Culture & Traditions

Potatoes. Moles. Time capsules. Some things just belong underground and thrive in that dark, airless environment. Humans have long preferred topsoil to the subterranean, but some designers are looking to change that.

By Josh Clark

Before you board the crab boat for your first fishing gig, the captain tells you to ditch the suitcase and the banana. This is deadly work. Are you really going to argue with superstition?

By Debra Ronca

It might be called flavor tripping, but there are no drugs involved. People pop a berry known as miracle fruit and marvel as sweet becomes sour and savory becomes sweet. What is this magical berry? How does this "miracle" happen?

By Molly Edmonds

From exchanging rings to saving the top layer of the cake, weddings are full of quirky traditions. When it comes to the custom of carrying the bride over the threshold, it's less about chivalry than it is about chastity and spirit intrusion.

By Josh Clark

At the end of the day, do you like to unwind with a cold drink? Perhaps a bubble bath or a nice, long walk? If beating someone to a bloody pulp is more your style, you may be in luck: A real-life fight club could be just a Web search away.

By Josh Clark

Chinese parents on the hunt for creative baby names are turning to the Olympic Games for inspiration. Just don't try to name your new baby "@".

By Maria Trimarchi

Would you eat fried worms? While eating bugs is culturally taboo in the Western world, plenty of people around the globe enjoy a nutritious insect snack.

By Charles W. Bryant

With Mount Everest as a backdrop, Sherpas live and work at elevations that cause visitors altitude sickness. Learn more about the Sherpa culture and the respect they garner for their mountain mother.

By Cristen Conger

Hundreds of people are protesting down the street. The police arrive and find -- no one? The protesters are gone, but how did they know what to do?

By Josh Clark

Everything new is old again in the world of steampunk. Steampunk artists overhaul technology with a neo-Victorian style. But what makes the gadgets so expensive?

By Jonathan Strickland

In the 1960s, the Beatles joined Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in his Himalayan ashram. Their interest in meditation undoubtedly influenced their music. But are they responsible for introducing yoga to the West?

By Janel Chatraw

Totem poles are, quite literally, family trees. They're massive tree trunks carved with symbols to commemorate family history and special occasions.

By Alia Hoyt

Aboriginal People use stories called dreamings to keep a record of their history. But the recent history of the Aboriginal people is nothing like a dream.

By Ryan Johnson

How can a house made of snow keep you sheltered from the icy cold? Igloos seem like a great paradox, but they're actually quite practical. Who invented them and why?

By Alia Hoyt

A woman plays with her hair. A man makes eye contact. Is this flirting? How do you tell if the person is showing a romantic interest or a friendly one?

By Shanna Freeman

Try saying "toy boat" three times fast. By the time you're done, the words will be all distorted. It's a classic tongue twister, but is it your tongue or your brain that's really tangled up?

By Josh Clark

The Mayans created a sophisticated set of calendars to help them plant crops, plan religious ceremonies and keep their history. How did they do it?

By Ryan Johnson & Cristen Conger

It's dreary outside, and you remark on the beautiful weather. An incompetent co-worker is promoted, and you say she'll do a great job. It's not Opposite Day -- it's sarcasm.

By Shanna Freeman

The Dalai Lama is known for his compassion, wisdom and patience. But how does the 14th Dalai Lama govern his people in exile?

By Sarah Dowdey

From the smallest tribe to the largest nation, important decisions are based on questions like: How many of us are there? How are we divided? Where are we going? Do we have enough food and other resources to take care of us?

By Ed Grabianowski

The DAR is an organization for descendants of Revolutionary patriots. It promotes education, historic preservation and patriotism. How exclusive is it really?

By Alia Hoyt

Reincarnation is the concept that the soul, or some aspect of the soul, is reborn into new lives. Has Western science proven that it really occurs?

By Sarah Dowdey

The principle behind karma is that people's actions affect their present and future lives. Is karma an idea or an actual substance that sticks to the soul?

By Sarah Dowdey

Would you pull a switch that sends a man to his death to save five others on a runaway trolley? The trolley problem explores the concept of human morality and a philosophical view of consequentialism.

By Josh Clark

Tai chi chuan, usually referred to as tai chi, is the almost meditative exercise derived from the philosophic principles of Tai Chi. Learn about this living philosophy expressed in a series of graceful, complementary and deeply contemplated movements.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.