The popular images of the Middle Ages do not always focus on the deeper side of ordinary life. Yet, these often ignored moments can be extraordinary. Researchers are beginning to understand that nothing can be taken for granted with medieval citizens. Far from being unintelligent farmers, people during medieval times had complex behaviors, mysteries, and

The 1856 poem “Maud Muller” by John Greenleaf Whittier tells the story of a beautiful woman named Maud who meets the town judge one day. Each is smitten with the other, but they never voice their feelings. They go on to marry other people and lead separate lives. But they never forget the day they

These days, commercial airline travel is often a stressful experience. Between the delays, the ever-changing rules concerning what you can bring on the plane, and those miraculously shrinking seats, the moving walkways leading to the airport’s parking lot have never looked better. Then there’s the fact that you’ll probably have to go through the whole

Jellyfish are simple beings. They do not have brains, bones, lungs, or intestines. They do have organized tissues and a nervous system and are the oldest known multi-organism creature. These gelatinous swimmers have been around for more than 500 million years, making the existence of dinosaurs seem recent and short-lived. They are found in every

Every year, thousands of people go hiking in the woods. Unfortunately, a number of these people become lost and are never seen or heard from again. Sometimes, missing people have no idea how they got in the woods in the first place. When someone disappears into the wilderness, rescuers and volunteers will mobilize in an

We all know the Mayflower as the famous ship that transported the English Puritans to America. The ship was at sea for 66 days before arriving and carried about 130 passengers and crew.[1] Today, we refer to the colonists who made the trip across the Atlantic Ocean on the Mayflower as the Pilgrims. The passengers

Every year, more animals are added to the endangered species list, with quite a few eventually listed as extinct. Clear-cutting of forest areas, controlled burns of grasslands, and the introduction of dogs and other predators have added to the burden of existing wildlife. We will never see another dodo bird, black rhino, or quagga unless

Being the leader of a country like the United States requires a vast and diverse skill set. Chief among them would arguably be that ever-vaunted talent known as people skills. A US president will inevitably engage in an endless array of social functions, many times with the heads of state of other world nations. Mastery

They had a serial killer in their hands, and they let him go . . . and he killed agian. This doesn’t just happen in movies or crime novels; it occurs all too often in real life. Sometimes, the authorities simply don’t know who they have; other times, they don’t have enough evidence to hold them. It can be

Mysteries, mysteries everywhere. For everything we know, there’s so much more that we don’t. Whether it’s an unsolved crime, an unexplained sighting, or weird things falling from the sky, sometimes there are just no answers. On this list are ten mysteries from Northern Europe that need solving. Hopefully someday, someone will do just that, especially

The 1920s, aka the Roaring Twenties, were a fascinating time in US history. People were becoming more affluent, opening doors to new opportunities and experiences. Time-saving inventions also opened up free time for fun and entertainment. Radio was a favorite new pastime. People flocked to theaters to see silent movies, and toward the end of

We think of firefighters as heroes who rush into dangerous situations that the rest of us desperately try to escape. And most firefighters are true heroes who deserve our respect and thanks. But some firefighters are obsessed with fire, and they are not content with the number of naturally occurring fires. They feel the need

He was one of the most evil, most dangerous humans who ever walked the Earth, yet he was praised and honored for centuries onstage and in text by people he would likely have murdered if given the chance. Aside from some obscure Victorian-era plays and poems, not much is known in the Western world about

The seemingly simple sense of taste is anything but clear-cut. Science cannot explain all its complexities, and the underlying biology is so powerful that marketers successfully manipulate customers with suggestion. There are taste buds in strange places and people who taste the unbelievable. The tongue is also amazingly uncharted—sensing the tasteless, switching sensations, and even

In the past, penguins were called arse-feet because their legs were closer to their rear. The name “arse-feet” was used for any bird that had its feet close to its rear, although it originally applied to the little grebe, a type of water bird that is still known as the arsefoot. The penguin was first

