Articles Written by:    MORGEN JAHNKE     

The Woodwose / Bigfoot's European cousin

Like the Loch Ness Monster or the Abominable Snowman, I usually think of Bigfoot (or Sasquatch as he’s sometimes known) as a distinctly 20th century phenomenon. However, while it’s true that interest in these legendary creatures was stoked by images ...

From MORGEN JAHNKE, Interesting Thing of the Day,  4 Jan 2008
Related Topics: Ted Hughes

Royal de Luxe / The theater group with pull

The story of Lemuel Gulliver, as told by satirist Jonathan Swift in his book Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World (also known as Gulliver’s Travels), has been a favorite of mine since childhood. One image that has always stuck with me from ...

From MORGEN JAHNKE, Interesting Thing of the Day,  31 Dec 2007
Related Topics: Jonathan Swift,  Jules Verne

Tulipomania / The quest for the perfect tulip

In his 1850 novel The Black Tulip, French author Alexandre Dumas (père) describes a competition, initiated by the Dutch city of Haarlem in the 1670s, in which 100,000 florins (150 florins being the average yearly income at the time) would be given to ...

From MORGEN JAHNKE, Interesting Thing of the Day,  28 Dec 2007
Related Topics: Michael Pollan

Bossaball / The game with bounce

Team sports don’t hold much appeal for me, with the notable exception of volleyball. I don’t know exactly why that is, but it may have something to do with the lack of violence in the way the game is played. There’s no tackling, tripping, checking, or ...

From MORGEN JAHNKE, Interesting Thing of the Day,  24 Dec 2007

The Influence of Color on Taste Perception / Palette vs. palate

It’s not a secret that the way food looks has an effect on our willingness to eat it. That’s why top chefs spend so much time perfecting the presentation of their plates, and food companies spend so much money on marketing and packaging. Of course, ...

From MORGEN JAHNKE, Interesting Thing of the Day,  19 Dec 2007
Related Topics: Eric Schlosser

Nyepi / Bali's day of silence

It’s a familiar scene to most of us: high noon in a deserted town, the streets empty of people and vehicles, with only the low buzz of insects and faint birdsong breaking the silence. If this were a John Wayne movie, the hero would turn to his ...

From MORGEN JAHNKE, Interesting Thing of the Day,  14 Dec 2007
Related Topics: John Wayne

The Central - Mid-Levels Escalator / Hong Kong's moving landmark

Traveling to other countries can often require an adjustment to new ways of doing things; there is an aspect of uncertainty in even the smallest of tasks. This is part of the joy of travel, but there are times when weary travelers appreciate any ...

From MORGEN JAHNKE, Interesting Thing of the Day,  5 Dec 2007

Entomophagy / Insects as food

Having lived the majority of my life in the northern latitudes, I have rarely had to deal with the everyday aspects of life in a tropical climate. Despite this fact, on those occasions when I have visited countries to the south, I have been able to ...

From MORGEN JAHNKE, Interesting Thing of the Day,  30 Nov 2007

Proxemics / The study of personal space

Before we embarked on our recent trip to Indonesia, we did as much research as we could to prepare ourselves for what we would encounter. Along with other social customs, such as forms of greeting and what is considered appropriate to wear, we learned ...

From MORGEN JAHNKE, Interesting Thing of the Day,  28 Nov 2007

Portmeirion / The Folly of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis

World-famous architects like Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano, and Rem Koolhaas often make headlines for their daring and creative buildings, but the vast majority of architects spend their time on more down-to-earth projects, like schools and fire houses. ...

From MORGEN JAHNKE, Interesting Thing of the Day,  21 Nov 2007
Related Topics: William Randolph Hearst,  Frank Gehry,  Renzo Piano,  Rem Koolhaas

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