In the 1945 World Series, the Chicago Cubs were playing the Detroit Tigers. After the Cubs won two of the first three games, a local bar owner named William Sianis bought two tickets for Game 4. One ticket was for him, and the other was for his pet goat named Murphy. However, while Sianis was waiting to enter the stadium with Murphy, he was told that animals were not allowed inside. When Sianis asked club owner P.K. Wrigley why Murphy couldn't attend the game, Wrigley replied, "Because the goat stinks." Growing angry, Sianis declared that the Cubs would never win the World Series. This became known as the Curse of the Billy Goat. The Tigers won the World Series that year, and the Cubs went 71 years without making it back to the World Series. Finally, in 2016, they beat the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series. The curse was broken!

Wind is considered a clean source of renewable energy because it doesn't pollute the air like coal and natural gas, which produce harmful byproducts and gas emissions. Another advantage is that wind power is cost-effective. The wind itself is free, so after setting up a turbine, there are low operational costs for wind power. And turbine prices have been dropping due to mass production and technology advancements. There are, however, some drawbacks. Local residents often complain that wind turbines are ugly and noisy. The turbines' spinning blades can also kill birds and bats. And the wind is variable: On days when there is little wind, no electricity can be generated. Nevertheless, the wind energy industry is growing rapidly. Global efforts to combat climate change, such as the Paris Agreement, are accelerating this growth. Experts predict that more than one third of the world's electricity will come from wind power by 2050.

Wool is one of the oldest materials used for making clothes, second only to animal skins. It is not known exactly when wool was first used by early humans, but it is believed to have been quite some time ago. Wool is made from the hair of animals, so whatever animals were found in a particular area were probably used. Sheep and goats are most commonly used to make wool today, but wool is sometimes made from camel hair in the desert and from llama hair in parts of South America. Every kind of wool is different, but it all has one thing in common — it protects people from changes in the outside temperature. Woolen clothes actually protect the body not only from the cold but also from the heat. This is why it is used all around the world.

Some of the world's most beautiful places are at risk of being ruined forever. Thailand's Maya Bay, for example, has been shut down to allow the area to recover from the environmental damage it has sustained. Before the shutdown, it had been overwhelmed with visitors, receiving up to 200 boats and 5,000 tourists a day. Due to the litter and pollution left behind, an estimated 80% of May Bay's coral has been destroyed. Boracay, a tiny island long considered an idyllic tourist destination, was also shut down, remaining closed for six months for repair and restoration. The area had been damaged by an overflow of waste and sewage from excessive tourism. Although Boracay has reopened, there are now strict restrictions on tourism. These examples show why tourism is considered a double-edge sword. It can help a region's economy, but it also brings crowds of tourists who may end up damaging the environment.

Air pollution has become a big problem in many urban areas. Trees are considered to be a deterrent to air pollution, so planting more trees within cities is commonly seen to be an effective solution. However, planting trees is not as efficient as most people think — trees require a large amount of land, and there is a limited amount of land available in most cities. This is why City Tree was developed. This innovation, which is capable of filtering out pollutants, is expected to relieve the problem of air pollution. Developed by a German firm, it uses a combination of mosses specially cultivated to thrive in urban environments. The mosses purify the air by capturing particles and absorbing them into their biomass. In order to help the mosses survive under difficult conditions, IoT technology is used to supply water and nutrients. According to City Tree's developers, it can reduce air pollutants in the surrounding area by up to 30%.

Serpentinite is a type of rock that is known for its unique appearance. Its name comes from the unusual pattern on its surface, which is said to resemble the skin of a serpent. Formed deep within Earth's mantle hundreds of millions of years ago, these rocks gradually found their way to the planet's surface. Serpentinite has a slippery texture, and it is composed of high levels of iron, magnesium and water. It has historically been used as a material for constructing buildings for hundreds of years, mostly due to its marble-like characteristics. College Hall at the University of Pennsylvania, for example, was constructed out of serpentine stone in the late 19th century. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Because of its beautiful range of colors, including green, yellow and black, serpentinite is also used by artists to make sculptures and is sometimes cut into gemstones.

Although Mars is currently cold and dry, scientists believe that it contained water in the distant past. A recent study on the impact craters found on the surface of Mars suggests it may have experienced a "mega tsunami" when a large meteor crashed into its ancient ocean. An impact crater known as Lomonosov strongly resembles the marine impact sites on Earth. The researchers believe that the Lomonosov crater must have been the place where the "mega tsunami," which would have plowed across the surface of Mars, originated. They also suspect that a hole in the southern rim of the crater could have been the result of the ocean's water rushing back from that direction. This, of course, is just a theory, as scientists still have found no proof that Mars once had an ocean. However, if it did, the Lomonosov crater could be in the place where the ocean was located.

When people say "it's not my fault," it usually is their fault. For example, you might say, "It's not my fault I'm late. Traffic was heavy!" However, you should have planned for traffic. Another phrase is "I can't." Most of the time, you actually can. You just don't want to make the effort. Both of these phrases are examples of a passive mindset. People with a passive mindset believe life is beyond their control. Using passive language can cause you to develop a passive mindset. You start to believe the words you say and to convince yourself that nothing is your responsibility. Feeling this way means that you don't have to make changes, since you're not in control. An active mindset, on the other hand, means you will take ownership of your failures and recognize that you do have control over your life. If you have a passive mindset, you should change it to an active one.

Asteroids are large rocks moving through the solar system. Some are just one meter in diameter, but others are so large that they are considered minor planets. There are millions of asteroids, and many pass by close to Earth. What would be the effects of a large one colliding with Earth? This is the question NASA is trying to answer. They are hosting conferences and holding exercises to simulate the effects of a major asteroid impact. Thankfully, they estimate the chances of this happening soon to be extremely low. However, it could cause widespread devastation. One such catastrophic asteroid strike happened 65 million years ago. It is believed that it caused so much moisture and dust to enter the atmosphere that much of the sun's light was blocked, lowering temperatures worldwide and causing the extinction of the dinosaurs. Had this not occurred, dinosaurs wouldn't have gone extinct.

My boyfriend Peter was perfect in every way except one — he was often late and kept me waiting. Whenever he did so, I complained about him to my friends. I wished he would change, but I didn't actually do anything about it. Finally, when I couldn't stand it any longer, I spoke my mind. Peter immediately apologized and said, "I didn't realize it was bothering you. I wish you would have told me sooner." It turned out we simply had different attitudes toward time. I'm obsessively punctual, and Peter was quite comfortable running a few minutes behind schedule. He simply had no idea it was bothering me. Ultimately, the problem was that I was expecting Peter to read my mind rather than letting him know how I felt. The responsibility of dealing with the issue was in my hands.

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If humans had never existed, most of the world would resemble the Serengeti. Lions would live in North America, and elephants would walk through Europe. As part of a study, researchers analyzed what the distribution of mammal species would look like if it were not for the impact of humans. A previous study suggested the spread of humans, not climate change, was the cause of the mass extinctions during the last ice age. In their new analysis, the researchers concluded that sub-Saharan Africa is virtually the only place on Earth with a high diversity and sizeable populations of large mammals. The reason is not because the environment there is particularly favorable; it is due to the fact that human activities are limited and have not yet wiped out most mammal species. Large parts of the world would be home to large mammals if it were not for human-driven range losses and extinctions.