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August 14, 2025
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FREEAstronomy Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Is this as big as they can get? It’s hard to imagine otherwise. Astronomers at the University of Portsmouth have found what could be the largest black hole ever discovered, according to a paper published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Located around five billion light years away in the Cosmic Horseshoe galaxy, the black hole is at least one of the top 10 largest ever discovered. It’s not such a surprise that one of the most massive black holes would be found within one of the most massive galaxies, but the sheer scale is still a bit jarring. The supermassive black hole located at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy, Sagittarius A*, contains the mass of 4.15 million suns. On the other hand, the new discovery is an ultramassive black hole and is estimated to have the mass of 36 billion suns. What might be even more surprising is how it was discovered. Unlike most known black holes, this one does not have an accretion disk. That means it’s not actively consuming the matter around it, and that it lacks the telltale x-ray emissions produced by accreting matter. Instead, the black hole was given away by its sheer mass, which warped the space-time around it enough to cause gravitational lensing, a phenomenon in which the light coming from behind an object is visible along its edges. Even the Cosmic Horseshoe itself gets its name as a result of this phenomenon, since it is framed by a horseshoe-shaped ring of light. It must run in the family.
[Image description: A starry sky with the milky way visible.] Credit & copyright: NPS/Patrick MYers, Asset ID: 707ecd39-53dd-47a2-8dad-33178eac3992, National Park Service Digital Asset Management System. Constraints Information: Public domain: Full Granting Rights.
Is this as big as they can get? It’s hard to imagine otherwise. Astronomers at the University of Portsmouth have found what could be the largest black hole ever discovered, according to a paper published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Located around five billion light years away in the Cosmic Horseshoe galaxy, the black hole is at least one of the top 10 largest ever discovered. It’s not such a surprise that one of the most massive black holes would be found within one of the most massive galaxies, but the sheer scale is still a bit jarring. The supermassive black hole located at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy, Sagittarius A*, contains the mass of 4.15 million suns. On the other hand, the new discovery is an ultramassive black hole and is estimated to have the mass of 36 billion suns. What might be even more surprising is how it was discovered. Unlike most known black holes, this one does not have an accretion disk. That means it’s not actively consuming the matter around it, and that it lacks the telltale x-ray emissions produced by accreting matter. Instead, the black hole was given away by its sheer mass, which warped the space-time around it enough to cause gravitational lensing, a phenomenon in which the light coming from behind an object is visible along its edges. Even the Cosmic Horseshoe itself gets its name as a result of this phenomenon, since it is framed by a horseshoe-shaped ring of light. It must run in the family.
[Image description: A starry sky with the milky way visible.] Credit & copyright: NPS/Patrick MYers, Asset ID: 707ecd39-53dd-47a2-8dad-33178eac3992, National Park Service Digital Asset Management System. Constraints Information: Public domain: Full Granting Rights.
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FREEGames Daily Curio #3134Free1 CQ
There are few places where sports and archeology can find common ground, but a pok-ta-pok court is one. Descendants of the Maya are bringing the ancient sport of pok-ta-pok to Belize, and it’s already considered the national sport. Next month, their national team will be competing at the International Pok-ta-Pok Tournament, where they’ve been crowned champions three times in the past. The pok-ta-pok revival in Central America began in the early 1900s, but in the last few decades it has truly entered the spotlight. For those who play it, it’s not just a sport—it’s also a matter of heritage. Pok-ta-pok is so ancient that even archaeologists aren’t quite sure how old it is. Evidence shows that it was played as early as 2,000 years ago by the Mayans, who likely invented the game, and it was only after the Spanish began colonizing the region in the 16th century that the sport fell out of favor.
The game itself plays like a combination of basketball, tennis, and volleyball, in a court that is divided in two and set between two walls with a stone ring about 20 feet up at the center line on each side. Players can use their elbows, knees, and hips to touch the ball, but not their head, hands, or feet. The ball itself is made of latex, and points are awarded to a team under the following conditions: when the opposing side fails to return the ball before two bounces, when the ball reaches the end zone of the opposing side, or when the team manages to get the ball through one of the stone rings. While the game is fairly straightforward, it’s been the subject of a long enduring myth—that the winners were sacrificed to honor the gods. In truth, sacrifices were not a normal part of the game for winners or losers. Sometimes, cities would compete in a match of pok-ta-pok instead of going to war, and in those cases, the losing team could technically be sacrificed. More often than not, though, the losing team’s city would simply pay tributes in the form of jade and other valuables. Even for a “war game,” killing the losers seems a bit harsh.
