There are twice as many emperor penguins in Antarctica than previously thought, stated the National Science Foundation in mid April. That’s certainly good news, as concerns about the effects of global warming on penguin colonies rise. But another new report mentions an increasing number of something else in Antarctica that …
Ever since the explorers of old used oral storytelling, flyers, and published journals to spread word of streets lined with gold, fountains of youth, or rich silks and spices, people have been using mass media to motivate others to go on adventures. A hundred years ago, even Ernest Shackleton promised …
If you dread overseas flights because you always land intolerably tired and exceedingly hungry, I have some facts that might help you put such ordeals into perspective. It was recently discovered that a female bar-tailed godwit flew 7,145 miles from Alaska to New Zealand — without taking a single break …
Upon meeting someone new, we usually try to find out two salient facts about the person within the first thirty seconds of being introduced: his or her name and what he or she does for a living. It hasn’t always been that way, of course. The first things we want …
The long waits now common at airports do have one advantage: they give us a chance to catch up on our reading while getting to and coming back from our travel destinations. Anticipating such a delay at one point or another during a recent trip, I went to my bookshelf …
Like a soft, stretched-out sweater you’ve had for decades or a faded, well-worn jean jacket, I have a favorite pair of slacks. They earned my esteem not because of a fantastic fit, a comfortable fabric, or a trendy style. I like them mostly because of a small label that’s sewn …