Greenland Says Visit. But Step Lightly and Speak Softly.
Standing at sunset on the boardwalk that rims the jagged western edge of Nuuk, the Greenlandic capital, I felt simultaneously dwarfed and expanded.
The glassy water of the fjord, the veins of granite that made the snow-capped mountains look like crinkle cookies, the clarity of the northern light: All these combined in their immensity to make me feel paltry, while their beauty sent my spirits soaring. But what struck me most was the profound silence that hung, weighty and dense, as if the universe had slipped a pair of noise-canceling headphones over my ears.
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Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
In a world without people, how fast would NYC fall apart? Here's the timeline.
Imagine the ceaseless cacophony of New York City suddenly stopped. No sirens wailed. No cars zoomed. No subways rumbled beneath sidewalks. All eight million New Yorkers disappeared overnight. Now, imagine what would happen next. If no one's around to sweep the sidewalks, weed Central Park, or turn the power grid on, nature would move in—and quick. Dandelions would spring up in asphalt cracks. Raccoons would move into abandoned apartments. Sidewalk trees would outgrow their planters. But just how swiftly would the city disappear beneath a curtain of green? We talked to architects and urban ecologists to map out a potential timeline. With no one to maintain the power grid, the Big Apple would go dark within a few days. The Milky Way would illuminate Midtown as light pollution disappears overnight. Without air conditioning and heat, 'you start getting weird temperatures inside the building. Mold starts to form on the walls,' says architect Jana Horvat of the University of Zagreb, who studies building decay. Some green energy projects in the city might stay lit for longer, such as the solar and wind-powered Ricoh Americas billboard in Times Square. Eventually, though, even the Ricoh billboard would go dark; not because the billboard would lose power, but because there would be no one to replace its LED lightbulbs. Without power, the pump rooms that clear out 13 million gallons of water daily from the subway would be useless, and the train tunnels would begin to flood. 'Probably this water would result in [the subway] being, you know, occupied by new species,' says Horvat. 'Some plants would start growing, some animals' would move in. Likely, species that already thrive in the subway—rats, cockroaches, pigeons, opossums—would be the first ones to take advantage of the human-free passages. Within the first month, the manicured lawns of Central and Prospect Park would grow wild and unkept. 'When you stop mowing a lawn, you get a meadow,' says botanist Peter Del Tredici, a senior research scientist emeritus at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, who wrote a book on urban plant life. Within a month, dandelions, ragweed, and yellow nutsedge would start popping up in the now knee-high grasses of New York's iconic parks. 'First, it's herbaceous plants, but then, you know, you get trees and shrubs and vines,' says Tredici. In a year without people, many of New York's buildings would start to deteriorate. 'The glass facades would be the first to go,' says Horvat. The single-pane glass on brownstones and family homes would be the most vulnerable, but in a decade, even the heat-strengthened glass on skyscrapers would start to wear down and crack. And once windows break, water gets in. 'Then you'll have plants start growing in there,' says Tredici. Apartments would transform into humid hothouses, the perfect habitat for mosquitoes, water snakes, fungus, and rushes. 'It's like a wetland on the second floor.' Without maintenance, the asphalt streets and parking lots in New York would quickly degrade. Freeze-thaw cycles would create cracks. 'Water settles in that crack, and then that's all the plants need,' says Tredici. First, mosses would grow. Within a decade, young trees may even sprout. The London planetree, the most common street tree in New York, is particularly known for its resilience and fast growth rate, and any of its offspring could quickly find a toehold in a deteriorating asphalt parking lot. Within a decade, the Statue of Liberty would also start to deteriorate. The statue's copper plating would start to split, allowing sea spray to break down its interior steel skeleton. Steel 'is a very durable material, but it is very prone to corroding if it comes in contact with damp conditions,' says Horvat: That's bad news for New York, a city made from steel. In the decades since humans abandoned New York, a 'novel ecosystem' would emerge, says Tredici. 'It's not going to look like anything that's ever existed anywhere in the world.' Tredici points to Detroit as a case study. Today, crabapple trees—tough ornamentals native to the Central Asian mountains—blanket Detroit. 