[Image description: A Mayan carving depicting a man in a feathered headdress playing pok-ta-pok.] Credit & copyright: Yoke-form vessel, Maya artist(s), 350–450 CE. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Purchase, Mrs. Charles S. Payson Gift, 1970. Public Domain.There are few places where sports and archeology can find common ground, but a pok-ta-pok court is one. Descendants of the Maya are bringing the ancient sport of pok-ta-pok to Belize, and it’s already considered the national sport. Next month, their national team will be competing at the International Pok-ta-Pok Tournament, where they’ve been crowned champions three times in the past. The pok-ta-pok revival in Central America began in the early 1900s, but in the last few decades it has truly entered the spotlight. For those who play it, it’s not just a sport—it’s also a matter of heritage. Pok-ta-pok is so ancient that even archaeologists aren’t quite sure how old it is. Evidence shows that it was played as early as 2,000 years ago by the Mayans, who likely invented the game, and it was only after the Spanish began colonizing the region in the 16th century that the sport fell out of favor.
The game itself plays like a combination of basketball, tennis, and volleyball, in a court that is divided in two and set between two walls with a stone ring about 20 feet up at the center line on each side. Players can use their elbows, knees, and hips to touch the ball, but not their head, hands, or feet. The ball itself is made of latex, and points are awarded to a team under the following conditions: when the opposing side fails to return the ball before two bounces, when the ball reaches the end zone of the opposing side, or when the team manages to get the ball through one of the stone rings. While the game is fairly straightforward, it’s been the subject of a long enduring myth—that the winners were sacrificed to honor the gods. In truth, sacrifices were not a normal part of the game for winners or losers. Sometimes, cities would compete in a match of pok-ta-pok instead of going to war, and in those cases, the losing team could technically be sacrificed. More often than not, though, the losing team’s city would simply pay tributes in the form of jade and other valuables. Even for a “war game,” killing the losers seems a bit harsh.
[Image description: A Mayan carving depicting a man in a feathered headdress playing pok-ta-pok.] Credit & copyright: Yoke-form vessel, Maya artist(s), 350–450 CE. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Purchase, Mrs. Charles S. Payson Gift, 1970. Public Domain.
August 13, 2025
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FREEBiology Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
That’s not an enormous bird blotting out the sun…it’s a mammal! Flying foxes, specifically the 60 or species in the genus Pteropus, are the largest bats in the world. Those suffering from a bit of a bat phobia have nothing to fear, though. These high-flying mammals don’t drink blood or even eat insects; they feast on fruit.
Flying foxes mainly live in tropical regions of Asia, Australia, Madagascar, and some Pacific islands. There, they have abundant, year-long access to all sorts of fruits, and they certainly make the most of it. Many species of flying foxes eat up to half their body weight in fruit, pollen, and nectar each day. All that food helps fuel their impressively large bodies. The biggest species of flying fox, the giant golden-crowned flying fox, has an average wingspan of around 4.9 to 5.6 feet and can weigh up to three pounds.
A flying fox’s environment must have enough food to support not just a few individual bats, but entire colonies. Most flying foxes are social, living in groups that can range from a few dozen bats to several hundred. Unlike many, smaller bats, which remain in a fixed location each year, flying foxes are nomadic. Each year, they can fly thousands of miles in search of food. Luckily, flying foxes help maintain the very fruit they depend on to live, spreading pollen via their fur and seeds via their droppings.
Like most bat species, flying foxes are nocturnal. During the day, they hang upside down, high in the forest canopy (with young bats clinging to their mothers until they’re ready to fly on their own.) There, they sleep and groom one another while waiting for nightfall. Flying foxes’ entire lives revolve around trees, which means that habitat destruction, especially as part of the logging industry, is particularly devastating to them. Sadly, nearly half of all flying foxes are either threatened or endangered. Here’s hoping that intensifying conservation efforts can keep these gentle giants airborne.
[Image description: A large, brown-colored bat flying against a blue sky.] Credit & copyright: Map9994, Wikimedia Commons. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Map9994, at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide.That’s not an enormous bird blotting out the sun…it’s a mammal! Flying foxes, specifically the 60 or species in the genus Pteropus, are the largest bats in the world. Those suffering from a bit of a bat phobia have nothing to fear, though. These high-flying mammals don’t drink blood or even eat insects; they feast on fruit.
