The idea of making something out of a cat probably sounds weird because cats are pets and not some random nonliving item that can be easily exploited. Well! That does not apply to everyone. Some people consider cats as just another tool to achieve their goals—ethics be damned. Although Americans do a good job of

Witchcraft and magic are nebulous and often dangerous concepts. For much of human history, anyone who has seemed to have uncanny powers has either been hailed as a holy person or put to death as a demon. When some people achieve success, it is deeply galling to their enemies. The only way those individuals can

Comets are among the most interesting celestial objects out there. Some are visible to the naked eye, and with their predictable orbits, we should always see them, provided we know where and when to look (unless they go missing). However, ancient civilizations did not have such knowledge. Comets were mysterious objects that were often considered

The Cretaceous Period, famously populated by Tyrannosaurus rex, started around 145.5 million years ago. Around 80 million years later, an asteroid hit the Earth. That was the end of the nonavian dinosaurs and the Cretaceous. The period expired horribly. But while it lasted, remarkable things happened. The first flower bloomed, ducks found their voices, and

There are many weird but interesting facts that you might not know about France. Some are cool, some are disgusting, and others are just downright unbelievable. Then there are the facts that will make you cringe. Whatever the case, one thing they all have in common is that they are just plain weird—every one of

We generally spend lots of time with our families, so it’s easy to understand why we get irritated and angry with them at times. In general, such moments pass, and no one is left hurt. But what could make someone upset enough that they would turn to murder? In this list, we investigate that question:

Mercury is an inherently interesting element. In the past, it was called quicksilver for two reasons. It looked like silver but was liquid at room temperature, and its English name derives from the name of the god Mercury who was renowned for his quickness. Although people have been aware of mercury since antiquity, there have

To an outsider, everything in a religion can seem nonsensical and absurd. Sitting quietly and thinking really hard to get the Lord of Creation to alter the workings of the universe in your favor, or prayer, strikes atheists as madness. But to those who have faith, religious acts can have profound and life-changing significance. There

There are nearly 144 million inhabitants in Russia, putting it at ninth place in the list of countries by population. With a total land area of 16,376,870 square kilometers (6,323,142 mi2) and a population density of only nine people per square kilometer (23 people per mi2), there is plenty of space for people to do

Vodka remains a global favorite. The drink features in countless cocktails, but life outside the bar is where things get interesting. Gather volunteers, give them vodka, and you will soon discover a mean drunk inside everyone and the benefits of exercise swirling down the drain. Researchers also uncovered the disturbing danger of long-term consumption—but not

The Bible is known as The Good Book, but it is also a very Thick Book that takes a long time to read. Many people know the famous stories from the Bible, but there are a number of frankly grisly stories that people often ignore. The death and resurrection of Jesus gets a lot of

Food is the one constant that binds us all. Every culture has its own style of cooking. We assume that staple items in our own cuisine have a deep history in our culture. Shockingly, some of the foods we eat every day have wildly bizarre origin stories that you would never guess. From the almost

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were two of the most notorious outlaws during the “public enemy era.” Alongside other members of the Barrow Gang, they robbed banks, fired guns, stole cars, and even committed murder. It was a true crime story that captured the nation during the Great Depression, and they were among the first

Mean, spiteful, and hive-minded teenagers have always existed. This is true for boys and girls. The popular 2004 film Mean Girls simply updated the trope for the 21st century, although screenwriter Tina Fey deserves credit for turning Rosalind Wiseman’s piece of pop sociology into an eminently quotable comedy.[1] For 15 years now, any clique of

All claims of UFOs and alien encounters are, by their very nature, a little bizarre and outlandish. Some of them, however, are just a little too outrageous for even the most enthusiastic and dedicated UFO researcher to believe, at least not in their entirety. And while the following ten stories are most likely not genuine,