Marriage is a sacred vow of commitment. The union is intended to be permanent, an everlasting devotion to one another. It can be a daunting promise to make, unless you know you’ve found your soul mate. For many, the perfect spouse appears in the form of a fellow human being. But for some, their dream

If you have ever played an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) or similar video game online, you know that some people can get a little crazy when it comes to that one item or even location they simply must have. What you may not know is that there are people out there who will

2017 has been a busy year for paleontologists and dinosaur aficionados worldwide. They found some new species, invalidated some old ones, and even resurrected a forgotten species from the dead. They learned new things about dinosaur behavior and patched a few holes in our understanding of the evolution of these animals. The year wasn’t free

Think torture is a relic of the Dark Ages? Think again. Torture for sadistic gratification, information extraction, and punishment is intimately woven into the human experience. Even today, horrific acts of torture occur every day in all corners of the globe. Due to the unseemly elements and tools required, torture is often conducted in specially

Quick, get out your Rubik’s Cube! Mind puzzles, brainteasers, or whatever you may call them are often fun and sometimes addictive. Logical paradoxes are absurd statements that make sense and yet don’t at the same time. Here’s a classic example of a fun little brainteaser called “The Paradox of Omnipotence” that’s been puzzling minds for

Many insects are cute, cuddly, and harmless. We tend to ignore them unless they annoy us by buzzing about our heads or crawling close to us. But some insects are nightmarishly terrifying and downright dangerous. They can cause intense pain on their enemies that will last for hours or even days. Some deliver bites or

If you ever find yourself trapped in history, you might want to bring a nose plug. Everyday life, before modern sewage and sanitation, could get pretty gross. We’ve covered some examples of this before. It didn’t get much grosser than medieval England, though. In the days of Chaucer, to walk through the streets of London

Volcanoes are more than just pointy mountains shooting lava. They are among the most powerful geological features, and their eruptions can change the map. However, volcanoes do not have to be active to offer valuable archaeological and geological nuggets. Often, discoveries inside or near them reveal ancient mindsets and mysteries from a time when volcanoes

It is perhaps rather predictable that conspiracy theories would swirl around the official story of just what happened on the morning of September 11, 2001. Whether you believe their claims or not, many who were present make some intriguing points. When combined with the secrecy with which the government has seemingly handled the whole affair

Amazing acts of kindness and charity can completely transform lives and bring light to what can often seem to be a dark world. While World Kindness Day may be a long way off (November 13), it is always worth celebrating society’s unsung heroes. Time and time again, ordinary people come through for one another. The

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution states that an organism will evolve and develop desirable variations and characteristics to ensure its survival. Disease-causing organisms like viruses and bacteria are living true to this theory by evolving and mutating to resist our drugs, vaccines, treatments, and immune systems. Of course, their quest for survival isn’t in our

Series are the way of the future. Netflix has capitalized on this, and more traditional TV networks such as HBO, Fox, and ABC continue to do so. Many of you reading this have likely spent an evening or ten binge-watching your favorite shows, replete with all their in-depth story arcs and character development that few

Farming is an exceptionally strenuous livelihood; the responsibilities and perils of the job are seldom realized or acknowledged. Animals, heavy machinery, crazed maniacs, and even manure all pose a threat to life and limb. The following ten stories delve into the unthinkable and grotesque outcomes such a hazardous profession can entail, and also the senseless,

In unfortunate instances, people have found themselves drifting helplessly on the ocean, sometimes on rafts that aren’t more than a few feet long. With limited supplies, they soon run out of food and are left with no other option than feeding on raw birds and fish. Drinking the salty seawater is never an option, so

The events of December 7, 1941, will forever be etched into the collective memory of Americans due to the sheer loss of life and the seemingly unprovoked attack that brought the United States into World War II. Until then, the American public had been steadfastly against entering the war. In the decades since, many questions