Books
August 6, 2025

Man Who Kept Track of All 3,599 Books He Read in His Life Gets Posthumous Site for 100-Page List

By the time he died at the age of 92 in July 2025, Dan Pelzer had read at least 3,599 books throughout his lifetime. That number may seem precise to the point of being hyperbolic—and yet it’s entirely accurate. In 1962, long before the advent of Goodreads, Pelzer began keeping track of his reading on his language class worksheets while stationed in Nepal with the Peace Corps.

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Wildlife Photography
August 5, 2025

Perfectly Timed Photo Captures Unlucky Vole Looking Directly at the Camera as It’s Swept Away as Dinner

Wildlife photography requires great technical skill, and it also involves a bit of luck. Being in the right place at the right time can land you a once-in-a-million shot that, in one fell swoop, epitomizes the wild world. Photographer Sha Lu recently captured an image like that. In his photo, an unlucky vole is powerless in the talons of a white-tailed kite as it soars away with the rodent in mid-air.

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Art
August 5, 2025

What To Expect at Australia’s Very First Gallery Dedicated to Environmental Art [Interview]

Mitigating the effects of human-caused climate change takes many forms. Some solutions are technical, while others appeal to our emotions. Environmental art allows us space to admire, process, and grieve the loss of the Earth we once knew. In doing so, we look at the natural world in new ways, and it inspires us to fight for the future of our planet.

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Travel
August 4, 2025

Take a Look Inside a Rare Buddhist Temple in Malaysia With One of the World’s Tallest Pagodas

When you think of impressive pagodas, countries like China or Thailand may come to mind, but did you know that Malaysia is home to a pagoda that is one of the world’s largest? Nestled in a valley on the outskirts of Ipoh, the Enlightenment Heart Buddhist Temple is a complex that stretches over 12 acres. And at the heart is a 13-story, 236-foot-tall pagoda that is impressive inside and out.

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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.