COVER: Voltage pulses from the tip of a scanning probe microscope induce single-molecule chemical reactions with selectivity and reversibility. Different constitutional isomers (distinguished here in shades of red, orange, and yellow) are selected by the polarity and magnitude of the voltage pulse. The findings advance the understanding of tip-induced chemistry and reduction-oxidation reactions in general. See pages 261 and 298.
Italy is so liberally sprinkled with castles, it’s difficult to choose just a few favourites. From solid medieval stone affairs to elegant 19th-century palaces, the nation has a dizzyingly diverse collection of castelli, many of which offer a palpable sense of their region’s unique history and culture. In this feature, however, we’ve risen to the challenge and combed the country to bring you a smattering of the very best castles to visit today (and a few that you can stay in!). Today these fortifications offer wide-ranging reasons to stop by, so whether you fancy soaking up the atmosphere and views, basking in the cultural heritage or enjoying produce from the local vines, one of these places is certain to enhance your next trip to Italy. And if you really love Italian castles, turn the page for options that are available to buy, so you can live the dream like true royalty.
Although the domestic dog can trace its origins to the grey wolf (Canis lupus), exactly when, where and how domestication happened has remained a source of debate. In this week’s issue, Anders Bergström, Pontus Skoglund and their colleagues, take a step towards resolving this question. The researchers analysed the genomes of 72 ancient wolves from across Europe, Siberia and North America, and spanning the past 100,000 years. They found that dogs are most closely related to ancient wolves from eastern Eurasia but that dogs in the Near East and Africa derive
up to half their ancestry from a distinct population related to modern southwest Eurasian wolves. Although none of the genomes analysed was a direct match for either dog ancestry, the researchers say that it has narrowed down where next to look for the ancestors of domestic dogs.
Biking along country side roads, listening to songs every Swede know by heart: Sol, vind och vatten, Visa vid vindens ängar, Sjösalavals, En kväll i juni. It’s about 8 o’clock in the evening, the sun won’t set for another couple of hours. Summer is lovely on evnings like these. The music is next to cliché but so much a part of Swedish summer they where the obvious choice.
A.M. Edition for July 14. The World Food Program says higher food and fuel costs, due in part to the war in Ukraine, have pushed an additional 47 million people into food insecurity since March.
WSJ Africa deputy bureau chief Gabriele Steinhauser discusses the impact in the Horn of Africa. Plus, a look at what is behind the strength of the U.S. dollar against the euro and the yen. Annmarie Fertoli hosts.
Big Sur is a rugged stretch of California’s central coast between Carmel and San Simeon. Bordered to the east by the Santa Lucia Mountains and the west by the Pacific Ocean, it’s traversed by narrow, 2-lane State Route 1, known for winding turns, seaside cliffs and views of the often-misty coastline. The sparsely populated region has numerous state parks for hiking, camping and beachcombing. ―
It includes beaches like Sand Dollar Beach, hiking in places like Andrew Molera State Park, places to eat like Nepenthe and the sushi restaurant at Treebones, waterfalls like McWay Falls, and iconic spots like Bixby Bridge. You can see more here: https://www.aladyinlondon.com/2022/06..
The Nunnery is — as the name suggests — a former Benedictine Nunnery that has been the recipient of years of renovation works, transforming the historic property into a breathtaking, spacious home. Penny Churchill reports.
Cumbria’s glorious Eden Valley has been well-named and the setting for imposing, Grade I-listed The Nunnery at Staffield, 10 miles from Penrith, on the fringes of the Lake District National Park, is typical of the area, with traditional livestock farms and rolling grassland falling away to the River Eden, against a distant backdrop of dark, moody fells.
The former country-house hotel, set in almost 52 acres of wonderfully private park and woodland close to the village of Kirkoswald, has been beautifully renovated, remodelled and extended by its present owners who acquired it in a fairly run-down state in the early 2000s.
Although the origins of The Nunnery can be traced to a mid-13th-century Benedictine nunnery, according to Country Life (November 23, 2000), the present ‘plain but imposing red sandstone house’ was built by Henry Aglionby in 1718.
Our new issue is now online, featuring 29 responses to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Barbara Newman on medieval sanctuary, @moonjets on Shelley, Mimi Jiang on the end of Shanghai’s lockdown and @mmschwartz on the Bataclan verdict. https://lrb.co.uk
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