Extinction of the Yámana
The end of the race at the end of the world
Well-meaning but misguided missionaries were responsible for wiping out an entire race of people who had managed to migrate farther than any other human group.
The Toast
Here’s to the ritual of raised glasses
When we raise our glasses to compliment someone or wish them good fortune, what are we really doing? Strange but true: the origin of the ritual has to do with poison.
Grass Photographs
Photosynthetic art
Artists are now using living grass as a medium for printing gigantic photographs. By carefully controlling the light that falls on various parts of the grass, they let photosynthesis do the work for them.
Paying It Forward
Spreading the good deed meme
Instead of expecting someone to repay you for a good deed, you could ask them to do a good deed for someone else (and keep the chain of goodness going). It's a lovely notion, but fraught with problems.
Safety Coffins
The fact and fiction of dead ringers
Worried that you might accidentally be buried alive? Shell out a few extra bucks for a coffin with an alarm system. But don't think that'll make you a dead ringer.
Oradour-sur-Glane
Ghost of a massacred French village
After D-Day, some German troops still occupying France decided to take out their frustrations on a random city by destroying every building and killing all its inhabitants. The shell of the city has been preserved as a memorial to those who died.
Breathing Liquid
The frontiers of human respiration
Under some very specific conditions, humans can breathe special liquids. This technique has potential applications in medicine and diving, but it's not without serious problems.
The Equation of Time
When what you mean is not apparent
Everyone knows that a day has 24 hours, but if you base your measurement on the position of the sun, that figure could vary by as much as 16 minutes over a year. The equation of time compensates for this irregularity.
Extreme Ironing
Pressing your luck
One of the latest extreme sports combines thrills and adventure with garment maintenance. Seriously. Just grab an iron and a parachute, easy on the starch.
Cleopatra’s Wager
The most expensive meal in history
That fancy restaurant downtown may cost an arm and a leg, but Cleopatra once consumed a meal worth as much as several countries, just to win a bet.