Something big, blue, and beautiful is happening in the waters off of the Southern California coast: Blue whales are thriving again — an incredible comeback many decades in the making. While blue whales are the biggest animal in the world, weighing up to 330,000 pounds (about the same as an average commercial airplane), they are […]
Whale Wonder: How Blue Whales Made a Big Comeback Off California’s Coast Continue Reading »
This article, originally titled “Rare Spotless Giraffe Born at Tennessee Zoo Believed to Be the Only One ‘on the Planet,’” was updated on 9/12/23 with the name of the giraffe and information about another one recorded in the wild, pictured above. Giraffes are defined by their long necks and spotted pattern, but one young animal
It’s been said that happiness is a state of mind, not a destination — and we couldn’t agree more. Even so, some places are known for being happier than others, and they can teach us important lessons about ways to find more joy no matter where we’re located on a map. On Feb. 27, personal
“If you ever plan to motor west,” Nat King Cole crooned in 1946, “travel my way, take the highway that’s the best.” He was singing, of course, about historic Route 66, which spanned more than 2,400 miles from downtown Chicago, Illinois, to seaside Santa Monica, California — winding over the Missouri Ozarks, across Oklahoma, and
Established in 2010, World Photography Day is observed annually on August 19, celebrating the art, craft, science, and history of the visual medium. The date wasn’t chosen at random: Nearly two centuries ago, in 1839, the French government purchased the patent for the daguerreotype process, publicly presenting its details as “a gift to the world”
Paris, France, has long been heralded as one of the world’s most enchanting cities and a wellspring of creativity, innovation, and romance. But there’s always room for improvement, and the 2024 Olympics are the perfect opportunity. For the first time in 100 years, the City of Light will host the Games, and it’s getting a
Students at Michigan State University have gotten a unique opportunity to glance into their school’s past after workers came upon the foundation of a 19th century observatory. They called MSU’s Campus Archaeology Program to investigate, and the students in the program were able to unearth remnants of the campus’s first observatory, constructed in 1881. “It
Michigan State Students Unearth 19th Century Observatory Foundation Continue Reading »
The joy of wall murals is contagious. Pops of art — on brick walls, freeways, and street corners — brighten our routines and remind us that the world is full of wonder, surprise, and opportunities to look up when we’re all too often looking down. One of the most impactful examples of the power of paint
A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that isometric exercises can be an effective, non-pharmacological way to lower blood pressure. But what are isometric exercises? Per the Mayo Clinic, these strengthening movements involve tightening or contracting a muscle without moving any joints or lengthening the muscle. Planks, wall sits, and
Linguistically, an infant’s “goo goo, gaga” may not command the same respect as, say, a Shakespearean soliloquy, but the study of how babies talk could shed light on our understanding of language learning in adults. At UCLA’s Language Acquisition Lab, director Megha Sundara and a team of colleagues investigate all things baby babble: when and
What Baby Babble Can Teach Adults About Learning New Languages Continue Reading »
