17 posts
Majestic, alluring and mysterious, the Grand Canyon is one of the world’s most famous natural landmarks. But, despite its imposing name, it is not the largest canyon in every category. Our planet is full of enormous gorges and valleys whose dimensions can be difficult to compare because scient...
“I know your magic, olive tree, you draw blood from the earth for the world.” Federico García Lorca (Spanish poet) The fruit of the olive tree – the olive – has been cultivated for thousands of years and has played an important role in the cultures of the Mediterranean and the Near East....
Mount Kailash, also known as Kangrinboqê or Gang Rinpoche, is one of the most sacred mountains in Asia. Revered in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and the Tibetan Bon tradition, it has inspired centuries of pilgrimage, stories, and speculation. Its summit has no confirmed recorded ascent, and climbing...
Mushrooms are a fascinating group of organisms with characteristics that distinguish them from both plants and animals. There are thousands of mushroom species, but the following ten are particularly interesting for their appearance, growth, culinary value, toxicity, or unusual biology. 1Porcini The...
You can’t surprise anyone with citrus anymore — we add lemon to our tea almost every day, and mandarins are now a year-round fruit rather than something we buy only for New Year’s celebrations. Yet the citrus family includes far more than these familiar fruits. I previously wrote about c...
Top 10 cases of the longest periods of fasting. Hunger is a condition of the body caused by an insufficient intake of substances necessary to maintain homeostasis. 1 In 1973, seemingly incredible periods of fasting by two women were documented at a medical facility in the city of Glasgow. Both women...
Which garden owner wouldn’t want to show off the biggest tomato? Besides the obvious envy of neighbors, growing the largest tomatoes is quite economical. After all, one fruit is enough not just for the whole family—neighbors will have to be invited to enjoy it too. The only downside is that the bigg...
Scientists recently discovered that the largest organism on Earth is a fungus located in a forest in Michigan. However, it is possible that one day the title of “largest” might be passed to an entire ecosystem, including even its tiniest elements—microbes and the smallest plants in the w...
Cacti are not only the spikiest plants on earth but also have a variety of spines, each serving different purposes. They use their spines for defense, protection from the sun or cold, moisture collection, and even reproduction. Given their multifunctional roles, cactus spines come in an impressive a...
It’s pleasant to lie on the grass and munch on something tasty. However, this opportunity is not available to everyone and not everywhere. While in rural areas there are no problems with finding both tasty treats and places to enjoy them, urban dwellers often find it quite challenging to locat...