Flying foxes mainly live in tropical regions of Asia, Australia, Madagascar, and some Pacific islands. There, they have abundant, year-long access to all sorts of fruits, and they certainly make the most of it. Many species of flying foxes eat up to half their body weight in fruit, pollen, and nectar each day. All that food helps fuel their impressively large bodies. The biggest species of flying fox, the giant golden-crowned flying fox, has an average wingspan of around 4.9 to 5.6 feet and can weigh up to three pounds.
A flying fox’s environment must have enough food to support not just a few individual bats, but entire colonies. Most flying foxes are social, living in groups that can range from a few dozen bats to several hundred. Unlike many, smaller bats, which remain in a fixed location each year, flying foxes are nomadic. Each year, they can fly thousands of miles in search of food. Luckily, flying foxes help maintain the very fruit they depend on to live, spreading pollen via their fur and seeds via their droppings.
Like most bat species, flying foxes are nocturnal. During the day, they hang upside down, high in the forest canopy (with young bats clinging to their mothers until they’re ready to fly on their own.) There, they sleep and groom one another while waiting for nightfall. Flying foxes’ entire lives revolve around trees, which means that habitat destruction, especially as part of the logging industry, is particularly devastating to them. Sadly, nearly half of all flying foxes are either threatened or endangered. Here’s hoping that intensifying conservation efforts can keep these gentle giants airborne.
[Image description: A large, brown-colored bat flying against a blue sky.] Credit & copyright: Map9994, Wikimedia Commons. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Map9994, at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide. -
FREEBiology Daily Curio #3133Free1 CQ
Get tongue-tied easily? Blame your genes. As common as stuttering is, its cause has never been fully understood. Now, scientists might have found some important clues after discovering dozens of genes associated with the issue. Stuttering is a speech disorder where the speaker repeats words, prolongs certain sounds, or even pauses unexpectedly in the middle of talking. Stuttering can have a severe impact on someone’s quality of life. Children who stutter are more likely to be bullied, while adults may have fewer job prospects. Over 400 million people around the world, across all languages, struggle with stuttering, yet there has never been any solid proof as to what causes it. Scientists and laypeople alike have conjectured for hundreds of years, blaming everything from childhood trauma to left-handedness. There does seem to be a connection involving early childhood development, however.
Most people who stutter begin doing so soon after they begin speaking for the first time as children, but not all of them continue. For those who do, it can become ingrained as a habit, meaning that the longer one stutters, the more difficult it is to stop. Often, speech therapy at an early age is enough to correct stuttering. For everyone else, it can become lifelong. It turns out that there is also a genetic component to stuttering. Recently, scientists used data from an online genealogy service and managed to identify 57 distinct genomic regions with 48 genes that appear to be correlated with stuttering. This means that for many stutterers, especially older ones, fixing a stutter isn’t as simple as simply going to speech therapy. Researchers found that musicality, speech, and language are deeply genetically related and share the same neurological pathway. What’s more, they found that there may be causal relationships between stuttering and impaired music rhythm, autism, and depression. When it comes to genetics, connections pop up in the most unexpected places.
[Image description: A digital illustration of a double-helix DNA strand. The strand is dark blue.] Credit & copyright: PantheraLeo1359531, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.Get tongue-tied easily? Blame your genes. As common as stuttering is, its cause has never been fully understood. Now, scientists might have found some important clues after discovering dozens of genes associated with the issue. Stuttering is a speech disorder where the speaker repeats words, prolongs certain sounds, or even pauses unexpectedly in the middle of talking. Stuttering can have a severe impact on someone’s quality of life. Children who stutter are more likely to be bullied, while adults may have fewer job prospects. Over 400 million people around the world, across all languages, struggle with stuttering, yet there has never been any solid proof as to what causes it. Scientists and laypeople alike have conjectured for hundreds of years, blaming everything from childhood trauma to left-handedness. There does seem to be a connection involving early childhood development, however.
Most people who stutter begin doing so soon after they begin speaking for the first time as children, but not all of them continue. For those who do, it can become ingrained as a habit, meaning that the longer one stutters, the more difficult it is to stop. Often, speech therapy at an early age is enough to correct stuttering. For everyone else, it can become lifelong. It turns out that there is also a genetic component to stuttering. Recently, scientists used data from an online genealogy service and managed to identify 57 distinct genomic regions with 48 genes that appear to be correlated with stuttering. This means that for many stutterers, especially older ones, fixing a stutter isn’t as simple as simply going to speech therapy. Researchers found that musicality, speech, and language are deeply genetically related and share the same neurological pathway. What’s more, they found that there may be causal relationships between stuttering and impaired music rhythm, autism, and depression. When it comes to genetics, connections pop up in the most unexpected places.
