as the heaviest living snake, with some reaching 500 pounds and lengths of more than 27 feet. Yet even that would be overshadowed by its ancestor, Titanoboa cerrejonensis, the largest known snake species in history.

Related to modern boas and anacondas, this prehistoric serpent weighed more than 2,000 pounds and measured up to 50 feet long and 3 feet in diameter. It was the world’s largest predator between the extinction of dinosaurs 65 million years ago and the first appearance of megalodon around 23 million years ago.

Fossils found in a Colombian coal mine suggest the snake lived in the oldest known tropical rainforest in South America, which emerged shortly after the dinosaurs went extinct. The region was much hotter during that time, allowing cold-blooded reptiles — who rely on external sources such as the sun to regulate their body temperature and metabolism — to reach incredible sizes.

When cold-blooded animals are too cold, their metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Warm regions enable them to expend more energy and consume more food, leading to larger sizes. And the impact of heat on reptilian size is still evident today: The largest snakes are found nearest the equator, where temperatures are warmest.

Credit: Nature Picture Library/ Alamy Stock Photo (left), Andrew Peacock/ iStock (right)

Penguins

Modern penguins range from the tiny 14-inch blue penguin to the 45-inch emperor penguin, but prehistoric penguins were true giants. Palaeeudyptes klekowskii is believed to be the tallest species of penguin to have ever walked the Earth, reaching more than 6.5 feet tall. Another species, Kumimanu fordycei, holds the title of heaviest penguin, weighing about 330 pounds — more than three times the heft of an emperor penguin.

These ancient birds roamed the beaches of New Zealand and the surrounding region more than 50 million years ago. Their massive size may have helped them catch larger prey and conserve body temperature in cold waters, allowing penguins to spread to other regions of the world. Giant penguin species went extinct around 20 million years ago, possibly due to the introduction of new predators and competition, including seals.

Rachel Gresh

Writer

Rachel is a writer and period drama devotee who's probably hanging out at a local coffee shop somewhere in Washington, D.C.

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Music Can Cause Your Brain To “Shiver”

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Not Everyone Feels Frisson

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top picks from the Inbox Studio network

Go Retro With This 1960s Fashion Quiz

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Why Are Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Kentucky Called Commonwealths?

Take a Break From High Interest: This Card Offers 0% Intro APR Until 2027

The Safest Countries for Road Trips

8 Inventions From 2025 You’ll Want To Own

top picks from the Inbox Studio network

Go Retro With This 1960s Fashion Quiz

How Well Do You Know Your U.S. Geography?

Why Are Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Kentucky Called Commonwealths?

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The Safest Countries for Road Trips

6 Foods That Didn’t Exist When Your Grandparents Were Kids

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top picks from the Inbox Studio network

Go Retro With This 1960s Fashion Quiz

How Well Do You Know Your U.S. Geography?

Why Are Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Kentucky Called Commonwealths?

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The Safest Countries for Road Trips

How Your Body Changes in Each Decade of Life

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30s

40s

50s

60s

70s

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top picks from the Inbox Studio network

Go Retro With This 1960s Fashion Quiz

How Well Do You Know Your U.S. Geography?

Why Are Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Kentucky Called Commonwealths?

Take a Break From High Interest: This Card Offers 0% Intro APR Until 2027

The Safest Countries for Road Trips