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Posts Tagged ‘random facts’

Research for my supervillain lair: Welcome to Volcano Roots – volcanoroots.org

Scientists have been trying to image the intricate plumbing of volcanoes to help understand their dynamics and better predict eruptions… and plan better supervillain lairs. 

They didn’t really say that last part. But they should have.

As an example, here’s a handy explainer showing the depths beneath Santorini, a beautiful but geologically unstable Greek island in the Mediterranean. The graphic shows why.

Santorini and Kolumbo

It also tries to give a nod to the volcanically disrupted Minoan culture, late of Santorini, but the Latin placeholder text is less than useful. Here’s a link to help with that: Santorini 1600 BC and the End of Minoan Civilization.

If you have a chance to visit the island, I recommend it. Because nothing says a supervillain lair can’t be pretty.

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Photo by Tânia Mousinho on Unsplash

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While you wait, here’s a little something to keep you entertained:

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On the off-chance that you find yourself reading a book (like Tolkien) and are stumped by some of the more archaic measurements, this list may be of some use:

  • furlong: 22 yards
  • league: 2.4 to 4.6 miles
  • fathom: 6 feet
  • coomb: (from combe) a deep, narrow valley
  • ell: 45 inches 

Bonus marginally-related factoid, for Jim Butcher fans:

  • rill: a very small brook or a personified force of nature from an alternate world

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Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash

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