Proponents of duct tape have long held that it has a special and unique ability to remove warts!

Researchers at the University of Minnesota set out to prove, or disprove, the veracity of this thesis. Working with 90 be-warted adults, researchers covered half the warts with moleskin (a heavy cotton fabric used for bandages) and half with duct tape. At the end of the experiment 21% of the warts covered with duct tape were completely resolved, compared to 22% for the moleskin. Statistically, those are identical outcomes.

To make a bubble you need a material that, when spread in a thin film, won't pull itself into a tiny drop (like water pulling itself into a bead on a waxed surface). This tendency to pull into a drop is called surface tension, and water has a high surface tension.

Adding a surfactant (SURFace ACTive AgeNT) to water reduces the surface tension so a bubble can form without collapsing itself into a drop.

Reducing the surface tension of water also allows the water to mix with oil and grease, which is why surfactants are used for cleaning!

I don’t know which will kill more germs, and it will probably depend on the level of sunshine, actual dryer temperature, and the pathogens present.

From the standpoint of the clothing, drying in the sun is far superior (less damage to fibers). From the standpoint of the environment, drying in the sunshine is better (less energy and associated greenhouse gases).

To my thinking, there is no reason to use the dryer if drying in the sun is an option.

The 'Urban Heat Island Effect' describes the difference in temperature between a city and its surrounding countryside. Cities typically have less vegetation and more impervious surfaces, such as roofs and cement roads, which absorb solar radiation and re-radiate it as heat. Urban and suburban areas can by anywhere from 2 to 10°F (1 to 6°C) hotter than nearby rural areas. The presence of tall buildings and narrow streets can trap air and decrease air circulation, which also contributes to the formation of heat islands.