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You may not know it, but you’re probably drinking recycled water right now. But water from "Fracking?" The process uses as much water as the entire cities of Chicago or Houston, but can it be made safe to drink?

It takes between 70 and 140 BILLION gallons of water to frack 35,000 wells a year at the industry’s current pace.

While the recycled water can’t be cleaned up enough for drinking or growing crops, it can be cleaned of chemicals an rock debris and used to frack additional wells, which could sharply cut the costs that energy companies face securing and disposing of the water. read more

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Influenza, commonly known as the flu, has distinct transmission patterns around the world. In temperate regions, influenza’s occurrence peaks during the winter season, while in some tropical regions, the disease’s occurrence tends to correspond with the rainy season. This season, the Southern United States is being hit the hardest by the flu. Have you gotten YOUR flu shot yet?

Possible explanations for the seasonality of the flu have been investigated, such as the return of kids to school, people spending more time indoors in the winter, and lower light levels that affect the immune system, but there is no agreement on them.
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When we buy someone a present, most of us try to get inside mind of the recipient, but thoughtful gifts–where you try to give someone what they want the most–are NOT the best bet. The giving of a thoughtful gift benefits the giver more than the person who receives it.

In the December 4th edition of the Wall Street Journal, Sumathi Reddy quotes behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley as saying, "It turns out it’s not the thought that counts, it’s the gift that counts."

So what DOES work best? Spending a lot of money isn’t important, thank goodness. It turns out that the gifts people like the most are things they have explicitly requested–so ask all your friends to MAKE A LIST! read more