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There are plenty of ways to get information, but the most unpleasant method is torture. As you inflict pain on your victims, you force them to confess their carefully guarded secrets. It’s not the most honorable tactic, hinging solely on human suffering. That’s why most storytellers reserve it for villains or unsympathetic figures. Certain works

Against the expectations of numerous election analysts and forecasters, the Republican Party has won control of all three branches of the U.S. government again, vindicating this Listverse post from five years ago to an extreme degree. It is quite likely that President-elect Trump will soon find that his campaign won from President Biden and Vice

Celebrity culture has gotten completely out of hand. From the comparatively simple world of Elvis Presley and Beatlemania a few decades ago to the undying adulation over Taylor Swift and whichever celebrity is the flavor of the month in the modern age, the world of fame has only ever gotten more intense. Plus, with social

In modern times, the English and the Scots have found a way to live peacefully as neighbors. But jump back a handful of centuries, and that was often very far from the case. In fact, it was commonplace for the two nations to settle their differences with extreme violence on the battlefield. Deadly conflict became

There are so many unsolved mysteries out there in the world. Who killed JonBenet Ramsey? Whatever happened to Amelia Earhart? Will we ever learn the true identity of D.B. Cooper? And on and on. But (relatively) recent unsolved dramas aren’t the only things that keep us awake at night. Ancient mysteries have us scratching our

Sherlock Holmes is the most famous detective of all time. Today, he has become such a part of the fabric of civilization that when someone sarcastically calls you Sherlock, you know exactly what they mean. As an enduring set of classic stories, they are so beloved their fans talk about them as if they are

Fact or fiction? Who knows? Now you do. History isn’t an exact science, and humans are only, well, human. We make mistakes and tend to exaggerate or even lie, and sometimes, these white lies or tweaks to the truth can have huge consequences, like leading to millions of people worshiping someone for something that never

Teaching is a thankless job. After working years to earn your degree, you must then deal with rambunctious kids who couldn’t be less interested in learning. Worse, the pay rates for this hardship are mediocre at best. These hurdles are enough to drive anyone crazy. Writers sometimes take notice of that. Fiction has given us

The teachings of Jesus contained in the Bible can easily be interpreted as showing a disdain for the things of this world and promoting asceticism among his followers. When a rich man asks Jesus what he should do to achieve eternal life, Jesus tells him to sell all he has and give the money to

TikTok has become synonymous with creativity and viral entertainment, but the platform’s fast-moving trends sometimes come with significant risks. What begins as a playful challenge can quickly escalate into dangerous territory when users attempt to recreate stunts without considering the consequences. From health risks to life-threatening injuries, these trends highlight the darker side of virality

As human beings, we’re most fascinated by stories of other human beings overcoming insurmountable odds to achieve a goal or achieve lasting success. But more generally, we love to see success in any form. For example, seeing an orangutan successfully driving a golf cart deeply inspires us because we thought it was impossible before we

Some of the world’s most recognizable brands weren’t always guaranteed success. While they might seem like permanent fixtures in our everyday lives, many iconic companies faced dark times when bankruptcy or closure seemed inevitable. From risky expansions and changing consumer demands to economic downturns and poor management decisions, these brands were pushed to the brink.

Inventors are some of the most revered people in history. I know whenever I’m hungry, I thank Duane Roberts for creating the microwaveable burrito. But many of the more famous and lauded innovators in history, though geniuses, weren’t very smart in their personal lives. From adhering to fascism to being a terrible parent, here are

There has been a meme floating around on the internet for a decade or so now about how gingers have no souls. And while that’s definitely funny (well, for some of us, at least), it’s also wrong. Gingers (and redheads in general) do indeed have souls. Could you imagine if all of Scotland had soulless

The mystery of a dead man on a beach in Somerton, Australia, in December 1948 remains unsolved to this day. It also remains one of the most fascinating enigmas of the 20th century. One that has dark undertones running through it, suggestive of the brutal, cut-throat environment of the intelligence world. It is sometimes referred

In the 21st century, computer chips are everywhere: in our phones, our cars, our medical devices, our watches, and our personal computers/laptops. Over the last few decades, a few countries and a handful of companies have become dominant forces in chip design and manufacturing. Nations are realizing that if they don’t develop expertise in chip

Every actor dreams of finally landing the “big role.” It’s the role that will make them stars, earn them millions of dollars, and finally get them those award nominations. Relatively few actors are lucky enough to ever land that role. That’s just the nature of the business. What’s more remarkable is that some actors do

Authors like Shakespeare and Dr. Seuss came up with so many words that people use daily, like “critic” and “nerd.” The amazing creativity of writers and the worlds they imagine sometimes cross over into real life. But just how many words in the English language came from writers? Here’s a list of 10 famous writers

Scientific breakthroughs have the power to transform our understanding of the world, influence public policy, and even change the course of history. However, not every breakthrough stands up to scrutiny. While science is ideally a pursuit of truth, sometimes researchers falsify data, ignore contradictory evidence, or stretch the truth to achieve fame, funding, or validation

Fiction has given us several fantastic sports. These made-up pastimes are part of the world-building process, making a given setting feel real. You know the creators have done their jobs if audiences want to partake in these fictional games. That said, you might want to think twice about jumping in. As fun as these sports