King Tut’s Tomb Restored

From cleaning dust and mold to establishing protections against tourist trampling, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and the Getty Conservation Institute have completed a 10-year restoration of King Tut’s tomb. Attracting as many as 4,000 visitors per day (even while the restoration was underway), the tomb is one of Egypt’s most popular and significant monuments. Read more about the efforts at History.com.

China’s Spectacular Molten Metal “Fireworks”

A 500-year-old Lunar New Year ritual in Nuanquan, China (a short span, considering the nation has celebrated the holiday for 3,800 years), Da Shuhua involves Chinese blacksmiths tossing molten iron at an icy door to create a riveting shower of sparks. The name translates to “beating down the tree flowers,” which refers to an agricultural practice that stimulates growth in fruit-bearing plants. It was developed as a …

Sweden’s Affinity for Erotic Audio Books

Some 37% of the Swedish population listened to at least one audio book last year. “‘Feel good’ novels and eroticism” are driving the explosive growth in this category, Anna Riklund (the head of content curation at audiobook streaming service Bookbeat) explained to Swedish broadcaster SVT. In turn, several publishers in the country have launched imprints dedicated solely to new erotic content. Because of the privacy the …