The Great Migration Elton John famously sings about the “Circle of Life” in The Lion King. The piece speaks generally about the cycle of life and death. The animated feature takes part on the continent of Africa. While John’s melodies emerge from an animated feature, the song is more apropos to its setting than most […]
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The Shape of Sound The air on our planet is (mostly) transparent. Sound is a mechanical phenomenon. A sound is caused by the pressure changing in a medium, as particles of the medium bump into other particles of the medium. Here on Earth, since that medium is air, it’s kind of hard to see a sound wave. Barring
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Loch Ness One could make a decent argument that Loch Ness is one of the most famous bodies of water in the world. Loch is the Scottish Gaelic word for “lake” (it can also signify a fjord). Most lakes in Scotland take the word as part of their nomenclature, including Loch Lomond and today’s topic. Located in the
How Long Can You Hold Your Breath? Give it a shot. We’ll wait. According to the National Library of Medicine, the average human can hold their breath for 30 to 90 seconds. In the realm of survival skills, the ubiquitous maxim is the Rule of Threes. One can survive three weeks without food, three days
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Miracle Fruit In 1725, French explorer, cartographer, navigator, and slave-ship captain, Chevalier des Marchais noticed something incredible as he journeyed through West Africa. In addition to charting the continent, des Marchais also took a keen interest in the native flora of the region. He noticed the Indigenous people rummaging through forest undergrowth for a particular
The Relativity Engine “Oh, no! I was wondering who the third one might be!” –Arthur Eddington Amalie Noether, born 23 March 1882 in Erlangen, Germany, was named for her mother and grandmother, but soon insisted on adopting her middle name for everyday usage. Max Noether, Emmy’s father, was an esteemed mathematician, sometimes credited as one
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Chipmunks For the last several years, we’ve been blessed with the company of adorable creatures on our back porch. In addition to the usual sparrows, cardinals, and hummingbirds, a wonderful slew of chipmunks visits to munch on birdseed. My childhood in Ohio did not feature many chipmunks, but the summers my family spent in the
Earth Day By the late 1960s, most humans realized we needed to become better stewards of our planet. A few major incidents helped spur the epiphany. Woman Crush Wednesday honoree Rachel Carson penned Silent Spring in 1962, alerting the world to the unintended dangers of harsh chemicals. In 1968, the Apollo Program provided a new perspective of
Mount Rainier – Washington’s High Point Mount Rainier is one of the most famous, striking, and prominent peaks in the United States. This beast of a crag racks up an impressive list of superlatives. At 14,417 feet above sea level, the mountain is the High Point of Washington, as well as the eponymous National Park in which she
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National Parks Week Saturday kicked off National Parks Week here in the United States! Each year from the 16th to the 24th of April, we celebrate what documentarian Ken Burns called “America’s Best Idea.” The National Parks of our nation are true marvels, a melting pot of biomes, history, and spiritual renewal. We’ve covered
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