Photo of the Day

people harvesting rubber sap in China
March 14, 2016

A Slow Draw

Because rubber sap flows best at night, tappers in Xishuangbanna, China, use headlamps to light the trees while they work, as shown in this time exposure. The latex drips into cups from incisions in the bark. A typical tree produces a few ounces’ worth of rubber a day.

See more pictures from the January 2016 feature story "Why We (Still) Can’t Live Without Rubber."

Photograph by Richard Barnes

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history