[Image description: A digital illustration of a double-helix DNA strand. The strand is dark blue.] Credit & copyright: PantheraLeo1359531, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
August 12, 2025
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FREESTEM Daily Curio #3132Free1 CQ
Do wet wipes make you dry heave? They probably should. The Port of London Authority has started to dismantle and dispose of the city’s infamous “Wet Wipe Island,” a giant mass of waste consisting largely of flushable wet wipes in the Thames. Technically, wet wipes that are advertised as “flushable” can be flushed, but what happens afterward is a real problem for everyone. Despite the marketing surrounding them, flushable wet wipes cause nothing but problems for sewer systems and for the environment in general. Wet wipes are designed to stay intact in a wet environment, so they can take months or even years to break down. During that time, they can clump up into large masses, often mixing with fat to create “fatbergs” that can block sewer lines, forcing municipalities to break them apart by hand so that pipes don’t burst. Then there’s the matter of the chemicals used in wet wipes. Such wipes are often made with plastic, which breaks down into microplastics when released into the environment. Other chemicals make the wipes more durable, but they also make them even less able to break down quickly. Some wipes are also antibacterial, which can be harmful to fish, wildlife, and overall water health. Many brands of wet wipes are made from cellulose, cotton, or other biodegradable materials, but even those don’t solve the issue. In the case of London, the wet wipes have accumulated in the River Thames, creating an 820-foot-long mass of congealed garbage that’s been dubbed Wet Wipe Island. The predicament is made worse by the fact that the Thames has an average yearly temperature of around 54 degrees Fahrenheit, slowing down the already glacial rate of biodegradation and forcing excavators to roll in and bust things up manually. This is one island getaway that really stinks.
[Image description: Ripples on the surface of water.] Credit & copyright: MartinThoma, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.Do wet wipes make you dry heave? They probably should. The Port of London Authority has started to dismantle and dispose of the city’s infamous “Wet Wipe Island,” a giant mass of waste consisting largely of flushable wet wipes in the Thames. Technically, wet wipes that are advertised as “flushable” can be flushed, but what happens afterward is a real problem for everyone. Despite the marketing surrounding them, flushable wet wipes cause nothing but problems for sewer systems and for the environment in general. Wet wipes are designed to stay intact in a wet environment, so they can take months or even years to break down. During that time, they can clump up into large masses, often mixing with fat to create “fatbergs” that can block sewer lines, forcing municipalities to break them apart by hand so that pipes don’t burst. Then there’s the matter of the chemicals used in wet wipes. Such wipes are often made with plastic, which breaks down into microplastics when released into the environment. Other chemicals make the wipes more durable, but they also make them even less able to break down quickly. Some wipes are also antibacterial, which can be harmful to fish, wildlife, and overall water health. Many brands of wet wipes are made from cellulose, cotton, or other biodegradable materials, but even those don’t solve the issue. In the case of London, the wet wipes have accumulated in the River Thames, creating an 820-foot-long mass of congealed garbage that’s been dubbed Wet Wipe Island. The predicament is made worse by the fact that the Thames has an average yearly temperature of around 54 degrees Fahrenheit, slowing down the already glacial rate of biodegradation and forcing excavators to roll in and bust things up manually. This is one island getaway that really stinks.
[Image description: Ripples on the surface of water.] Credit & copyright: MartinThoma, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
August 11, 2025
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FREEMind + Body Daily Curio #3131Free1 CQ
Not only does it feel real, it can cause real headaches. As sophisticated AI chatbots were becoming mainstream a few years ago, one psychiatrist predicted a form of psychosis would arise from them. Now, it seems, that grim prediction has come true. Soon after ChatGPT was made available to the masses in 2023, Danish psychiatrist Søren Dinesen Østergaard warned that prolonged interaction with such chatbots would lead to mental health crises in predisposed individuals. More specifically, he believed that chatbots would trigger and reinforce delusional beliefs in the users, leading to a variety of issues. Many users simply become addicted to conversing with the chatbot, while others believe that the chatbot can understand them better than any human companion. Then there are those who believe that they are being spied upon at the chatbot’s suggestion, becoming steeped in a sense of paranoia. Chatbots can also trigger grandiose delusions, in which the user comes to believe that they are the “chosen one” or that they have some special spiritual or cosmic role.
While it may sound farfetched, these kinds of mental health crises can prove very serious. Of course, AI isn’t designed to create such problems. The reason they sometimes trigger such behavior in those who are predisposed to mental illness is because chatbots are often trained to be encouraging and tell the user what they want to hear. Especially in cases of grandiose delusions, chatbots were observed giving spiritual advice and bombarding users with flattery. According to Østergaard and similarly-minded critics of AI chatbots, a recent update in ChatGPT made it even more people-pleasing, making it more likely to trigger delusions. Since AI psychosis is a new phenomenon, experts like Østergaard are calling for a systematic review of cases to better understand the causes and formulate treatments. In the meantime, they warn that it can affect both those who are already diagnosed with conditions like schizophrenia, but also those who have undiagnosed or latent risk factors. Blue light glasses probably aren’t going to cut it when it comes to reducing harm from excessive screen time.Not only does it feel real, it can cause real headaches. As sophisticated AI chatbots were becoming mainstream a few years ago, one psychiatrist predicted a form of psychosis would arise from them. Now, it seems, that grim prediction has come true. Soon after ChatGPT was made available to the masses in 2023, Danish psychiatrist Søren Dinesen Østergaard warned that prolonged interaction with such chatbots would lead to mental health crises in predisposed individuals. More specifically, he believed that chatbots would trigger and reinforce delusional beliefs in the users, leading to a variety of issues. Many users simply become addicted to conversing with the chatbot, while others believe that the chatbot can understand them better than any human companion. Then there are those who believe that they are being spied upon at the chatbot’s suggestion, becoming steeped in a sense of paranoia. Chatbots can also trigger grandiose delusions, in which the user comes to believe that they are the “chosen one” or that they have some special spiritual or cosmic role.
While it may sound farfetched, these kinds of mental health crises can prove very serious. Of course, AI isn’t designed to create such problems. The reason they sometimes trigger such behavior in those who are predisposed to mental illness is because chatbots are often trained to be encouraging and tell the user what they want to hear. Especially in cases of grandiose delusions, chatbots were observed giving spiritual advice and bombarding users with flattery. According to Østergaard and similarly-minded critics of AI chatbots, a recent update in ChatGPT made it even more people-pleasing, making it more likely to trigger delusions. Since AI psychosis is a new phenomenon, experts like Østergaard are calling for a systematic review of cases to better understand the causes and formulate treatments. In the meantime, they warn that it can affect both those who are already diagnosed with conditions like schizophrenia, but also those who have undiagnosed or latent risk factors. Blue light glasses probably aren’t going to cut it when it comes to reducing harm from excessive screen time. -
6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that job creation in the U.S. was much lower than expected in July, and revised down its numbers for May a...
On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that job creation in the U.S. was much lower than expected in July, and revised down its numbers for May a...
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FREEAesthetic Art CurioFree1 CQ
How much horsepower does it have? Well, that depends on how many horses are pulling. Phaetons were once the go-to carriage for many Victorians, and it wasn’t just a matter of style. The piece above depicts a 4-wheeled carriage against an empty, gray background. The body of the carriage is black with green trim. Long before automobiles came on the scene, carriages like phaetons gave riders freedom akin to driving a modern vehicle. Phaetons were owner-driven carriages with up to two seats, meaning that there was no separate driver’s seat. Thus, most riders drove themselves. While there were other owner-driven carriages, phaetons set themselves apart in two major ways. One was that having four large wheels and a light body suspended on springs made for a much safer and more comfortable ride. Another was that they were stylish and not fit for hauling luggage, making them fashionable rides for image-conscious Victorians. “Phaeton,” by the way, comes from the name Phaethon, son of the Greek god of the sun, Helios. Phaethon nearly set fire to the world after losing control of his father’s chariot. One can only hope the Victorians were better drivers.
Design for 4 seat Phaeton, no top, no. 3566, Brewster & Co., 1880, Pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache with gum arabic, 7 x 9.25 in. (17.8 x 23.5 cm.), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York
[Image credit & copyright: Brewster & Co. (American, New York), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of William Brewster, 1923. Public Domain.How much horsepower does it have? Well, that depends on how many horses are pulling. Phaetons were once the go-to carriage for many Victorians, and it wasn’t just a matter of style. The piece above depicts a 4-wheeled carriage against an empty, gray background. The body of the carriage is black with green trim. Long before automobiles came on the scene, carriages like phaetons gave riders freedom akin to driving a modern vehicle. Phaetons were owner-driven carriages with up to two seats, meaning that there was no separate driver’s seat. Thus, most riders drove themselves. While there were other owner-driven carriages, phaetons set themselves apart in two major ways. One was that having four large wheels and a light body suspended on springs made for a much safer and more comfortable ride. Another was that they were stylish and not fit for hauling luggage, making them fashionable rides for image-conscious Victorians. “Phaeton,” by the way, comes from the name Phaethon, son of the Greek god of the sun, Helios. Phaethon nearly set fire to the world after losing control of his father’s chariot. One can only hope the Victorians were better drivers.
