Will Europe Really Unite?

IF YOU find it hard to believe that Europe is serious about unification, you need only cross a few of its internal borders. People now move freely within the European Union (EU). Waiting time at border crossings has virtually disappeared. Travelers, of course, are delighted—but they are not the only...

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La Bambouseraie—A Dream Come True

ALMOST 150 years ago in the south of France, Eugène Mazel, an importer of Asian spices, set out to make what would become the largest bamboo nursery in the world, containing nearly 200 varieties of this fast-growing, versatile grass. Until 1855, Mazel’s ambition was blocked by a major obstacle: Bamboo...

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Help for Victims of Torture

“IT IS EASIER TO HEAL BROKEN BONES THAN TO HEAL A BROKEN SOUL.”—Dr. Inge Genefke. A YOUNG man strolls down a peaceful street in a European city and pauses to look at some merchandise displayed in a shop window. Suddenly, his hands tremble. His knees shake. He clutches his neck as if he were...

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The Compound Heat Sheild of the saharan Silver Ant

       THE Saharan silver ant (Cataglyphis bombycina) is one of the most heat-tolerant land animals known. When the midday Saharan sun forces the ant's predators to seek shade, the ant makes brief forays from its burrow in search of food, which consists of other insects killed...

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