a burgundy zine
May 30, 2021
It cost me $50 for one adult movie ticket, a small popcorn, and a diet soda to see Cruella on a whim while waiting for the train yesterday. And honestly, the film was so incredible, I’d pay $50 again just to see it one more time. But more about that’s to come next week.
In the meantime, let’s recap what’s been hot here at The Burgundy Zine and gloss over some exciting news elsewhere that you may not have heard about yet.
May 28, 2021
A major area of psychedelic research is its potential clinical applications in psychiatry. In particular, a major area of study has concentrated on the potential therapeutic effects of shrooms, acid, and MDMA for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Memory plays a central role in the psychedelic experience,” begins a 2020 Psychopharmacology review. “The ability for psychedelics to provoke vivid memories has been considered important to their clinical efficacy.”
Throughout their review, the researchers found that psychedelics enhance autobiographical memory recall, which has therapeutic potential for overcoming traumatic experiences. However, psychedelics also have a dose-dependent effect of impairing memory task performance.
May 25, 2021
Colorful, vivacious, and down-to-earth, artist and musician Melodie Muggy has recently released her first song, “Chunkawunk.”
Last week, we spoke with Muggy via Zoom to learn more about her passion for music, her art and jewelry shops online, as well as her values. Muggy also shared some great advice for artists and musicians who are gearing up to release their first creations.
May 22, 2021
Writer Jeremy Bowler explains some of the most important elements consumers look for on business’ websites.
May 21, 2021
Experts from iDiveBlue explain what marine engineering is and explore advancements in the field that are mitigating the impact of oil drilling on sea life.
May 20, 2021
While mind-reading interfaces that convert thoughts to text sound like a dystopian sci-fi plot that could go horribly wrong disturbingly fast, the reality may not be so far away — or as fallible, either.
When you first hear “thought to text,” your knee-jerk response might be, “Uhh, no way. What if I have an intrusive thought that I don’t really mean to send? Or an impulse to text someone I know I shouldn’t?” But the most recent brain-computer face interface studies don’t rely on decoding your internal monologue or raw thoughts.
Rather, researchers have programmed a brain-computer interface that decodes “attempted handwriting movements” from motor cortex activity. This technology allows people who have been paralyzed for years to imagine handwriting and translate that into texting at speeds of 90 characters per minute with 94.1 percent accuracy, which is comparable to average smartphone typing speeds.
Furthermore, that accuracy climbs to 99 percent with general-purpose autocorrect.
May 19, 2021
Writer Jeremy Bowler shares a few tips for boosting your small business.
May 18, 2021
Moody and mysterious, London singer-songwriter Laurel Smith entrances listeners with her sultry single, “Out the Cage.”
May 15, 2021
Editor burgundy bug has just released her Health Diary PDF planner templates on Etsy! The health diary comes in three different versions: a flattened PDF, fillable PDF, and DELUXE BUNDLE.
Along with both the flattened and fillable PDF templates, the deluxe bundle includes 22 free digital stickers to decorate your planners with. Burgundy Bug is also running a 25 percent off sale on all of her physical prints and stickers to celebrate the release of her Health Diary PDF.
May 14, 2021
Mushrooms: everybody’s favorite quirk of nature. From the psychedelic genus psilocybe and the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis that “mind control” ants, to the mushrooms that clean up oil spills and the mushrooms that may serve as planetary habitats, researchers have found yet another use for fungi: radiation protection.
“The greatest hazard for humans on deep-space exploration missions is radiation,” says a preliminary report in the bioRxiv journal. “Certain fungi thrive in high-radiation environments on Earth, such as the contamination radius of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant… These organisms appear to perform radiosynthesis, using pigments known as melanin to convert gamma radiation into chemical energy. It is hypothesized that these organisms can be employed as a radiation shield to protect other lifeforms.”
Radiosynthesis runs parallel to photosynthesis — but instead of eating sunlight (UV radiation), these shrooms are eating gamma radiation. And it’s all possible through melanin, the same pigment that determines hair and skin color.