Nature
March 10, 2023

Learn About the Importance of Cairns (And Why You Shouldn’t Make Your Own)

If you've ever been on a hiking trail and seen a manmade stack of rocks, then you've encountered a cairn. Since prehistoric times, humans have stacked rocks as waymarkers or memorials. Scotland, in particular, is rife with cairns and, in fact, the word comes from the Gaelic word càrn meaning “heap of stones.” In more modern times, cairns have been used to mark trails and mountains, help give directions, and even provide wind shelters.

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Social Cause
March 10, 2023

One Man Is Increasing Wheelchair Accessibility in Iceland a Ramp at a Time

Icelandic entrepreneur Haraldur Thorleifsson—known as simply Halli—has recently been in the news because of a dramatic online exchange with Elon Musk. It started when Thorleifsson, who was recently employed at Twitter, couldn't access his work computer. Was he laid off? After nine days of no answer about whether or not he was still employed, Thorleifsson tweeted at Musk to ask him.

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Science
March 9, 2023

Largest Ever Family Tree Has 27 Million Ancestors Revealing the Origins of Humanity

Perhaps you've used sites like Ancestry to construct your own family tree, peering back into the past to discover how your relations came to be. All family trees tell a story. In the pre-internet days, this work involved hunting through microfiche and archival records of birth, death, and immigration. Now, a fascinating global story has emerged in Science: the largest family tree ever created.

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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.