Methods of preserving food have been present since ancient times. From fermentation to salt, our ancestors used everything available to them to preserve the flavor and longevity of their food. However, as time went on, the desire to preserve the color, flavor, and “shelf life” of food intensified. Soon, dozens of food additives and preservatives

It is tempting to think life in the 21st century is a world away from the 1800s, but despite the communication revolution that we are all living through, we still owe much of our daily life to the inventions of back then. More modern amenities than you might think first showed up during the 19th

At times, evolution takes a wrong turn. When it does, all we can do is stare in fascination at what it produces for us. Sometimes, it gives us something wonderful like the octopus. Other times, we get something terrible like the bobbit worm. But every now and then, we get an animal that’s just so

Music has been a part of human life since time immemorial. It penetrates our souls and becomes a part of us, just as we, its creators, are a part of it. We and our creations grow and learn together, and each phase of human development brings with it new tools to create the aural extension

The Shakespeare authorship question encompasses around 70–80 alternative theories on the traditionally held view that William Shakespeare wrote his own works. As Shakespeare was born in the lower class, was not educated formally, and didn’t have a large social circle, theorists believe it is virtually impossible that he created the masterpieces that we all believe

As sure as we all are born, we will someday die, and when that day comes, something is going to have to be done with our remains. People are generally content to be interred in a cemetery or to have their ashes occupy a treasured place on a loved one’s mantle. But sometimes, the deceased

The US in the early 1970s was awash in serial murder. Indeed, by the decade’s midpoint, FBI profiler Robert Ressler had coined the term “serial killer” after conducting several interviews with the likes of Herb Mullin, Edmund Kemper, and Monte Rissell.[1] Ressler’s in-depth penetration into the minds of sexual sociopaths lead him to become the

History books often fail to sync the living with the tragedy of slavery. On the other hand, artifacts can instantly bridge that gap. When we’re faced with a wrecked slave ship, graves, and personal artifacts, a history lesson becomes reality. Unique photos, autobiographies, and workplaces also invite an intimate look into what it was like

April 1 marks the day when pranksters come out of the woodwork for an annual joke fest. Young and old join in the fun, coming up with pranks to fool or embarrass their friends, family, and colleagues. Some Aprils Fools’ jokes have become a bit stale; others miss the mark. Some have even been known

More than 120 years since its publication, Dracula by Bram Stoker remains one of the most popular horror novels of all time. The story has gained a massive legacy, not to mention tons of retellings and adaptations. With so many variations of the classic vampire tale, many misconceptions have arisen concerning the original lore and

This list aims to counter the doom and gloom which is too prevalent in the media. We take a look at 10 stories meant to lift your spirits and inspire. Of course, if you also want a dose of peculiar with your positive tales, check out the offbeat list, too. This week, we find out

Dentistry is a modern field of medicine. While it has always existed in one form or another, it was largely unregulated in the past, and all sorts of people devised weird and often bogus procedures and treatments for tooth care and dental problems. At one time, barbers were the de facto dentists. Some treatments did

Flat-Earthers, as the name suggests, are people who believe the Earth is flat, despite all the evidence to the contrary. Flat-Earthers believe statements that the Earth is round to be some conspiracy promoted by governments, space agencies, and private corporations. Interestingly, however, they do believe Mars is round. Trying to prove that the Earth is

Drool is the forgotten wonder—and sometimes horror—of the human body. This bubbly liquid is a multitasker: transferring hormones, keeping the teeth intact, and even retaining our long-lost ancestors. The world of spit can get a little weird when doctors use it as a vaccine or modify it to become the world’s most powerful painkiller. In

They might walk alike, they might talk alike, and they probably even look alike. Twins are an endlessly fascinating genetic miracle. Whether they are fraternal, identical, conjoined, polar body, mirror, or separated at birth, the similarities and complexities of twins are something that both scientists and the average man have marveled over for generations. Whether

European history is littered with stories of executions for various reasons, and beheading was a rather prominent means of putting the condemned to death. It’s a real wonder that anyone survived, considering the frequency of public executions in the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. There are many a tale of those who quite understandably

There are many weird laws around the world today. The majority of them were passed centuries ago and have never been repealed, although they’re not currently being enforced. Still, many of them are on the books, and plenty of people can unknowingly commit crimes for various odd reasons, though they probably won’t actually get in

The ocean likes to cull ships. Over the centuries, storms and reefs have amassed a great collection at the bottom of the sea. Wars added plenty more wrecks. When water conditions are right, skeleton crews and cargoes remain preserved for centuries. Among other things, divers recently encountered included two of the world’s oldest artifacts on

Laws are passed to protect the environment or members of society. Curiously, these same supposedly progressive laws have sometimes backfired, hurting the very things or people they were supposed to protect. This is obviously because every law has consequences. And unfortunately, it is often impossible to predict the intended and unintended effects of every law.

Prisons are all about keeping people inside, but every now and again, folks find their way out. It happens more often than you might think, but nevertheless, there are some institutions touted as being inescapable, such that there is no conceivable way for anyone to escape. The only problem is that people inevitably do escape

Battle has been an unavoidable element of life since the beginning of time. Animals have always fought for food and survival, and humans have waged war for innumerable reasons since the advent of our species. Territorial, political, religious, and other bases for bloody conflict have written violence into our blood. Violence is so much a

Bones record history in their own way. Whether they splinter, show up in odd places, or provide DNA, ribs and all the rest are packed with information. In recent years, archaeologists handled fascinating rarities, some seen for the first time. Some of the skeletons displayed the ironic fate of one of history’s cruelest physicians, a

We think of addiction as something that must be detrimental to one’s health. However, in reality, many of us are addicted to various things that may not hamper our lives in any way. These addictions are still quite real as well as essential for our day-to-day functioning. It may be coffee for some, cleanliness for

In the heat of video game competition, people will do strange things and may even act violently. Sometimes, they don’t think before they act. Other times, people are already violent and use video games as a means to let out their aggression. This is certainly not exclusive to video games. But as a relatively new

There’s nothing wrong with a little healthy competition. Of course, it’s much more interesting when the competition is unhealthy. People will sometimes go to extreme lengths to get back at their rivals. Dedicated one-uppers have erected statues in clear view of their rivals, built fences around their homes, and even built towers named after their

To help you end the week on a positive note, we have gathered all the news that might lift your spirits into one list. This is where you’ll find a nice mix of feel-good stories combined with significant achievements and tales of true togetherness. If you’d also like something weird and wacky, check out the

There are several misconceptions that many believe about Neanderthals. One is that they were dumb and uncivilized, which is actually untrue. This misconception has lingered on for so long that we use “Neanderthal” as a word for an uncivilized and unintelligent person. Neanderthals were even almost named Homo stupidus (“the stupid man”). Today, we know

Inside every organism are molecules called chromosomes. These threadlike structures hold genetic instructions, and every human cell normally has 23 pairs. Under the microscope, so to speak, these molecules can prove the history books wrong and solve long-standing mysteries about impostors. They reveal rare conditions, where talent comes from, and even ancient massacres. Perhaps the

A “scandalous woman” is pretty much any woman who stepped out of the socially acceptable rules for women in her society, and throughout history, that description could mean practically anything. In other words, you could essentially retitle this list “10 Women Who Did Something Other Than Become A Wife And Mother.” Many of these women

Some animals are on the verge of extinction. The difference between a related group of animals continuing for another generation or becoming just another addition to the history books may be the survival of just a few species. Some have even gone extinct in the wild and are only around because we had them in