Another Reason to Stop Peeing in Pools

Not only is it gross, peeing in the pool is bad for you. That well-known, nostalgic pool smell is actually caused by disinfection byproducts (aka DBPs) which are created when urine mixes with regular disinfectants used in pools. These DBPs—namely “cyanogen chloride, chloroform, dichloramine, trichloramine and bromoform”—can (and do) cause “irritation to the skin, eyes and respiratory tract, according to the Centers for Disease Control …

Phantogram: Cruel World

The intro to Phantogram’s new track “Cruel World” (Sarah Barthel’s vocals accompanied only by minimal piano) sounds very different from their usual dark, shimmery and sexy style, but soon the hook delivers what we’ve come to adore about the NY-based duo. The song (from the upcoming album Three) delivers a dreamy but ominous, thundering sound and the lyrics are equal parts bleak and optimistic. Considering …

Our Back to School Reading List

Eight books for those missing the days when they were told what to read

Whether you’re voracious readers or simply image-seeking page flippers, the following eight books reflect some of the most interesting that have crossed our path recently. As students head off to school, we can all jump on the book-reading band wagon. Of late, we’ve also been smitten with new author Robert Moor’s engaging study on the origins of trails and we spent about as much time …