As a modern civilization, we enjoy pushing the boundaries in just about every field, including food. In recent years, technology has allowed us to create some of the craziest foods that, only a few decades ago, would seem like nothing but a fantasy. Today, it’s reality that who knows, just might become the norm in the not-so-far-off future. If you’re a foodie who also happens to be a science junkie, then sit back and unwind as you learn about some of the most impressive food innovations that you absolutely need to try.

1. Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream

This new method of creating ice cream was introduced to the world on an episode of ABC’s Shark Tank when a husband-and-wife duo displayed their invention. The pair wowed everyone as they created delicious ice cream in only a matter of seconds by slowly stirring their ingredients until it reached the desired creamy consistency. Although the sharks were not impressed enough to invest in the couple’s invention, the two carried on regardless and founded the Sub-Zero Ice Cream company which is slowly expanding across America.

2. Edible Water Orbs

Hopefully in the near future, water bottles will become a thing of the past (good riddance!) as they’re replaced by edible water orbs. This could drastically reduce the amount of plastic on our planet, plastic which is known to endanger both plant and animal life and takes forever to break down. The edible water orbs or “Ooho” as they’re called, were invented by a company named Skipping Rocks Lab. The stable and flavorless orbs were made out of algae, which is biodegradable if one doesn’t feel like eating it. If this takes off, it could revolutionize the way we drink water on the go, and reduce plastic at a rate that Mother Earth would definitely thank us for.

3. Cotton Candy Grapes

This fruit isn’t something concocted in a sterile lab. Rather, it was invented by a lone farmer who carefully crossbred various species of wild grapes until he achieved the desired flavor he was looking for. Again, there’s zero involvement of genetic engineering or scientific meddling of any sort. This new species of grapes is already making the rounds in grocery stores but they are quite pricey. But those who took the risk and bought a few said it was well worth it and that they do in fact, taste like cotton candy.

4. Black Ice Cream

In 2017, black ice cream was all the craze in the US, particularly in the state of California. The trend started there, when a Los Angeles-based ice cream shop named Little Damage began selling ice cream that was a ghastly shade of black. It didn’t take long for people to figure out the secret ingredient (charcoal, in case you were wondering) and started featuring it on their menus. It should be mentioned though, that black ice cream did and still does come with a couple of side effects. Because charcoal is a potent detoxifier, it can inadvertently absorb medications and vitamins out of your body, rendering them ineffective.

5. Meatless Plant-Based Burgers That “Bleed”

Despite their refusal to eat animal-based products, many vegans admit to missing the flavor of many comfort foods that they may have grown up with or just always wanted to try. That is why a group of vegan scientists made it their mission to bridge the two worlds by creating the world’s first meatless burger that looks and tastes just like the real thing. And the “bleeding” effect is nothing more than the work of beet juice. So, if you want the effect of rare or medium rare meat, without the guilt of eating an animal, look no further.

We all know that beauty is pain but some fashion trends took that quote a little too literally. Dresses made out of sacks and skirts that drastically limited movement were all the craze at one point in history. Luckily those trends all died out and we’ve since moved on to somewhat less painful bus just as weird fashion trends as the ones we’re about to highlight. Let’s take a look at some of the ghastliest fashion trends that, under no circumstances, should ever be repeated.

1. Zibellinos

For the high-ranking nobles and royals of the 16th century, zibellinos, or tippets or flea furs, were all the craze. It was basically the pelt of a marten or sable, with the head still intact. They were worn draped over your arm, and were even adorned with gold and other jewels. The zibellino was seen as a sign of status and only the highest-ranking members of society had access to it. However, zibellinos slowly became a thing of the past due to the rise of fax fur at the end of the 16th century.

2. Black Teeth

Today, most people go to great lengths to achieve and maintain their pearly white smiles. But if you were a woman in ancient Japan, you’d do the complete opposite. This is because black teeth were seen as a symbol of attractiveness and wealth. So women would purposely drink black dye mixed with cinnamon and spices to achieve their desired look, a process which was known as ohaguro. The practice was finally banned in 1870, when the then Japanese empress showed off her pearly white smile to the public.

3. Flour Sacking

As Americans slowly recovered from the effects of the Great Depression, a strange and quirky fashion choice slowly made the rounds among Southern ladies: flour sacking. Women with decent sewing skills began stitching together flour sacks into fashionable outfits. From the late 1930s to the early 1940s, flour sacking was a big deal across America. National sewing competitions started popping all over the country and the outfits became more elaborate and brighter with intricate patterns. Luckily, they got tired of it and the trend died out.

4. Hobble Skirts

No one knows for sure who invented it, but the hobble skirt was a fashion trend that made its way from Paris to the US during the 1910s. Women all over the country started abandoning their heavy layers of fabric and petticoats for something more form-fitting, even if it was extremely restrictive. Wearing the hobble skirt involved tying your ankle which significantly limited the wearers’ steps, so much so that streetcars and trains had to accommodate women who wore it by lowering their entrance steps. However, the sudden scarcity of manpower and fabric during World War I led to the abrupt end of the hobble skirt, thankfully.

5. Crinolines

Where the hobble skirt restricted movement, the crinolines were large and expansive. A little too much if you think about it, because it pretty much led to the deaths of thousands of women. The crinolines were created during the 1850s and the 1860s to give skirts and dresses a dramatic bell shape—some even came with metal frames. Since 1850, it is estimated that nearly 40,000 women fell victim to crinolines by either standing too close to fireplaces or candles. By far, the worst recorded incident took place in 1863 at the Church of the Company of Jesus which claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people.

