Scientists endlessly study lakes and rivers, historians document them, artists paint them, and travelers continue to explore them. In a series of articles, Smithsonian magazine highlights all that draws our eyes to our nation’s fresh and coastal waters.
In his closing speech at China’s annual parliamentary meeting on Monday, Xi Jinping, the country’s most powerful leader in generations, had an ominous message for his people and for those listening beyond its borders. “After a century of struggle, our national humiliation has been erased … the Chinese nation’s great revival is on an irreversible path,” he warned.
The UK was gripped this week by a saga that started off about controversial government plans to deter migrants crossing the Channel in small boats, and ended with Gary Lineker, host of the BBC TV football highlights show Match of the Day, being taken off the air. We reflect on a furore that revealed much about the contradictions of modern Britain.
From the buzzer to the finish line, the finest sports photographyreveals human achievement and emotion at the extremes.In a feature special this week, Simon Hattenstone talks to award-winning Guardian sports photographer Tom Jenkins about capturing the perfect picture – followed by 20 of the most iconic sports pictures ever taken and the stories behind them.
BBC News (March 14, 2023) – Once the lifeline of Bhutan, the 403km Trans-Bhutan Trail connected the affluent western districts of Haa to the remote far eastern Trashigang. The trail dates back to the 16th Century, and was used by monarchs, traders, pilgrims and messengers for hundreds of years, but fell into disuse soon after Bhutan developed its highway in the 1960s. Now, more than 60 years later, the historic trail has reopened.
A local walks in a field in Paro; 70 percent of the kingdom is covered with greenery.
Our culture is dominated by efforts to score points and win arguments. But do we really talk anymore?
There was once a time when strangers talked to one another, sometimes eagerly. “In past eras, daily life made it necessary for individuals to engage with others different from themselves,” Paula Marantz Cohen explains. In those moments of unpredictability and serendipity, we confronted difference. There were no smartphones, message boards, or online factions. Maybe because life moved at a slower pace, and every interaction wasn’t so freighted with political meaning, we had the opportunity to recognize our full humanity. Nowadays, she argues, we are sectarian and “self-soothing,” having fallen out of such practice. What we need is to return to the basics: to brush up on the art of conversation.
An entomologist races to find them before they disappear.
Caterpillars are to lepidoptera—butterflies and moths—what grubs are to beetles and maggots are to flies; they are larvae. Even among nature lovers, larvae tend to be unloved. For every ten butterfly fanciers, there are approximately zero caterpillar enthusiasts. The reason for this will, to most, seem obvious. The worm in the apple is usually a caterpillar.
Oscar campaigns are often run by professional strategists, essentially a specialized breed of publicist. Their job begins as early as a year before the awards, sometimes before a film is even shot. They advise on which festival a film should premiere at, shape a campaign platform and hope that the film gains enough momentum to propel it into awards season.
Much of the cathedral’s restoration, projected to be completed in 2024, will address these large holes. They affect not just the structure of the building, but also something that cannot be seen: the acoustics. “Notre Dame has lost about 20 percent of its acoustics,” says Mylène Pardoen, who is the co-director of the acoustics team working on Notre Dame — under the aegis of the French Ministry of Culture and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (C.N.R.S.), a research organization from whose ranks specialists have been drawn for the restoration. The holes caused a measurable decline in the glorious resonances that gave the building its unique sound.
ABC News In-depth (March 9, 2023) – On Australia’s northern doorstep lies one of the most extraordinary places on earth – some environmentalists call it the second Amazon. The Sepik River Basin in Papua New Guinea is a natural wonder and home to rich and ancient cultures.
It’s a place few outsiders ever get to see. For some time, PNG correspondent Natalie Whiting has been hearing rumours about what’s going on in the remote areas upriver – claims of a logging land grab, police brutality, even killings. She undertakes the journey far up the Sepik River to see for herself what’s happening. In the rainforest of the Upper Sepik a community is divided.
Logging operations and a proposed massive mine site bring hope of economic prosperity for some. But others fear development of the land by international companies means environmental destruction with little benefit. PNG is the world’s largest exporter of tropical round logs but out of sight in the Sepik region some landowners say the logging is happening without proper consent and there are consequences for those who stand in the way.
With a long history of mistrust of big corporations and the promises they make, many of the locals are angry and ready to do whatever it takes to preserve some of the most unspoilt rainforests and waterways on the planet. Read more here: https://ab.co/3Jr8kWE
It’s no secret that methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, with scientists attributing 25% of global heating to its atmospheric release. A new Guardian analysis by environment editor Damian Carrington lays bare the extent of the problem, identifying more than 1,000 of the world’s worst emitters.
But methane is also a double-edged sword: while it traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide, it fades from the atmosphere in about a decade, far faster than the century or more taken by CO2, which is why urgent action to tackle leaks would be so effective in the push to limit global heating. Find out more in Damian’s Big Story report for us this week.
Every city has its historic center, but none can compare to Rome’s. Walking through the beloved centro storico – the Second Unesco World Heritage Site in Italy – is unlike any other stroll.
Latium is not only known for being the region hosting the eternal city of Rome, but also for its picturesque landscapes, beautiful mountain ranges, and stunning natural reserves. One of the best ways to explore its beauty is by trekking: here are five of the most impressive trails the region has to offer, just a stone’s throw from the centre of Rome!
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
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