Work begins on the world's first 3D-printed house

Zero waste, lower transport costs and recyclable materials – is 3D-printing the future of housebuilding? Dutch architects are putting the process to the test for the first time in Amsterdam

Treacle-black plastic oozes from a nozzle at the bottom of a small tower in Amsterdam, depositing layer upon layer of glistening black worms in an orderly grid. With a knot of pipes and wires rising up to a big hopper, it looks like a high-tech liquorice production line. But this could be the future of house-building, if Dus Architects have their way.

3D Print Canal House - Element 002 from 3D Print Canal House on Vimeo.


On this small canal-side plot in the north of the city, dotted with twisting plastic columns and strange zig-zag building blocks, the architects have begun making what they say will be the world's first 3D-printed house.

“The building industry is one of the most polluting and inefficient industries out there,” says Hedwig Heinsman of Dus. “With 3D-printing, there is zero waste, reduced transportation costs, and everything can be melted down and recycled. This could revolutionise how we make our cities.”

Working on site for three weeks, the architects have so far produced a 3m-high sample corner of their future house, printed as a single piece weighing 180kg. It is one of the building blocks that will be stacked up like Lego bricks over the next three years to form a 13-room complex, modelled on a traditional Dutch gabled canal house, but with hand-laid bricks replaced by a faceted plastic facade, scripted by computer software.

more details: theguardian

The Only Freakiest Pranks You'll need this Years April fool

Every year, there are countless innocent victims who get terrorized… on April Fools Day. This April 1st, don’t let yourself become the butt of jokes. Instead, YOU can pull some pretty terrified pranks on your friends, family and coworkers.
Just be warned, they might be a little grumpy if you pull any of these off. Some are a little on the evil side, LOL.

1.) Plant a garden in a coworker's keyboard

2.) Keep roommates on their toes with an airhorn door stopper 

3.) Participate in some extreme car camouflage

4.) Offer them (an impossible) glass of water

5.) Help upgrade a coworker’s office supplies

 

 6.) Circle the shopping cart wagons 

7.) Paint soap with clear nail polish and leave it in the shower

8.) Start a rat infestation 

 

 

9.) Make their seat a treacherous trap  

10.) Make sure that even the bathroom isn’t safe 

 

 

more details: viralnova

Can Water Really Help You Lose Weight?

The question: I've heard the rumor that you should drink water to lose weight. But can simple H20 really help you shed pounds? It sounds too good to be true.

image credit: gtstrong

The experts: Brooke Alpert, R.D., founder of B Nutritious, and Keri Peterson, M.D., a physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and a medical advisor for Women's Health

The answer: "I don't think that water directly affects weight loss," says Alpert. "However, I think water consumption is directly correlated with weight loss." As in: Water does not have some magical property that burns fat (sorry!), but it definitely can help you with your weight-loss efforts (hooray!).

First off, staying hydrated could help you avoid overeating. "A lot of people confuse thirst for hunger," says Peterson. "So they'll tend to eat rather than drink water." If you're craving a midday snack and want to make sure your pangs are caused by hunger, not hydration, have a glass of water first. Then see if you're still hungry 30 minutes later, says Peterson.

MORE: 5 Reasons to Drink More Water

Also important to keep in mind: "If you're continually staying well hydrated, that false cue won't happen," says Peterson. To make sure you're getting enough H20 in general, the key is your pee (seriously): You want it to be a pale yellow.

Of course, drinking water also means you're not drinking something else—such as sugary, caloric beverages or even potentially diet-breaking diet soda.

MORE: Cameron Diaz's Easy Stay-Hydrated Secret

That said, this doesn't mean that you should go around guzzling water nonstop to avoid dehydration. (Though it is rare, it’s actually possible to drink too much water, particularly if you're forcing yourself to drink regularly even when you're not thirsty.)

So what's the moral here? "Water is a great accessory for weight loss," says Alpert. "Drinking enough water and staying properly hydrated is part of a healthy weight-loss system and healthy weight in general."  We'll raise a glass of H20 to that!

MORE: Think You Know How to Drink Water?

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more details: womenshealthmag

One drug to rule them all: Researchers find treatment that kills every kind of cancer tumor

Researchers might have found the Holy Grail in the war against cancer, a miracle drug that has killed every kind of cancer tumor it has come in contact with.
The drug works by blocking a protein called CD47 that is essentially a “do not eat” signal to the body’s immune system, according to Science Magazine.
This protein is produced in healthy blood cells but researchers at Stanford University found that cancer cells produced an inordinate amount of the protein thus tricking the immune system into not destroying the harmful cells.
With this observation in mind, the researchers built an antibody that blocked cancer’s CD47 so that the body’s immune system attacked the dangerous cells.

more details: nypost

A Genius Leaves The Hood: The Unauthorized Story of Jay Z

On the surface,  A Genius Leaves The Hood: The Unauthorized Story of Jay Z chronicles how hip-hop’s most successful rapper of the past two decades reached the top; but at its core, the film attempts to divulge the savvy and cunning business acumen of a mogul who decided that being at the top of the charts wasn’t enough. This 60-minute unauthorized biography explores the mind of a man who never played by the rules and admits it.

A Genius Leaves The Hood: The Unauthorized Story of Jay Z  uncovers the price Mr. Carter paid for his success through recent controversies including the racial debate of the Barneys deal, feud with Harry Belafonte and clashes with community activists over the construction of the Barclay Center. The film also explores rumors of association with the Illuminati, a highly publicized separation from the Roc-A-Fella crew, his estranged relationship with rapping mentor Jaz-O and break up with business partner Damon Dash.


more on: Moguldomstudios

This Guy creates a song using the numbers from pi.

Zombie-inspired beer is brewed with actual brains

Zombies generally don’t crave a nice, cold beer… but if they did, it would be this one: Dock Street Brewing Company’s Walker. It’s got one heck of a kick, and it’s brewed with real brains. It’s got cranberries in it, too.
I’m going to assume you’re not fixating on the cranberries, though. Let’s talk about the brains.

Image credit: Geek.com

Dock Street Brewing’s team are big fans of The Walking Dead, and they figured it was high time to brew up an homage to the show. And presumably, if a zombie brewmaster was crafting a new beer he’d probably want to mix in a few brains while it hopped. Dock Street uses carefully-roasted goat brains, which presumably add just the right savory accent to what’s otherwise a fairly standard American pale stout.
It’s got a heck of a kick, too. At 7.2% ABV, Walker is about 50% more potent than most American beers. So while it’s brewed with brains, it’s going to put a damper on your own cognitive abilities much faster than a more traditional beer.

more details: Geek