Author: Ms. R.

In the churchyard of St. Clements in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, you can find the tomb of Mary Ellis. According to her tomb, Ellis passed away at the impressive age of 119. This is all the more incredible considering Mary Ellis died in 1609, after living through the entire 16th century and the reigns of every Tudor monarch. In addition to her longevity, her tomb’s inscription includes the odd detail that she remained a virgin throughout her life. Quite surprisingly, however,……

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When talking about the tallest structures in the world, one often thinks of skyscrapers above modern cities, but radio transmitters in remote locations also reach dizzying heights. Italy is famous for its many architectural marvels built over the millennia, but its tallest building (a sleek, modern structure in Milan) is only 758 feet tall. The title of the tallest overall structure goes to a radio transmitter on the Sant’Anna hill near the town of Caltanissetta, in Sicily. (In between……

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Volcanoes are famous for their fireworks—sudden, spectacular eruptions, gushing fountains, landscape-eating flows of lava. But often the climatological consequences of these eruptions, especially the explosive ones, are even more impactful. Huge plumes of ash blot out the sun and eventually fall to cover the land, and in human history they’re often marked with crop failures, starvation, and gloom—as well as social upheaval. Now an international team of archaeologists, volcanologists, hydrologists, and climate scientists is linking an ancient volcanic eruption……

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Upon entering the black gabled walls, lit by flickering lanterns, the Black Veil Shoppe of Drear & Wonder is like stepping into a Grimm’s fairy-tale, where one may walk amid sprawling gardens, dripping stacks of candles, chandeliers, and secret passageways. The Black Veil also has plenty of photo-ops, and homes for many artist creators, apothecaries, and jewelers from around the globe. A beautifully grim experience for those coming to experience Salem, Massachusetts.  …

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On the foothills of the Sabine mountains, overlooking the countryside that stretches all the way to Rome, a solitary tower stands guard above the hamlet of Catino, which is part of the town of Poggio Catino. Poggio Catino is named after the enormous karstic sinkhole that hides beneath the hamlet and has helped make the site a formidable fortress. In the early Middle Ages, the area marked the border between the Roman/Byzantine territory of Rome and the Lombard duchy of……

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The strawberry tree on Arbutus Street, in the London borough of Hackney, looks unremarkable for most of the year. Then, in the fall, bright-red fruits appear, dimpled and dangling in bunches inside a bushy canopy of glossy leaves and bell-shaped flowers. We don’t know who planted the tree and its sickly sister just along the sidewalk, but their location is apt. What better place than Arbutus Street, that person might have thought, for a tree whose scientific name is……

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