Magnetohydrodynamic Propulsion
Motors without moving parts
You can propel a boat or submarine through the water using an innovative motor that has no moving parts. The same technology might also be used to power spaceships.
Hearst Castle
Xanadu in California
William Hearst built a magnificent estate, sometimes called Hearst Castle, in San Simeon, California. Now a tourist attraction, it gives a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the rich and famous.
Absinthe
The tale of the Green Fairy
This legendary beverage has been praised for producing artistic insights and blamed for causing violence and insanity. After being banned in some countries for more than a century, it's finally making a comeback.
The Marree Man
Mystery artwork in the desert
The world's largest piece of artwork is a geoglyph created anonymously in 1998 in the Australian desert. Impressive as it is, it has upset the locals, and will apparently be left to fade into oblivion.
Magellanic Penguins
The colorful features of monochrome birds
What's that burrowing a hole under a shrub in the middle of an arid steppe in Patagonia? A penguin, of course. The most common penguin species doesn't entirely fit the image most of us have.
Performative Verbs
Doing as you say
Some verbs have the peculiar property that you can perform their action just by saying them, enabling you to literally do as you say.
National Novel Writing Month
Becoming a novelist in 30 days
Every November, hundreds of thousands of people around the world write entire 50,000-word novels from scratch. It's ambitious and sometimes crazy, but there is no stopping novel-writing fever.
Ethogeology
Animals as seismographs
Some animals are supposedly aware of an impending earthquake or volcano because they detect sounds or vibrations too subtle for modern measuring devices. If true, this could provide clues leading to better earthquake prediction tools.
The Grande Chartreuse
Keeping the faith quietly
Nestled in a scenic valley in the French Alps is a monastery that's home to some of the world's most solitary monks. But there's more to these Carthusians (the subject of a documentary called Into Great Silence) than you might think.
Fasting
There’s more to not eating than you think
Voluntarily going without food, for a few days or a few weeks, can have surprising effects (beyond the sensation of hunger). Under the right circumstances, it can be good for your mental and physical health.