The Meteoric Rise and Fall of Funan: Southeast Asia’s First Super Power Kingdom

The Funan Empire is often referred to as the first major Southeast Asian civilization. There is archaeological evidence to suggest that this civilization spread across Cambodia to Vietnam, all the way to Thailand, and probably Malaysia. FactsandDetails.com states: “Even the Chinese, who considered most everyone around them to be Barbarians, marveled over Funan’s treasures of gems and ...

Max Lu

Remains of the Funan empire.

Learning About Compassion and Charity From World Cultures

The development of a civilization can be ascertained by how well it treats its fellow beings. A dog-eat-dog world can make people hate and fear others. It is ideals like compassion and charity that teach us that taking care of the less fortunate is as important as focusing on one’s own survival and pleasure. The ...

Raven Montmorency

Greek Parthenon temple.

Who Can Avoid a Deadly Plague?

Ancient China was called the “Land of the Divine.” The Chinese had a saying: “There are deities a yard (three feet) above your head,” which meant there were many of them close to humans. Everything in this world is controlled and arranged by divine beings. In the face of the CCP virus, how is it ...

Helen London

A sign with the word 'Pandemic.'

A Different Perspective of the CCP Virus Outbreak

Though we might tend to think so, a global pandemic is not something we as a species have not encountered many times before. Throughout the course of history, the world has faced the wrath of highly infectious diseases and almost entire civilizations have been wiped out. The reason the current CCP virus situation seems to ...

Armin Auctor

A world map.

NASA Planning to Manufacture Oxygen on Mars

Sometime in 2020, NASA will launch a mission to Mars that is scheduled to land the Perseverance rover on the red planet by the following year. The mission is aimed at exploring the ancient environment of Mars and researching its geological processes as well as determining its past habitability. The rover will be carrying NASA’s ...

Armin Auctor

Mars sunrise.

Saffron: The Amazing and Mysterious Spice

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world, with high-quality varieties selling for up to US$1,000 per pound. It is usually grown in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and India, and has been used extensively in Persian and Indian cuisine for centuries. In ancient Greece, this spice was seen as a useful medicine. ...

Raven Montmorency

A plate of saffron.

What’s in a Bowl? Traditional Soups and Healing Broths

What’s warmer, more comforting, and strengthening than a generous bowl of one of the traditional soups or chicken/beef or vegetable broth? Not much comes close to it really! What’s more, there are so many varieties of good and nutritious soup broths out there. An ancient Chinese proverb states that a good doctor uses food first, ...

Emma Lu

Soup ingredients.

A Japanese Ad Shows What Is Possible When Music Meets Science

Back in 2011, Japanese telecom company Docomo wanted a creative advert to introduce their new Touch Wood phones. They contracted creative director Morihiro Harano who decided to showcase a Bach music composition played through a long, custom-made xylophone by using one of the four fundamental forces of nature — gravity. The musical ad The ad ...

Jessica Kneipp

A xylophone-based ad.

Praying to God at Easter

On the Friday afternoon of April 10, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that on Easter Sunday, there would be millions of Christians celebrating Easter and the resurrection of Christ by praying: “At this sacred moment, let us pray to God to help heal infected patients, soothe people’s broken hearts, and bless heroes who fight against ...

Raven Montmorency

Sunrise over a marsh.

Kyoto: A Cultural Expedition

Strolling through the historical city of Kyoto, which features a concentration of the Sui and Tang dynasties, you will feel at one with the ancient souls who once inhabited this great land. When you listen to the ancient stories, you will understand the cultural significance of this heritage emanating from the unbroken imperial lineage of ...

Raven Montmorency

A building in Kyoto.