Asia
China’s ‘Provocative and Vulgar’ Mo Yan Wins Nobel in Literature
Chinese author Mo Yan took this year's Nobel Prize in Literature for his "hallucinatory realism"
October 11, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Saudi Arabia, World’s Largest Oil Exporter, Pushes for Solar at Home
Saudi Arabia is going green so that it can keep selling its oil
October 09, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Where Travelers Go to Pay Their Respects
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is not a fun place to go, yet tourists flock here, and to
other somber sites around the world
October 09, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
UNESCO-Listed Medieval Souk in Syria Burned, Bombed
Aleppo, the site of an ancient UNESCO-listed souk in Syria, went up in flames on Sunday as clashes between troops and rebels infiltrated the market quarter.
October 03, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Snakes: The Good, the Bad and the Deadly
With venom so potent it can kill a person in just 30 minutes, the black mamba is a snake to avoid—while others are worth learning about before you cast your judgment
October 03, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
This Camera Trap Snared a Bonanza of Indonesian Wildlife
Sit back and enjoy the stunning wildlife of northern Sumatra
October 02, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The Mooncake: A Treat, a Bribe or a Tradition Whose Time Has Passed?
Is the mooncake just going through a phase or are these new variations on the Chinese treat here to stay?
October 02, 2012 |
By Mike Ives
Health Hazards of the Traveler
Russian scientist Leonid Rogozov was the only doctor within 1,000 miles when, in 1961, he was struck by appendicitis in Antarctica. Fortunately, he had Novocain and a scalpel
September 28, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Largest Quake of the Year Crossed Fault Lines, Echoed for a Week
The largest earthquake of the year left quite an impression on the earth, but not via mass destruction or tsunamis. In fact, you probably didn’t even hear about it. The 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck on April 11 in the Indian Ocean. Two people are known to have died as a result of the quake, while [...]
September 26, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Stressed Out Species Aren’t Adapting in the Ways We Think They Should
Some animals are adapting to habitat destruction, but not always in the way that we would like
September 26, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Looters Are Selling Artifacts to Fund War in Syria
War zones are dangerous places, for both people and cultural heritage
September 26, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Tsunami Debris Is Just Now Arriving at Hawaii’s Coast
A dock 30-by-50 feet long, with Japanese writing on it, was found floating off the coast of Hawaii, around the same time that a plastic blue bin (a seafood storage container in its past life) became the first confirmed piece of tsunami debris to reach Hawaii. Authorities have not confirmed whether or not the dock was [...]
September 24, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Just Before the Hajj, Two Patients Contract SARS-Like Virus
A new coronavirus has been spotted in Saudi Arabia
September 24, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Six Things to Do and Places to See Before Climate Change Swamps the Party
Get out and view a wild polar bear and visit Tuvalu and other low-lying islands while you have a chance
September 20, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Cartoons of Mohammed, Anti-Jihad Subway Ads and Other Provocations, Past and Future
Today, as protests continue across the Muslim world in reaction to a translated movie trailer posted on YouTube, French Magazine Charlie Hebdo announced that it was publishing cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad
September 19, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
What We Do (And Don’t) Know About the Movie Muslim Innocence
Everything you thought you knew about Sam Bacile, the movie , and the riots, is probably wrong
September 13, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The World’s Closest International Relationships, According to Facebook
An interactive map depicts the Facebook friendships between countries
September 12, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Figs, Kiwis, Persimmons and Avocados: Take Your Pick of National Fruit Tastings
A dispatch from Fig Day, held every September at Wolfskill Experimental Orchard, an event that draws farmers, hobbyists and general fig lovers from around the country
September 11, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Three Decades After Last Sighting, Japanese River Otter Declared Extinct
Japan bids its Japanese River Otter a collective 'sayonara' this week after the country's Ministry of the Environment officially declared the species extinct
September 06, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Women Shut Down Deadly Witch Hunts in India (Yes, That Still Happens)
In some parts of rural India the practice of witch hunts is still in vogue, but local women aim to stop it
September 05, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer


