Judges have a tough job. Even before entering the courtroom, these defenders of justice face many years of education and training. When presiding over cases, they’re responsible for assessing the evidence and interpreting the law, all the while maintaining complete impartiality. In most cases, judges serve justice fairly, accurately, and in keeping with the law

In the not-so-distant past, the trade in complete skeletons and miscellaneous bones was in full bloom. Bone experts had figured out how to whiten and preserve the most beautiful skeletons for display. Meanwhile, medical doctors clamored for full sets of bones for their research and, dare one say, to show off their authority. While the

If you’re a fan of the Netflix show The Crown, you’ll know that Queen Elizabeth wears an actual crown fairly regularly. For example, she wears one every year at the State Opening of Parliament. But there are other crowns that you haven’t seen very often unless you are old enough to remember her coronation in

Debate remains as to whether animals are capable of deep emotions like holding grudges. However, most scientists would agree that animals can have personality traits comparable to humans, so it’s possible that they can hold grudges. Of course, the question of just which species can hold grudges could open a whole new can of worms.

Ideally, only a church has the power to declare a person a saint. However, certain people—including individuals who might not have existed—and even animals have been declared saints without the approval of any church. These saints are often recognized for the healing prowess or acts of heroism they exhibited while alive or by miracles they

A fashionista may claim that they “wouldn’t be caught dead” in a bad outfit, but in reality, most people don’t spend much time thinking about the clothes they will be buried in. In modern times, a person’s final outfit is usually just a suit or dress that a relative finds in their closet. People may

Rain, snow, sleet, and hail are common forms of precipitation. The type you’re accustomed to, and how often you see it, varies based on the climate you live in. But regardless of form, the precipitation we encounter here on Earth is made up of water. Other planets, and moons, also experience varied forms of precipitation.

Seduction, theft, threats, burglary, breaking and entering, arson, sexual assault, rape, attempted robbery, attempted murder, and murder: these are all crimes Peter Kurten, also known as the Vampire of Dusseldorf and the Dusseldorf Monster, would eventually be convicted of. Hidden beneath his mild-mannered exterior and gentle demeanor was a diabolical maniac filled with lust and

It has been reported that the world-renowned and highly trusted Smithsonian Institution was allegedly accused in a lawsuit of covering up the existence of giant humans in our past.[1] Some of their skulls may have had horns, others double rows of teeth! Some supposedly had six fingers and elongated heads and carried giant weapons. According

La Belle Epoque was a period of peace and prosperity for France between the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and World War I. It was characterized by flourishing arts and literature, numerous scientific and technological advances, and a pervasive optimism and joie de vivre. The term itself was coined later, when people growing up under the

What would a woman do to have a baby? Apparently, a lot. The pressure to have children has forced some women to steal other women’s babies and pass the kids off as their own. Sometimes, the babies are kidnapped from the hospital or the homes of their mothers. In the most extreme cases, however, an

Was that movement you spied from the corner of your eye just your overactive imagination? Did your bedroom curtains flutter because of the slight breeze outside? Is the thump you keep hearing in the middle of the night just the house settling? Or are there moments when the unseen collides with the tangible to make

The art of war has evolved dramatically with the advent of contemporary technologies. One thing about war, however, hasn’t changed. To win, it is still essential to keep the true strength of your forces and the extent of your arsenal hidden from your opponent. The most important military secrets are only disclosed to the select

Citizens of the Stone Age do not often get their due. Popular misconceptions paint them as cave dwellers who invented nothing but the club. The Stone Age holds an enormous slice of human history, starting roughly 3.3 million years ago until around 3300 BC. Discoveries from this massive era revealed more about extinct human ancestors.

We always hear about the daring and miraculous prison escapes attempted by various men around the world, but there are many women who have managed to escape as well. Their methods and motivations vary as much you’d expect any other sampling of prisoners to. The same is true for the nature what crimes got them

The Netherlands is next up on our list of national facts, and we know what you want to know first. It breaks down like this: It’s legal to buy it, it’s legal to own it, and if you’re the proprietor of a hash bar, it’s legal to sell it. It’s also legal to carry it.

