Mike Spencer has been on the road for 23 years and has visited over 190 countries. Traveling non-stop since he was 21, he is now being called the world most traveled man.
#567
#566
Who Owns the Moon?
The concept of anyone owning the moon seems pretty silly. The concept of any single person owning the moon seems even sillier. Even if you could imagine owning the moon, you might think it would be a whole country who owned the moon. Not just any country either, but the country who had gone to the moon the most often. The reality is much different though.
#565
The Real Story Of Atlantis – An Underwater Utopia
The ancient civilization of Atlantis was a utopia. It was lush and full of food and wildlife. And the people of Atlantis were wise and just. They were a knowledgeable society capable of amazing feats of architecture and engineering. Most people believe that the story of Atlantis is just a legend, but some say it was a real place that was destroyed by a flood and earthquakes.
#564
Teacher Prevents Mass Shooting With A Hug
On an April morning in 1999, Columbine High School in Colorado became the scene of a terrible tragedy. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold laughed and hollered as they killed 13 people and wounded 20 others. Their innocent victims were their teachers and classmates. The teenage killers then turned their guns on themselves.
#563
Boy Wakes Up And Can’t Speak A Lick Of English
Reuben is a gifted soccer player and fearless goalie. He was playing for an elite youth soccer team in Atlanta, Georgia when the unfortunate accident happened. He was kicked in the head by an opponent and went into shock. He stopped breathing multiple times and came in and out of consciousness on the soccer field. His coach said, “I thought I might lose him…”
#562
How Much Of Reality Is Shared?
A grizzly bear can smell a human from 18 miles away. Jumping spiders can see colors beyond normal range that humans do. And some birds can fly across world using earth’s magnetic fields as a guide. But what about humans?
#561
When Cultures Collide
Meet Richard Lewis. A world traveler and linguist who speaks 10 different languages, Richard is highly experienced in interacting with people from many different cultures. In 1996, he first published a book called ‘When Cultures Collide’. Now, in that book he presents a model of 3 different predominant cultural types into which people from various countries can be placed.
#560
The Loneliest Creature On Earth
Imagine the loneliness of speaking a language that only you can understand. Researchers have been studying a whale, who communicates in a language not recognizable by other whales. This whale has spent over two decades looking for a friend who will understand him.
#559
Nature As Medicine
Like many people, Gemma Hartley struggles with depression and anxiety. For five years, she used meditation to keep her symptoms in check. But one day, facing some tight writing deadlines at work, she felt herself beginning to slip back toward her old symptoms. This time, meditating wasn’t enough.
#558
Smells Like Health
It was a quiet night, and Dorrie Nuttall was fast asleep. Her seven-year-old son was sleeping next to her hooked up to a machine, which was supposed to alert her if his glucose levels were too low. The alert never came. Not from the machine, anyway. Jedi, Luke’s adorable diabetes-sniffing dog, started jumping on and off the bed. Nuttall didn’t wake up, so Jedi took it up a notch.
#557
Icelanders Accuse NATO Of Threatening Elves
In Iceland, elves are a part of the national culture. Many of the country’s 230,000 citizens believe they actually exist. This belief is what led a mob of 150 men and women to protest a NATO military base in Keflavik in 1982. They believed the military was disrespecting the elves and their jets were desecrating the holy ground of the hidden people.
#556
The Modern World Changed Your Brain
Take a look at the pink circles. If you’re like most people, the circle on the right probably looks bigger, but they are actually the same size. People of the Himba tribe are not so easily fooled by optical illusions like this. The Himba can be found in the small town of Opuwo, Namibia in small numbers. They’re easy to pick out, with the distinctive red paint that they spread on their skin and hair.
#555
Dogs and Humans: Evolutionary Friends
Topher Brophy described himself as a self-absorbed narcissist. He played competitive sports obsessively to keep his mind off of his empty life. Then one day, Brophy hurt his back. Suddenly, he was forced to slow down and take a good hard look at his life.
#554
Boy Dies In Santa’s Arms
This time of year thousands of professional Santas put on their Santa outfits and get to work spreading holiday cheer. They work in shopping malls and at private events, keeping the Santa Claus fantasy alive for their young fans.
#553
Robot Wants To Name Her Daughter Sophia
Should a robot, no matter how intelligent, have the same rights as a human-being? Some say the Saudi Arabian government appears to think so. They recently created the world’s first robot ‘citizen.’ Her name is Sophia.
#552
Healing With A Whisper
Babka Vanda’s grandmother claimed to be able to heal people with just a whisper. The local priest forbade her from treating people until one day a snake bit the priest. Vanda’s grandmother whispered words into the wind, and just like that, the priest was cured and she was allowed to heal people again.
#551
The Magical Power Of Gratitude
As a teenager in Ghana, George Mwinnyaa fell seriously ill. After sacrificing three chickens to the gods, he miraculously healed. Now a student of public health at Johns Hopkins University, he doesn’t think it was the sacrifice itself that saved him. He thinks it was the act of giving thanks.
#550
Saved By The Power Of Music
Professional musician Robin Spielberg says music saved her daughter’s life. In 1998, Spielberg was pregnant with twin girls when she suffered complications. An emergency cesarean was performed during the 22nd week of pregnancy. Sadly, one of the twins passed away, but Valerie survived.
#549
Take A Seat On The Friendship Bench
Florence Manyande’s string of bad luck began in 2010. She had lost seemingly everything and was severely depressed. She was at rock bottom. But then she was given a blessing in disguise. She was hit by a car. By the time of her accident, Manyande’s husband had left her. She was taking care of her three children all by herself. She didn’t know how she could pay for their schooling. She had no home and her family refused to take her in. She was losing hope. But after being hit by a car on that fateful day, a woman pulled her from the road and took her to a clinic to be treated.
#548
Some Of The World’s Smartest People Don’t Eat
Phil Libin hasn’t eaten in days, but he says he feels euphoric and full of energy. Libin is one of many Silicon Valley executives who swear that regular fasting is changing their lives. He even claims that forgoing food has made him a better CEO.
