Austine Ochieng
Bio
Stories (15/0)
CLIMATE CHANGE
If one has spent any time discussing climate change on the internet, they may have come across comments that suggest that climate change is natural, citing the existence of Ice Ages and palm trees on Antarctica as evidence. However, it is important to recognize that each individual has their own unique level of education and experience, and misconceptions or failures of understanding are often the result of circumstances beyond their control. Therefore, it is important to approach these comments as a teaching moment, an opportunity to reduce ignorance and expand enlightenment.
By Austine Ochieng 9 months ago in Earth
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Kindly observe this baseball team, the Houston Astros, who have emerged as the 2022 World Series champions. The team comprises a significant number of players who are not from the United States, with thirteen of them hailing from Latin America, particularly the Dominican Republic, which boasts six players on the team. It is noteworthy that the Dominican Republic has produced a considerable number of players who feature in some of the best teams in Major League Baseball across the United States, making up over 10% of all players in the league, which is by far the highest number of foreign-born players. The question arises as to what makes baseball so special in the Dominican Republic and why so many of its players end up in the United States.
By Austine Ochieng 9 months ago in Cleats
SECRET ABOUT BEES
Year after year, there are reports highlighting potential doomsday scenarios for honeybees. A recent report from 2023 revealed that nearly half of all honeybee colonies in the United States had died the previous year. This is a significant concern as honeybees play a vital role in food production in the country. Consequently, they have become the face of a larger movement to save the bees. However, it is important to note that honeybees do not require saving. While efforts to protect them are commendable, our hyper-focus on this species neglects the thousands of other bee species that are at risk of extinction.
By Austine Ochieng 9 months ago in Chapters
How Qatar Became the World's Most OP Country
Currently, there are 62 countries around the world with populations of less than 3 million people. Due to their small size, these countries are generally limited in their power and influence to their immediate surroundings. Even within their own neighborhood, countries such as Armenia, Moldova, or The Gambia are usually minor players. However, Qatar is a fascinating exception to this rule. Despite being a small, dusty, and largely empty peninsula no larger than the state of Delaware, Qatar commands global prestige, power, and influence on the same scale as countries that are dozens of times larger than it.
By Austine Ochieng 9 months ago in Chapters
THE BIGGEST LIE ABOUT VEGANISM
The popularity of veganism has experienced a significant surge across the globe. While some individuals adopt this lifestyle out of sympathy for animals, an increasing number of people are switching to veganism due to environmental and health claims. However, the accuracy of these claims remains a topic of debate. For instance, it is unclear whether going vegan makes a noticeable difference on the planet, or if the impacts are exaggerated. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the potential health risks associated with a vegan diet, such as the lack of animal proteins and nutrients that may be detrimental to the body. While numerous claims have been made over the years, access to good quality studies has only recently become available.
By Austine Ochieng 9 months ago in Feast
HOW CRUISE SHIPS GOT SO BIG
In the realm of watercraft, there exist small and large boats, and then there are the truly massive vessels, such as the MSC Meraviglia. This cruise ship was constructed in Saint-Nazaire, France in 2017 and was christened by Sophia Loren. It is the largest cruise ship to have ever docked in New York City, boasting an impressive array of amenities, including a water park, rope course, spa, mall, arcade, bowling alley, casino, gym, two theaters, five pools, nine restaurants, 23 bars, and 19 floors, with enough space to accommodate 5,655 passengers and 1,536 crew members. Cruise ships are the largest passenger vessels ever built, capable of transporting an entire small town's worth of people in a single vehicle. However, their appearance differs greatly from the transatlantic ships of a century ago.
By Austine Ochieng 9 months ago in History
Fortress of the Knights Templar
During the Crusades, the warrior monks fought for God, gold, and glory. Somewhere in the modern city of Accra lies their command center and possibly their treasure. I am here to locate them. My name is Albert Glenn, and I use 21st-century technologies to look back into our past. With lasers that scan deserts, strip away dense jungle canopy, and scour the oceans, I uncover the hidden worlds beneath. I am venturing into uncharted waters to make discoveries in the most awe-inspiring places on Earth. Here we are in the 13th century, carved out of the earth, in what is the new golden age of exploration.
