Rituals and Traditions
Established practices around weddings, funerals and celebrations
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
Today’s Physics Nobel Prize Didn’t Go to the Higgs
The winning research centers around figuring out the way light behaves at a very fundamental level - a field called "quantum optics"
October 09, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Bioluminescent Worms Welcomed Columbus to the New World
Before Columbus made landfall in the New World 520 years ago today, glowing green worms engaged in a mating dance may have welcomed him first
October 08, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Two Newest Nobel Prize Winners Opened Up Pandora’s Box of Stem Cell Research And Cloning
Today's Nobel Prize in medicine went to Shinya Yamanaka and John Gurdon for their work on stem cell research and cloning
October 08, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
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
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
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
Meet the National Zoo’s Newest Panda Cub
Giant panda Mei Xiang gave birth to a panda cub at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
September 17, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Only in New York: The Lady in Lime Green
As models flaunt designer wear during fashion week, a subway rider imparts her own bold style
September 14, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Will Hound Hunting in California Be Banned?
Hunters say that the practice brings to life a natural drama between black bears and canine predators. But to many others, the practice is little more than wildlife harassment
September 13, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
50 Years Ago, JFK Sent Us to the Moon
President Kennedy bolstered American support for his mission to the Moon with a speech at Rice University 50 years ago today
September 12, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
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
New York Fashion Week, Past and Present
Since the mid-1940s, models of perfection in designer clothes have graced Manhattan runways every autumn
September 07, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
An Unofficial Guide to the Breweries of California’s North Coast
From the Anderson Valley Brewing Company, in Boonville, to the often irreverent Lagunitas brewpub, in Petaluma, here are several breweries worth pedaling for
September 06, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Happy 100th Birthday to John Cage, Who Made a Lot of People Angry
Sixty years ago, John Cage put on a performance of a piece called 4'33" or "four minutes, thirty-three seconds." Today would have been his birthday
September 05, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Crazy Lies Haters Threw at Rachel Carson
Silent Spring turns 50 this month, but Rachel Carson's ecological game-changer was not always the beloved green bible it is today
September 04, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Best Backroad Bike Rides of the California North Coast
Cycling the West Coast is easy, whether you're riding from Canada to Mexico or Portland to San Francisco. To add some spice to this predictable and popular route, I've taken to the backroads
September 04, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
The Swimsuit Series, Part 6: Ladies in Wading in Art
A look at how artists spent their summer vacations—at the beach
August 31, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Wolves Are Returning to Oregon–but Not All Locals Want Them
In 1947, the last wolf in Oregon was killed for a bounty fee of $5 just outside of Crater Lake National Park. Now, after more than 50 years of absence, the animals are staging a comeback
August 31, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
At a Glance: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Oregon Coast
The coastal Highway 101 route, through rainforest and redwoods, is as beautiful as it is popular
August 29, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
