Stories by Anneli Rufus

Anneli Rufus is the author of several books, most recently The Scavenger's Manifesto (Tarcher Press, 2009). Read more of her work at scavenging.wordpress.com. subscribe to Anneli Rufus's feed

'Spontaneous' Combustion: Can Bodies Burn From the Inside Out?

Posted on: Mar 24, 2013, Source: AlterNet

It might be urban legend, sheer magic or divine wrath, but even detectives and coroners are willing to take the idea seriously.

Does Chocolate Go with Everything? America's Haute Cuisine Crowd Seems to Think So

Posted on: Dec 3, 2012, Source: AlterNet

We have reached a point where chefs and chocolatiers will stick almost anything into or onto chocolate and stand back smilingly awaiting our applause.

How a Loan Between Friends Can Destroy the Relationship

Posted on: Jul 23, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Asking friends for loans is like asking them for sex: Whatever happens, the relationship will never be the same again.

There Is More Than One Way to Grow a Tomato -- Biodynamic Farming Is Probably the Weirdest

Posted on: Jul 19, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Biodynamic farming produces wholesome, pesticide-free food and drinks -- but the methods are a little out of the ordinary.

Better Than Sugar? The Truth About 6 Alternative Natural Sweeteners

Posted on: Jun 6, 2012, Source: AlterNet

The global market for non-sugar sweeteners is expected to reach nearly $10 billion by 2016. But what's in this stuff, and is it worth the switch?

Is Gluten Ruining Your Health (Or Are We Way Too Paranoid?)

Posted on: Mar 5, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Recent studies connect eating gluten with autism, schizophrenia, lymphoma, lupus, multiple sclerosis, infertility, chronic numbness, severe balance problems and more.

Why Your Race or Gender May Affect How Much Pain You Feel

Posted on: Feb 17, 2012, Source: AlterNet

A new study from Stanford says that pain is neither gender- nor race-neutral.

Compost Cuisine: Amazing Ways to Make Delicious Food Out of Garbage

Posted on: Jan 11, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Chefs are taking sustainability to new heights by gazing into the depths: that is, at what would otherwise be deemed not fit to eat.

Bugs and Krill, the Other White Meats: Time to Start Eating at the Bottom of the Food Chain

Posted on: Dec 7, 2011, Source: AlterNet

It's a massive paradigm shift: Raised on steak, we're now facing a dung-beetle future.

So What Does it Mean that Studies Reveal that Moderate Drinkers Are Healthier than Teetotalers ?

Posted on: Nov 28, 2011, Source: AlterNet

We all know that drinking too much can be bad for us; but did you know that drinking too little could be hazardous?

IQ Blackout: Why Did Studying Intelligence Become Taboo?

Posted on: Nov 2, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Somewhere along the way, the very idea of intelligence became politicized. An IQ blackout descended.

The Bully Button: New Tool Is Either World's Greatest Anti-Bully Weapon or Terrifying Fascist Plot

Posted on: Nov 1, 2011, Source: AlterNet

A new app could make your smart phone the best protector you ever had -- but is that a good thing?

Pet Theft Up 50 Percent Since Last Year: Evidence of a Downed Economy or Utter Depravity?

Posted on: Oct 25, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Pets are being stolen and sold on the street to dog-fighting rings or research labs.

Infection: How Hospitals Are Breeding Grounds for Superbugs You've Never Even Heard Of

Posted on: Oct 19, 2011, Source: AlterNet

We don't think of hospitals as places where we can get sick. But that's what they are, far more commonly than the healthcare industry wants us to know.

The "Attractiveness Bonus" in the Workplace

Posted on: Oct 19, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Studies show pretty people make more money--so should ugly people be designated disabled members of a disadvantaged minority meriting compensation as a protected class?

One Man Fathering 150 Children? Why Sperm Banks May Be Unethical

Posted on: Oct 11, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Super-spawn stories are becoming common because sperm banks behave like corporations.

There Is No Biological Reason to Eat Three Meals a Day -- So Why Do We Do It?

Posted on: Sep 23, 2011, Source: AlterNet

For most of history, meals were very variable.

Why the Breakfast Most Americans Will Eat Today Is a Corporate Scam

Posted on: Sep 2, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Wake up and smell the McCafé: Cold cereal, donuts and orange juice are breakfast staples because somebody somewhere wanted money.

Did Ex-Cons Bake Your Birthday Cake?

Posted on: Aug 5, 2011, Source: AlterNet

The Bread Project helps addicts, the homeless, the jobless and the formerly incarcerated learn to bake dark rye, fruit tarts, and other sweet and savory treats.

Are Trader Joe's Frozen Gnocchi and Teriyaki Chicken Destroying Western Civilization?

Posted on: Aug 4, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Cooking competence no longer matters. That's a good and a bad thing.

Why Prescription Ecstasy or LSD Could Happen Much Sooner Than You Think

Posted on: Jun 24, 2011, Source: AlterNet

If a growing phalanx of scientists get their way, prescriptions for psychedelic drugs could be yours within 10 years.

The Strange History of Ramen Noodles

Posted on: Jun 7, 2011, Source: AlterNet

The fascinating history behind one of the most popular foods on the planet.

The Wild War to Protect Bluefin Tuna In Libyan Waters, and Obama's Troubling Role

Posted on: Jun 1, 2011, Source: AlterNet

The waters off Libya are a NATO no-fly zone, which is good news to poachers: No inspectors. No surveillance.

Meet Bart Ehrman: A One-Man God Fraud Squad

Posted on: Apr 30, 2011, Source: AlterNet

A world-renowned Bible scholar says the Bible is full of fibs, forgeries and downright lies.

Crime Rates Are Plummeting -- And No One Knows Why

Posted on: Mar 20, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Could it be that America is actually turning less violent? Or are we as violent as ever — but have simply found different ways of assuaging our urges?

Are We Killing Ourselves with Cleanliness? As Number of Allergy Sufferers Soar, Potential Cures Are More Radical

Posted on: Nov 26, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Alternative theories abound on why developed countries have such high rates of allergic reactions.

Butchery Classes and Parties: How Much Do You Want to Know About How Your Meat Gets to Your Plate?

Posted on: Oct 22, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Watching chefs' glistening blades slash fat, muscle and bone is the grotesque new fad in high cuisine.

Fast Food Chains Are Falling Flat with Their 'Healthy' Image Makeover

Posted on: Oct 12, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Fast-food chains are being blamed for the 30 percent national obesity rate, and they know it. But is their new food any healthier?

Why Are People Willing to Fork Out a Fortune for Shoes That Cost Little to Make?

Posted on: Sep 30, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Shoes spur cravings, compulsions and crimes as no other clothing does, and the true cost of making them is just as surprising.

The Cosmetics Racket: Why the Beauty Industry Can Get Away with Charging a Fortune for Makeup

Posted on: Sep 10, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Experts warn that we're getting bamboozled by huge makeup markups.

Wow -- the Eyewear Industry Is an Incredible Ripoff, But There Are Alternatives

Posted on: Aug 30, 2010, Source: AlterNet

What makes glasses so expensive? Oblong plastic lenses? Plastic and metal frames? We're getting screwed.

Bed Bug Infestation Is Scaring Millions Of Americans

Posted on: Aug 15, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Outbreaks of bed bugs, soaring in the most unexpected places -- like CNN's headquarters -- stoke some of our deepest fears.

Cash-Crunched Resorts and Hotels Find That Going Green Is a Good Way to Scrimp on Money

Posted on: Aug 11, 2010, Source: AlterNet

From composting guests' uneaten pancakes to washing bedsheets with ozone, some hotels are taking radical steps to go green.

Chocolate That Cures Acne, Potato Chips That Lower Cholesterol -- Here Come the Nutraceuticals to a Store Near You

Posted on: Aug 2, 2010, Source: AlterNet

The food industry sees huge dollar signs in erasing the border between medicine and meals.

10 of the Con Artists' Favorite Ways to Scam the Elderly

Posted on: Jul 16, 2010, Source: AlterNet

The older we get, the more attractive we become to fraudsters. Preying on those breakdowns that come with age, from hearing loss to loneliness, criminals tailor special scams.

Why Do Murderers Get Mailbags Full of Love Letters and Marriage Proposals?

Posted on: Jun 25, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Murder suspect Joran van der Sloot has been bragging about receiving a deluge of attention from women since confessing to the murder of Stephany Flores. What gives?

Owe Money? Be Careful, or You Might End Up in Jail

Posted on: Jun 18, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Owing money is not a criminal offense in the USA. But big business has found a way to end-run this process.

Do We Really Have a 5th Taste? What Is the Umami Fad All About?

Posted on: Jun 11, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Is the umami fad nothing more than a massive counterattack against a few decades of anti-MSG bad press?

Why Caffeine Is the Perfect Addiction for a Worker Bee Society

Posted on: May 14, 2010, Source: AlterNet

There's a $60 billion-plus industry pushing hard to promote caffeine's image in the public mind.

Red Bull, Rockstar and Now Pimp Juice? Buzz-Infused Energy Drinks are a Window Into Young Men's Fantasies

Posted on: Apr 30, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Why pay $3 for the same buzz that could be brewed for pennies at home? Because of all the virility and vigor promised by exotic-sounding ingredients.

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