Vampire Squid From Hell “a very small but very terrible octopus, black as night, with ivory white jaws and blood-red eyes.” — William Beebe We refer to space as the final frontier, but, for large stretches of human history, the oceans presented a challenge beyond our comprehension. These scary bodies perplexed us in two dimensions: […]
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STEVE Have you ever seen STEVE? I’ve never seen STEVE, but I wish I could. At TMAC Headquarters, it’s no secret we’re big fans of aurora borealis (or australis, we don’t discriminate). We’ve studied its causes, we’ve explored some of the biggest solar storms to ever hit Earth, and we’ve even followed them to other planets. Any time a strong batch of
The World’s Oldest Beings https://youtu.be/Pf2vWYe8peM?si=O9QsYImQsq0iQrzG Further Reading and Exploration Bristlecone Pines – National Park Service
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Nevada Has a Glacier As we’ve learned over the past month, Nevada boasts remarkable natural splendor. With huge mountains, spectacular canyons, world-class lakes, and expansive deserts, the state has more beauty than its reputation might suggest. Visiting the Silver State, one leaves with the notion that this area is an unheralded jewel. Following this trend,
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The Loneliest Road in America “It’s totally empty. There are no points of interest. We don’t recommend it. We warn all motorists not to drive there unless they’re confident of their survival skills.” — Unnamed AAA Representative U.S. Route 50 stretches over 3,000 miles across the nation, from Sacramento, California, to Ocean City, Maryland. In July
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The Great Basin Most Americans, at some point during primary schooling, learn about an important hydrological boundary known as the Continental Divide. This imaginary line follows the mountains from Alaska, through Canada, down the Rockies, and into Mexico. Technically, the divide does not stop at the edge of North America but splits South America, too. We
Lake Tahoe This gorgeous image represents Emerald Bay, an inlet of Lake Tahoe: Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe – photo by the_tahoe_guy Lake Tahoe is a beast of a water body. Though it does not sit at the top of most superlative lists we apply to lakes, it’s close enough on many of them to nearly qualify
The Fastest Human-Made Object “Many years later, when I was in Baikonur, the subject of Russia being the first to launch something into space came up. I did not raise my hand to add to the discussion, though I thought about doing so.” — Robert Brownlee What is the fastest object ever crafted by humans? If
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Mt. Charleston We established well that Las Vegas is toasty, sitting squarely in the middle of the Mojave Desert. We also discovered neon lights and high-rise hotels are not the end of the region; if a nature lover wants to escape the rolling dice, Red Rock Canyon packs otherworldly views into a nearby excursion. Unfortunately, Red Rock does not
Red Rocks Nevada’s largest city – Las Vegas – is a neon landscape of titanic casinos in a Mojave Desert valley. Widen the gaze from the tinsel and a majestic rim of surrounding mountains emerges. The striking vista is notable not only for its jagged skyline but also its varied palette. Far from a drab