A few years ago, Gevorg Grigoryan PhD ’07, then a professor at Dartmouth College, had been pondering an idea for data-driven protein design for therapeutic applications. Unsure how to move forward with launching that concept into a company, he dug up an old syllabus from an entrepreneurship course he took during his PhD at MIT and decided to email the instructor for the class. He labored over the email for hours. It went from a few sentences to three……
The city of Armero, founded in 1895, was once known as the White City owing to its role as the capital of the Colombia’s main cotton-producing region. Located over 100 miles from the national capital of Bogotá, its excellent volcanic soils, warm climate, and location near the banks of the Magdalena River made it an agricultural and economic center of Tolima Department. By 1985, the population of the town in the hot, lush valley had grown to almost 29,000……
Even Houston’s suburbs have their own Asiatown enclave. Set in an Asiatown 2.0 strip mall in the mega-suburb of Katy, Phat Eatery has emerged as a beacon of Malaysian cuisine, converting Texans to Malay flavors since 2018. It’s the brainchild of late founder and chef Alex Au-Yeung, a James Beard Award Semi-Finalist. The menu here highlights the diversity and complexity of traditional Malaysian cooking. Highlights include the roti canai, an irresistible flatbread paired with curry dipping sauce, the beef……
Exploring the outdoors as a child at summer camp often meant splashing in a lake, tromping along a trail, or sharing s’mores with fellow campers as night fell. There’s a different way to be present in nature, however, one that can be transformative both for you and the audience you share your experiences with. We asked Atlas Obscura Course Instructor Vanessa Chakour, a naturalist, visual artist, and author, including of the upcoming Earthly Bodies: Embracing Animal Nature, how to……
Malta’s geology is known for its layers of limestone that may contain many naturally-forming caves. This is because limestone is primarily composed of calcium carbonate that is relatively easily dissolved by groundwater passing through the rock. When an underground cave forms within a layer of limestone, water dripping through the cave may leave behind some of its dissolved calcium carbonate, and over time, this can lead to the formation of stalactites and stalagmites. Such a cave was found by……
Savory pies, or pita, have been part of the Greek diet since the days of Plato and Aristotle. The ancients liked to start their day with a tart enveloped in a sturdy crust made with wine. Over the generations, Greece’s pies evolved into their flaky, present-day incarnation. While mass-produced spanakopita abounds both in Greece and abroad, Athenians are blessed with access to bakers who still hand-roll out their dough daily. None do so better than Ariston—its name translates as……
At Christie’s Seafood & Steak, the longest-running restaurant in the greater Houston area, the walls showcase over 106 years of history. Founded in 1917 by Greek immigrant Theodore Christie, the restaurant is now helmed by the third generation of the Christie family, with Alexandra as the owner and her daughter Maria as the general manager. Originally named Christie’s Café, the establishment first earned acclaim for Christie’s signature trout sandwich. It’s the prototype of the menu’s current star: the fried……
Located in the small town of Witnica roughly halfway between the German-Polish border crossing at Kostrzyn and the city of Gorzów Wielkopolski, this public park has gathered signposts and other objects that focus not just on local history, but on human progress more generally. Its paths are divided into four distinct areas visible on the park map. These are the “area of road culture,” the “area of civilizational milestones,” the “area of reflection,” and the “area of fantasy.” The……
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court decided on Friday that cities can enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outdoors, even in West Coast areas where shelter space is lacking. The case is the most significant to come before the high court in decades on the issue and comes as a rising number of people in the U.S. are without a permanent place to live. In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the high court reversed a ruling by a…
DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) — Jurors in the Karen Read trial were scheduled to meet for a fourth day Friday to decide whose story they believe: that of prosecutors who say she drunkenly and angrily slammed into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her Lexus SUV and left him to die, or defense attorneys who claim one or more colleagues killed John O’Keefe and framed Read to cover it up. The Massachusetts jury of six men and six women is…
The city of Al Ain, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is famed for its palm oasis and ancient beehive tombs, but there is another archaeological monument dating back to the Bronze Age. Located next to the Omani border, the Hili Archaeological Park is a popular hangout for local families, but as the name suggests, it’s a lot more than just a children’s playground. Hili is considered the largest archaeological site in the United Arab Emirates. Its crown jewel is……
Over generations, an 18th-century hunting lodge was passed from owner to owner, eventually becoming the Baroque palace it is today. In 1886, the building became Malta’s general post office. In 1898, Marquis Scicluna took ownership of the building, renovating it into a palace between 1900 and 1907. During World Wars I and II, Palazzo Parisio was used by the British Government to host soldiers and their families. In the 21st century, partial owner Marie Christianne Scicluna has renovated the building to……
During the late Qing Dynasty at the end of the 19th century, as European powers established a commercial presence in Taiwan. In 1864, British consul Robert Swinhoe leased a plot of land at Takao (also spelled Takow, now Kaohsiung) with the intention of building a consulate there. However, the site was deemed unsuitable for the purpose, and the consulate was ultimately built elsewhere in 1879. However, the land at Takao remained in the hands of the British, and in 1871……
Deep in northern Alaska’s Brooks Range, a network of pristine rivers snakes its way through 600 miles of tundra and glacial valleys. While the waters normally run a cool, crystal blue, scientists have noticed an alarming trend: Dozens of the range’s rivers have taken on an eerie shade of muddled orange. The reason for the change in color was as alarming as its hue: The waters are rusting. As permafrost melts, long-stored acids and metals—including iron—are released into rivers,……
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The ninth inning was painful for the Philadelphia Phillies. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber were both injured Thursday night late in a 7-4 loss to the Miami Marlins, leaving their availability in question for the team with the best record in the majors. Elected to his eighth All-Star Game hours earlier, Harper felt his left hamstring tighten as he was running to first base on the final play of the game. The slugger clutched at the…
