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Rocks on the move
Rocks on the move
No, that stone in today"s homepage image didn"t get there by itself. Or did it? Not only is Death Valley one of the hottest places on Earth, it also boasts a mysterious geologic phenomenon—rocks that drift across the exceptionally flat desert floor, seemingly under their own power. The rocks here at Death Valley"s Racetrack Playa are known as "sailing stones" and they can vary in size from a few ounces to hundreds of pounds. As seen in our image, the stones leave long trails behind them as they move across the scenic dry lakebed.Desktop Version
A perfect day to fly your flag
A perfect day to fly your flag
We"re at Chimney Rock State Park, about 25 miles southeast of Asheville, North Carolina, for Flag Day. The 6,807-acre park gets its name from the 315-foot spire that offers expansive views of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. If you"re wondering how this sizable flag made it up to the summit, we don"t know the answer to that. But there is an elevator inside the mountain that can zip you to the top in 32 seconds. The other option is to hike up the 499 steps to the viewpoint.Desktop Version
Reflections on Memorial Day
Reflections on Memorial Day
For Memorial Day, we"re visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. More than 58,000 names of men and women who served and died in the Vietnam War are etched on the black granite V-shaped wall. In 1981, Maya Lin was just 21 and still an undergraduate at Yale when she won a nationwide public competition to design the memorial. But when her design was unveiled, its minimalist and nontraditional approach sparked controversy. Many considered it bleak and thought the black granite symbolized defeat rather than honor. To address these criticisms, and over Lin"s objections, a bronze statue of three servicemen was added to the plan. Later another statue, the Vietnam Women"s Memorial, was erected south of the wall. Today the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is among the most popular and revered landmarks in DC, drawing over 4.5 million visitors a year.Desktop Version
Let s get lost
Let s get lost
Beannachtaí ó Greenan Maze in Ireland! (That first part is "Greetings from" in traditional Irish.) This family farm in Greenan, a small village in the countryside of County Wicklow, has a hedge maze and a meditative labyrinth path, both in the "celtic maze" style. Celtic mazes are a common artistic motif in artifacts from ancient Celtic settlements. Historians suggest the Celtic maze was linked to spiritual practices, often associated with the journey of the dead into the afterlife. And in modern life, they can be an inspiration for creative hedge mazes. Are you rethinking your backyard landscaping, or is that just us?Desktop Version
Winter Olympics in Beijing
Winter Olympics in Beijing
Winter is coming to Beijing. The Winter Olympics that is, as the Chinese capital hosts the 24th edition of the sporting extravaganza. Over the next 17 days, close to 3,000 athletes will compete in 109 events across 15 disciplines in seven sports. The venues are spread over three zones: central Beijing, the Yanqing District of northwestern Beijing, and Zhangjiakou, a city in neighboring Hebei province. Artificial snow will be used for outdoor competitions, including here at the illuminated Big Air Shougang, the only snow event venue in downtown Beijing.Desktop Version
Riding the bore tide at Turnagain Arm, Cook Inlet, Alaska
Riding the bore tide at Turnagain Arm, Cook Inlet, Alaska
When the moon tugs at the tides here in Cook Inlet, Alaska, a gravitational event known as a bore tide occurs, pushing waves up against the current and creating a watery playground for stand-up paddleboarders. The bore tide here in Turnagain Arm, near Anchorage, is one of the biggest in the world, sometimes creating waves 10 feet tall. The biggest waves occur after an extremely low tide, as that’s when the largest amount of seawater comes rushing back into the narrow bay. Surf’s up, Alaskans!Desktop Version
Put your flippers in the air…
Put your flippers in the air…
…it"s World Sea Turtle Day! The gentle giant seen here doing the wave was snapped mid-dive, headed to the seafloor near the Great Barrier Reef to munch some marine grass. The green sea turtle is among the larger of the seven sea turtle species, with some individuals reaching 5 feet in length and weighing 700 pounds. They live throughout the world"s subtropical waters, and like other sea turtles, they migrate long distances for food. Despite all that traveling, they return to hatch their eggs on the same select nesting beaches where they were born.Desktop Version
A triumph of light
A triumph of light
These students in Guwahati, India, are lighting oil lamps called diya, and placing them around a floor decoration called rangoli. They’re preparing for Diwali, a five-day celebration symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. It’s a Hindu festival, but Sikhs, Jains, and Newar Buddhists also observe variations of Diwali. Many homes, temples, and commercial spaces decorate with lights, especially diya. The rangoli decoration is thought to bring good luck, and is created by hand using colored rice, flours, sand, or sometimes flower petals. Diwali lasts until November 11, so there’s still time to embrace the light.Desktop Version
1.1 billion opportunities for a better world
1.1 billion opportunities for a better world
