Numbers have intriguing qualities and mysteries. Nobody knows why prime numbers appear randomly or why they behave like crystals. There is no denying that the field is ripe with weirdness. Quantum mechanics has produced unhackable numbers, vast numbers could create black holes in the brain, and half the US population wants to ban numbers. That

Animal parks and zoos are supposed to be a source of happiness and entertainment. Ideally, they’re places for people to be educated and enriched, witnessing animal species they normally would not encounter. It doesn’t always work out that way, however. Lack of funding, opposition by activists, and severity of elements are all reasons that animal

First developed by Gordon Gould during the 1950s, lasers are one of the most popular and widely used devices in modern society. The optical beams can be found in everything from weapons guidance systems to hair removal surgery. However, that was not always the case. Originally, Gould and his peers struggled to find practical applications

Ancient Greece is often seen as the birthplace of Western civilization. It’s also credited with founding some of the earliest institutions devoted to acquiring knowledge, and if that wasn’t enough, Athens is commonly regarded as the birthplace of democracy. But the length of time between this era and the modern world means that not everything

If the happenings of the past week have got you down, perhaps this list can cheer you up a bit. Here, we only talk about stories that are positive, amusing, or inspirational. Meanwhile, you can also check the offbeat list for a look at some of the most bizarre news items that made the headlines.

The history of the ancient Greeks and the mythology that they created are still well-known today and form the building blocks of many modern stories. However, not all of the things that we think we know about them are actually correct. Time has altered many of the stories, and much history has been forgotten. Historians

Celebrities often complain about being trapped by fame. Their identities are swept up with their public personae. Audience members become so bound to these performances that there is never a chance to escape into private life. For most people, this is not torture. Moping while signing autographs or rattling off a catchphrase is not that

Scary movies, thrilling TV crime shows, medications, and stress can all cause nightmares. But did you know that the snacks you choose can also put a damper on your quality of sleep? The foods you consume can directly affect your sleep pattern and control the types of dreams you have at night. If you enjoy

A lot of students hate math, even though the world runs on mathematics. Huge sums of money and equipment worth millions of dollars have been lost simply because someone made some tiny math mistake. Computers also have made errors like this, too, but that can still be blamed on humans since we did the programming.

Ethiopia covers most of the Horn of Africa. But that is the least of its feats. The region is rich with history and strange things. There are wolves masquerading as jackals, rainbow-colored springs, and unique magnetic miles. Ethiopia has many of the world’s oldest wonders. But it also leads with novel projects that fight modern

The Ford Model T was the first affordable automobile. Henry Ford famously said that his vehicle was targeted at the common man. Only the rich could afford a car before the Model T came along, and it actually became less expensive throughout production. It cost $850 at the time it was unveiled in 1908 and

The legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table has been popular for centuries. King Arthur himself emerged as a literary figure sometime after 800 when he started to appear in manuscripts such as the Y Goddoddin in Wales. The history of his loyal knights, however, is much less clear. They first

In one form or another, chocolate has been with mankind for centuries. The delectable snack has an unusual European history. First viewed with suspicion, chocolate became medicine and finally turned thousands into chocoholics. This popularity hides the industry’s nasty side. A chocolate coating is a smuggler’s best friend, and companies sell dangerous products. In Japan,

Different cultures once thrived in Mesoamerica, a region in southern North America. The civilizations were otherworldly enough to stay fascinating today. Recent discoveries did not disappoint. Societies older than the Maya knew about magnetism, turkeys were gods, and nearly the whole Mesoamerica knew how to get high. The Maya also invented the papaya we eat

Feces are waste—so they must not be valuable. We just dump it and forget all about it. This is even though some pieces of excrement out there are worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. And yet people actually pay sewer and water bills to get rid of their poop. It’s not just

The bogeyman is an overused cliche. But this trite quality does not obscure the fact that he has existed in every culture at every time. There have always been things out there in the dark waiting to get us. Most of the time, insofar as the stories go, things going bump are supernatural entities like

Water only exists as a solid, liquid, or gas, right? Wrong! It can exist in a number of other states and forms, including some that you might not have heard of. Would you believe that water can become hot ice or even powder? Yes, powdery water is a thing. Now, you might be thinking, “How

Far too often, there is a tendency to focus on negative or violent events while positive news items take a back seat. That’s not the case here as this list covers only stories that inspire, amuse, and uplift. If weirdness is more your thing, you can also check out the offbeat list right here. This

It’s easy to view history through an oversimplifying lens—a phenomenon which often happens with the United States Civil War. Generalizations might proclaim, for example, that all Confederates were white Anglo-Saxons who wholeheartedly opposed both change and the American constitutional order. It is true that the Confederacy would not have come into its brief existence without

Catapults and crossbows have a certain simple mechanical charm that just can’t be matched by the most advanced missiles and rifles of today. Swords and shields also conjure up images of a bygone age of chivalry and honor when combat was fought face-to-face between individuals who’d dedicated their lives and reputations to their abilities on

Sometimes, genius arrives simply by chance, not by choice. That explains why some of the greatest inventions happened by accident. In some cases, the inventor was searching for one thing but found something very different. However, in one case, it was a casual walk through the woods that led to the discovery. Find out how

UFO sightings happen all the time all over the world. Depending on who you ask, stories of UFO encounters can be interesting, frighting, bizarre, or just plain nuts. Incidents that have taken place over the many Air Force bases in the United States, however, are some of the most intriguing on record. Notably, unidentified and

The New York Times, or “The Gray Lady” as some prefer to call it, is one of the oldest newspapers out there. It has a very rich history—one that is so interesting and fascinating that we wrote an entire list about it. The facts include everything from its humble beginnings to its famous crossword puzzle.

Modern life is full of simple conveniences. It’s easy to forget that we had to cope without them not too long ago. From our plates to our chairs, some of the simplest things we use daily owe their existence to the explosion of leisure and luxury that followed World War II. Even simple tools like

Memorials are not always buildings or stationary objects. Red dresses have swayed outside for missing women, people have turned their loved ones into diamonds, and time travelers could have attended Stephen Hawking’s interment. Monuments can be troublesome, too. They divide communities and take their fair share of bullets. Famous sites are also battling a mysterious

There you are, playing your favorite video game when Grandpa walks in. You know you’re going to get an earful of rant when your avatar rips this chainsaw through the other player. Don’t worry, my friend. Here is a handy list of some of the most twisted and macabre ways that humans entertained themselves in

Everyone has a funny wildlife story or two to tell, and the Internet and social media are always full of “cute” animal posts. After all, animals have always played an important role in our daily lives. There are the domesticated animals which provide us with food, clothing, and companionship; then there’s the wildlife most of

Few murders provoke as much shock and horror as when someone takes the lives of their own family members. We’ve discussed men who’ve killed their families, but it seems all the more shocking when a woman kills her family, the children she brought into this world and nurtured for some time. Why does this happen?

We probably do not pay attention to the shapes of lots of things we see around us every day. This is even though we would probably realize something was amiss if we saw them in a different shape. Imagine if you saw a circular television or a square coin. The shapes of most everyday items

“Freedom or death” is an often-used phrase that shows just how highly we humans value our right to self-determination. We find comfort in making our own choices and going as we please, even to the point where death is preferable to losing freedom. However, when put in captivity as a criminal in a prison, a