Clearly visible in the night sky, Mars has always played a mysterious role in the human psyche. A planet so close, and yet so far and utterly alien, it has fed our imagination for centuries. From video games to movies, many visionaries have explored the almost sinister side to Mars - the part we're all a little bit nervous about. Maybe we're looking a little bit too far away in the solar system - maybe they're right under our noses.
The fear of our alien overlords residing on a planet so close by seems to have been jump-started by a man named Christian Huygens, who in 1659 discovered an incredibly creepy feature on the surface of the red planet. Named Syrtis Major, this so-called geographical anomaly fed into public hysteria over an imminent attack, a hysteria that hasn't really died down since.
Over the years, weve seen so many food trends come and go, such as ramen burgers, matcha, and spiked ice-cream. Nowadays, were seeing another trend making waves in the food industry. How many times today have you seen an Instagram photo of a scoop of black ice cream, or a cup of black yogurt, or hamburgers with black buns? Indeed, the charcoal trend has taken the world by storm.
So, what gives your latte that deep black shade? Activated charcoal, or coconut ash, is produced by heating coconut shells to insanely high temperatures until theyre burnt to a crisp. The ashes are then increased in size by steaming at high temperatures. Through this process, the ashes become a strong detoxifier, mostly because they become extra absorbent. This product may be purchased in pill form, and promises to alleviate hangovers, minimize the effects of food poisoning, and fight the visible signs of aging.
Activated charcoal is said to boost ones energy as a result of decreasing toxins in the body. However, no evidence proves that detoxifying can lead to increased energy. Also, while it can help cure a hangover, it doesnt necessarily remove alcohol from your blood. It is also said to aid in debloating your stomach because it cleanses your colon but again, this all anecdotal and isnt supported by scientific evidence as of yet. All we can say for sure is that it is a proven detoxifier.