Oddly Enough in its fourteenth edition brings to you intriguing news and feature stories like petcoke and its links to Delhi’s pollution, eyelid shaves in China, Saudi’s reforms that women are dismissive of, Amazon’s Alexa and its privacy concerns and the Pterosaur eggs discovered in the Gobi Desert.
Fuel to Die For – US Shipping Petcoke to Countries Like India, Has Links to Pollution
According to a reported investigation, US is exporting petcoke to India. Petroleum coke is a dirty oil by-product which is a residue from refineries. As per lab tests conducted, it was found that imported petcoke used near New Delhi contains 17 times more sulphur than the limit set for coal. Officials say that petcoke is a way to recycle a waste product. This product is being exported at mostly discounted prices as companies simply want to get rid of this. One of the biggest refiners in India, Reliance Industries Ltd, has also increased its petcoke production.
You can read this story here.
Eyelid Shaves – An Old Technique Used By Chinese Barbers
Customers of Xiong Gaowu swear by his technique that their eyes feel refreshed after his practice of ‘blade wash eyes’. Gaowu scrapes a straight razor smoothly across the inside of his customer’s eyelid. The trick is to be very gentle, says the barber. He learned this technique in the 1980’s and today has around eight customers a week, charging them 12 dollars per shave. As long as Gaowu sterilizes his equipment, there isn’t any chance of infection.
You can read this story here.
Alexa’s Access – Can Private Firms Trust This Technology?
Alexa and Echo devices have been Amazon’s latest launches. Alexa has now forged its way into business settings. Office staffers will now be able to book conferences, meetings and perform other basic tasks. But, with privacy being a primary concern of businesses and their dealings, the question of trusting such devices is yet to be answered. Amazon has also stated that they are working on partnering with refrigerator and car manufacturers for this technology to soon enter homes.
You can read this story here.
Faux Reform – Saudi Women See Through Crown Prince’s Move
To most countries, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman’s move to lift the ban on women driving cars has been perceived as true reform. But, Saudi women are seeing through this, calling it a move to bolster support for the kingdom’s ailing economy. Many scholars and rights groups are critical of this as the guardianship system is still tightly in place. It was also noted that this move was not a coincidence, since it took place on the eve of a UN Human Rights Council to send observers to Yemen to investigate war crime allegations.
You can read this story here.
Uncovering The Past – 215 Fossilised Pterosaur Eggs Found In China
Pterosaurs are known to be the extinct flying reptiles whose wings stretched 11 feet long. The fossilised eggs were found in a 120-million-year old pterosaur boneyard in the Gobi Desert. Pterosaurs are known to be the largest animals to have flown. This is also the first time that palaeontologists have found numerous eggs in one spot. The findings will allow the scientists to study the lives of these extinct winged creatures as well as their relationship with their parents.
You can read this story here.
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