Just Plain WEIRD #2

 

The Ancient Peruvian Mystery Solved From Space

These puzzling holes in the arid valleys of southern Perú tell us there was once a flourishing, sophisticated society here. BBC Future | By William Park – In one of the most arid regions in the world a series of carefully constructed, spiraling …

How weeds help fight climate change

Most people see weeds as a problem. But one farmer has found they can help make dry, damaged land lush again – not to mention absorb carbon from the atmosphere. By Georgina Kenyon – More than 60 years ago, when he was a …

Why we knock on wood

Knocking on wood may be a holdover from the pagan days of Europe, when tree spirits were believed to bring luck.  Saiful bahri 46/Shutterstock.com. – By Rosemary V. Hathaway, Associate Professor of English, West Virginia University – Ever said something like, “I’ve never …

The surprising history of the word ‘dude’

Many common terms in English have unexpected roots. Kelly Grovier explores the origins of seven words coined in art history, including the political meanings of ‘silhouette’ and ‘picturesque’, and how ‘mobile’ became ‘mob’. By Kelly Grovier – Which came first, the chicken or …

Why your zodiac sign is probably wrong

As the Earth orbits the Sun, the Sun appears to move through the ancient constellations of the zodiac. Tauʻolunga/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA.  By James Kaler, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – I was born a Capricorn (please don’t judge …