Urban legends—from little elementary kids telling each other that swallowing a watermelon seed will make a watermelon grow in your stomach from teens daring each other to walk up to the “murder house” of the neighborhood—every one of us has heard them. The thing that makes urban legends so interesting is that they’re spread with

The onion is one of the most common vegetables, and it is one of the oldest foods known to the human race. They are found in nearly every major dish in some form. It’s simple to flavor most meals with an onion, but you will find many more uses for the vegetable if you peel

As many of you would have heard by now, the universe is huge. So insanely huge that if we were to take a break from our mundane lives and just think about the sheer scale of things out there, we’d likely go crazy. That’s the reason most of us don’t bother with anything outside our

Hysterical witch-hunting spread from Europe to the UK in 1590. James VI of Scotland, later to become James I of England, was the most notable royal witch-hunter. He even published Daemonologie (literally, the science of demons) to inflame the passion of witch-hunting zealots. James described witchcraft as “high treason against God”, which meant that all

Squirrels make cute cartoons and plush dolls. However, the real rodents glow pink, delay flights and get arrested. They gather mysteries like nuts; squirrel breeders are succumbing to a new virus and there was that purple creature nobody could explain. A dead squirrel was once purchased as art and the Prince of Wales wants to

When we think of the British royal family, we tend to think about a number of qualities in particular. “Grace,” “poise,” and “decorum” are a few words that could be used to describe the Windsors in almost any situation. The key phrase there was “almost any.” Royals are still people, with all the proclivities of

Other than the handful of people born with conventionally-attractive features, most of us don’t know what makes us attractive to the opposite sex. It can be something as minor like how we do our hair, or something obvious like how recklessly we drive. The same is true for our unattractive features; things that negatively affect

The Middle East was once thought of as a beautiful and exotic far-away land. But unfortunately for those of us alive in modern times, the term now conjures up images of war, terrorism, subjugation, and suffering. The vivid images of the Islamic Golden Age are now gone, and the exciting fantasies in “One Thousand And

There is just something about an unsolved mystery isn’t there? Sure, it’s great when you eventually find out why something happened the way it did, but man, the idea of an event taking place without an immediate plausible explanation just sends those debating skills into overdrive and makes the conspiracy theories pile up. Below are

With the weekend comes a look at some of the more unusual stories that hit the headlines this week. If you want to catch up on the previous list, you can do it here. This is a science-heavy week. Boffins have been busy researching lost continents, discovering interstellar visitors and finding the answer to “life,

We cannot deny it; GPS Navigation applications, such as Google Maps and Google Earth, have made it much easier to travel. Daily, millions of us use these applications to share our locations with friends, guide us to the best routes, and allow us to explore new destinations. We have become very trusting of their ability

In the wake of HBO’s hugely successful show Chernobyl, the Ukranian power plant has returned to the public eye. We are fascinated once more by the brutal, invisible threat of radiation and the worst man-made disaster the world has ever seen. On April 26, 1986, Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Facility exploded. The fallout

[Warning: Contains Sensitive Images] Our understanding of anatomy and physiology blossomed during the medical renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci’s many dissections provided a detailed overview of the human body; William Harvey discovered how the heart pumps blood around the body; and Hieronymus Fabricius made crucial discoveries relating to the reproductive, digestive, and nervous systems. Today, we

Alcohol consumption is mostly harmless. However, due to its links to health and social troubles, drunkenness remains a subject of serious study today. Recently, researchers revealed the surprising role that alcohol plays in surviving traumatic injuries, why misbehaving drunks can no longer blame one drink too many, and how inebriated drivers could get zapped by

Life is so fast paced these days that we seldom have time to stop and breath. But so many pitfalls of life might be averted if we take the time to ask for a little help. Life for millennials is particularly hard—they are, perhaps, the most hard-done-by generation in human history if we believe the

It has been 5 years since Anissa Weisser and Morgan Geyser stabbed 12-year-old Payton Leutner 19 times and left her for dead in the woods of Waukesha, Wisconsin. When a crime so horrific occurs, society has the need to know “Why?” Why did these 12-year-old girls physically harm their peer? What possessed them to commit

Everyone likes to imagine that there might be a Picasso hidden in the attic. But it is a sad fact of life that when we finally get around to cleaning out the clutter, most of us will uncover nothing but dust bunnies. However, some people have found out that riches were hiding not in their

On a planet where the pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus are among the unchallenged greatest wonders of the world, it is often difficult to believe that such bizarre things as rainbow trees, polka-dotted lakes, and waterfalls of “blood” could even be possible. But venture into the most beautiful, surreal

The world is filled with police and paramilitary vehicles that are unbelievably fast, incredibly durable, or just straight-up weird. Among the vehicles listed are world record-holders, amphibious conveyances, and other assorted automobiles that you have to see to believe. However, as weird as some of them are, they could be the future of law enforcement

Caimans, crocodiles, and alligators are among Earth’s most successful reptiles. Despite being intensely studied, crocodilians manage to keep their mysteries. For some reason, insects love their tears and orange crocodiles are evolving in caves. The reptiles also hang around in trees, use pool noodles, and make for surprising mummies. While they continue to eat people

Stories of the great inventors and innovators of previous generations have been passed down through the ages. People love to hear a good tale, and the best ones always feature the most brilliant, incredible person doing something inconceivably great or virtuous. Whether it involves discovering a new part of the world, inventing a new technology,

Everybody likes to have a good time. Even some of the worst people in history knew how to cut loose. For example, ignoring all of the murders, even Charles Manson made for a pretty good singer. As for other entertainers, their crimes were part of the enjoyment. Here’s a list of ten people who, in

Here is a look at some of the strangest and most original stories that hit the headlines this week. If you missed the previous offbeat list, you can check it out here. This week, we explore a few unusual crimes that range from horrifying to bizarre. There is a look at historical child sacrifices and

For many years, the British government maintained a culture of secrecy. They were aided by a tame press often unwilling to embarrass the state by exposing major scandals. As a result, British politicians had plenty of room to cook up crazy conspiracies. Although many of them went under the radar for years, these 10 finally

Fire has been an essential part of human civilization since the very beginning of our history. On one hand, it gives us heat and fuels our industry. On the other hand, fires can rage uncontrolled and destroy everything in their path. In the United States alone, roughly 3,500 people die every year in fires. Every

The things people obsess over are usually predictable. Sex, drugs, and alcohol are usual suspects. People may obsess about their weight or about much money they are making and how to make more of it. In country after country, these are common fixations. However, some countries break the mold and establish new categories for obsession.

Death is a solemn, often spiritual occasion, but afterward comes the more mundane problem of what to do with the body. Though burial and cremation remain the most common ways to dispose of a corpse, many people have tried to come up with clean, green, cost-effective, and personal ways to dispose of our mortal remains.

Are you sick of struggling to find anything decent to watch out of Hollywood these days? Me too! Long a bastion of great movie making, Hollywood has recently abdicated the bulk of its role as an entertainment creator in order to enter the rather tiresome world of politics and social engineering. Gone are the regular

Businesses make their money when you buy goods or services from them. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they put a lot of effort and thought into making sure that you actually buy whatever it is that they are selling, and many companies have quite a few tricks up their sleeves to accomplish

Like any other craft or art form, designing fashion items requires inspiration. Fashion designers have been inspired by their roots, by popular music, and by nature. But some fashion designers have been influenced by more unlikely sources. In fact, certain fashion trends throughout history—including the present day—have sprung from the strangest birthplace of all—disease. Here