Serving as the press secretary to the president of the United States is a tedious profession, often shrouded in controversy and with unremitting public dismay. Day after day, they face down reporters, ever hungry for the latest scoop or scandal. All the while, they may be privy to the exact information the press wants—and the

The earliest-known dictionary in the English language was The Elementarie, a list of 8,000 English words compiled by Richard Mulcaster and published in 1582. Before then, Latin had been the only respected language of learning. The first alphabetical dictionary, A Table Alphabeticall, was written by schoolteacher Robert Cawdrey in 1604. Every year, hundreds of new

Since the dawn of civilization, humankind has sought various ways to alter its consciousness, its experiences, and its perceptions. The methods and mediums with which we can do this are nearly endless. From betel nut, a spicy nut that’s chewed as a stimulant in many cultures in Central and Southeast Asia, to “speedballing,” injecting a

Ancient Greece is undoubtedly one of the most impressive pages in history. The sheer complexity and length of Greek culture left behind a trove of ruins and art. But the most remarkable are the unexpected realities, behaviors, and skills that big ancient Greek projects tend to reveal. Lost cities, strange relationships with earthquakes, battles, and

Between hard-core sex scenes, posing for photos, adult film conventions, and Internet stardom, porn actors and actresses are slowly but surely becoming household names. With estimates as high as $14 billion in annual income, the adult entertainment industry is no joke. It’s estimated that the business brings in more money per year than Yahoo, Google,

The English language is the lingua franca of a large swath of the world. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s 7.5 billion people speak English, either as a primary or secondary language. Of those, 360 million individuals claim English as their native tongue.[1] As a dominant international tongue, English has its peculiarities. The language has

No matter what you think of your country’s legal system, you cannot deny that some people belong locked up behind bars for a very long time. Every year in the United States alone, 636,000 people[1] are released from prison. Add this up with the rest of the world, and you have a large number of

Psychopaths both intrigue and frighten us to the core. The media and movies often paint larger-than-life portraits by using far-reaching claims and describing these supposed mental illnesses with exaggerated traits. With estimates of the number of psychopaths ranging as high as 3–4 percent of the population, you probably know several of them right now without

The Lady in White is a popular ghost tale relayed from generation to generation in many countries around the world. Of course, there is no solid evidence that any of these spooky stories have any substance in truth whatsoever, but this hasn’t stopped thousands of people retelling them over Halloween or around the campfire. In

Over the course of the last century, the public imagination has been simultaneously enthralled and terrified at the prospect of extraterrestrial involvement in human affairs. Ever since rumors emerged that the secretive Vril Society in Germany had successfully channeled beings from other stars in a trance state, and schematics were unveiled of what appeared to

Our relationship with gravity takes each of us back to about first grade, when we initially learned about this amazing force. However, gravity is so much more than the force that holds us on Earth. In school, we learn some basic ideas about gravity. But these give rise to many misconceptions and gaps in our

Many people, at some point, have looked up at the vastness of a summer night’s sky and wondered, “Is anybody out there?” There are over 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, which is just one of maybe 100 billion galaxies in the known universe. Our understanding of space changes daily, and our perception

Whatever your personal opinion may be on the sport of bodybuilding or whether “roid rage” is a thing, you have to admit there have been an extraordinary number of murders, assaults, and other violence associated with members of the sport, both male and female. In a great deal of these cases, the offenders were described

Renowned for its beautiful architecture, scarily advanced technology, and strong tradition, Japan remains one of the most fascinating countries to culturally dissect. However, it is the nation’s eccentric game shows, colorful anime, and unusual gadgets that seem to generate considerable attention. The same fervent interest lies in Japanese food. Japan’s gastronomical delights have evolved through