The other day I came across a story about an extinct palm tree growing from a 2,000-year-old seed. Archeologists found the seed while excavating ruins near the Dead Sea. It sat for another few years...

The other night, I watched a documentary by comedian and former drug addict Russell Brand. The film follows his attempt to understand the British government’s drug enforcement policy. It opens...

In February 1924, New Yorkers gathered around their radios to hear a live performance of Beethoven’s ninth Symphony. But there was one listener who didn’t hear a thing. It wasn’t...

Jerry Matyiko has one of the most unusual jobs in the world: he rescues lighthouses. How does he do it? By moving them! Using his engineering skills, specialized equipment and some good old-fashioned...

On Christmas Eve 1906, a former Edison engineer named Reginald Fessenden broadcast the first music ever played on the radio. The song he chose was “Oh Holy Night.” He played the opening on...

In 1865, a young American minister named Phillips Brooks was traveling in the Holy Land. On Christmas Eve, he arrived in Bethlehem. As the sun set and the stars came out, he passed through a field...

One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is the music. Whether it’s Bing Crosby, Alvin and the Chipmunks or the Choir at Kings College – holiday music holds a special place in...

While traveling through Dana Point, California, I stopped into a pizza shop hoping to get a bite to eat. As I placed my order and made my way to an empty booth, I started looking around the room. The...

I grew up as a grandson of immigrants. Both of my grandfathers had journeyed to America as adults, one fleeing a revolution and the other seeking his fortune. But both of them shared a similarity...

Have you ever heard of Spare Change for Change? It’s a program that the city of Pasadena rolled out to help combat homelessness. It works like this. As you’re walking through Old Town, if...