Design for 4 seat Phaeton, no top, no. 3566, Brewster & Co., 1880, Pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache with gum arabic, 7 x 9.25 in. (17.8 x 23.5 cm.), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York
[Image credit & copyright: Brewster & Co. (American, New York), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of William Brewster, 1923. Public Domain.
August 10, 2025
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FREETravel PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
It may be the smallest country in the European Union, but it has one of the most interesting histories. The archipelago nation of Malta has been continuously inhabited for over 7,000 years. In that time, it has seen many factions come and go. Its geography and strategic location have made it a coveted settlement since ancient times, but they also present unique challenges for its modern day residents.
The story of Malta begins in prehistory, with the first hominids that settled the islands of Malta and Gozo (the two largest islands in the Maltese archipelago) around 5000 B.C.E. Early island inhabitants developed their own religion and built temples out of limestone between 3600 and 2500 B.C.E., predating the Great Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge. By the time the Phoenicians arrived in 800 B.C.E., however, the temples’ builders were long gone. The Phoenicians were the first to realize the utility of the islands’ location and used Malta as a port to resupply their ships. Since Malta is located just south of Sicily and equidistant to much of the North African shore, it was a valuable stepping stone for the early seafarers until they were ousted by the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians in turn were expelled by the Romans in 218 B.C.E., after which the islands were developed rapidly. The Romans were succeeded by the Byzantines at the end of the 4th century C.E., who ruled the island until the Arabs arrived in the 9th century. Normans arrived in the 11th century and were soon replaced by the Crown of Aragon in the 13th century until Charles V handed over the islands to the Knights of the Order of Jerusalem, who became the Knights of the Order of Saint John (A.K.A. the Knights Hospitaller or the Knights of Malta). When Napoleon captured Malta in 1798, residents resisted and sought aid from Great Britain, who ousted the French occupation and took control of the island. Malta became part of the British Empire in 1814 and remained so until it gained independence in 1964.
After Malta became a republic 10 years after its independence, it remained a part of the Commonwealth and joined the E.U. in 2004. Malta is currently the smallest member of the E.U. by size, with a total area of only 122 square miles. Despite its size, Malta has a relatively high population of around 569,900 residents, making it a densely packed archipelago at around 4,900 residents per square mile. Much of the country’s economy is based on its scenic beaches, but it has struggled to grow due to its small size, limited natural resources, and a shrinking population. Where Malta truly sets itself apart is in his unique culture, shaped by the various groups that have occupied the islands throughout its history. The Maltese language is derived from a mix of Arabic and a Sicilian dialect of Italian, while much of the population speaks English as well. Malta’s modern day culture is similarly a fusion of Arabic and Italian sensibilities, though the population is mostly Roman Catholic.
Today, Malta is facing an alarming crisis. As a small archipelago, the country struggles with water scarcity. Much of the potable water for its residents is produced by desalination. This energy-intensive process turns seawater into drinkable freshwater, but it’s expensive and harmful to the environment due to carbon emissions and brine discharge. People come from all over the world to visit Malta’s beaches, and their high tourism numbers only add to their water problem. Limiting tourism isn’t a quick fix either, since the country’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism. On the bright side, these challenges have made Malta a pioneer in water recycling and conservation, even if their problems are far from being solved. In the future, the rest of the world might very well be in need of Maltese advice when it comes to water.
[Image description: A photo of the Maltese countryside with some fields, white buildings, and part of a stone wall visible.] Credit & copyright: Syced, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.It may be the smallest country in the European Union, but it has one of the most interesting histories. The archipelago nation of Malta has been continuously inhabited for over 7,000 years. In that time, it has seen many factions come and go. Its geography and strategic location have made it a coveted settlement since ancient times, but they also present unique challenges for its modern day residents.
