Dr. Andrew Belaveshkin

  In Cyprus, near ancient Paphos (the village of Kouklia), there are several interesting places, little known even to guides. For example, the excavated top of the Marchellos hill, where remains of the ancient city's wall have been preserved, and nearby — siege towers and embankments. Archaeologists found hundreds of Persian arrowheads and several helmets of the defenders of Paphos.    All this is evidence of the Persian siege of Paphos during the uprising of the independent city-states of Cyprus against the Achaemenid Empire in 497 B.C. (approximately 2,500 years ago) under the leadership of Onesilus. But this was only one of the episodes of the fifty-year war of many scattered small Greek poleis against the giant Persian Empire, far superior in population, territory, and wealth.     What did the Persians want? “Water and earth.”   In the history of these wars there was everything — bribery by the Persians of votes in the Athenian democracy, the overthrow ...

  We often think of minerals only as nutrients we consume through food or supplements. Yet, in reality, we can absorb them in several surprising ways. Let’s look at a few intriguing examples:         1. Through breathing.    When you walk along the seashore, especially where seaweed is present, you can smell its distinctive scent. In doing so, you’re not only inhaling air — you’re also absorbing iodine. Studies show that the concentration of atmospheric iodine in such areas is about eleven times higher than normal. People living near the coast have urinary iodine levels 2.7 times higher than those living inland, even when their diets are identical. In addition to iodine, trace elements such as zinc and manganese can also enter the bloodstream through inhalation.     2. From cookware.    When you cook with cast-iron pots or pans, some of the iron leaches into the food — often enough to raise your hemoglobin levels. The amount of iron...