The name of the country itself hints that the climate there is not very warm. And this is where all of its charm is hiding: it’s like the Snow Queen looking at you with her cold piercing eyes. And you can spend ages looking at this country: the waterfalls, the rocks, the volcanos, the beaches with black sand, and 8 months a year when you can see the Northern Lights. All these things make Iceland a country from a parallel reality that anyone would love to go to, at least for a little vacay.
We at Bright Side think that there should be things to fuel our dreams and this article does exactly that. Now is probably the best time to start saving for a trip to Iceland to see its beauty with your own eyes. It’s definitely worth it.
“My sister rented an apartment in the north of Iceland for Christmas, and this is her view.”
Before 1987, every Thursday in Iceland, there were no TV broadcasts.
The people from Iceland born before 1987 joke that they were probably conceived on a Thursday. The thing is, Thursdays were the days of communication when people were supposed to pay more attention to each other. This is why the only channel in the country at the time didn’t work on Thursdays.
Footage from the Icelandic TV show Keeping up with the Kattarshians, where cats are filmed living in a tiny home
Black sand beach in Iceland
“In Iceland, you can hand-draw a map on your mail, without an address, and it will still make it to its destination.”
- That’s because buildings are so far apart from each other and there are lots of distinct geographical locations, so it is easy to determine the location. The-Daily-Meme / Reddit
Blue Lagoon in Iceland is a geothermal hot spring that wasn’t open to tourists until the 1990s.
- That’s insane, it simultaneously looks like the hottest and coldest place on the planet. obamium-11 / Reddit
The people in Iceland can see the Northern Lights 8 months a year.
- Wow… one of the things I’d really like to see some time in my lifetime… FrayAdjacent / Reddit
“There are places in Iceland where you can be standing on the North American and European tectonic plates at the same time. This rift was from an earthquake.”
There’s a cave shaped like Yoda in Iceland. Do you see it?
“Iceland does not want to deal with your stupidity — and I think that’s beautiful.”
“Traveling within Iceland because we couldn’t go elsewhere. Found these guys sheltering themselves from the wind…”
And there’s a magnificent glacier in the background!
Glacier rivers in Iceland
- I used to have an art teacher who went to Iceland every year. He had hundreds of photos of the countryside. I have never seen anything like this country. The bizarre colors and shapes that naturally occur there are nothing more than breathtaking. JanJaapen / Reddit
A black church called the Heimaey Stave Church
- I was fortunate enough to see this church in person last year. There is a spring/fountain very close nearby with some of the cleanest and tastiest water I’ve ever had. Hard to even describe. Sletzer / Reddit
The Kerið Crater in winter is unreal.
“A photo of a road and landscape I took”
- Looks like wallpaper for an iPad pro. maurosauro / Reddit
- I’d be happy to sell it to Apple. thomyorkeftw / Reddit
The last McDonald’s cheeseburger sold in Iceland. McDonald’s no longer exists in this country.
“Stayed in an unusual hotel near The Golden Circle in Iceland”
“This crater lake in Iceland merges with a powerful glacial river. One of the most surreal sunrises I’ve ever experienced”
This very cozy street in Iceland
- This whole country is cozy. Seriously. I went there last winter and I’ve never been to a more cozy place in my life. dc-redpanda / Reddit
The view from some public restrooms in Iceland
“The puffins returned to eastern Iceland this week. I was lucky enough to see thousands of them in one spot.”
“This house my wife and I stayed at while in Iceland”
- Pretty much every building in Iceland has a view as good as this, that country is just insane. Chilis1 / Reddit
A sunset snowstorm in Iceland
I have the urge to set this as my phone’s wallpaper.
Would you like to travel to this amazing country?
We’ve All Waited for It: Scientists Created a Drug That Can Help Regrow Lost Teeth
The tooth fairy is a welcome guest for any child who has lost a tooth. Not only will the fairy leave a small gift under the child’s pillow, but they be assured of a replacement tooth in a few months. Unfortunately, the scenario is quite different for adults grappling with a loss of teeth. Luckily, there may be some hope thanks to a new study performed by scientists at Kyoto University and the University of Fukui.
A dental breakthrough
While the typical adult mouth houses 32 teeth, approximately 1% of the population exhibits variations of them, either possessing more or fewer teeth due to congenital conditions. Researchers have delved into the genetic factors behind cases of excessive teeth, seeking valuable insights into the potential regeneration of teeth in adults. This study is the first to show that monoclonal antibodies can help regrow teeth. It suggests a new way to treat a dental problem that currently requires implants and other artificial solutions.
A bit of science
The research team disclosed that an antibody targeting a specific gene, known as uterine sensitization-associated gene-1 (USAG-1), can induce tooth development in mice affected by tooth agenesis, a congenital condition. The findings were published in the journal, Science Advances.
As per Katsu Takahashi, a senior lecturer at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine and one of the principal contributors to the study, the essential molecules crucial for the development of teeth have already been pinpointed. “The morphogenesis of individual teeth depends on the interactions of several molecules including BMP, or bone morphogenetic protein, and Wnt signaling,” says Takahashi.
On April 13, 2021, the University of Kyoto posted its first pic of newly-grown teeth in mice.
BMP and Wnt are involved in more than just tooth development; they affect the growth of organs and tissues early in the body’s development. Because drugs affecting them directly might have broad side effects, scientists are cautious. To find a potentially safer method, researchers focused on the gene USAG-1, thinking that aiming at factors countering BMP and Wnt specifically in tooth development could be more precise.
“We knew that suppressing USAG-1 benefits tooth growth. What we did not know was whether it would be enough,” added Takahashi.
The first results
Scientists looked at how different monoclonal antibodies affect USAG-1. Monoclonal antibodies are often used to treat things like cancer and arthritis and for making vaccines. Tests with this antibody showed that BMP signaling is crucial for deciding the number of teeth in mice. Also, just one treatment was enough to grow a whole tooth. Further tests confirmed these positive results in ferrets too.
“Ferrets are diphyodont animals with similar dental patterns to humans. Our next plan is to test the antibodies on other animals, such as pigs and dogs,” explained Takahashi.
Fully regrown frontal teeth in ferrets
The next steps
Now, scientists are going to test the drug on healthy adults. If that goes well, the team plans to try it on kids aged 2 to 6 with a rare tooth problem called anodontia, a genetic disorder defined as the absence of all teeth. These kids will get one shot of the drug to see if it makes their teeth grow. If everything works out, the medicine might be approved by 2030.
Takahashi sees the new medicine as an additional choice for individuals who are missing some or all of their teeth.
“The idea of growing new teeth is every dentist’s dream,” Takahashi told the Japanese newspaper, The Mainichi in June this year. “I’ve been working on this since I was a graduate student. I was confident I’d be able to make it happen.”
So hopefully, by the year 2030, humans will get a chance to have their third generation of teeth grown and say goodbye to implants. Until then, make sure to keep your teeth strong and healthy — this article will help you with that.
Preview photo credit KyotoU_News / Twitter
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