Nevada Petroglyphs Are Oldest In North America

by Libby Zay on

It’s been a big week for scientific discoveries in the Americas. Not only have researchers found the first carnivore species to be discovered in the Western Hemisphere in the past 35 years (bonus: it looks like a teddy bear), but news of the unearthing of the oldest recorded petroglyphs in North America has also surfaced.

Don’t know what a petroglyph is? It’s a prehistoric drawing akin to Egyptian hieroglyphs, except etched into rock. The ones found on a reservation near Pyramid Lake in Nevada date back at least 10,000 years, and depict geometric designs and patterns.

“We initially thought people 12,000 or 10,000 years ago were primitive, but their artistic expressions and technological expertise associated with these paints a much different picture,” said Eugene Hattori, the curator of anthropology at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City

Since the petroglyphs were found on tribal lands, it’s unclear whether or not travelers will be able to see them with their own eyes any time soon. For now, check out these places where you can see Native American rock art in the United States.

WWE Star Comes Out At Airport Baggage Claim (VIDEO)

by Libby Zay on

When a TMZ reporter ambushed professional wrestler Darren Young while he was getting his bags at Los Angeles International Airport earlier today, the 33-year-old ended up casually telling the broadcaster that he’s gay.

The reporter asked Young if he thought a gay wrestler would be successful within the World Wrestling Entertainment organization, so Young gave it to him straight:

“Absolutely, absolutely! Look at me. I’m a WWE Superstar, and to be honest with you, I’m gay. And I’m happy, very happy.”

The stunned cameraman told Young he was “flabbergasted” and had no idea the star was gay. After some prodding, Young continued:

“I guess if you want to call it coming out. I really don’t know what to say it is. But you know, I’m just letting you know that I’m happy [with] who I am. I’m comfortable with myself, and I’m happy to be living the dream.

After a few more questions, Young rolled out of the airport with his luggage, becoming the first openly gay male wrestler to come out while actively participating in the sport.

Amusement Parks Are Making Long Lines More Amusing

by Libby Zay on

Let’s face it: amusement park lines aren’t going anywhere. Attendance at parks is on the up and up in recent years, forcing some parks to create diversions that make waiting more fun. Disney World is leading the charge, with games, interactive displays and other distractions to entertain people waiting in long queues. At the famous Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride, an air-conditioned play area under a big-top tent (pictured) keeps the kids entertained while parents wait for a pager to buzz and let them know their time to ride has arrived.

But Disney World isn’t the only amusement park hopping on the trend. Many parks now have video entertainment that visitors can watch as they snake through lines. For example, at all 16 Six Flags parks, visitors can use their cellphones as game controllers to play games on television screens. And across the country, it’s becoming less common to wait under the blaring sun; many parks now have tents over their lines, or at the very least supply fans that spray water on visitors.

Across the travelsphere, entertainment is in high demand. Some flights even have live stand-up comedy and music on board to amuse passengers. It just goes to show that in a world where we’re used to having entertainment at our fingertips, our attention span is becoming shorter and shorter.

Why Do We Give Countries Different Names?

by Meg Nesterov on

You booked a trip to Germany, so why does your passport stamp say Deutschland? Your name didn’t change from John to Johann, so why should the country’s name change? If you’ve ever wondered why countries go by different names in different languages, you can check out the Endonym map, that displays each country by their own name. Endonyms are a country’s name within its own borders (see: United States of America, Detschland, Estados Unidos Mexicanos), while exonyms are what it’s known by in other languages (a.k.a. Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika, Germany, Mexico). Many of them are similar-sounding cognates that are easier to say or spell in our native language (Brazil/Brasil or Italy/Italia), or some are descriptive and sometimes derogatory names for a place (see this literal Chinese translated map of Europe, like Italy/Meaning Big Profit).

Can you figure out some of the more difficult English exonyms with a hint?Elláda: You might recognize this name better from its ancient pronunciation: Hellas, named for a famously beautiful resident.

Hrvatska: Such a combination of consonants might be familiar from one of their famous islands: Hvar.

Miṣr: You’ll read this name now in Arabic, not hieroglyphics.

Suomi: The more commonly known name for this country was found on rune stones in nearby Sweden.

Zhōngguó: Our name derives from Persian and Sanskrit, and now also describes a certain kind of porcelain dishes.

*Answers: Greece, Croatia, Egypt, Finland, China

40 Crazy Facts About the World, in Maps

by Meg Nesterov on

If you love maps and data, you should click on over to TwistedSifter.com, which has rounded up 40 maps to give you perspective on the world. See the global distribution of McDonald’s and the rainbow of Antarctica’s time zones. You can marvel at America’s rivers and many researchers, share the love of coffee and beer and sigh at our resistance to the metric system and paid maternity leave. One of the more surprising maps shows the busiest air travel routes of 2012, with the busiest flight path between Seoul and the island of Jeju, the “Hawaii of Korea.” There are no U.S. or European cities on the list, but if you’ve seen enough maps, you’ll have enough perspective to see we’re just a small part of this big globe.

See all 40 maps here>>