The Fluorescent Rocks of Sterling Hill Mining Museum

The Sterling Hill Mining Museum in New Jersey, United States, is known for its variety of immersive and educational exhibits, but is best known for its massive collection of fluorescent minerals.

The Catacombs of Odessa

Underneath the city of Odessa, in Ukraine, is an extensive network of tunnels believed to be the largest catacomb system in the world. Largely unmapped and spread haphazardly under the city, the huge maze of underground passages extends for over 2,500 kilometers. If it were laid out in a straight line the tunnels would reach all the way to Paris.

33 Life Lessons From Eleanor Roosevelt

“The important thing is neither your nationality nor the religion you professed, but how your faith translated itself in your life.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Here are some of Eleanor Roosevelt’s most inspiring quotes compiled into 33 Life Lessons to Learn from Eleanor Roosevelt.

The Mystery of Synchronous Fireflies

In the first few weeks of June, visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee, United States, are treated to a rare natural spectacle thousands of fireflies blinking in unison like strings of Christmas lights hanging in the night air.

How to Suffer Less

Life is a journey, and has its ups and downs.

During that journey, we sometimes experience moments of joy, celebrating in laughter and happiness. There are also other moments — sad, gloomy moments in which we experience suffering and despair.

Almost every one of us prefers the first kind of moments over the second. We prefer light over darkness, happiness over suffering, joy over despair. And we desire them so much that we cling to them as hard as we can, not wanting to let go of them. But it is not in our control to possess them, and no matter how strongly we try to hold on to them, they will always leave us empty-handed, making us feel down and disappointed.

At the same degree that we like the first kind of moments, we dislike the second kind of moments. We try our best to flee from them when we sense them approaching, doing anything possible to avoid experiencing them again — but to no avail. The more our minds are fixated on them, the more we attract them, and the more afraid we are of them, the more we are impacted by them.

All moments, whether pleasant or unpleasant, are temporary, lasting only for a while, until they dissolve and disappear into nothingness. Therefore the less we are attached to or repelled by them, the less we are bound to suffer.