Oddity Central

Oddity Central

NASA is Paying This Guy $18,000 to Lie in Bed for Three Months

Posted: 10 Nov 2014 01:22 AM PST

When Andrew Iwanicki lost his job in August, he probably expected to be spending a lot of time in bed. Little did he know that he'd actually be paid to do it. The very next day, he received an offer to join a NASA study that required him to lie in bed for three months straight, in exchange for a whopping $18,000!

"My bed is in the NASA Flight Analog Research Unit in Houston, Texas, where I'm being paid $18,000 to lie down for 70 days while NASA researchers study me," he wrote. "I have been in this bed for three weeks now, and I will be here for seven weeks more."

Andrew explained that the study – CFT 70 (Countermeasure and Functional Testing in Head-Down Tilt Bed Rest Study) – is part of a three-year effort to learn about bone and muscle atrophy in space. The team of NASA researchers have studied 54 people so far, and Andrew is the last participant.

"I had applied to the study a year earlier on a whim, assuming I'd never be chosen from the pool of 25,000 applicants and I'd never be able to halt my hectic life for 15 weeks," he explained. But as fate would have it, he suddenly found himself with an empty schedule and an offer in hand.

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Eating This Wild Herb Can Allegedly Stave Off Hunger and Thirst for Several Days

Posted: 10 Nov 2014 12:06 AM PST

A centuries-old slimming remedy is all set to make a comeback after evidence of its use was discovered in old manuscripts during an archaeological dig. The heath pea is a long-forgotten fern-like wild Scottish plant with purple flowers that can apparently suppress hunger and thirst for weeks. Entrepreneurs are now interested in re-introducing the wonder-herb to the world as a dietary supplement that could produce drastic weight loss results.

According to botanical records, the heath pea, also known as bitter vetch, was a vital ingredient of the Highland diet up until the 18th century, when food was scarce. The pea-sized tubers of the plant were stripped off the roots, dried and ingested. Just a couple of tubers were sufficient to provide a boost of energy, and prevent thirst and hunger for days, even weeks. Entire communities are said to have lived off these tubers when crops were poor.

17th century literature also indicates that the plant helped people perform strenuous activities like working in fields. Monks used it to treat patients as early as the 14th century, and it is rumored to have made an appearance in the court of King Charles (he apparently gave it to his lovers who had a propensity for plumpness). The roots were also believed to be eaten by Julius Caesar's soldiers in preparation for the battle of Dyrrhachium in 48 BC.

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Two Australian Friends Turn Their Van into Free Laundry Service for the Homeless

Posted: 09 Nov 2014 10:52 PM PST

Fresh, clean laundry is one of the most comforting things in life, but unfortunately not everyone has access to it. A couple of engineering students from Brisbane are trying to change that. They've started Orange Sky Laundry – Australia's first mobile laundry service for the homeless.

20-year-old Lucas Patchett and his friend Nicholas Marchesi were inspired to start the service during an overseas trip. When they got back in July, they decided to stop talking about it and just do it. So they got an old van fitted out with two donated industrial washing machines and two dryers, which can wash and dry 20 kilograms of laundry in an hour.

Getting the machines to fit in the van wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but they managed it pretty well. "The architect who helped us said: 'they'll probably fit', but we found we needed to build a platform above the wheel arches – it wasn't very scientific but we ended up banging the wheel arches out a bit and taking some panels off. We squeezed them in," said Lucas.

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