Well, how can we dress this one up. There are no prizes for guessing what this creature is called. Can you figure it out? That's right, it's the atretochoana eiselti. We're kidding; that's its scientific name. Everybody else in the world calls it the penis snake, and it's entirely obvious where it gets its name from. If you uploaded this picture on social media, you'd probably get your account suspended!
If you're laughing at the penis snake though, be aware that it's also laughing at you. It's not actually a snake at all; it's a limbless amphibian, rather than being a reptile. Not only that, it's the largest tetrapod that doesn't have lungs; it absorbs oxygen through its skin. For over a century, the only known examples of the species were two samples that explorer Sir Graham Hales brought back from Brazil in the 1800s, but more recently we found it again in the wild, in 2011.
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.