The sheer girth of certain ancient, wizened trees can take one’s breath away. Wired Science recently featured a collection of images of some of earth’s oldest trees. Although the age estimates given for these antique specimens vary from a few to tens of thousands of years, the majority of them are consistent with a biblical timeframe for earth history.

From salt grass to sassafras, flowering plants dominate earth’s landscapes, and many plant fossils are of leaves, bark, and pollen grains. The rock layers that contain them are most often found atop layers that have non-flowering plant fossils, like gymnosperms.

Before a long migration, certain birds shift from an insect diet to eating fruits such as berries. Researchers once thought that this added carbohydrate reserves as fuel for the journey. But a new study out of the University of Rhode Island suggests that the birds are interested in the fruits’ antioxidants, not their sugars.

Every year, the Templeton Foundation awards more than one million dollars to an individual who in the foundation’s estimation has made a significant contribution to affirming spirituality.¹ The Templeton Prize was first given in 1973 and in its early years was awarded to such high-profile religious leaders as Mother Teresa (1973), Billy Graham (1982), Chuck Colson (1993), and Bill Br