Ushuaia
City at the end of the world
The city at the end of the world is a hot spot for tourists, especially those going to Antarctica. Like Australia, it was once a penal colony.
Uffington White Horse
Ancient hillside chalk art
On an English hillside, a huge, somewhat abstract image of a horse was created millennia ago by carving through the soil into a layer of chalk beneath. But the only way to get a good view of it is from the sky.
The Wallace Line
Evolution and continental drift
An imaginary line drawn in 1859 through the middle of what is now Indonesia demarcated two very different regions of animal life, even though they were strangely close together. A century later, the line turned out to be the edge of a continental plate.
Giving Away the Razor, Selling the Blades
The curious strategy of loss-leader marketing
How can companies make money by giving away their products? Loss-leader marketing trades immediate profits for repeat sales over the long run.
Mead
The prototypical alcoholic beverage
Although wine is most commonly made from grapes, the world's original alcoholic beverage is a variety of wine made from honey.
The Yo-Yo
Giving an old toy a new spin
The toy industry has its ups and downs, and that's all good when it comes to the yo-yo. But the history of this toy is shrouded in mystery. Is it the world's second-oldest toy, a derivative of a weapon, or neither?
English Female Social Titles
Miss-ing the point
English has an odd set of titles for referring to women: Miss, Mrs., and Ms., all of which have a somewhat dubious pedigree, and none of which is parallel to the term "mister."
Microbial Fuel Cells
Electricity from bugs
Fuel cells generally rely on hydrogen to create electricity, but hydrogen may be hard to obtain. Putting bacteria to work can eliminate a step or two in the process.
Euskara
The extraordinary Basque language
The peculiar language of the Basque people in northern Spain and southwestern France doesn't seem to fit any linguistic expectations. But it's still easy to learn.
Mercury Retrograde
The all-purpose astrological excuse
A few times each year an astronomical phenomenon occurs in which Mercury appears to be moving backward in its orbit. Some astrologers claim these periods are associated with miscommunication, confusion, and delays.