Category: Culture & Society
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Where did Christmas Tree idea come from? Unwrapping its origins
The idea of the Christmas tree, as it is known today, finds its roots in traditions that date back to the Middle Ages in Germany. It was around this time that devout Christians began bringing decorated trees into their homes during the festive period. The earliest record reflects a guild in Freiburg setting up a…
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Why pirates wear an eye patch
An eye patch, a parrot, a wooden leg, and a limp; these iconic attributes paint the picture of a pirate in popular culture. However, there’s more to the eye patch than meets the eye—quite literally. Contrary to common belief, famous pirates didn’t wear an eye patch due to a missing eye. Instead, it served a…
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Pinpointing where the Titanic sank
Where exactly the Titanic sank continues to captivate historians, scientists, and maritime enthusiasts alike. On April 15, 1912, one of the most iconic maritime disasters in history unfolded in the icy, inky darkness of the North Atlantic. The RMS Titanic, a ship famously described as “unsinkable,” struck an iceberg and sank, taking with it over…
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Diver finds 900-year-old crusader sword off Israel’s Carmel coast
A scuba diver discovered an ancient sword off Israel’s Carmel coast near the port city of Haifa. The iron sword is thought to have belonged to a crusader knight 900 years ago when the Crusaders were fighting Muslim forces for control over the Holy Land. Eagle-eyed diver Shlomi Katzin stumbled upon the three-foot blade on…
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World’s third-largest diamond discovered in Botswana
A unit of De Beers unearthed one of the world’s largest diamonds in Botswana earlier this month. The 1,098-carat diamond is believed to be the third-largest gem-quality stone ever mined. It’s worth a jaw-dropping $100+ million. 80% of the income through sales will be passed on to the state to “be used to advanced national…
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Meet Bolivia’s powerful female wrestlers, Flying Cholitas
Photographer Todd Anthony took pictures of Bolivia’s indigenous female wrestlers for his new project, Flying Cholitas. This unique group of athletes wear more than stylish dresses and beautiful petticoats — they come together to demonstrate pride in their history. Once colonized by the Spanish and rejected as lower-class citizens, pejoratively known as “cholita,” they have since…
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Born to dive: The Bajau sea nomads
The Bajau sea nomads are people from the Malay Archipelago (Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia). Among the world’s best divers, the sea nomads (not to be confused with sea otters) act like real mermaids — aquatic life is literally in their DNA. According to a study from the journal Cell: They are renowned for their extraordinary abilities,…
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Two ash-covered bodies from Vesuvius eruption uncovered at Pompeii
Archaeologists uncovered the body of a wealthy 40-year old man and his young slave in Pompeii, 2,000 years after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Excavations at the suburban villa Civita Giuliana, a suburb outside Pompeii, discovered the bodies covered in a bed of 6.5-foot ash. Researchers believe that the two men survived the initial eruption…
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Iceland invites the world to scream out its lockdown stress
The COVID-19 pandemic got you stressed? Iceland’s government, in partnership with the country’s tourist agency Promote Island, will allow anyone in the world to scream into an app and broadcast it into the nation’s vast wilderness. Let it all out on a speaker in Iceland All one needs to record a loud scream, wail, or…