Brain Machines
Blinking your way to relaxation
Using flashing lights (and in some cases sounds), handheld machines can trick your brain into entering a relaxed or meditative state.
Revenge of the Analog Clock
Time for a pie chart
Digital clocks and watches enjoyed a surge of popularity for a while, but now analog faces are once again in vogue. It's not just aesthetics; they actually make it much easier to tell time.
Gaiman
New Wales in Patagonia
Deep in the heart of Argentina is a quaint little town founded by a Pennsylvanian and inhabited largely by immigrants who still speak Welsh.
Water Freezing and Boiling Myths
Legend, science, and common sense
Among the myths circulating about water are that hot water freezes faster than cold water, and cold water boils faster than hot water. But there may be a bit of truth to these claims after all.
Geysers
Fragile spectacles
Only a rare confluence of four peculiar geological features can create the dramatic yet fragile natural fountains known as geysers. Some of them may spit out water that has been accumulating for hundreds of years.
Rent-a-Dog
Canine company by the hour
You can rent a car, bike, or hotel room when you travel, so why not a dog? Strange but true: in some places you actually can rent a dog for an afternoon. Critics think it's cruel and unusual.
Gross National Happiness
Bhutan’s bottom line
Most countries measure their economic growth using GDP (gross domestic product) or GNP (gross national product). Bhutan instead measures its gross national happiness, or at least claims to.
Teatro La Fenice
The phoenix of Venice
A legendary opera house in Venice, whose name translates as the phoenix, lived up to the moniker by burning down and being rebuilt twice.
Microclimates
Don’t like the weather? Cross the street.
With the right combination of topography, water sources, and in some cases concrete structures, one neighborhood can have a dramatically different climate from another area just blocks away.
St. Patrick
The man and the myths
Some people claim that St. Patrick was neither Irish nor Catholic, and that's just the beginning of the misunderstandings about this man and the holiday named in his honor.