Great Britain’s rich and colorful history has been a host to some of the best-known mysteries across the world. Just looking at England alone—the cases of Stonehenge, The Princes in the Tower, and Jack the Ripper have been endlessly analyzed and debated over the years. As interesting as these classic cases are, however, there are

A new week is on the way, and we want to help you start it off on a happy note. That’s why this list has some of the most positive stories that happened over the last few days. If you would like to read about bizarre and outlandish occurrences, too, check out the offbeat list

Of the crazy and speculative theories out there (and there are many as we all know), those that revolve around the notion that human beings are not indigenous to the Earth are perhaps the craziest. The idea is that we, or rather our ancestors, were brought here from another world, most likely as prisoners condemned

Eggs may seem boring to the average person. But do not be fooled. These pointy objects can communicate in the nest and explode in the face of the unwary. Mammal eggs may lack shells, but they have their moments. Conception is a sparkly business, and mouse eggs once held a mammoth. Then there was the

Across the world, many people over the years have disappeared, seemingly into thin air, with no satisfying explanation. The mystery is only deepened when neither the missing person nor their remains are ever seen again. However, there have also been many cases of people who disappear in the most mysterious of circumstances, only to reappear—sometimes

Unlike Earth, every new planet we have discovered has been hostile to us. Some could become habitable if we figure out the answers to a few problems, like the unavailability of oxygen and water. Others would still be unsuitable for human life. These deadly planets are ready to kill any creature that strays too close

Sweat cools down the body. It may even betray a nervous mind. But for scientists, it is so much more. Its chemicals improve athletic performance and reveal the strange influence of male sweat on both genders. Inventions in this field are peculiar—from perspiring robots to sweat-sensing clothing that offers coolness. As improbable as it sounds,

Looking at old photographs, it is easy to imagine that the past was a drab place. Even old paintings can make us think that no one in history enjoyed colorful things. But photos and brown-varnished paintings do not tell the whole story. To make those paintings in the first place, people had to search out

Losing a child is every parent’s worst nightmare, a permanently life-altering event that turns their world upside down. Such tragedies are arguably at their worst when foul play is involved or when a child simply vanishes, leaving the parents deprived of closure. Some parents who have lost a child in extreme circumstances will take their

The dangers of space travel are well understood. Lists of its casualties include the entire Apollo 1 crew (Gus Grissom, Edward White II, Roger Chaffee) and the entire team of cosmonauts on the Soyuz 11 (Georgi Dobrovolski, Viktor Patsayev, Vladislav Volkov). The business of space travel is a risky one. Since the 1960s, more than

A lot of people enjoy a nice, scenic hike in the woods. Getting out into nature is relaxing and good for the soul. It’s fun to do it at least once in summer or autumn. Unfortunately, this list will not make you want to go hiking. That is because David Carpenter (aka “the Trailside Killer”)

Dedicated to probing the unknown, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has designed its fair share of unusual studies. Tasked with keeping astronauts safe, they threw lunar dust at oysters and had a man sniff at 800 space-bound items. Curiosity also saw their scientists turn photographs into music and create oceans in cups. NASA’s

According to UNESCO, there are approximately three million shipwrecks scattered across the Earth’s surface.[1] The ocean is a vast place, and sea travel can be a hugely isolated and dangerous endeavor. Some ships are destroyed by storms, others run out of supplies or hit land, and some just outright vanish, never to be seen again.

Fresh facts can nudge historians deeper into the lives of renowned figures and places. Recent nuggets found Leonardo da Vinci’s missing mother, Rembrandt’s peculiar paint, and how pig fat built Stonehenge. But that’s not all. New discoveries also updated a mysterious civilization, gave an odd clue to the purpose of the Nazca Lines, and revealed

We’ve idolized our stars of stage and screen since man first entertained his fellow villagers. Newspapers, magazines, and the Internet give us so much gossip and information on our celebrities that we’re pretty sure we know everything there is to know about them. But sometimes, there is so much more behind a pretty face or