Take a Nap and Get Paid
We all know that sleep is essential for our health and well-being. Experts say that choosing the right mattress is the key to a good refreshing rest.
US mattress company Casper has been looking for professional sleepers to test their products by taking a nap at showrooms. The applicants "will have the flexibility to sleep and create content from locations that best express their sleep personalities," the company's spokesperson told the media. The job has attracted a lot of candidates eager to get what some of them have described as a dream job. But there will be only three lucky candidates who will become professional sleepers paid $25 per hour for one month.
A Bit of Stress is Good
Low to moderate levels of stress can be helpful in reducing the risk of developing a mental health disorder, including depression and antisocial behavior, researchers from the University of Georgia said after examining data collected from the Human Connectome Project, which focused on the human brain's functioning.
The researchers found out that feeling a bit stressful at work or while preparing for an exam or an important meeting is actually good for our brain and may help us perform better. However, living in a state of chronic stress is harmful, as it affects everything from our immune system to brain functioning.
Pigs & Their Contribution to Science
Scientists at Yale University have managed to reanimate dead cells in pigs in what is now seen as a potential breakthrough for organ transplants. The researchers used a new technology to restore cells in some organs of pigs that had just died and bring these cells back to functioning.
The system - called OrganEx - consisted of pumps and tubes that were connected to the arteries of dead pigs and pumped their cardiovascular systems with a mixture of blood and 13 different drugs. This system was built on the basis of BrainEx, previous research that allowed scientists to keep a pig's brain alive for hours after it was separated from the body.
Tattoos Go Electronic
South Korean researchers from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have announced that they are working on e-tattoos that are expected to act as health monitoring devices.
The scientists invented so-called "electronic tattoo ink" after mixing carbon nanotubes with a liquid metal called gallium. People wearing e-tattoos will be alerted about any potential health risks, like fluctuations in heart rate, blood pressure, or sugar levels. These tattoos will have to be connected to a medical device to read a person's vitals.
Woman Sets World Record With Longest Fingernails Ever
To wrap up our traditional Friday selection of non-political stories, there is a story about a US woman who set a Guinness record with her 42-foot fingernails. 63-year-old Diana Armstrong, who hasn't cut her nails in 25 year, told the media that she had been keeping it to herself why she was growing her fingernails and did not say a word about her Guinness Book plans even to her family.
The previous record for the longest fingernails on a pair of female hands was also held by a US woman, Ayanna Williams, who had 18 ft 8 inch-long nails.