Tag: Discover

• September 21, 2020

  Business and Tolerance in New Amsterdam

  New Amsterdam was the capital of New Netherland—today, New York City. The Dutch colonized Long Island and the Hudson River Valley starting in the 1620s. The Dutch West Indies Company was the authority, which sent governors to run the colony. Profit for the Company’s investors was the main objective. New Amsterdam quickly became extremely diverse.…
• September 21, 2020

  Bog Bodies

  Peat bogs have long been a source of fuel for people in many countries, although the use of peat has declined. Peat bogs are often raised bogs, originating in waterlogged small basins with poor drainage. Sphagnum moss gradually accumulates, forming a dome fed by rain. In parts of northern Europe, peat bogs have been an…
• September 17, 2020

  Jungle Fowl

  The American Poultry Association recognizes several dozen breeds of chickens, with amazing ranges in size, meat and egg productivity, and nature of feathers. All the breeds of chicken have a common ancestor: the Red Junglefowl, Gallus gallus.  There are four species of Junglefowl, native to a region stretching from India to Southeast Asia. The Red…
• September 3, 2020

  Centenarians

  A centenarian is a person who has achieved a hundred or more years of life. Throughout most of human history, it was very rare for people to reach such a great age, because of recurrent famine, war, droughts, plagues and the other afflictions accompanying history. A few people made it to a century in age,…
• August 25, 2020

  Bury Them at a Crossroads

  Great Britain has long been considered a civilized place. But there are some literal skeletons rattling in the closet of old England that seem more like drama in a vampire novel than a practice in a modern nation. In 1823, Britain passed the Burial of Suicide Act. That piece of legislation meant that suicides no…
• August 23, 2020

  Bee Hummingbird

            The Bee Hummingbird, Mellisuga helenae, is the world’s smallest bird. These birds weigh less than a dime. They are found in parts of Cuba and nearby islands. They really are not much bigger than bees, so the name is quite accurate.            Bee hummingbirds eat small insects and nectar. They are agile flyers, beating their wings…