LIBRAS ARE THE WORST DRIVERS _ Never mind how careful you are behind the wheel or how long you’ve been driving, the signs of the zodiac may be bigger factors behind your ability to avoid car crashes — or why you have too many. According to a study (by InsuranceHotline.com) astrological signs are a significant factor in predicting car accidents. The study, which looked at 100,000 North American drivers’ records over a six year period, puts Libras (born September 23-October 22) followed by Aquarians (January 20-February 18) as the worst offenders for tickets and accidents. Leos (July 23-August 22) and then Geminis (May 21-June 20) were found to be the best overall.
THE 3 GROSSEST PLACES IN YOUR CAR _ Some researchers poked around a bunch of cars and found that they’re, uh, gross. These are the worst spots.
• The cup and change holders. They get touched a lot, spreading bacteria with every finger swipe. And they’re often damp from spilled drinks, making them Petri dishes, swimming with bacteria.
• The dashboard. You may not touch it much. But since the sun shines directly on it, it’s the warmest spot in the car — and germs love warmth. Even worse, the vents draw the bacteria-filled dust into your air conditioning system, circulating germs everywhere.
• Anywhere you’ve spilled food. A few donut crumbs and loose French fries may seem harmless, but food stains contain 10 times more bacteria than any other surface inside your vehicle.
DON’T DRINK WATER AFTER EATING SPICY FOOD _ Let’s say you mistake a ghost pepper for a mere jalapeño and a couple of seconds later, are seriously regretting it. What’s the first thing you do? If you answered “look for the nearest water source” you’re not alone. According to scientists (American Chemical Society) you couldn’t be more wrong. Capsaicin is the chemical that makes spicy food hot. The more capsaicin in your spicy chili peppers, the higher they are on the Scoville scale. Capsaicin is made of non-polar molecules, while water is made of polar molecules. As a result, mixing the two is like mixing “oil and water”. When you drink water after eating something spicy, your mouth is likely to feel worse because the non-polar molecules get spread around. Consuming dairy products can help because dairy can neutralize those pesky non-polar molecules, returning your tongue to normal.