'They actually will spread all over,' says Tredici, and after 50 years without humans, Central and Riverside Park's crabapple trees would grow among a young forest full of London planetrees, honeylocusts, pin oaks, and Norway maples (the last three being common New York street trees). Nightshade vines and poison ivy would creep up buildings, and mosses and resilient weeds would cover the higher reaches of exposed windy skyscrapers. Among the greenery, more and more animals would call Manhattan home. Deer, rabbits, groundhogs, and wild turkeys would move in. Larger predators—coyotes, bobcats, black bears, and copperhead snakes—would follow. Peregrine falcons, bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, and great horned owls would nest in hollowed-out buildings, while feral cats prowl the abandoned upper floors of apartment buildings, feasting on mice and birds. Despite their futuristic look, the city's newest spires, such as 10 Hudson Yards and 111 West 57th Street, would be the first to fall. These buildings rely on slender, reinforced steel skeletons encased in reinforced concrete. But when the power shuts off and water seeps in through these buildings' glass curtain walls, these high-rises would rot from the inside out. The Empire State Building and Chrysler Building would likely outlast their younger rivals. Built to support much more weight than necessary (a safety precaution in the early days of skyscrapers), these giants' steel frames are bolstered by thick masonry and interior walls. Ten Hudson Yards might last a century. The Empire State Building might last 50 years longer, but eventually even these historic titans would collapse. After a century, New York City would 'become a forest,' says Tredici. A canopy of mature trees over a 100-feet-tall would replace the city's skyscrapers. Soil would regenerate. Concrete, one of the world's 'strongest' construction materials, says Horvat, would dissolve. New York's carefully manicured river parks, such as the Hudson River and East River Park, would transform into wetlands teeming with eels, egrets, turtles, beavers, and muskrats. But even as skyscrapers fell and forests grew, parts of New York would 'survive for centuries in this ruinous state,' says Horvat. Cracked marble lions would stalk the forest floor. Soil and underbrush would obscure once-gleaming granite fountains. Rusted steel beams would jut out from dense root systems. Even without humans, pieces of New York would endure—a fragile legacy for the future to either uncover or forget. This story is part of Popular Science's Ask Us Anything series, where we answer your most outlandish, mind-burning questions, from the ordinary to the off-the-wall. Have something you've always wanted to know? Ask us.
Associated Press
19 hours ago
- Associated Press
Berliners are rediscovering their faith outdoors through local pilgrimages
BERLIN (RNS) — A dozen walkers, many of them retirees in wool hats and fleece jackets, gathered in a silent circle in the Grunewald forest, just outside Berlin. 'Walk silently through nature and notice what you observe,' read Stephen Lemke, an adviser for senior citizens for the evangelical church in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf borough of Berlin, on a Wednesday in March. He leads these 'silent pilgrimages' once a month for anyone interested in exploring the connection between religion, nature and self. The group bowed their heads. 'I hear the sound of the wind. I feel the sun on my skin. I enjoy the moment,' Lemke read. 'But at the same time, I realize that this moment cannot be captured.' After the meditation, they began an hourlong silent walk through the park. Around Berlin, Christian pilgrimage walks led by various organizations are open to locals and visitors nearly every week. They aim to offer a way for people of all ages to engage with their faith — and community — without stepping foot in a church. Some are guided by pastors with an interest in the outdoors, while others are self-guided with stops at churches or other sacred sites, like the Spandau pilgrimage . Some last an hour, while others are multiweek expeditions. ___ This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ___ Pilgrimages, which have gained popularity in the last couple decades across Europe, especially in southern Germany, provide a way for people in an aging and increasingly secular society to reconnect with their Christian faith. 'A lot of people won't go to church anymore, but they still are religious,' said Nicolas Budde, pilgrim pastor of the Kladow borough parish in Berlin. 