Keeping up with the news is hard. So hard, in fact, that we’ve decided to save you the hassle by rounding up the most significant, unusual, or just plain old mind-blowing stories each week. The first week of October was a grim week for anyone watching the news. Heartbreaking scenes from Las Vegas filled the

With its majestic rings, Saturn is the sixth planet from our Sun and the farthest planet that we can see from Earth with the naked eye. With the possible exception of Mars, Saturn is also the planet that has the strangest and most bizarre conspiracy theories as to its true identity or purpose. These are

Many variables determine how well a movie does at the box office. They include the quality of the script, the talent of the director and the actors, the caliber of the cinematography, the contributions of other crew members, the movie’s publicity, and critical and audience responses, to name a few. Sometimes overlooked, another factor in

On October 4, 1957, 60 years ago yesterday, the Soviet Union stunned the world with the launch of the first artificial satellite. The small sphere, transmitting a “bleep-bleep” radio signal, caused near panic in the minds of some Americans as they visualized Russian atom bombs in orbit. It sent the US government and armed forces

We all are accustomed to tales of supposed hauntings after private tragedies; the jilted bride appearing in her wedding dress even though she threw herself out of a window 100 years before; the victim trying to communicate their distress 30 years after their murder. But what of events that affect hundreds, if not thousands, of

According to a poll by The New York Times, 21 percent of Americans had tattoos in 1999. Today, that number has increased dramatically as 40 percent now sport some sort of body ink. For some people, tattoos may be symbolic, a form of rebellion, or even a channel of artistic impression. Whatever the reason, tattoos

There’s nothing so pleasurable that humanity can’t turn it into a contest. Even the joys of a simple meal have been co-opted into a sport by making consumption competitive. Competitive eating, as it is known, has grown in recent years and has spread across the globe. There are contests for almost any food imaginable—and some

Thanks in large part to modern technology, anyone can be his own master in learning just about anything. An Internet connection is the cord between us and the wealth of knowledge online about any particular subject. Beyond that, all it takes is initiative. But the Internet and formal education are not the only ways to