Enlarged spleens and possible Denisovan genetics influence: Diving abilities of the bajau sea nomads.

For Odious: Traditional whip fighting in Madura, Indonesia. Plus music for whip fighting.

Abyaneh, the red village (great photos in the link!): 

At the foot of the hill, the fort of Hanjan is enthroned above the here already dry wadi. A veritable Fort of the Tatar Steppe: it has awaited the enemy for two thousand years, but the enemy has not come. The invaders forgot the valley hidden among the mountains in the middle of the desert. While the seventh-century Arab conquerors forced their religion and language onto almost all Persia, the inhabitants of the valley remained Zoroastrians until the 16th century, when the central power of the Safavid dynasty was established, and they still speak the Middle Persian language of the pre-conquest Sasanian empire.

Holy moly! An earthquake in Pakistan just created a new island! It's a small island, but still.... Now that I'm living in a place where I can see fault scarps cutting our very small and young alluvial fans, this makes my flesh crawl a bit.

RIP: Maurice Herzog.

Cache of 140 WWII Spitfires discovered in Burmese jungle: very cool!

... the Spitfires are buried in the original crates with their wings folded back along their bodies, covered in grease and wax paper. Their joints are even tarred and they're expected to be in pristine condition.

Via Adventure Blog.