The Kakapo Parrot
Staying alive despite its best efforts
A severely endangered species, this highly unusual flightless bird in New Zealand evolved with virtually no means of defense against predators. After driving them to the brink of extinction, humans are now their best hope for survival.
Project Habakkuk
Building aircraft carriers out of ice
During World War II, the Allies concocted an ambitious, if flawed, plan to construct torpedo-proof aircraft carriers out of ice in order to protect shipping channels beyond the reach of land-based aircraft.
Polywater
The new form of water that almost was
Russian scientists in the 1960s claimed to have produced a new form of water that was as thick as a syrup and had both a high boiling point and a low freezing point. This controversial substance turned out to have a more mundane explanation.
The Color Purple
Shades of royalty and mythology
The color of royalty, purple is more than just a pretty shade. One the one hand, it has the odd property of being a sort of optical illusion, and on the other, we owe all our modern fabric dyes to its existence.
Quantifying Despair and Depression
Keep swimming
You may feel more happy or more depressed from one day to the next, but how might one go about measuring a person's level of despair or depression? Several clinical tools attempt to address this tricky question.
Portmanteau
When words intertwingle
A linguistic phenomenon in which two words combine in certain ways to form a new one was named, and put to great comedic effect, by Lewis Carroll.
Intaglio Printing
Duplicating under pressure
For the highest quality large-scale printing possible with current technology, use the technique that carved out a niche for itself in paper currency.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine
Underground city of salt
This salt mine in Poland has all the comforts of home, including dining rooms, ballrooms, chapels, and even chandeliers carved entirely from pure salt.
Lichtenberg Figures
Artificial lightning fossils
An 18th-century German physicist found a way to capture the shape of a lightning discharge, and the discovery formed the basis of today's photocopiers and laser printers. It also makes for some nifty high-tech art.
Style Guides
I’m OK, you’re okay
The rules of English grammar, punctuation, and usage are not as clear and inflexible as you might think. Style guides help writers to choose the best usages for particular audiences.