History
The Cost of Being Undisputed: The Incestuous Origin of the Habsburg Jaw
The Habsburg jaw, well known, little understood—until a team of researchers detailed the inbreeding behind the royal smile.
Nature
Ball Lightning Is Real But What Exactly Is It?
BY Febe Meyer
Countless witnesses tell of balls of light that float above ground during thunderstorms. This eery sight has nothing to do with UFOs, and everything to do with bizarre, inexplicable physics.
Visit
Baljenac: Croatia’s Giant Fingerprint Island
Learn how the tiny Baljenac Island, also known as Croatia’s giant fingerprint, served the residents of the nearby islands in the Adriatic Sea.
Sport
Calcio Storico: The World’s Most Violent Sport
Calcio Storico, the world’s most violent sport, was invented in Florence in the 16th century. Learn the origins, the rules, and the dangers of this historic football game.
Nature
The Rare Walking Cactus: Creeping Devil Regenerates to Survive
BY Steven Cruse
A lack of pollinators in its natural environment means the Creeping Devil has to clone itself to survive. This distinctive cactus is so unusual that a black market specimen can fetch $4000.
Want
Farewell Gridlock: Flying Motorcycles are Here
The race to launch a commercially available flying motorcycle is heating up as two companies compete in technologies that herald a new era in transport.
Culture
The True Origins of Kikimora
In Christianity, Kikimora is undoubtedly a demon. But in pre-Christian Slavic mythology, although Kikimora is considered evil, there are exceptions.
Sport
Pankration: The Olympic, Ancient, and Deadly Precursor to the UFC
Pankration was a physically exhausting, often deadly ancient sport. Lost for over a millennium it has come to the fore of martial arts once more.
Culture
On the Lam: Breakout Night at the Museum
Tracing the origin of the phrase ‘on the lam’ is tricky. But we get a sense of it’s roots via Babylon, Victorian children and Prohibition era gangsters.
Life
Pelorus Jack: The Guiding Dolphin of Colonial New Zealand
Pelorus Jack was an extraordinary Risso’s dolphin renowned for guiding colonial ships through treacherous waters in New Zealand. Revered by the Māori people, they held a firm belief that he was in fact Tuhirangi, a mythical taniwha or protective spirit, who had chosen to take the form of a dolphin to safeguard seafarers on their voyages.
Culture
The Birth of the GI: Tracing a Military Moniker
The US military is a mosaic of nicknames, yet the term “G.I.” dominates. This universally recognized moniker for American troops has intriguing origins. Unravel the mystery of how this enduring label for US servicemen came to be.
Nature
Resolving the Ostrich Head in Sand Phenomenon
It would appear that ostrich knowledge is back to front. For instance, ostriches have three stomachs. However, the ostrich head in sand story is a complete myth.
Science
Harnessing the Heavens: The Potential of the Dyson Sphere
The Dyson Sphere, a thrilling concept steeped in cosmic potential, fires up our imagination about the future of human capabilities. Not just a blueprint for megastructures, it also serves as a compass, guiding our exploration in the ever-elusive search for extraterrestrial civilizations.
Science
A Sleepy Guide to Why do People Yawn?
BY Cal Harding
You’d think answering a simple question like why people yawn would be simple. However, it’s not straightforward despite extensive scientific research.
History
Cussing at Camelot: Medieval Insults to Use on Your Peasant Friends
Insults never die they just evolve. Medieval insults were surprisingly creative and some are still relevant to frustrations we face in modern life.
Life
Cadaver Dogs: Trained to Smell Dead Bodies
The canine nose is hundreds of thousands of times more sensitive and far more adept at tracking targets than even the keenest hunter.
Science
The Moon is Rusting and it Might be Earth’s Fault
Scientists posit that Earth’s very life-force—oxygen—along with dust particles and our planet’s magnetotail, conspire in a cosmic dance to set the stage for an unexpected phenomenon: the Moon’s rusting.
Culture
Navajo Skinwalkers: The Terrifying Beast That Cannot Be Named
The first rule about Skinwalkers in Navajo culture is don’t talk about Skinwalkers. Regardless, the story holds a fascination for many non-Native Americans.