'I think the church has to think about ways to talk with people about religion, and I think that pilgrimage is one way to do it.' In the 1500s, devout Catholics took long, arduous walks to visit sacred relics. Making the journey to a sacred destination such as Santiago de Compostela in Spain was an expression of Christian devotion, intended to prove one's worthiness before God and cleanse the soul of sin. But in 1520, Martin Luther, the German theologian and leader of the Protestant Reformation, criticized the practice. He argued pilgrimages had no basis in Scripture and were part of the greed and commercialism in the church that he detested. Luther believed God could be found anywhere and there was no need to visit a sacred site. Pilgrimages fell out of favor. 'In the Middle Ages, (pilgrimages were) more of an outside thing — you really wanted to know something from God, you wanted to praise him or you wanted to get forgiveness,' said Bettina Kammer, the public relations officer for the Protestant church in Berlin's Spandau borough. 'Nowadays, it's more personal — people have this feeling that they're looking for something, but they can't quite put a finger on it.' Pilgrimages have also gained popularity through movies such as ' I'm Off Then ,' a 2015 German film, and the 2010 film ' The Way,' starring Martin Sheen . Both are about the world's most famous pilgrimage, the Way of St. James, or Camino de Santiago. In 2020, the Berlin suburb of Spandau launched its own 75-kilometer loop inspired by the Camino de Santiago, connecting two dozen Protestant churches and two Catholic ones. Berliners and tourists can walk, bike or canoe along color-coded routes linking the churches. Pilgrims can collect stamps at each church they visit. A pilgrimage can spark a spiritual experience, Kammer said. 'People begin just by walking, and then they sit down in a church and say, 'Well, it's starting to move me. I feel something. It's really a religious experience,′' she said, adding that these experiences are often reflected in churches' guest books. Budde, who pastors along the Spandau pilgrimage route, said that while a hike is the external act of walking a trail, a pilgrimage is an internal journey: 'One walks with feet, but one makes a pilgrimage with one's heart.' Thomas N.H. Knoll, another pilgrimage leader in Berlin, founded and runs the information office at the St. Jacobi Pilgrimage Center. Visitors can stop by for pilgrimage passports, stamps and a travel blessing before setting out on a pilgrimage in Germany or abroad. These types of journeys can help people find the courage to move forward physically and emotionally, especially when one is facing a tough life situation like a loved one's death, an illness, a conflict or a job loss, he said. Knoll also touts being 'transformed by experiencing nonavailability'— or spending time without one's phone. This can lead to deeper connections with nature and, therefore, God, he said. 'Humans are part of nature,' Knoll said. 'When we had a closer connection with nature, the spiritual was also present in everyday life.' Pilgrimages can also offer a chance for new friendships, especially among seniors, who often experience isolation. 'It's helpful for the elderly to not only keep moving physically, but also to connect with others in a meaningful, spiritual way,' Lemke said. From a religious perspective, these walks can serve as 'new temporary forms of congregations.' Young people who want to stay connected to their religion but don't feel at home in a traditional church can also benefit. Two years ago, Alexander Steinfeldt founded Berlin Pilgrims, a group for young people interested in hiking and reflecting on philosophical and spiritual topics. A lifelong member of Germany's Protestant church, Steinfeldt started the group when he was feeling disconnected from both community and faith. 'A foundation was missing in my life,' he said. When starting the group, he 'rediscovered both hiking and religion.' The hikes start with a prayer and encourage spiritual reflections throughout. But, he said, 'You don't need to be very spiritual or religious to feel the changes in you when you enter the outdoors.' After the silent pilgrimage in Berlin's Grunewald, Lemke's group paused for reflection. One participant noted the subtle changes in the scenery that came with each passing day. Others agreed, speaking of the signs of spring — new buds on the leafless trees, bird song, a slightly warmer breeze. Someone else looked forward to a cup of coffee. By the end, the participants, some approaching 90 years old, had all met someone new or found a quiet moment of connection with God. Lemke closed with a prayer. 'Stand in the sun and feel its warmth. May the Lord be with you, like the ground that carries you,' he said. 'May the Lord be with you, like the air you breathe … like the bread that strengthens you … like the sun that makes your day warm and bright.' For some, these short prayers are a return to religion. 'Sometimes people come to me and say, 'Wow, that was my first prayer in 10 years,'' Lemke told RNS. 'So maybe it's a small way back.'
