We invite you to step back and take a moment to consider this photo, and what it represents. This is 'Pale Blue Dot' and is the final photograph Voyager took as it made its way out of our Solar System, as part of its 'Family Portrait' series of pictures, each one detailing the planets of our galactic neighborhood.
Taken at the request of astronomer and author Carl Sagan, the image shows a tiny, one-pixel speck suspended in reflected sunlight. That is Earth, our home, as seen from 3.7 billion miles away. Every life, death, love, loss, war, empire, famine and feast humanity has ever known has taken place on that little dot, so small and insignificant when juxtaposed with the background of space. Some people find it inspiring, and others find it makes them feel like everything is pointless. How do you react to it?
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.