How solar superstorms could cut internet access

Although the probability of it happening is relatively low, the risk of a solar superstorm could threaten all or part of the world’s internet connections, by jamming major undersea telecommunications cables. Note that this is also the theme of this yea…

Traditional UK sweet factory enjoys global sugar rush

Edward Gray sweet factory in central England evokes a bygone age where brass cauldrons steam with molten sugar and workers wrestle with huge chunks of gooey treacle, but its handmade produce now enjoys a global demand. The company — also known as “Ted…

In food world, debate rages about recipe plagiarism

Pastry chef Nick Malgieri was scrolling through a food blog when he came upon a recipe for panettone, a puffy sweet bread that the author said conjured up fond memories of Christmases spent with his Italian grandmother. But it quickly became clear that…

India’s Chettinad mansions a testament to past glory

Thousands of mansions in a remote corner of India once housed some of the nation’s wealthiest bankers and traders but a century later most of them lie abandoned, their desolate remains a mute testament to lost riches. The tycoons of Chettinad, near the…

After Dry January, why not try a sober vacation?

Dry January is over! But if you’ve enjoyed the experience of a life without alcohol, why not extend the concept to your next vacation? Distancing yourself from the intoxicating substance, even when it’s time to jet off for some downtime, could become s…