A list of curious facts
One: Sure, we’ve all heard of growing veggies in space. But how about an underwater farm that grows herbs, tomatoes and flowers? That’s what researchers have achieved off the coast of the Italian Riviera. Nemo’s Garden is the world’s first and only underwater greenhouse. It consists of six “biospheres”—air-filled plastic domes anchored to the sea bed—around 15-36 feet below sea level. So how do we ‘grow’ anything in salt water?
Sunlight warms the air in the biospheres, causing the saltwater below to evaporate and condense as freshwater on the domes’ plastic interiors. That water then drips onto the plants in the underwater garden, most of which are grown hydroponically.
Interesting Engineering explains why this experiment is important to the future of space travel—and a planet facing potentially catastrophic climate change. Or watch this far more accessible video guide below. Also: As you can see from the lead image, these ‘farms’ look way cooler than any Hollywood sci-fi flick:)
Two: Here’s an amusing bit of trivia about one of Jesus’ most devoted followers, Mary Magdalene. Legend has it that she went into the desert soon after Jesus' ascension to heaven—and lived the life of an ascetic. Her clothes fell apart over time, but her naked body (read: feminine virtue) was protected by an accompanying growth of… body hair! Hence, the many 15th/16th century paintings that depict an alarmingly hirsute Mary—fully covered except (oddly enough) for her boobs lol! The Vagina Museum has more images in this entertaining Twitter thread.
Three: Speaking of mostly naked bodies, they are a big part of Finland’s foreign policy arsenal. Various Finnish embassies around the world have a “diplomatic sauna society”—where vital contacts are invited to strip down and work up a sweat in the name of world peace and understanding. As one Finnish diplomat explains:
It creates a good ambience for having frank discussions. The fact that you're not fully dressed helps because everyone is equal, it's easier to forget your roles and titles. So you can actually go to the bottom of things.
Sadly, no flesh-and-blood bottoms are to be seen since a towel/swimsuit is mandatory. No, we don’t have any photos for this one lol! (BBC News)
