Brazilian tradition of eating ants | Bangkok Post: tech

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Brazilian tradition of eating ants

Peta probably won't appreciate this video clip. And the picture of a man picking up a fresh ant and throwing it into his mouth, with his smiling face, could seem cruel. But the 2:47-minute clip of "Brazil's Ant Eaters" is a real cultural issue, as presented by Alexei Barrionuevo, Myrna Domit and Rob Harris. In the town of Silveiras, Brazil, the frying and eating of queen ants dates back centuries, but pesticides used by the booming paper industry are now threatening the insects.

The clip shows that eating ants is a common practice that starts at a young age with people in Silveiras, when they learn how to collect the ants. Like many Asian countries, ants are widely consumed in Brazil and it's one of the most liked dishes, as well as a best-selling dish in restaurants.

Watch how people eat ants and learn about the latest threats to this food at video.nytimes.com/video/2011/01/04/world/americas/1248069519368/brazilian-tradition-of-eating-ants.html?WT.mc - id=VI-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M183-ROS-0111-HDR&WT.mc-ev=click.

How to stay beautiful ... and protected

This may be the first time that the bicycle and fashion worlds meet. Designers Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin have worked on a fashionable invention. The latest safety accessory for a cyclist has been invented, the airbag helmet. Since many studies have shown that female cyclists don't like wearing helmets since they ruin their hairdos for the day, the new airbag helmet answers their need to be beautiful and safe.

The airbag helmet works like an airbag in the car that works only when an accident occurs. First worn as a while collar around your neck, the airbag helmet works when a cyclist is hit from behind. As seen in a demonstration on the website, a bike is hit from behind and the cyclist begins to be thrown from the saddle, and the collar turns into a lifesaver.

Visit davidreport.com/blog/201010/the-invisible-airbag-bicycle-helmet-hovding.