The True Story Behind ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’

The story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is well known. This dark European folktale with unsettling themes of ingratitude and terrible vengeance has been told and retold for generations. Life in Hamelin became a nightmare. The very next day a mysterious man in bright colorful clothing arrived in town. The Pied Piper then took out a small fife from his pocket and began to play a tune. Enraged, the Piper stomped out of town but not before swearing revenge....

December 11, 2018 · 2 min · 419 words · Brenda Young

Use the 10/10/10 Rule Before Making a Decision

Whats your favorite mental hack? How do you trick your dumb human brain into doing its job right? Here are the best. Simon names a few tricks used by the chairman of their corporate board. This, says Simon, helps the chairman look past present circumstances and consider long-term consequences. If Im getting upset, Im probably wrong. Its a specific kind of feeling, when my brain starts protecting itself against information that proves me wrong....

December 11, 2018 · 2 min · 296 words · John Harding

What to Do With Your Money in 2019 According to Financial Advisors

Money mistakes are a dime a dozen. Except, you know, they end up costing us a bit more than that. Think More Critically About Your Resolutions Dont make News Years Resolutions. Set your goals now, or in early January (after the holiday). The goals need to be realistic. If they are too hard or not remotely achievable, most folks give up before they even start. When setting goals, start small, then move up....

December 11, 2018 · 3 min · 532 words · Danielle Fritz

I'm Tony Wu, Underwater Photographer, and This Is How I Travel

More than a photographer, though, he considers himself a photo-naturalist. People ask me what I do and the easiest thing to say is photography. But that really isnt it. So its like being a naturalist but using a camera as opposed to pen and paper. We spoke to Tony from his home base of Tokyo, Japan, to find out how he travels. What does your travel typically look likehow often do you travel and for how long?...

December 10, 2018 · 6 min · 1089 words · Yvonne Woods

James Nasmyth’s Fake Lunar Photographs From 1874

Did it have an atmosphere? How did its craters form? So how did James Nasmyth manage to take these photos? Son of a painter, Nasmyth showed an extraordinary mechanical inclination from a very young age. Nasmyth settled down near Penshurst, Kent, where he built his own20-inch reflecting telescope. This allowed the telescope to be rotated at whatever angle without having to constantly move the eye piece. Most modern telescopes today use this configuration....

December 8, 2018 · 1 min · 121 words · Cynthia Perkins

Barbarastollen: The Underground Archive Where Germany’s Cultural Heritage Lives

Behind this door are hundreds of stainless steel barrels stacked waist-high. The entrance to the Barbarastollen underground archive. Photo credit:Jorgens.mi/Wikimedia The Barbarastollen underground archive is located near the village of Oberried, in Breisgau. But after carving for 700 meters, work was abandoned. It was repurposed as an underground archive during the early 1970s. As the nuclear threat loomed large during the Cold War, Germany decided to act. Barbarastollen was chosen as the site where the archive would be created....

December 7, 2018 · 2 min · 284 words · Mrs. Caroline Singh

Instead of Telling Your Kid There's No Santa, Let Them Become One

moment, no How could you lie to me??? It started with, Well, isnt that odd? for a few years until I mustered the courage to ask Mom, Is Santa real? What do you think? she asked, thoughtfully. Hmm, I said. You know what I think? I think Santa is real. I think Santa is everywhere. Santa is the spirit of Christmas, the spirit of giving. How do you think that sounds?...

December 7, 2018 · 2 min · 329 words · Stacey Simmons

I'm Samin Nosrat, Host and Executive Producer of 'Salt Fat Acid Heat,' and This Is How I Eat

In the world of food media, Samin Nosrat is a palate cleanser. Though she is a fount of cooking knowledge and wisdom, neitherher award winning booknorher Netflix showever feel prescriptive. (She also let us look inside her fridge.) Ive been in a funny oatmeal phase for the lastI dont knowfew months. Its been strangely soothing. I make this instant oatmeal with cinnamon. I chop up three medjool dates and put them in there and then add a little bit of flaxseed....

December 6, 2018 · 6 min · 1145 words · Stephen Johnson

The World’s Largest Vacuum Chamber

Most of these were built decades ago at a time when the countrys space program was of national importance. Out of the five still-standing facilities, four have seen no use in the recent past. Two are slated for demolition, one is not fully functional and one has never been used. One of its most recent customers was SpaceX. It takes about eight hours to pump down to this level. A cryogenic cold shroud brings the temperature down to minus one hundred sixty degree centigrade....

December 6, 2018 · 1 min · 202 words · Sarah Smith

How to Shush Someone Without Being an Asshole

I have a several very good friends who speak very loudly in public. I am also, to some people, a very good friend who speaks very loudly in public. Both these facts occasionally lend themselves to some awkward situations. Shushing can also lead to conflictwhen people are embarrassed, they tend to get defensive, and situations escalate. Dont be a dick about it! The best way not toseemlike an asshole is not tobean asshole....

December 5, 2018 · 2 min · 385 words · Cynthia Gibson

I'm Hollywood Stylist Dana Asher Levine, and This Is How I Work

Even in a post-Miranda Priestly cerulean speechworld, fashion jobs can be seen as something un-serious. I studied fashion in college at FIDM and American University. I also worked at FIDM as an advisor to new students. I had to provide for my children, and went into full-on survival mode at that point. I now handle about $250K per month in styling and personal shopping for Power Women clients. I always say I faked it until I made it!...

December 5, 2018 · 3 min · 499 words · Dana Colon

San Petronio Basilica: The Church That Ticked The Pope Off

But lack of funds was only part of the problem. It was not intended to be a church, but rather a public spacea civic temple. Aerial view of San Petronio church. Even the facade remained unfinished because they couldn’t agree on how to finish it. The roof of the nave and apse were completed only in 1663. Its vault reaches 50 meters high. It is the tenth-largest church in the world by volume, and the largest church built of bricks....

December 4, 2018 · 1 min · 141 words · Diana Cline

I'm Actress Tia Mowry, and This Is How I Parent

Tell us a little bit about your family and your career. Did life happen mostly as planned or were there surprises? My husband, Cory, and I are parents to two beautiful children, Cree and Cairo. How did you discover the allergy and how has the diagnosis changed the way you parent? Ive had to change meals and snacks we make at home. My main thing is I dont want my son to feel alone or different....

December 3, 2018 · 2 min · 412 words · Timothy Hill