Cabinet of Delights

Sign in Subscribe

CoD

Compare Country Sizes with One Drag-and-drop Map

True Size is a site that allows you to quickly see what a country's size is relative to another by placing one over the other. When you drag them to another point on the map, the countries grow or shrink in response to the 2D limitations represented through

The Olive Tree That's Witnessed 4,000 Years of History

The Olive Tree of Vouvres is a bent and gnarled beauty still producing fruit after an estimated 4,000 years of life. Found on the Greek island of Crete, it serves as an older sister to (still admittedly old) younger trees of 2,000 and 3,000 years. This tree

Rome's Underground Mysteries

Rome, an ancient city built up over the centuries, continues to harbor secrets. Some of those secrets are revealed to individuals who are willing to descend beneath its surface to explore its cultural layers. Visitors to these sites will find ancient dwellings, tunnels for aqueducts, catacombs, and even Mussolini'

Realistic Glass Flower Creations

The delicate Blaschka glass flowers were painstakingly made by a father and son duo at the end of the 19th and first half of the 20th century. Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka modeled hundreds of species of plants, capturing them in astoundingly lifelike color, shape, and form. Most people who see

European Cycling Route Links 8 Countries

If you love cycling, scenery, and the sea, the Trans Dinarica route might be calling you. It links Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia as well as Slovenia, and it takes you through national parkland, forests, and villages and in some parts, follows the Adriatic coast.

Dancing Alleviates Symptoms of Depression

In an Australian study that looked at which exercises are most effective against depression, dancing came out at the top. "Dancing stood at the top of the data charts in terms of the largest reductions in depression symptoms, while exercises like walking or jogging, yoga, and aerobic exercise with

Wildflowers in Cities Bring Nature in

Butterflies and other insects do not differentiate much between patches of wildflowers in, say, a meadow and one in a public square. These wild patches attract both pollinators – helping keep their populations healthy – and city residents who welcome nature in the midst of their urban environment. Patches of wildflowers in

Time Travel with Allmaps Here

Allmaps Here takes historic maps and allows you to see where you are on them in the present day. Discover past landmarks or their vestiges or contribute to the project yourself. Using GPS in the year 1565 – verbeeldSkip to content

Social Contacts Share Microbiomes

Friends – and even friends of those friends – help shape your microbiome, which shows another way that being social affects our health. While the linked article points out some drawbacks, it ultimately reminds us that having healthy social connections – and sharing others' microbiomes – has plenty of benefits, too. Your friends

The Power of Original Art on the Brain

Have you ever found yourself in an art museum, unable to wrench yourself away from a particular work? Interestingly, original art has a strong emotional effect on the brain (much more so than reproductions). Artwork acts on a part of the brain "associated with self-reflection." Of the artworks