Like a dripping tap that becomes the mind’s only focus while attempting to sleep, water torture has gone down in history as something terrifying, made exhilarating by Harry Houdini’s later interpretation. How do lobsters communicate? With no vocal cords, the options are limited. Fortunately, they’re blessed with two bladders in their heads and can release jets of potent urine to get their message across. From ashes of ox hooves, eggshells, pumice, and myrrh to fluoride and sodium lauryl sulfate, the history of toothpaste has come a long way in 7000 years. A deafening silence is the absence of sound, but it’s the noise that comes before it that really makes it deafening. You can only appreciate the silence because of the noise beforehand. The only certainty regarding the origin of the phrase “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire” is a mystery and, ironically, mistruths and lies. Habu Sake, also known as Habsuhu or Okinawan snake wine, remains popular in Asia despite using barbaric production methods. James Jameson, grandson and heir of Jameson Irish whiskey magnate John Jameson, was an esteemed nineteenth-century naturalist. He would become infamous for his alleged role in the murder and cannibalization of a young African girl. Is it possible to regrow teeth? Up until recently, dentures and implants were the only way. But soon, medieval dentistry might be history. So, how do starfish eat? Have you ever extended your stomach out of your mouth when snackish? When you’re a starfish, eating gets complicated. The gap in our knowledge of medieval underwear is due partly to the poor preservation of organic materials and the lack of visual evidence. Clearly, there’s still a lot to uncover. The answer to the question “Why are clouds white?” lies in how different-sized particles scatter the light that passes through clouds. A tale of six Sultans and suspicious successions led to what’s become known as the shortest war in history, the Anglo-Zanzibar War, which lasted approximately 38 minutes. The Hobo Code was a series of simple drawings—not unlike emojis today—that conveyed to other hobos vital information such as whether a place was hospitable to them or not. Controversy still surrounds the explosion and sinking of the USS Maine in 1898, which signalled US intervention in the Cuban War of Independence with the rallying cry “Remember The Maine!” Constructed over 1,200 years ago from a single rock formation, the Kailasa Temple is remarkable for its size, architecture, and unique building process. The Pan African Flag was founded by Marcus Garvey over a century ago to unite Africans and people of African descent. It’s still a strong symbol today. Have you ever tried to pluck a word from memory and it just doesn’t come to mind? The term can often seem within our grasp but tantalisingly beyond reach. Meet lethologica. German-American athlete George Eyser won six Olympic medals in one day, and did it all with a wooden leg. So whatever happened to him? Lucky Diamond Rich is a street artist and performer from New Zealand. He also happens to be the world’s most tattooed person. There are pros and cons to the small size of the zunzuncito, or bee hummingbird, the world’s smallest bird. The satanic leaf tailed gecko, found only on the island of Madagascar, is the only flat-tailed gecko who camouflages itself by looking like a dead leaf.
Chinese Water Torture: Insanity or Illusion?
How lobsters communicate: You think you’ve got problems?
When was toothpaste invented?
What Is A Deafening Silence?
The Doubtful History of “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire”
Habu Sake: The Cruelly Produced Snake Wine
James Jameson: The Infamous Un-Naturalist
Regrowing teeth: Have scientists cracked the code?
The Grotesque Answer to How Do Starfish Eat?
Medieval Underwear: What Did Our Ancestors Wear?
Why Are Clouds White?
The Anglo Zanzibar War: Shortest War in History
The Hobo Code: The Secret System for Itinerant Workers
Remember The Maine, To Hell With Spain!
Kailasa Temple: Massive 8th Century Temple Built Top-Down
The History Behind the Pan African Flag
Lethologica: The Word That’s on the Tip of Your Tongue
George Eyser: Swept the 1904 Olympics And Then Disappeared
Lucky Diamond Rich: The World’s Most Tattooed Person
Zunzuncito: What’s Life Like for the World’s Smallest Bird?
Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko: Sinfully Skilled in the Art of Disguise
The Bundling Bag: Controlling 17th Century Teenage Hormones
The custom of the bundling bag has existed within Western Europe and later North America for over half a millennia. It is allegedly still practiced by some religious New England communities.