Nature

August 31, 2024

Iconic Tumbleweeds, Symobls of the American West, Are Actually Not Native to North America

Few plants are as uniquely symbolic of the American West as the lone tumbleweed. In pop culture, it has come to signify desolation, emptiness, and even boredom—almost growing into its own movie trope. It has also been a staple of Western movies, acting like a desert prop that points to the soon-to-be-tapped potential of a small town. But despite its place in the American imagination, many are unfamiliar with its origins.

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August 2, 2024

Hypnotic Videos of Insects Crawling on Tiny Worlds of Blooming Flowers

Japanese artist Yoshiyuki Katayama highlights the relationship between insects and flowers through exceptional videos. For eight years, he has been adding new work to his ongoing Umwelt series. The work merges a time-lapse video of flowers blooming together with insects crawling on the plants in slow motion. This makes for a dynamic composite as the slow motion and time-lapse create a hypnotic video.

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June 13, 2024

“Walking” Tree That Looks Like a ‘Lord of the Rings’ Creature Just Won the New Zealand Tree of the Year Contest

In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings series, Ents are a sentient tree-like species that can walk and talk. While these creatures are sadly figments of the author's imagination, elements of Middle-earth do occasionally slip into our world. One recent example of this can be seen in New Zealand’s Tree of the Year contest, as this year's winner bears a striking resemblance to the mystical beings.

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May 17, 2024

Amazing Winners of the GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2024

A dreamy winter scene has earned Dieter Damschen the title of GDT Nature Photographer of the Year. The competition is run by the Germany Society for Nature Photographers to highlight the talent of its members. This year, 481 members from 13 countries entered just under 8,000 images. Damschen rose to the top with his photo of trees dusted with snow as a winter flood swept through Germany's Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.