Tea tree with white flowers
Tea tree oil. It’s an ingredient you have probably noticed on a lot of personal care products. It is commonly found in soap, hair care products, moisturizers and sprays. Tea tree oil comes from the tea tree plant, which grows in Australia (the scientific name is Melaleuca alternifolia). Tea tree oil has a rich history of use among the indigenous...
The Aquadom (Henrik Berggren/Flickr)
Any aquarium enthusiast knows that the majority of aquariums in most cities and towns fall pretty short once you’ve visited even a single spectacular one.The best aquariums in the world offer plenty to enjoy in terms of sheer volume, but also feature exciting and informative exhibits. These aquariums not only are fascinating because they offer an opportunity to learn...
back yard with greenhouse
Metropolitan areas cover over 30% of the land area in the United States, and these areas contain 80% of the country's population . Our society's fixation with lawns causes considerable environmental problems including water depletion, pesticide and herbicide pollution, habitat degradation, and threats to biodiversity. At Conservation Science Institute, we view this problem as a tremendous opportunity to restore ecosystems...
Victoria Falls
Anyone who's seen a waterfall up close will agree that their majesty is almost indescribable. If even a small fall can inspire these feelings, imagine what it's like to look at the world's largest waterfall.These are the 10 biggest falls on the planet, based on their width, rather than height or volume. Each one is wonderful in its own...
Fly Geyser, United States (Jmtenne/Flickr)
Although science can explain almost everything that happens on this planet, that doesn't mean there isn't room for a little mystery, as well.Some places are just so permeated by intrigue that there is no explaining it away. Below are just a handful of the most mysterious places on Earth.10. Caño Cristales, ColumbiaCano Cristales Columbia (DanteBW/deviantart)Caño Cristales is a river...
Northern Lights over silhouetted tree line
One of the most spectacular phenomenon that you can see when you look up at the sky is the northern lights, also called aurora borealis. The northern lights occur when solar activity from the sun ejects a cloud of gas that travels to the Earth's atmosphere and collides with the Earth's magnetic field, creating the beautiful dancing streams of light...
a gas pump fueling up a red car.
Gas is expensive. Ten years ago it was between $1 and $2 a gallon – now it's double that. What has changed? Why is gas so expensive compared to what it used to be? Are more people using it? Is there less of it to go around? Or, are we being manipulated by big oil companies into paying what...
tomatoes on vine
Toe-MAY-toe or toe-MAH-toe. No matter how you pronounce it, tomatoes are a versatile vegetable, or fruit as the case may be. Scientifically, the tomato is a fruit, but when it comes to culinary use, the savory tomato is clearly a vegetable. The tomato is just as good raw as it is cooked. Use them in homemade pasta sauces, soups, and...