Like ancient mythologists, Victorian curiosity collectors, and countless little girls before me, I have a soft spot for mermaids. I spent my formative years living by the beach, so the idea of being able to swim unhindered by lungs that need air to absorb oxygen was a fantastical one. When I caught a glimpse...
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There’s kryptonite in that thar… Natural History Museum. A mineral with the same composition as Superman’s only natural weakness is on display in the Earth’s Treasury gallery at the London museum. Jadarite, discovered in Serbia in 2006, is composed of sodium, lithium, boron silicate and hydroxide. When NHM mineral expert Dr Chris Stanley found...
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It is 50 years this month since the typographic symbol, the interrobang, was debuted to the world. The first new punctuation mark for 300 years, it enjoyed a short but dazzling period of success in the 1960s. An interrobang is a combination of a question mark and exclamation point and derives its name from...
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Inherent in the planning and execution of any wedding are various design elements – from the look of the invitations to the plan for the seating arrangement, from the flowers to, perhaps most importantly, the bride’s dress. But when you’re dealing with nuptials of a royal nature, another important design consideration is the line...
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Who would have thought fruit was so hardy? Certainly not me when I decided to undertake a time lapse experiment, documenting the decomposition of a pair of apples. I set up my plate of apples and my tripod in March 2010, and while I didn’t have a time-frame in mind, I did not expect...
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A short story by Rebecca Freeborn: The wheels of the plane made contact with the runway and the graceful silver bird became a heavy, ungainly beast, jolting and roaring its protest. I stared out at the wide expanse of Adelaide Airport, squinting at the sun glaring off the wing of the plane. The grass...
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