15°c Overcast
16°c Light rain
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Bite-sized science
The Asian citrus psyllid is systematically destroying orange groves from Florida to California.
(MCT)
Peter Ehrlich came up with the concept of Sexcereal while walking through a vegan food fair.
The end of OJ?
Orange juice, the beloved breakfast beverage of many Americans, is under attack. The villain is a teeny insect that threatens to wipe out citrus groves from Florida to California.
The March issue of Scientific American reports the Asian citrus psyllid has been spreading huanglongbing, Chinese for "yellow dragon disease," which leaves oranges, grapefruit, pomelos and other citrus fruits misshapen, unripe and inedible.
According to the magazine, the damaging bacteria, transmitted via the psyllids' saliva, disrupt a plant's circulatory system, blocking the flow of nutrients.
To slow the spread of this invasive species from Southeast Asia, scientists have imported Asian wasps to prey on the psyllids. The magazine says genetic modification to make the plants resistant to the disease may be the only long-term solution.
-- Scientific American
The future is now
In 1988, Los Angeles Times Magazine predicted what life would be like for North Americans in 2013.
Its hits included:
-- Automatic water heaters and coffee makers;
-- Cars with a "central computer" that includes "electronic navigation or map systems";
-- Teleconferencing from home on your computer;
-- Fibre-optic cable networks;
-- Using computers in classrooms in place of notebooks and projector screens.
There were also some notable misses.
-- A "personalized home newspaper" that is automatically printed off your personal computer;
-- Mandatory exercise required by employers (though libertarians are warning us about this one);
-- To listen to music or watch a movie, you need a laser disc, or you need to call your cable company to request the media over cable lines. This whole story sort of misses the fact that Internet access has trumped the need to use of cable and phone lines.
-- Slate
Sex in the morning
You may have greeted the morning with a bowl of cereal. But were you nourishing your libido in addition to your body? Were you eating mere cereal, or... Sexcereal?
If you don't mind shelling out $12 for a bag, perhaps you were enhancing your sex drive and stamina with a product dreamed up in 2008 by Toronto businessman Peter Ehrlich. The specially formulated Sexcereal (motto: "Big Life Living -- Fuel Your Fire!") comes in two varieties, His and Hers, making it "the world's first gender-based breakfast cereal." Blazoned across the male packet is a hunky dude holding a suggestively large spoon; the female version features a busty Marilyn Monroe look-alike in red satin.
The company website lists, for "him," such hot ingredients as rolled oats, wheat germ, chia seeds, blueberries, goji berries, bee pollen and coconut sugar. The lady option contains, among other things, rolled oats, oat bran, soy protein, cranberries, almonds and ginger. It actually sounds a lot like standard-issue granola, give or take some bee pollen.
Oh, look. Both varieties sprinkle in a rare Peruvian spice called maca powder, which Ehrlich says has aphrodisiac properties.
This is wonderful news for everyone who rolls out of bed at 7:30 a.m. on a Monday morning and immediately wants to have sex.
-- Slate
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 23, 2013 J5
More Life & Style
- Back to Top
- Return to Life & Style
Poll
Most Popular Life & Style
- Christians to offer apology at Gay Pride Parade
- Crave some pizza? Hit print
- Christian gathering will kick off new football stadium
- PC white grape juice recalled nationally over undeclared sulphites
- Beauty and the beast
- Vatican spokesman attending St. B diocesan gathering
- Ocean fertilization project leader fired, but First Nation still backs iron dump
- A matter of platter
- Facebook fogeys forcing teens to Twitter
- Habit reforming
- Doc's memoir portrays ERs as frantic, funny, frightening ... but never dull
- Magazine's creator says style has no size
- The end of the credit card?
- Warm weather with cool breaks forecast for Canada this summer
- Smoke sales forbidden at pharmacies, health facilities starting May 31
- Manitoba's changing spiritual landscape
- US killer tornado had power of many Hiroshima atomic bombs
- Canada lifts lifetime ban on gay men giving blood, but some restrictions remain
- Christians to offer apology at Gay Pride Parade
- Skin picking gets status as distinct disorder, should help sufferers access help
- 25 cents to wash blood off your T-shirt
- HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, you nasty, miserable...
- Doc's memoir portrays ERs as frantic, funny, frightening ... but never dull
- Magazine's creator says style has no size
- The end of the credit card?
- Manitoba's changing spiritual landscape
- Astronaut Chris Hadfield back on Earth after five-month mission in space
- Possible BlackBerry tablet steals the show at company's annual conference
- CBC hockey commentator, daughter hope story helps
- Warm weather with cool breaks forecast for Canada this summer
- CT-scans: weigh negative and positive effects
- Shed drab of winter
- Facebook fogeys forcing teens to Twitter
- Doc's memoir portrays ERs as frantic, funny, frightening ... but never dull
- The end of the credit card?
- Warm weather with cool breaks forecast for Canada this summer
- DeSoto's lives again ... for one cherry night
- Canada lifts lifetime ban on gay men giving blood, but some restrictions remain
- CT-scans: weigh negative and positive effects
- Vitamin C and lysine proven to keep arteries healthy
- Skin picking gets status as distinct disorder, should help sufferers access help
- THE HEALTHY PLATE: Recipe for fresh summer rolls with spicy peanut dipping sauce
- Magazine's creator says style has no size
- Doc's memoir portrays ERs as frantic, funny, frightening ... but never dull
- Biomedical engineer designs exercises, tests to battle Alzheimer's
- Vitamin C and lysine proven to keep arteries healthy
- CBC hockey commentator, daughter hope story helps
- 25 cents to wash blood off your T-shirt
- DeSoto's lives again ... for one cherry night
- Adrenal fatigue can have significant impact
- Kidney problems price we pay for progress
- Explore Desire seminars to 'push the boundaries'
- The end of the credit card?
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.