Today’s homepage recognizes the International Day of the Girl, a UN-sponsored event to raise awareness about the 1.1 billion girls in the world, the unique challenges they face, and what the future could promise if they’re empowered to overcome those challenges. That future is a bright one. Research from UN Women indicates that when girls are provided an education, the rate of child marriage is reduced, as well as rates of disease. When women work, economies grow. And when the share of household income controlled by women increases, children benefit. It’s all the more reason to invest in education and equality for women and girls around the world.Desktop Version
It s World Poetry Day
It s World Poetry Day
For World Poetry Day, we"re seeing the stylized visage of poet Pablo Neruda projected on a building in his native Chile. World Poetry Day was established by UNESCO to acknowledge "that individuals, everywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings." Neruda, a Nobel laureate generally held up by Chileans as their national poet, made his early mark with famously racy love poetry. But his palette of questions and feelings evolved, expanding into surrealism, epic history, and radical politics. His death in 1973 after a bout with cancer was mourned publicly by Chileans—in defiance of newly installed dictator Augusto Pinochet, whom many Chileans link to Neruda"s untimely passing.Desktop Version
Stari Most in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Stari Most in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
For 427 years the Mostar Bridge stood strong, despite the belief that its original mortar was composed of egg whites. Truth is, not much is known about the 16th-century construction of this bridge in what is now known as Bosnia and Herzegovina. All that remains in historical records are memories and legends and the name of the bridge"s builder, Mimar Hayruddin. He was charged by Suleiman the Magnificent to build an unprecedentedly wide arch, and threatened with death if the structure failed. Hayruddin is said to have been so unsure of his creation that he made funeral preparations before the scaffolding was removed.Desktop Version
Global commerce in motion
Global commerce in motion
The COVID-19 pandemic has been rough sailing for everyone, and especially so for seafarers on shipping vessels. As if moving more than 80% of the world"s goods wasn"t a big mission already, the pandemic created urgent needs for certain goods to be shipped to all corners of the globe. At the same time, it forced travel restrictions that made shipping more complicated. Hundreds of thousands of sailors and other shipping personnel have found themselves stuck on ships much longer than planned as virus precautions impede crew changes.Desktop Version
A day to celebrate teachers
A day to celebrate teachers
To celebrate World Teachers" Day, we"re in the Jiangsu province of China, taking in this birds"-eye view of kindergarteners drawing together under the tutelage of some hard-working teachers. The UN created this day back in 1994 to draw attention to the vital role that teachers play in providing kids a quality education. The observation also highlights the obstacles that teachers face every day, particularly in challenging times like these.Desktop Version
World Rivers Day
World Rivers Day
Today we"re recognizing World Rivers Day, a celebration of our planet"s waterways. The event branched off in 2005 from its source, BC Rivers Day, which has been observed by British Columbians in Canada since 1980. The annual event is now celebrated on the fourth Sunday of September by millions of people in more than 100 countries. It is a day that raises public awareness about rivers around the world and encourages their conservation.Desktop Version
Assembling the Smithsonian
Assembling the Smithsonian
Today’s photo–taken in 1953–depicts the dedication required to keep the Smithsonian Institution going and growing. This national treasure is made up of 19 museums and galleries and the National Zoo, as well as several research facilities. Admission to all Smithsonian museums in Washington is free, so that anyone can visit to learn about the US, and the world beyond it. It was this day in 1846 that President James K. Polk signed the legislation establishing the Smithsonian. Getting there took some doing, as Englishman James Smithson had donated the funds for an educational institution to the US in his will 20 years earlier. After the deaths of Smithson and his last surviving relative, Congress inherited 104,960 gold sovereigns as start-up money for the museum that would later bear Smithson’s name.Desktop Version
Astrotourism at its finest
Astrotourism at its finest
Stay in Canyonlands National Park until after sundown so you can appreciate one of the park"s most distinct features—a night sky so free of artificial light that it’s been designated a Gold-Tier International Dark Sky park. Here’s another way of understanding what that means: When you’re in the city you may see up to 500 stars in a moonless night sky, but here in Utah"s Canyonlands, you can see more than 15,000. Many of the stars (and planets) sparkle in the Milky Way, our galactic home in the universe. It’s a big reason why astrotourists and photographers visit at night, to see the light show above. But for those who follow the sun, daytime is perfect for hiking and camping, wildlife viewing, and discovering rock art left behind by prehistoric peoples.Desktop Version
Take the Stairs Day