The story of Malta begins in prehistory, with the first hominids that settled the islands of Malta and Gozo (the two largest islands in the Maltese archipelago) around 5000 B.C.E. Early island inhabitants developed their own religion and built temples out of limestone between 3600 and 2500 B.C.E., predating the Great Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge. By the time the Phoenicians arrived in 800 B.C.E., however, the temples’ builders were long gone. The Phoenicians were the first to realize the utility of the islands’ location and used Malta as a port to resupply their ships. Since Malta is located just south of Sicily and equidistant to much of the North African shore, it was a valuable stepping stone for the early seafarers until they were ousted by the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians in turn were expelled by the Romans in 218 B.C.E., after which the islands were developed rapidly. The Romans were succeeded by the Byzantines at the end of the 4th century C.E., who ruled the island until the Arabs arrived in the 9th century. Normans arrived in the 11th century and were soon replaced by the Crown of Aragon in the 13th century until Charles V handed over the islands to the Knights of the Order of Jerusalem, who became the Knights of the Order of Saint John (A.K.A. the Knights Hospitaller or the Knights of Malta). When Napoleon captured Malta in 1798, residents resisted and sought aid from Great Britain, who ousted the French occupation and took control of the island. Malta became part of the British Empire in 1814 and remained so until it gained independence in 1964.
After Malta became a republic 10 years after its independence, it remained a part of the Commonwealth and joined the E.U. in 2004. Malta is currently the smallest member of the E.U. by size, with a total area of only 122 square miles. Despite its size, Malta has a relatively high population of around 569,900 residents, making it a densely packed archipelago at around 4,900 residents per square mile. Much of the country’s economy is based on its scenic beaches, but it has struggled to grow due to its small size, limited natural resources, and a shrinking population. Where Malta truly sets itself apart is in his unique culture, shaped by the various groups that have occupied the islands throughout its history. The Maltese language is derived from a mix of Arabic and a Sicilian dialect of Italian, while much of the population speaks English as well. Malta’s modern day culture is similarly a fusion of Arabic and Italian sensibilities, though the population is mostly Roman Catholic.
Today, Malta is facing an alarming crisis. As a small archipelago, the country struggles with water scarcity. Much of the potable water for its residents is produced by desalination. This energy-intensive process turns seawater into drinkable freshwater, but it’s expensive and harmful to the environment due to carbon emissions and brine discharge. People come from all over the world to visit Malta’s beaches, and their high tourism numbers only add to their water problem. Limiting tourism isn’t a quick fix either, since the country’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism. On the bright side, these challenges have made Malta a pioneer in water recycling and conservation, even if their problems are far from being solved. In the future, the rest of the world might very well be in need of Maltese advice when it comes to water.
[Image description: A photo of the Maltese countryside with some fields, white buildings, and part of a stone wall visible.] Credit & copyright: Syced, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. -
7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: The U.S. has warned India of an "unspecified penalty" for buying Russian oil and weapons, which Deputy White House Chief of Staff...
From the BBC World Service: The U.S. has warned India of an "unspecified penalty" for buying Russian oil and weapons, which Deputy White House Chief of Staff...
August 9, 2025
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
President Trump fired the top Bureau of Labor Statistics official on Friday, after the agency issued a weak jobs report. The report also revised earlier esti...
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FREESports Sporty CurioFree1 CQ
What’s better than fun in the sun? For millions of baseball fans, the answer is the thrill of a night game. On this day in 1946, all Major League Baseball games were played at night for the first time. Just 11 years earlier, it would have been almost unthinkable. The first night game in MLB history was played on May 24, 1935 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, and that alone was a major undertaking. Since baseball was invented in the mid-1800s, almost all games were played during the day as a matter of necessity. Electric lights were still decades away and baseball games were too big for indoor venues of the day. Even after the invention of the incandescent light bulb, night games were a rare novelty. One night game took place in 1880 between two department store teams as a promotion, and a few minor league games were held at night here and there. Eventually, minor league teams embraced night games, but major league teams were slow to adapt to electric lights. In the end, the demand for night games and the additional revenue from them won out in the end, especially as the Great Depression put economic pressure on the league. Fans loved night games anyway, and soon, most games were played in the evenings. It was a home run idea all along.
