Sardinia has recently been in the international press for its longevity statistics: the number of centenarians on the island is twenty times higher than in the US. Genetic studies in collaboration with the NIH have shown that circa 20 percent is due to genetics, with many other factors contributing. National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner, identifying Blue Zones around the world that have a high incidence of citizens living to and beyond the age of 100, has studied lifestyle habits in these areas for over a decade. (more…)

The silky filament which the Pinna nobilis, a species of saltwater clam, uses to attach itself to the seabed is known as byssus. Who first took this byssus and used it as a fabric via a process of spinning and weaving is not known, nor is when this discovery took place, but this 'sea-silk' has a long history, and is even mentioned in the Bible! (more…)