Why is it that the sound of the ocean can be heard inside seashells? And why do seashells have such beautiful patterns on them? All of your seashell queries can finally be answered at the Tsailiao Fossil Museum in Greater Tainan when you visit the “Beauty of Seashells Exhibit.” The world’s largest and most precious and unique seashells are on display at the museum, giving people a chance to become better acquainted with seashell cultures and mysteries.
The exhibit will be on display at the Tsailiao Fossil Museum in Zuojhen District until September 23. National Taiwan Museum (NTM) has provided the exhibit with more than 300 seashell specimens from its collection, which includes many unique seashells. There is an area to touch seashells, a film about living Rumphius’ slit shells, as well as information about the relationship between seashells and human culture. Among the items on display, Lai Ching-yang, a member of NTM’s administrative committee for managing its collection, says that the Rumphius’ slit shell on display at the museum, which is valued at NT$380,000, is the most expensive slit shell not only in Taiwan, but in the entire world. Due to their scarcity and as they live very deep in the ocean, finding a Rumphius’ slit shell is far from easy, making them extremely valuable. Some of the Rumphius’ slit shell’s main characteristics include how its shape resembles that of a clock, as well as its long cracks, and the gorgeous flame-like patterns on its surface.
Lai says that although the world’s fourth Rumphius’ slit shell was discovered off the coast of southwestern Taiwan in 1968 by a local fisherman, a Japanese aquarium eventually purchased the shell, making the one preserved on display in Taiwan now even more precious and rare.
Photo: Lin Meng-ting, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者林孟婷
Also on display is the world’s largest mollusk, the giant clam, which Lai says can reach up to 1.4m. There is also a replica of the NTM building that was made using more than 20,000 seashells.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
貝殼為何會發出海浪的聲音？貝殼為何有漂亮的紋路？對於貝殼的種種疑問，將可在菜寮化石館所舉辦的「貝殼之美特展」獲得解答，同時展出全世界最貴貝殼、巨大貝殼及各種特殊貝類，讓民眾貼近貝殼文化與奧秘。
「貝殼之美」特展近日至九月二十三日於左鎮菜寮化石館展出，由國立台灣博物館提供三百多件貝殼標本，包括有多種特殊貝類、貝殼觸摸體驗區、龍宮貝活體 影片及人類文化與貝殼的關聯。其中一顆要價新台幣三十八萬的龍宮翁戎螺，國立台灣博物館典藏管理委員會委員賴景陽表示，不僅是台灣最貴、也是全世界最貴的龍宮翁戎螺。龍宮翁戎螺因為非常稀少且只生長在深海，相當難取得所以相對珍貴，其特徵就是外型如鐘型、並有著長裂縫，貝殼表面有漂亮火焰的紋路。
Photo: Lin Meng-ting, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者林孟婷
他說，一九六八年漁民在台灣西南海域撈到全世界第四顆龍宮翁戎螺，但被日本水族館買走，所以現在所保存的這顆龍宮翁戎螺是相當珍貴稀有。
此外，世界最大的貝類巨硨磲蛤也展出，賴景陽說，巨硨磲蛤長度可達到一點四公尺；另外還有用兩萬多個小貝殼手工製作出台灣博物館外型的手工藝品。
（自由時報記者林孟婷）
Photo: Lin Meng-ting, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者林孟婷
Many consumers are guilty of filling drawers or closets with old laptops, cellphones, fitness trackers and other electronic devices once they are no longer needed. It’s hard to know where to recycle such items, or it seems costly and inconvenient to do so. The world generates millions of tons of electronic waste — also called e-waste — each year. According to the UN’s most recent estimate, people worldwide produced 62 million metric tons of e-waste in 2022, and only about 22 percent of it was properly recycled. The US’ Environmental Protection Agency estimates that less than a quarter of e-waste is
You’re sitting in class when a classmate asks to borrow a pencil. It seems like a small favor, so you agree without hesitation. The following week, the same classmate asks to share your notes. Later, they request help with a group project. You agree each time — after all, you helped out the first time — but before you know it, it has become automatic. This scenario demonstrates the “foot-in-the-door technique,” a psychological concept that shows how agreeing to small, acceptable demands makes it easier to accept larger ones later on. The name for this strategy comes from door-to-door
A: The four-day Tomb Sweeping Day long weekend begins Friday and will run until Monday. Are you going to sweep your ancestors’ tombs? B: I did in advance last weekend, so I can go to Kaohsiung to see the musical “The Phantom of the Opera.” A: Wow, is “Phantom” touring Taiwan again? It debuted in 1986, so this year marks the 40th anniversary of the show. B: And it’s not just touring Kaohsiung starting March 31, but also Taipei starting April 21 and Taichung starting May 26. A: “Phantom” is one of the world’s Four Major Musicals. I’ve seen all of them, except “Les
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang Gig Tripping “Gig tripping” combines concerts with travel. People fly to see their favorite artists perform — usually abroad—and spend a few days sightseeing before or after the show. While die-hard fans have done this since the 1960s, the post-pandemic travel boom changed the game. Even people who aren’t superfans are now booking international concert trips because they want to make the most of travel opportunities. This trend exploded in the US, as the math makes sense. Domestic concert tickets are so costly that flying abroad for the show plus tourism expenses often matches or even beats the price
RSS