Month: June 2024

Inventing things is a challenging and uncertain gig. After all, there is no guarantee that what you think up will work. The madness of tinkering can perennially leave you in the trial-and-error stage, too. And with all the legalities around patents, new product marketing, manufacturing, and sales, even if you manage to bring your idea

The 21st century has seen its fair share of dramatic coup attempts, where groups have made bold moves to overthrow governments. These coups often unfold with a mix of suspense, conflict, and unexpected twists, making headlines around the world. Whether sparked by political disagreements, power struggles, or sheer ambition, each attempt tells a gripping story

Screen actors can be a tough bunch to wrangle, and more than a few directors have reached the end of their tethers attempting—and often failing—to do so. Small surprise then that some directors go rogue and use unconventional methods to score a specific reaction, force an actor’s hand on the production, keep a secret under

The Old West was a crazy and somewhat lawless place. It wasn’t quite as violent as the movies make it seem, but there’s no question that it was a new frontier—quite literally, of course. So there were tons of variables not encountered in the more established communities on the East Coast. With that came the

Writers use pen names, or pseudonyms, for a variety of reasons. Often, their actual, given names and surnames are less well-known than their adopted ones, as is the case with Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka Mark Twain, for one. Their professions and achievements offer clues for identifying their true identities. Using these hints, can you identify

Superhero movies have been massive hits at the box office, pulling in audiences with their thrilling stories of heroes and villains. One key part of these films is the casting, which brings beloved characters to life in unique ways. Some casting choices are obvious, but others are surprising and push creative boundaries. In this list,

Some of the most chilling legends stem from a terrifying bit of reality. Whether it is an unexpectedly creepy encounter with an unnerving person or a fleeting moment with something seemingly not human, reality has a way of folding in on itself at times. This happens all around the world. Between busy city streets and

In our fast-paced world, it’s incredible to see how everyday items are getting smarter. Whether it’s a simple household gadget or a piece of industrial equipment, “dumb” technologies are being transformed into smart systems that can interact with their surroundings and users in clever ways. Take Boeing’s recent work with the U.S. Air Force, for

Cycads are famous for being ancient. However, this isn’t the plant’s only claim to fame. Despite looking like a peculiar (but boring) tree, cycads offer an unexpected trove of oddball facts. Whether it’s unusual biology, history, misconceptions, or unique records, cycads have them all. From a cycad monument destroyed by scientists to the respect cycads

Animals consistently impress us with their abilities and cognition. As a result, science has come a long way since people believed flies spontaneously generated from beef. Or that anteaters came from the moon. Fortunately, the tide of animal discovery hasn’t slowed but gained traction as human comprehension scrutiny has improved. The following include some of

You might imagine celebrities living it up with nearly endless resources and all the best and coolest homes and cars. But for many stars, it’s just not true! Except for the ones truly at the top, making millions upon millions every year, other celebs live quite normally. But that doesn’t mean they don’t lie about

Serial killers are extremely popular these days, not as people but as entertainment. As morbid as that may be, people love watching TV shows and movies about murderers, both fictional and non-fictional. True crime shows about real-life killers have been popular since the late 1980s; since then, the public has become fascinated with compulsive murderers.

The psychic internet theory was put forward by author Peter McCue in his book Paranormal Encounters on Britain’s Roads—and it is one of the most mind-blowing suggestions to explain paranormal activity on record. Ultimately, it builds on researcher George Tyrrell’s suggestion that many paranormal encounters could be explained as “hallucinations engendered by telepathy” and, in

Bullets, seemingly simple projectiles launched by firearms, are governed by a complex blend of physics. Their behavior, from launch to hitting the target, unfolds through an interplay of mechanics, aerodynamics, and thermodynamics. This complexity ensures bullets fly with precision and efficiency. Delving into bullet physics, we uncover aspects like ballistic coefficients and gyroscopic stability, which

A paraphilia is an interest in an object, situation, or type of person that has a sexual root and is atypical. You’ve certainly heard of some of these in your life already—like with necrophilia, which is the arousal and interest in corpses and dead bodies. Perhaps shoe fetishism may come to mind, too. (Any Married…

The music industry is rife with misdirection—tailoring acts to global demographics, trendy images, and popular sounds just to sell the greatest number of records. But, while this is not usually difficult to see through, sometimes, some big surprises lurk behind the guise of our favorite bands. And none is bigger than them not being bands

On October 24, 1944, the Navy submarine USS Tang engaged a Japanese convoy bound for Leyte Gulf. Going after a transport, it fired two torpedoes. The first went straight for the target, but the second somehow circled back toward the Tang, hitting and sinking it. The episode of the sub that sank itself might have

I hate dolls. Very much so. Their uncanny little blank glass eyes staring at me from across the room at night made me turn around any and all dolls I owned to face the wall. But I’m not just going to allow myself to suffer with this fear. No! I’m going to make sure you

Not all uprisings, revolts, and revolutions are led by men. You may think that’d be the case judging from the most notable moments of revolt in history. Still, women have had a surprisingly important role in many underdog uprisings. All throughout human history—especially in the last couple of centuries—when women have gotten fed up about

Most people trust their doctors to provide the best possible care when it comes to medical treatments. However, there exists a world of unconventional and controversial therapies that, despite their bizarre nature, continue to attract attention and debate. These treatments often come with bold claims and a following of devoted practitioners, yet they remain outside