Take the Stairs Day
It"s time to step up! Today is Take the Stairs Day, an initiative by the American Lung Association aimed at encouraging us to make small changes that can have a big impact on our well-being.Desktop Version
Göreme, Cappadocia, Turkey
Göreme, Cappadocia, Turkey
Both natural wonders and historic landmarks, the "fairy chimneys" of Göreme may suggest the fantastical dwellings of an alien species, or an illustration from a Dr. Seuss book. These and similar rock formations are known by many names—hoodoos, tent rocks, earth pyramids, as well as fairy chimneys—and are typically found in dry, hot areas. Here in Cappadocia, in south-central Turkey, they were formed when a thick layer of volcanic ash solidified over millions of years into soft, porous rock called tuff that was overlaid by hard basalt. Cracks in the basalt allowed wind and rain to gradually wash away the softer bottom layer, leaving the hard basalt to cap tall columns of the tuff. The result is these unusual, often beautiful—and perhaps puzzling—formations that spread across the Anatolian plain.Desktop Version
Cherry blossom season in Tokyo
Cherry blossom season in Tokyo
Each spring, folks across Japan observe "hanami," a treasured tradition of viewing nature"s breathtaking display of cherry blossoms. Japanese cherry trees, known as "sakura," reach full bloom in March in the south of the country. Our homepage picture shows cherry blossoms cascading over the moats which surround the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.Desktop Version
Illuminating Annecy
Illuminating Annecy
Who knew that an 800-year-old structure could look so festive? The pretty holiday illumination you see is adorning the side of the Palais de l"Ile, a distinctive 12th-century building in the town of Annecy, France, high in the French Alps. Designated a historic monument in 1900, the medieval structure is perched on a small islet in the Canal du Thiou.Desktop Version
Raise your hand for Teacher Appreciation Day
Raise your hand for Teacher Appreciation Day
At some point during the year, most countries will celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day, because who doesn’t appreciate the teachers in our lives? In the United States, we’re celebrating on this day. In fact, today’s party is part of Teacher Appreciation Week, a chance to honor those who dedicate their lives to shaping our minds, young and old, and encouraging us to explore and think about the world around us. What did your favorite teacher help you learn?Desktop Version
International Polar Bear Day
International Polar Bear Day
February 27 marks International Polar Bear Day—an effort to raise awareness of the enormous threats polar bears face due to climate change. Polar bears need Arctic pack ice to hunt on, but that ice is shrinking as the planet warms. While polar bears are excellent swimmers—so much so that they"re classified as marine mammals—the Arctic ice is still a crucial part of their survival. Let"s take this day to think about what we can do to help reduce climate change and protect polar bear habitats.Desktop Version
Happy World Laughter Day
Happy World Laughter Day
Even though these Burchell"s zebras are probably fighting, to us it kind of looks like they are sharing a laugh. And since today is World Laughter Day, we"ve been trying to imagine what kind of joke would make a zebra laugh. Why did the lion spit out the clown? Because he tasted funny. Maybe. Anyway, World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May to remind people of the very real physical and mental health benefits of laughter. It"s no joke that laughter has a clinically proven positive effect on your well-being. And experts (yes, there are experts) agree that laughing lowers blood pressure, releases endorphins, works your abs, reduces stress hormones, and even boosts T cells that fight infection. Faking it still works, even if you"re not feeling it.Desktop Version
Hippo family in Chobe National Park, Botswana
Hippo family in Chobe National Park, Botswana
It"s World Hippo Day, time to celebrate one of Earth"s heaviest land animals! These African herbivores are scattered across the continent south of the Sahara Desert but, despite their wide range, hippos are listed as a vulnerable species due to habitat loss. While they spend their lives in and around water, hippos aren"t good swimmers and can"t float. They move about in deep water by bouncing off the bottom. Hippos can live up to 40 years in the wild and possess the largest mouth of any land animal in the world, so smiling for the camera comes naturally.Desktop Version
Let s crack the code
Let s crack the code
If you"ve ever been the least bit curious about how computers work, this week is for you. December 9 marks the start of Computer Science Education Week, an annual program that uses the Hour of Code as one way to inspire K-12 students to take an interest in computer science and to level the playing field in an industry that can seem intimidating to some. The Hour of Code is exactly what it sounds like: Students and adults alike are invited to set aside 60 minutes to try out one of the many Hour of Code tutorials—offered in 45 languages—for a brief introduction to coding. Organizers believe every single student should have the opportunity to learn computer science, as it nurtures creativity and encourages problem solving. We concur. And we highly recommend the Minecraft tutorials as a starting place. Happy coding, friends!Desktop Version