Christopher Columbus was a hero to some and a villain to others. He was a brave explorer, but he also enslaved, murdered and stole from native people across the Americas. He first met the Arawak natives in the Bahamas in 1492. They generously traded everything they owned. Columbus saw this as a weakness. He wrote in his journal, “They brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things. They do not bear arms, and do not know them. They would make fine servants.”
Name For Sale
How important is your name? For a lot of people, our names are part of our identity. It’s one of the first things we learn as a child. We receive it from our parents and we give it to our children. For some people, our name defines us, but not for a man with a last name you probably have never heard before.
Leave Only Footprints
Burn it or bury it. In most places around the world, that’s what we do with our garbage. Pretty grim choices. Burning garbage releases dangerous gasses and dust, which contribute to pollution of the air, land, and water, not to mention global warming. While burying it leads to more pollution of the ground and water. And to make matters worse, tons of garbage – most of it plastic – ends up in the ocean.
The Crane Wife
Youhei was a poor farmer. One day he found a wounded bird at his door. Youhei brought the bird inside and cared for her until she was strong enough to fly away. The next day a mysterious woman showed up at Youhei’s house. They fell in love and eventually married. Times were tough for Youhei and his wife, but she got a loom and wove…
Extraordinary Acts By Ordinary People
Did you know there are real life superheroes in the world? Or at least, people who can perform superhuman acts of strength and bravery? You may have heard some of these amazing stories in the news. Stories about ordinary people suddenly performing extraordinary acts.
Floating Runner
Every time Kayla Montgomery crosses the finish line, she collapses into her coach’s arms. Her legs are completely numb, so much so, that she pleads with her team to “find” her legs as they place ice packs on her to cool her down. At 18, Kayla is one of the top distance runners in the U.S, but she also suffers from a debilitating disease called “MS” or Multiple Sclerosis.
We Evolved to Lie But Lie Less As We Age
The average person lies twice in the first ten minutes of meeting someone new, and up to 50 percent of the time when speaking to their mother. A study showed that 99 percent of people lie, and even the few who claimed not to, probably also are lying.
The Man Who Renounced His US Citizenship To Become A World Citizen
Gary Davis was a man with a crazy vision of a world without nations. Albert Einstein was a believer in Gary Davis, and once said Gary was a man devoted to the survival of humanity on earth. As a young man, Davis was an actor on Broadway. He was a rising star until his acting career was interrupted by World War II.
Handshake History
There’s an amazing diversity of greeting customs around the world. In Tibet sticking out your tongue can be a way of welcoming people. In New Zealand, Maori greet each other by touching noses. Ethiopian men touch shoulders, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, male friends touch foreheads. In many Asian countries, people bow to each other when meeting. And in some European countries, as well as Arab countries, hugs or kisses on the cheek are more the norm.
Adapted from image by: Donkey Hotey (CC BY 2.0)
Time Travel: A Pilot’s Strange Tale And A Scientist’s Lifelong Dream
We’ve all seen movies and TV shows where the characters have traveled through time, or used a time machine. These are usually science fiction movies, but some scientists say time travel is possible in theory. There are also some people who claim to have actually done it. Image by Hartwig HKD License: (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Inside America’s Radio Quiet Zone: The Unique Town That Bans Wi-Fi and Cell Phones
Invisible rays are all around us, and most of us never even notice. In today’s technology-saturated world, it’s hard to imagine living life without …
The Surprising Benefits of Synchronized Movement
Have you ever felt a connection with others while singing, dancing, or listening to music together? Psychologist Robin Dunbar says moving in sync can create strong bonds between people. He believes it helped early humans make larger groups and better communities. Dunbar thinks humans found a way to get in tune with many people at […]
One Word Spoken All Over the World
When you listen to someone speaking a language you don’t understand, can you pick up any meaning? Most people can, because a lot of body language is universal, and up to 90% of all communication is nonverbal. Most of spoken language is not universal though, and there are very few words, which are the same across all languages. Modern linguists are beginning to study these universal words now. Image by: qthomasbower License: (CC BY 2.0)
Woman Survives Plane Crash In Jungle
In 1992, Annette Herfkens and her fiancé were on vacation in Vietnam when their plane crashed. Annette was the only survivor. She found herself alone and badly injured in the jungle. At first, she panicked, but then she focused on her breath. She didn’t have time to worry about tigers or dying. She needed to […]
Mind-Gut Connection: How Your Stomach Might Shape Your Brain
Perhaps one day, modern medicine will accept that food is truly medicine. Imagine a future where your doctor gives you foods rich in healthy microbes, such as yogurt, sauerkraut and natto, to heal not only your body, but also your mind.
Man Lives To The Age Of 82 Without Ever Seeing A Woman
Mihailo Tolotos spent his entire life without ever seeing a woman. He was a monk who lived on the Mount Athos peninsula in Greece. Mount Athos is a unique place in Europe. It is home to 20 monasteries and roughly 2,000 monks. For more than a thousand years, women and female animals have been prohibited […]
The Sleeping Body Is A Window To The Mind
Everyone knows that our bodies can be windows into our minds, but what about our sleeping bodies?
How Many Kids Is Too Many? The Duggars’ Unbelievable Family Size!
Children are precious. No one would argue with that, but how many children is enough? Michelle Duggar, the mother of one of America’s most famous large families, says that she leaves that question for god to answer.
Your Map Upside Down – Don’t Confuse Symbols With Reality Itself
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.