September 2009
28 posts
August 2009
7 posts
Mamihlapinatapei: Yagán, Indigenous language of Tierra del Fuego, Chile: “a meaningful look shared by two people expressing mutual unstated feelings.” It describes a look in which each person is hoping that the other will initiate something that they both desire, but which neither person wants to start. Yagán or Yámana is a language isolate, meaning that it’s a “natural...
the twin poles of beauty and sublimity
The tallest tree in the world is in the witness protection program. Apparently, the previous tree to garner that title almost died, as tall-tree admirers made pilgrimages and (inevitably) hugged the tree so much that it nearly fell over. You see, redwood trees actually have incredibly shallow and delicate roots, which is hard to believe if you’ve ever stood under a redwood and had to crane...
