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Nov 30, 2024 | 
britannica.com | Melissa Petruzzello
Although no continent on Earth is now untouched by the diverse and delicious seed and food crops developed in the Americas, the brilliance of the native peoples who domesticated these nourishing plants over millennia has largely been overlooked by history. The following is a list celebrating some of the domesticated crops we owe to the original peoples of the so-called New World.
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Sep 24, 2024 | 
britannica.com | John Rafferty |Melissa Petruzzello
Most birds are known for their colorful feathers, their unique vocalizations, and the roles they play in various ecosystems. Some bird species have been adopted by various states and territories within the United States to serve as symbols that represent a state’s unique heritage or as icons that help residents and visitors alike to appreciate the state’s distinctive wildlife. Kentucky was the first state to name its state bird, the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), in 1926.
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Aug 11, 2024 | 
britannica.com | Luisa Colon |Melissa Petruzzello
Ministries Hinn moved to Florida in 1979 and soon met Suzanne Harthern, the daughter of a local pastor; the two were married that same year. Charismatic and affable, Hinn adopted several mannerisms and phrases from Kuhlman, including the use of an iconic white suit and her practice of “slaying in the Spirit” (in which followers fall to the ground, overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit) and gained a following.
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Jun 13, 2024 | 
britannica.com | Melissa Petruzzello
The Heavyweight: Coulter Pine (Pinus coulteri)Coulter pines, native to the mountains of southern California (U.S.) and Baja California (Mexico), produce the most-massive cones of any pine species. Known colloquially as “widow-makers,” those giant pinecones can weigh up to 5 kg (11 pounds)! They also feature large talonlike scales and can be covered in a thick sticky resin. Giant spiky sticky pinecones that could maybe kill you? Awesome.
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Jun 5, 2024 | 
britannica.com | Melissa Petruzzello
Beyond the Arctic Circle lies the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the world's largest secure seed storage. Opened by the Norwegian government in 2008, the facility is built into the side of a remote mountain on Spitsbergen, the largest of the Svalbard islands. Unlike other seed banks, which protect nature's biodiversity, the vault is intended to safeguard the seeds of the world’s food plants in the event of a crisis.
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Jun 4, 2024 | 
britannica.com | Melissa Petruzzello
Most people are generally familiar with moths and butterflies. You might recognize a beautiful butterfly in a garden and avoid the erratic moths circling your porch light at night. But what about that whitish blur fluttering around during the day? Or that large fuzzy beauty you just spied on a window screen at dusk? Read on to learn some of the ways you can tell the two groups of insects apart. Moths and butterflies are related members of the insect order Lepidoptera.
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Apr 22, 2024 | 
britannica.com | Melissa Petruzzello
carbon monoxide (CO) automobile emissions, fires, industrial processes 35 ppm (1-hour period); 9 ppm (8-hour period) contributes to smog formation exacerbates symptoms of heart disease, such as chest pain; may cause vision problems and reduce physical and mental capabilities in healthy people nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) automobile emissions, electricity generation, industrial processes 0.053 ppm (1-year period) damage to foliage; contributes to smog formation inflammation and irritation of...
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Apr 22, 2024 | 
britannica.com | Melissa Petruzzello
Nearly all of the major milestones in U.S. and global environmental legislation have been enacted since the 1960s. Key policies and international agreements have been established for air and water quality, for plant and animal life, to heal the ozone layer, and to combat anthropogenic climate change. At the same time, a number of major environmental disasters—some with global reach—have left their imprint on our Earth and on our collective consciousness.
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Mar 29, 2024 | 
britannica.com | Melissa Petruzzello
Without a scientific explanation, the darkening of the Sun (or Moon) during an eclipse would be a startling event, to say the least. Throughout history, eclipses have been seen as a disruption of the natural order, and many groups have believed them to be bad omens. Many ancient (and not so ancient) peoples had spiritual explanations for solar and lunar eclipses to help them make sense of these seemingly inexplicable and random phenomena.
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Mar 12, 2024 | 
britannica.com | John Lund |Melissa Petruzzello
A geothermal heat pump (GHP) is a heating and cooling system that takes advantage of the relatively stable moderate temperature conditions within the first 300 meters (1,000 feet) below the surface of the Earth to heat a building in the winter and cool it in the summer. Unlike boilers or furnaces, GHPs do not rely on the combustion of fossil fuels to produce heat, and thus they produce no direct emissions of greenhouse gases.
