“Goose", the largest wooden airplane ever built. This massive flying boat, also known as the Hughes Flying Boat or H-4 Hercules, was designed by Howard Hughes during World War II to transport troops and supplies across the Atlantic. Despite its name, the Spruce Goose is primarily constructed from birch wood, using a process called Duramold. The plane famously made only one flight in 1947, lasting for just 30 seconds, but this single flight solidified its place in aviation history. The museum provides information on the plane's history, including its design, construction, and its journey to its current location in Oregon. Visitors can learn about the Spruce Goose's significance as a testament to engineering ingenuity and its impact on the development of aviation.

This text is an introduction to and a complete transliteration and translation of the Babylonian creation myth, Enuma elish. The text was written in 1902 by Leonard William King, who was a scholar of Babylonian and Assyrian literature. He notes that the myth was discovered in fragments and the full text was reassembled by scholars like George Smith, Oppert, Schrader, and Sayce. He explains that the myth recounts the creation of the gods from chaos, the defeat of the forces of disorder by the god Marduk, and the creation of the world and mankind. King discusses the origin of the myth, its possible Sumerian roots, its composite character, and its connection to the Hebrew account of creation in Genesis. The bulk of the text consists of the transliteration and translation of the seven tablets, which detail the creation myth, including the birth of the gods, the rebellion of the sea goddess Tiamat, Marduk's victory over her, and the creation of the world and man.

The provided text, from the website Dayofthedead.holiday, is a comprehensive guide to the Mexican holiday Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The text traces the history of the celebration, highlighting its origins in ancient Aztec traditions and its blending with Catholic influences. It further explores the significance of various symbols and traditions associated with Día de Muertos, including altars, marigolds, sugar skulls, and La Catrina. The guide also details customary foods and emphasizes the holiday's strong family and community ties.

The provided sources examine the powerful asset management company BlackRock, Inc. The Wikipedia article details the company's history, finances, key people, and services, highlighting BlackRock's role as the world's largest asset manager. The YouTube video from the channel "More Perfect Union" delves into the controversies surrounding BlackRock, exploring its vast influence on the global economy and its role in universal ownership of publicly traded companies. The video analyzes the impact of BlackRock's investment practices on worker pay, consumer prices, and competition within various industries, and concludes by raising concerns about the company's outsized power and the need for greater regulatory oversight in the asset management industry.

The provided texts offer a comprehensive overview of Joby Aviation, a company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for use as air taxis. The first text, from Wikipedia, details the company's history, development, financing, and planned air taxi service. It highlights Joby's partnership with Toyota, its acquisition of Uber's Elevate division, and its successful transition to a public company. The second text, from The Motley Fool, examines Joby's stock performance, discusses the company's business model and its competitors, and analyzes the future prospects of Joby Aviation's stock.

The provided text from the YouTube video "The Invisible Barrier Keeping Two Worlds Apart" on the PBS Eons channel explains the Wallace Line, a biogeographic boundary that separates the animal life of the Malay Archipelago. The line is a result of plate tectonics and the collision of two ancient continents, Sunda and Sahul. While the continents are close now, they were once separated by deep waters and strong currents, which prevented the exchange of species between them. This has resulted in a distinct contrast in the animal life on either side of the line, with Asian species found to the west and Australian species found to the east. The line is an example of how ancient geological events can continue to shape the diversity and distribution of life today.

Summary

A study published in Nature has uncovered a previously unknown wave of migration to the Americas thousands of years ago. Researchers discovered a genetic connection between indigenous people in the Amazon and Australasia, suggesting a distinct ancestral group, dubbed "Population Y," that contributed to the genetic makeup of some Amazonian populations. This discovery challenges the prevailing model of a single founding population for Native Americans and highlights the complexity and diversity of early human migrations in the Americas.

The sources explore the possible origins of the berserker trance, a state of blind rage experienced by legendary Viking warriors. While the traditional hypothesis points to the hallucinogenic mushroom Amanita muscaria as the cause, ethnobotanist Karsten Fatur argues that the plant henbane, Hyoscyamus niger, is a more likely culprit. Fatur cites the similarities between the known effects of henbane and the described characteristics of berserkergang, such as aggressive rage, pain insensitivity, and altered perception. He also emphasizes the prevalence of henbane in Scandinavia during the Viking era and the lack of evidence for the widespread use of Amanita muscaria in the region. However, Fatur acknowledges that this is speculative, and further research is needed to confirm or refute his hypothesis.

This podcast details a dispute between Benny Johnson, a conservative commentator, and the New York Times. Johnson accuses the publication of preparing a hit piece against him and other conservative voices in the lead-up to the 2024 election. He claims the New York Times is using a leftist group called Media Matters, which has a history of fabricating news stories, to spread false accusations against him and other conservative media personalities. Johnson contends that the New York Times is attacking him for speaking the truth about issues like the open border, the 2020 election, and the Democrat party's nomination process. He vows to fight back legally and suggests that the New York Times will regret attacking him and his supporters.

Luzon Indians, the ancestors of modern-day Filipinos, were a diverse group with a developed culture and society long before Spanish colonization. The sources offer limited details about their lives before colonization, but we know they inhabited specific regions of Luzon and were part of a larger group of "civilized Malayan peoples." They practiced agriculture, fishing, and trade and had contact with Hindu and Chinese cultures, suggesting a dynamic and interconnected society. While there is no evidence of Luzon Indians traveling to the Americas before Spanish colonization, their involvement in the Manila galleon trade, established after the Spanish founded Manila in 1571, brought them to the shores of America. Serving as skilled sailors, they played various crucial roles on these ships, potentially navigating, sailing, maintaining the vessels, and even guarding them. A key event in their history in America is the documented landing of at least eight "Yndios Luzones" at Morro Bay, California in 1587, part of Pedro De Unamuno's voyage from Manila to Acapulco. This landing highlights their early presence on the California coast, even if as part of the Spanish colonial system. Later, in 1763, a group of Filipinos established a settlement in St. Malo, Louisiana, demonstrating their desire for a new life free from Spanish control. While the sources offer limited information on Filipinos in Mexico, their presence is highly likely given Acapulco's role as the main destination for the Manila galleons. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Filipinos continued to arrive in the Americas, working as sailors, adventurers, and domestics, with some migrating to the West Coast, Hawaii, and Alaska. This complex history showcases the Luzon Indians' adaptation and resilience, transforming from pre-colonial islanders to integral participants in the transpacific voyages and settlements that shaped the early history of the Americas.