What’s better than fun in the sun? For millions of baseball fans, the answer is the thrill of a night game. On this day in 1946, all Major League Baseball games were played at night for the first time. Just 11 years earlier, it would have been almost unthinkable. The first night game in MLB history was played on May 24, 1935 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, and that alone was a major undertaking. Since baseball was invented in the mid-1800s, almost all games were played during the day as a matter of necessity. Electric lights were still decades away and baseball games were too big for indoor venues of the day. Even after the invention of the incandescent light bulb, night games were a rare novelty. One night game took place in 1880 between two department store teams as a promotion, and a few minor league games were held at night here and there. Eventually, minor league teams embraced night games, but major league teams were slow to adapt to electric lights. In the end, the demand for night games and the additional revenue from them won out in the end, especially as the Great Depression put economic pressure on the league. Fans loved night games anyway, and soon, most games were played in the evenings. It was a home run idea all along.
August 8, 2025
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FREECooking Daily CurioFree1 CQ
This dessert may be cobbled together…but that’s sort of the point! As summer begins to wind down, there’s no better time to explore the origins of one of the most undeniably summery desserts: peach cobbler. This gooey treat has been around for a surprisingly long time and, while it has some roots in Europe, its strongest historical ties are to Black communities in the American South.
Peach cobbler is a dessert made from peaches baked with sugar and topped with a crumbly, biscuit-like batter. Today, it’s often served alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Cobber gets its name from its cobbled-together appearance, but its invention was very deliberate. It was first made in the American colonies, but was based on recipes for British suet puddings. These steamed British desserts combined fruit and a dough made with a type of animal fat called suet in place of butter. Early colonists had access to different ingredients and cooking equipment, and adjusted their pudding recipes accordingly. The result was a dessert that was baked rather than steamed and was topped with biscuit batter made from flour, salt, butter, and milk. These early American cobblers mostly using berries and wild fruit.
Peach trees, first introduced to the U.S. by the Spanish, who procured them from their native Asia, thrived in the southern U.S. due to its warm weather. There, enslaved people made all sorts of desserts utilizing peaches, including peach cobblers. Using proper ovens (unlike the hearths and hot coals used by European settlers) they created deep, gooey cobblers in baking pans. After slavery ended in the U.S., Black Americans kept and built upon their recipes, making peach cobbler a staple dish in Black communities. One of the earliest written cobbler recipes was published by Abby Fisher, a formerly enslaved woman who went on to have a thriving career as a pickle manufacturer and cookbook author. The recipe appears in her 1881 cookbook, What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking. Today, peach cobbler is still a staple across the southern U.S. and can be found in plenty of other states too, especially in the Midwest. You just can’t keep something this delicious confined to one region.
[Image description: A peach that has been cut in half, surrounded by whole peaches.] Credit & copyright: Photo by Jack Dykinga, USDA Agricultural Research Service. ID K6084-1. Public Domain.This dessert may be cobbled together…but that’s sort of the point! As summer begins to wind down, there’s no better time to explore the origins of one of the most undeniably summery desserts: peach cobbler. This gooey treat has been around for a surprisingly long time and, while it has some roots in Europe, its strongest historical ties are to Black communities in the American South.
Peach cobbler is a dessert made from peaches baked with sugar and topped with a crumbly, biscuit-like batter. Today, it’s often served alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Cobber gets its name from its cobbled-together appearance, but its invention was very deliberate. It was first made in the American colonies, but was based on recipes for British suet puddings. These steamed British desserts combined fruit and a dough made with a type of animal fat called suet in place of butter. Early colonists had access to different ingredients and cooking equipment, and adjusted their pudding recipes accordingly. The result was a dessert that was baked rather than steamed and was topped with biscuit batter made from flour, salt, butter, and milk. These early American cobblers mostly using berries and wild fruit.
Peach trees, first introduced to the U.S. by the Spanish, who procured them from their native Asia, thrived in the southern U.S. due to its warm weather. There, enslaved people made all sorts of desserts utilizing peaches, including peach cobblers. Using proper ovens (unlike the hearths and hot coals used by European settlers) they created deep, gooey cobblers in baking pans. After slavery ended in the U.S., Black Americans kept and built upon their recipes, making peach cobbler a staple dish in Black communities. One of the earliest written cobbler recipes was published by Abby Fisher, a formerly enslaved woman who went on to have a thriving career as a pickle manufacturer and cookbook author. The recipe appears in her 1881 cookbook, What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking. Today, peach cobbler is still a staple across the southern U.S. and can be found in plenty of other states too, especially in the Midwest. You just can’t keep something this delicious confined to one region.
[Image description: A peach that has been cut in half, surrounded by whole peaches.] Credit & copyright: Photo by Jack Dykinga, USDA Agricultural Research Service. ID K6084-1. Public Domain.
