Published inThe wind behind meThe man and the SupernovaeIn the early 19th century, British scientist Thomas Dick proposed creating a group of astronomers to observe the lunar surface 24/7 and…Feb 12Feb 12
El Dorado. The man who became cityWhen he reached the place they pointed him to, Pizarro only found trees and scrub brush. No gold. The Indios had lied. But one thing he…Jan 26, 2023Jan 26, 2023
Horace Benedict De Saussure. What hue is the blue of the sky?Many pass by it without noticing. Others just cast a glance at it. Some stop to mirror themselves on its shiny surface, to check their…Dec 30, 2022Dec 30, 2022
How a small church in Athens ended up under the arcades of a buildingSeen from the Parthenon or Lycabettus hilltops, Athens is a silver-white sea of low-rise houses, resulting from the sequence of demolitions…Sep 20, 2022Sep 20, 2022
One night at the Opera dei Pupi in PalermoThe little green door on Via Bara all’Olivella is still closed. It might look like a craftsman’s workshop, like many others on the same…Aug 13, 2022Aug 13, 2022
Otto Witte, the clown who became King of AlbaniaIn a muddy courtyard in the heart of Hamburg, an old man with a thick white moustache sits outside a ramshackle wooden carriage. On the…Jul 31, 2022Jul 31, 2022
The pathological science of polywaterWhat would happen if all the water on Earth suddenly changed state? If it evaporated, solidified or became a disgusting jelly? Most living…Jul 15, 2022Jul 15, 2022
Sberge and merendelle. The scent of summer in south ItalyIn some areas of Southern Italy, the scent of summer marked by the sweet fragrance of merendelle.Jul 14, 2022Jul 14, 2022
The Bal Des Ardents«I am simply Hop-Frog, the jester — and this is my last jest». Those are the words uttered by the protagonist of Edgar Allan Poe’s…Jul 3, 2022Jul 3, 2022
The ghosts of Spree Park, BerlinThin wisps of smoke rise from the chimney of a green sailing ship. Families meet with friends on the quay to spend a sunny Sunday together…May 3, 2022May 3, 2022
