Landmark Genetics Study Shows Easter Island Population Collapse Never Happened

nnOur history books are littered with stories that present as lessons and warnings to future generations, and for years Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, was one such warning.nnFamous for its giant stone heads, or moai, the island is also infamous for the rapid depopulation of their builders, which for years has been believed to be […]

Good News in History September 17

Happy 80th Birthday to the greatest mountaineer of all time, Reinhold Messner. An Italian climber, explorer, and author from the German-speaking province of South Tyrol, he made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest and, along with Peter Habeler, the first ascent of Everest without supplemental oxygen. He was the first person to climb all […]

First Spacewalk Performed by Private Citizen Proves Smaller Flexible Spacesuit Is Winning Design for Polaris Dawn

n Reprinted with permission from World At Large, a news website of nature, politics, science, health, and travel. nEarly Thursday morning at 7:58 a.m. ET, members of the SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew successfully completed the world’s first all-civilian spacewalk 450 miles above Earth’s surface.nnTech entrepreneur and adventurer Jared Isaacman was followed by Sarah Gillis, a SpaceX […]

Patagonia Helping to Revolutionize California’s Farms

nnOrganic and regenerative farming practices are taking root in the polluted yet beautiful Ventura County in California, where a truly staggering amount of the country’s produce is grown.nnIndustrial agriculture has polluted soil and groundwater with pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, while simultaneously driving away or poisoning wildlife.nnThe Rodale Institute and their California Organic Center has been […]

Good News in History September 16

161 years ago today, Robert College, the first American educational institution outside the United States, was founded in Istanbul by American philanthropist Christopher Robert. Situated in a 265-acre (107 ha) wooded campus on the European side of Istanbul in the Beşiktaş district, with the historic Arnavutköy neighborhood to the east, it has consistently ranked among […]

Italy’s Tourist Spots Are More Crowded Than Ever–But These Alternatives Are Also Breathtaking

n Reprinted with permission from World At Large, a news website of nature, politics, science, health, and travel. nWith the high season in Europe underway, many famous cities are already analyzing the results of new controls and taxes on tourism to manage overcrowding. The movement towards hindering tourism is nothing short of unprecedented.nnOne quote from AP is particularly […]