By Austine Ochieng 9 months ago in Earth
THE KALAHARI DESERT
The Kalahari Desert is the largest expanse of sand on the planet. At its center lies a remarkable wonder, the Okavango Delta. Each year, during the driest season, distant rainfall fills the veins of the delta once again, transforming the land into a wildlife paradise like none on Earth. The great flood is the heartbeat of this land, rejuvenating the barren sands and bringing the promise of renewal. The dry season is a time of struggle for the animals, with flocks of hungry quillia scouring the floodplains for food. The cheetah, with its speed and agility, is the ideal hunter in this environment. However, even the cheetah's cubs are dependent on their mother for food. The leopard, on the other hand, is the most cunning of cats, waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity to strike. The flood brings new life to the land, with billions of gallons of water transforming the vast savannah into a swamp. The elephant and hippopotamus are the architects of this new world, managing vegetation and directing the flow of water. The delicate balance of life in the swamp is maintained by creatures like the Lily Trotter, who must protect their floating nests from invaders like the elephant. The Okavango Delta is a remarkable wonder, a testament to the power of nature to transform even the harshest environments into a paradise.The first chick of the subject in question makes a somewhat awkward entrance. Housekeeping is of utmost importance to hide any evidence of the new young one. The subject removes the shell from the nest, breaks it up, and sinks it to ensure the safety of the first chick. It may take two more days before the others hatch.
By Austine Ochieng 9 months ago in Earth
Deadly Pacific Drain the Oceans
The Pacific Ocean harbors a tectonic monster deep below its surface, which poses a significant threat to the 500 million people living around its coast. The Ring of Fire, the planet's largest and most dangerous seismic zone, lies beneath the Pacific Ocean and is responsible for 90% of all earthquakes. The consequences of these earthquakes are devastating, as they generate huge surges of water, known as tsunamis. The latest underwater scanning technology has enabled scientists to reveal the secrets of the seafloor by emptying the oceans and turning accurate data into 3D images. The program, Drain the Oceans, explores the dangers hidden from view, including the world's biggest tsunami machine, and investigates whether the world's next mega-earthquake is brewing off the coast of Seattle. The discovery of an underwater volcano, just 44 miles from Tokyo, has seismic experts worried, and scientists caught up in an undersea earthquake learn about the dangers facing New Zealand. The program reveals the secrets of the deadly Pacific and the Cascadia subduction zone, which stretches 700 miles along the coastline of the Pacific Northwest and is home to 10 million people. The subduction zone generates not only earthquakes but also huge tsunamis, and evidence suggests that it has been inactive for centuries. However, scientists have discovered evidence of seismic devastation stretching back over thousands of years, and the last mega-quake occurred in January 1700, generating a tsunami that hit Japan, 4,500 miles away. The program uses the latest technology to visualize the titanic events of January 1700 and its deadly trail of destruction.Earthquake triggers a massive tsunami that floods the coast of Cascadia, including the red cedar forest and everything in its path. Although there is no written history of the 1700 earthquake and tsunami in Cascadia, native peoples of the region hold haunting memories of these terrible events. The First Nation peoples had oral histories about the great battle of Thunderbird and Whale that involved shaking of the ground and washing away of villages. The Great Thunderbird finally carried the Whale to its nest, causing shaking, jumping up, and trembling of the earth beneath and the rolling up of the great waters. Once these stories came to light, the Native Americans essentially said that they knew all about it and that the story had a moral, which was not to build villages too close to the beach.
By Austine Ochieng 9 months ago in Earth
How Baby Sharks Navigate the World
Sharks are formidable hunters that have evolved over 450 million years, making them the most feared creatures in our seas. Great whites have the power to leap 10 feet into the air, while Makos can reach speeds of over 45 miles per hour. However, in their first year of life, sharks are surprisingly vulnerable and are a target for predators, including other sharks. Around 80 percent of some shark species won't make it to adulthood, and adult sharks don't spend any time caring for their newborns. Baby sharks are just another item on their menu, which is why some pregnant sharks travel to shallow water to give birth where big predators cannot go.
By Austine Ochieng 9 months ago in Earth
The mysterious curse of the evil eye
An unexplained period of ill health, a persistent stroke of bad luck, a sharp decline in fortune, an unexpected job loss, an accident, sudden death, or any other calamity may be attributed to the curse of the "evil eye". This belief in the malevolent effects of the evil eye has persisted for centuries and transcends civilizations, tribes, cultures, religions, countries, and continents. The concept of the evil eye is mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman texts, rabbinic literature, and the sacred books of the Bible and the Koran. It was prevalent among early Mediterranean and Asian tribes, deeply embedded in ancient Egyptian culture, and well-known during the Roman Empire. Even today, the curse of the eye is feared in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as in the Americas and Europe. The evil eye is also a long-standing symbol in major religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism.
By Austine Ochieng 9 months ago in Earth