Despite the incredible leaps in our technology, for one reason or another, flat earthers still dig their heels in about the Earth being flat, claiming that it’s some huge conspiracy against the “truth.” The real truth, however, is that if the world was indeed flat, there would be proof of it everywhere, namely in how our planet operates. So what exactly would be different? Well, that’s what this article is for. Here are five ways that life would be different if the world was truly flat.

1. There Wouldn’t Be Any Seasons

The reason we have seasons is due to the Earth’s tilt which causes sunlight to hit different parts of the Earth at different points in the year. That’s why the northern and southern hemispheres experience the seasons at opposite dates: when it’s winter in the north, it’s summer in the south. Under a flat Earth model, the entire planet would experience the exact same season forever, which might be a bit boring if we’re being honest. Not only that, but microbes and animals would be able travel from one part of the Earth to another with great ease.

2. There Would Be No Rain

The rotation of our planet is what causes our oceans and wind currents to move from east to west. So if the Earth was flat, there’d be zero rotations, and without that, the wind would only blow in two directions: north and south. Sure, not having to deal with hurricanes and tornadoes would be nice, but there would be no clouds and no rain. The Earth would cease to be the lush and vivacious planet we know it to be, instead it would be transformed into a vast and empty desert, save for small coastlines here and there. The tornados don’t seem as bad in comparison.

3. The Sun Would Crash into the Earth

According to the flat Earth model, there’s no movements or rotations, we’re just sitting under the Sun completely stationary. This means that there’s nothing to stop us from plummeting straight into the fiery depths of the Sun. Luckily for us this will never happen because our Earth is in fact round, and it is this roundness, along with a combination of gravity and momentum, that keeps from colliding with not only the Sun, but the Moon and every other star in our Solar System.

4. Tectonic Plates Would Stop Moving

Tectonic plates, although they can be a bit of a nuisance when they create earthquakes, are the reason we have so many magnificent and breathtaking landscapes such as mountains, valleys, volcanoes and even some bodies of water. So no tectonic plates means none of those things mentioned earlier would exist. The Earth’s surface would be totally flat, the only bumps would be the humans, animals and trees that cover its surface. As for the ocean, it would just be a consistent pool of water spread equally over the planet’s surface.

5. All Forms of Navigation Would Stop Working

A flat Earth would mean no mantle core or a magnetic north. And without those two things, well, there’d be no way to tell north from south, or east from west. Animals, such as birds, would be in a constant state of confusion since they wouldn’t know which way to go when they fly. Also, our GPS systems would be pretty much non-existent because satellites wouldn’t be able to stay in orbit due to the lack of gravity. They’d just come plummeting down at us, if they even managed to get to their destination.

Ancient Egypt was a fascinating civilization, and all that’s left of it today is mostly remnants of important monuments and complexes. Besides their stunning architecture, ancient Egyptians have influenced the world in so many more ways than we realize. After all, if it wasn’t for their brilliant minds, many items that we use on a daily basis may have been non-existent or not invented for millennia to come. From toothpaste to hair dye and even scissors, here are five modern day inventions that we should thank the Egyptians for.

1. Pens

Contrary to popular belief, carving hieroglyphics into stone wasn’t a very common type of writing system. If anything, it was rather tiresome and impractical and eventually led to the development of a form of writing that was never before seen at the time. The Egyptians started soaking the ends of long pieces of reed in water then cut the ends into points which caused them to crack and dispense the ink. But because these pens dried out quickly, they were turned to quills as a more effective alternative. The first modern pen emerged during the 1800s, but came with a cap to prevent it from drying out.

2. Toothpaste

Although the original ingredients were a bit questionable, the first form of toothpaste still managed to get the job done. Crushed hooves, burned eggshells and ashes were all you needed to get your teeth all nice and clean in that time. Once you were done, you’d freshen up your breath with some good ole’ fashioned mints. Luckily, the ingredients for these were so much more pleasant—dried mint, dried iris and rock salt. In fact, the Egyptians were such sticklers for proper dental hygiene that they had a long list of recipes for both the aforementioned toothpaste and mints.

3. Hair Dye

The Egyptians were big on appearances as it meant everything to them and was an indicator of one’s social and financial status. They did this not only in the form of makeup but with wigs and hair extensions as well. With all this said, they weren’t keen on the salt and pepper look, you know, sings of aging, which is why they went to great lengths to hide it. To cover up their silver locks, they would use dried henna leaves to create a reddish-brown paste. Not only was it used to dye their hair, but to stain the lips and nails as well.

4. Scissors

Many people falsely assume that Leonardo da Vinci was the brains behind the inventing of the scissors. However, the credit actually belongs to our old, old friends, who designed the original pair of scissors all the way back in 1500 BC. Although our modern scissors are based on the cross-blade design by the Romans, the Egyptian scissors was a single piece of metal fashioned into two blades that were controlled by a metal strip between the blades.

5. The Plow

Prior to the creation of the plow, land used to be tilled by walking around with digging sticks, which were basically long sticks shoved into the ground to make holes for seeds when planting. After getting tired of said sticks, the Egyptians created the first known plow, known to them as the “ard.” It consisted of an arched handle and a stone or metal point attached to the bottom. It is nothing like the plows we have today, but there’s no denying its huge role in modern and ancient agriculture.