The “Eight Glasses of Water Per Day” Rule is a Myth

The “eight glasses of water per day” rule has plagued the minds of health-conscious individuals ever since the Food and Nutrition Board recommended the standard back in 1945—and apparently, it’s not true. While people do need about 2.5 liters of liquid per day, much of that comes in the form of food, fruits, soft drinks and even coffee, eliminating the need for an additional eight …

Covent Garden’s Huge Balloon-Filled Cloud

French artist Charles Pétillon is synonymous with his use of white balloons, adding them to cars, golf courses and two-story houses for a humorous take on the mundane. Now, he’s installed his largest balloon-filled exhibition to date at London’s historic Covent Garden, joining an impressive roster of past artists including Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and Banksy. Titled “Heartbeat,” the public artwork features a massive 54-meter-long …

Purifying Water with a Book’s Pages

A new book, developed by a team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Virginia, can bring contaminated water to 99.9% purity using its pages. The “drinkable book,” spearheaded by chemist Teri Dankovich, contains pages peppered with silver and copper nano-particles that neutralize bacteria upon contact. Each book can supply four years of clean drinking water for a single person and comes with …