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The Tropicalist - Looking for Home, One Plant at a Time
Trop picks: Phalaenopsis venosa
The Jungle
October 30, 2017

Trop picks: Phalaenopsis venosa

To take this photograph of a Phalaenopsis venosa in flower in Sulawesi, I had to climb up on the shoulders of a hardy guide. A minute later, as I got back down on to what I thought was solid ground, I fell through a pile of debris on the forest floor into a deep hole. Luckily, I grabbed onto a nearby root, so I was not lost forever, although I did lose my lens cap.

Sulawesi: Where Continents Collide
The Jungle
October 30, 2017

Sulawesi: Where Continents Collide

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the above is a photo of the Scottish Highlands. In fact, it was taken in central Sulawesi.

Asia’s Unlikely Champions of Free Trade
International Relations
October 30, 2017

Asia’s Unlikely Champions of Free Trade

Free trade was key to the rise of the mighty seafaring kingdoms of Southeast Asia, where a cultural predilection for pluralism, individual liberty and the primacy of contracts played an instrumental role.

Train in Vain
The City
May 10, 2016

Train in Vain

Focusing on the needs of real cities, not world cities.

So Long, Indy
Material Culture
November 8, 2015

So Long, Indy

The non-scandal around the recovery of a ninth century shipwreck.

Pondering the Haze
International Relations
September 26, 2015

Pondering the Haze

How does a single nation handle a transnational problem?

Trop Picks: Snake Fruit
The Jungle
September 13, 2015

Trop Picks: Snake Fruit

Tracing the salak fruit’s journey from the heart of darkness to our tables.

Vlisco: A Bit of Java in Africa
International Relations
April 15, 2015

Vlisco: A Bit of Java in Africa

It is a little known fact that these “African” cloths are not from Africa at all, but have their origins in Indonesia and are manufactured in Holland by a Dutch company called Vlisco for export to Africa.

Trop Picks: Flowers of the Universe
Material Culture
April 14, 2015

Trop Picks: Flowers of the Universe

We look at designs from traditional culture as part of a series on symbols of love that are not the ubiquitous heart.

The Entire Spectrum of Human Innovation
Material Culture
February 25, 2015

The Entire Spectrum of Human Innovation

From the engineering marvel that is Grasberg to the ingenuity of the native tribes, the entire spectrum of human innovation is found in Papua.

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