News24
a day ago
- News24
Your winter beauty guide: From skincare to makeup
Invest in skincare for dewy skin this winter. Statement lips and sultry eye makeup remain trendy. __________________________________________________ Now that we're moving into another season, it's important to gauge the trends and products to leave in the past and the ones you need to get or achieve this winter. Take with The invitation said skin! This is the season where investing in your skincare routine is pivotal. Dewy, healthy skin was the order of the day on catwalks across the world. Statement lips are still trending from those lined with an exaggerated dark liner to new bold lip shades like blue, you have options. Eyes mimicked the clothing of the season; sultry with lots of eds from grunge-inspired, black-lined lids to smokey charcoals. @truelovemagazine Pamela Mtanga shares her top winter skincare tip when it comes to dry feet. #pamelamtanga #winterskincaretips ♬ original sound - TRUELOVE Leave behind Bleached brows officially stay behind. Goodbye exaggerated five-head and alien-like features! However, endearing as it might seem, sticking jewellery on your face is not a thing anymore. Say no to embellishment. If you were ever able to achieve wet-look hair, here's a slow clap for you! We are relieved it's over. Scent alert Sparkling, astonishing, mystifying: for Chanel, Chance is never a matter of coincidence. It arises from a timely encounter, a purposeful meeting. It lands at the very heart of the chessboard of life, in splendid style, following the guiding fragrance trail of Gabrielle Chanel, who went so far as to say that chance was her soul. It can be taken audaciously, created courageously, in a loud and clear voice, and it can be seized with an opening gambit that aims high. Chance is a fragrance for those who, like Chanel, believe that Chance favours those who know how to seize it. READ MORE | Beauty Diaries | Linda Mtoba's guide to confidence and taking care of her skin It embodies a state of mind, a declaration of faith, and a roll of the dice that creates destiny in a game played over and again. Chance is always a winning factory encounter. Its dynamic, encapsulated energy circulates with audacity, spirit and a natural, revitalising burst of laughter. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ANGELA THANDO SITHOLE (@angelasithole) Kissable lips Huda fans will want to run to their nearest ARC store with its new drop. The Faux Filler Extra Shine Lip Gloss, R515, is so glossy that it's distracting. It smoothes and blurs fine lines. The true buzz is that it also gives a lip filler effect without the tingling sensation; just full looking, high-shine lips in one slick of the wrist. Packed with active ingredients like vitamin E and also infused with vegan, this one-of-a-kind formula contains plant-derived melted waxes that give the gloss a cushion-like texture and multi-dimensional shine. Sleek Sophistication From the mirror-like shine at Versace to the sculpted silhouettes at Saint Laurent, sleek hair dominated the Fall 2024 runways. The glass-like straight style is undoubtedly the easiest way to channel this trend, versatile enough to work on various hair lengths and textures. Creating the look is as simple as straightening with precision, with the key being a high-quality heat protectant and smoothing serum for that runway-worthy shine. If you're feeling more adventurous, try the wet look sleek style. Part your hair sharply and apply a styling gel from roots to mid-lengths for that just-stepped-out-of-the-shower effect. Slick behind the ears or create a low, tight bun for maximum impact. Don't stress about absolute perfection – what matters is the glossy finish. Finish with a lightweight holding spray to maintain the structure, and you're runway-ready! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Thando Thabethe (@thando_thabethe)
