A 390-Year-Old Bonsai Tree that Survived an Atomic Bomb

Washington DC’s National Arboretum will honor its oldest artifact this week: a 390-year-old bonsai tree from Japan. But perhaps more impressive than its age is the tree’s history—which was fortuitously revealed in 2001. The miniature white pine is actually a survivor of the 9,700-pound atomic bomb that hit Hiroshima and was quietly donated to the museum in 1976 by bonsai master Masaru Yamaki. “I find …

Rare Images of Nirvana’s First Show

Three rare photos have been discovered depicting legendary rock band Nirvana playing their very first show in March of 1987. The grainy images belong to Tony Poukkula—a friend of Kurt Cobain’s who hosted the young band’s first gig—and were discovered by his 19-year-old daughter Maggie, which she then shared to Twitter. “I didn’t realize they were such a historical thing,” she tells Rolling Stone. “I …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

The history of the leap-second, DIY skateparks, wasabi-making caterpillars and more in this week's look at the web

1. The History of The Leap Second If Tuesday felt like it went by slower than usual, that’s because it did. A leap second was added to Tuesday’s time in order to keep the Earth’s rotation in sync with the atomic clock. As NASA explains it, scientists once analyzed radio waves sent from far off quasars to determine that our planet’s rotation is gradually slowing …