All posts tagged: solved

Cyclosporiasis Is Solved! Right?

Cyclosporiasis Is Solved! Right?

Published by Daniella Wilson

Produce lovers of the Midwest, rejoice! It seems that parents can stop fretting about serving their kids berries, Redditors can stop trying to do their own epidemiological investigations, and I can stop cooking my salads. The mystery of what food caused an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, the diarrhea-causing parasitic illness, across several midwestern states appears to be solved: It was shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell, federal health agencies announced yesterday. As far as foodborne outbreaks go, this result is about as good as it gets. Yes, thousands of people got sick, but no one died. And the fact that regulators found not just the vegetable at issue, but also the source—a supplier in Mexico—means that they can now get to the bottom of what went wrong, and perhaps Americans can enjoy the spoils of summer produce with less fear. Even so, the nation’s collective freak-out should serve as a wake-up call to both the food industry and regulators. Behind jokes about “diarrhea lettuce” and binging on processed foods was a real fear that the system …

The mystery of the ‘Plain of Jars’ in Laos may now be solved

The mystery of the ‘Plain of Jars’ in Laos may now be solved

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of at least 37 people, some likely dating from more than 1,000 years ago. A large stone “jar” in northern Laos became their last resting place. Part of the mysterious “Plain of Jars,” it’s one of thousands of similar ancient stone vessels. A local legend says giants used the jars to make rice wine. Researchers now think the newfound jar was a multigenerational burial site for ancestor worship. That would make the Plain of Jars a vast ancient burial complex. Researchers describe this in the August issue of Antiquity. The newfound stone jar spans more than two meters (6.6 feet) across. It sits in a forest about 70 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Phonsavan, Laos, in Southeast Asia. Part of the Xieng Khouang Plateau, this region is dotted with thousands of the stone jars. The most well-studied groups are around Phonsavan itself. However, the entire plateau is now considered the Plain of Jars. People had noticed a few of the jars contained bones or some ashes. But it seemed unlikely …

Contributor: Who should keep sidewalks passable? Denver solved the dilemma

Contributor: Who should keep sidewalks passable? Denver solved the dilemma

Published by Sam Flores

Let’s say you drive over a pothole in front of your house in Denver and call the city. They come fix it within a few days. Problem solved. Now let’s say the problem is the sidewalk in front of your house. You call the city again. Until recently, city staff would have pointed you to their “Homeowner’s Do-It Yourself Guide for Hazardous Sidewalks,” where it clearly states that “sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner.” This online document then says that if you the homeowner need to remove a tripping hazard from your sidewalk, you could rent a masonry rotary grinder from your local rental center. Be sure to also get yourself some eye protection. In most U.S. cities, a pothole is treated as a public problem, but a broken sidewalk — even one that blocks access — is treated as the homeowner’s problem. It is not this way everywhere. In some older U.S. cities such as Boston and Washington, sidewalks have long been a public responsibility, the same as streets, water …

I uploaded my motherboard manual to NotebookLM, and it solved my biggest PC troubleshooting headache

I uploaded my motherboard manual to NotebookLM, and it solved my biggest PC troubleshooting headache

Published by Miika Tikkanen

If you’ve ever encountered an issue with your PC, you already know how much of a bear it can be to try to figure out what’s going wrong with it. I’ve had my particular build for roughly 5 years, and while I’ve spent plenty of time upgrading it, I still run into issues here and there with it. Technology is great when it works. While I’m late to join the AI bandwagon, I’ve learned that NotebookLM is a genuinely helpful tool, especially for someone like myself who is eager to learn more about what makes their PC tick. There’s not enough time in the world to learn every little thing about your computer, and I’ve learned that NotebookLM is the perfect addition to my deep-dives, even if I still need to occasionally check my work. Ask and receive Need to find out where something is in the manual? Just ask it While I’ve upgraded many of the parts that are in my PC, I’m still using the original motherboard that I’ve had since 2020. My …