Tag: science

Concealed in the stormy North Atlantic lies Earth’s greatest waterfall, an underwater giant hidden from view in the darkness between Iceland and Greenland. Here, where warm subtropical waters collide with a frigid Arctic cataract, the largest waterfall on the planet plunges silently into the abyss.

These days, few sights seem as innocuous as a freshly sharpened pencil poking from a child’s “Frozen” backpack, pink wedge of eraser crowning its tip. Yet that handy little erasing appendage only became standard over the last century or so.

As the calendar turns to September, maternity wards across America brace for their busiest month. More babies will be born in the next 30 days than any other month, peaking in mid-September. This annual phenomenon reveals intriguing insights about human behavior, holidays, and even biology.

Scanning arid African or Indian savannas today reveals an improbable invader - the spindly spaghetti cactus dangling stringy arms covered in sharp spines amid acacia trees and drifting sands. This zany, zippy succulent belongs to the exclusively New World Cactaceae family, yet thrives across three distant continents baffling botanists for over a century through improbable oceanic crossings somehow overcome.

In a secluded grove in Northern California stands Hyperion, rising higher than any known living tree on Earth. At 380 feet tall, this giant coast redwood pierces the sky, taller than Big Ben or the Statue of Liberty.

When we talk about clean energy and sustainable engineering, we often direct our gaze towards the latest technology. We think about sleek solar panels, modern wind farms, and futuristic electric vehicles. However, in today's newsletter, we'll take a step back and marvel at the roots of wind power. I'm taking you back a thousand years to the wind-battered lands of Persia...