The sad reality is that we will never be able to solve all crimes. Despite the best efforts of law enforcement, justice isn’t always served, and closure forever eludes some victims’ families. Sometimes, no one may even realize a crime has been committed until it’s far too late to do anything about it. History is

Over the centuries, certain places, steeped in history, come to symbolize their time, to represent the values a people hold dear, or to stand for a particular lifestyle unique to a city or a country. Such precious places seem irreplaceable. The notion of selling them as if they were mere commodities would strike many as

The idea of traveling into space seems cool. Many of us have imagined becoming astronauts—or possibly the first person on Mars—at some point in our lives. Who hasn’t wanted to touch the stars? However, there are some facts that might have made us reconsider if our dreams hadn’t died off, anyway. From the unfortunate consequences

What is that foul smell? Do you really want to know? Every day, people follow their noses to make grisly, odoriferous discoveries of dead bodies. Rotten corpses fester, and their funk attracts attention. Even when human remains are concealed from sight, the inevitable fetid aroma they produce betrays their location. Often, our first contact with

McDonald’s has over 36,000 locations around the globe, which are estimated to serve over 69 million customers daily. That’s the second-highest number of locations for a fast-food chain in the world. (Subway takes the top spot.) At that scale, it’s no wonder there have been so many controversies and scandals. Most people have heard of

“Aryan” is perhaps the most controversial term in archaeology. Originally a self-identifier of the Indo-Iranian people, “Aryan” referred to a cultural and linguistic group, not an ethnicity. Nineteenth-century scholars misappropriated the term, made it a synonym for all Indo-Europeans, and burdened it with racial connotations never intended by the original users. Of course, we all

We are in the fourth industrial revolution, which is characterized by advances in robotics and self-driving car technology, the proliferation of smart home appliances, and more. At the forefront of all these is artificial intelligence (AI), which is the development of automated computer systems that could match or even surpass humans in intelligence. AI is

Weddings tend to be kind of a big thing. A lot of importance is generally placed upon the ceremony involved, and quite a bit of money is often thrown into the proceedings. Why not? More than a few would state that the wedding should be the best day of the newlyweds’ lives. Weddings aren’t always

Herodotus is known as the Father of History. His book about the wars between the Persians and the Greek city states was a collection of his historia—his inquiries—which is where we get the very word “history” from. Yet he is also known to some as the Father of Lies. His work contains may diversions. If

The idea of people creating their own language might sound bizarre, but as we are about to find out, it does happen. Sometimes, the languages were created in order to unite the speakers of different languages, while at other times, it was for research purposes. In at least two instances, the languages were innately created

Welcome to Liechtenstein. Hard to spell and even harder to say after a beer. Located at the tiny filling in a Swiss and Austrian sandwich, this small, mountainous country was once a tax haven for all the best kind of wealthy enemies of the people. Liechtenstein is the fourth-smallest country in Europe with just 11

Many researchers of “alternative history” claim that numerous ancient legends and nursery rhymes resulted from “secret knowledge” hidden in fiction and passed on openly. However, it was only received and understood by a select few. These researchers believe that this still happens today. They point to a society such as the Freemasons as a group

Another year has almost gone by, and still no aliens. That’s all right, though, as there were plenty of other space stories to make scientists scratch their heads in puzzlement or scream with excitement. The cosmos is a gift that keeps on giving. There’s always more to learn about space, and this year was no

Most of us like to think we’re pretty well-informed. We watch the news, we read in-depth reports, heck, we even understand weird acronyms like OECD, ICC, and IMF. But even the most observant among us can forget the stuff we’re reading comes through a filter. Our papers, magazines, and news sites all love a good

Parents just don’t raise kids like they used to. Back in the good ol’ days, people raised their kids to be tough and didn’t balk if that meant being strict with them. If a kid had to be held over a fire, forced to carry logs until he collapsed, or sent to starve in a

Forests are truly amazing places. Combining impressive biodiversity with natural beauty, the woods of the world can be both captivating and perplexing. A hike through a forest can be a relaxing way to pass an afternoon or, sometimes, a glimpse into the unknown. There are many forests in the world with question marks hanging over

Medieval art is kind of weird. It’s the dirty uncle of art history. We’ll go on and on about how proud we are of the Renaissance and the Classics, but if anyone brings up the years AD 1000 to 1500, we cough and politely try to change the subject. And that’s what makes it so

On December 14, net neutrality is going to have its greatest showdown. The FCC will be holding a vote to decide whether to keep the Internet free and open, and the consequences could be severe. If net neutrality dies, your Internet provider will win the right to slow down websites, apps, and online services—and even

From 1837 to 1901, Queen Victoria ruled over England. When her husband, Prince Albert, died, she began wearing black, declared that she was in mourning . . . and never stopped. She never remarried and raised all of their children alone. To the English people, this was incredibly tragic and romantic at the same time, so they began to

Few films are as gripping as those that attempt to realistically capture the horrors of war. If done right, a war film can become iconic, sweeping awards ceremonies and ingraining their lines, performances, and scenes into popular culture. If done wrong, they’re forgotten inside a decade. As is true of so many things, there is

Bank robbers don’t always carry guns and wear masks. Sometimes, we willingly hand over our money to them, falsely believing that they are people we can trust. Yes, we’re talking about bank employees. They often deal with tens of thousands of dollars each day, and it is difficult for some to resist stealing a few

Shape-shifting is a power usually restricted to the pages of a science fiction book or a big-screen horror monster. While most of us will never meet an organism that can radically alter its shape in real life, evolution has provided some organisms with just such an ability. Whether they appear to grow in size, contort

Long after flesh and bone has turned to dust, teeth remain. Of all skeletal tissue, tooth enamel is the toughest and densest. As a result, it is often the last remnant of an organism. An ancient tooth can be used for more than identifying its owner. It can provide a window into a lost world.

Computers and automation are revolutionizing the workplace and the world in general. Chances are that somewhere out there, there is a team of skilled engineers looking at how a machine or piece of software could do your job. There are very few positions that someone hasn’t tried to fill with a robot at his point.

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, and it has become one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the United States. Huge crowds of people rush to grab the biggest and best deals, often leaving their manners at the door as they barge through. The pressure to buy discounted products before the

Vampires are perhaps the most famous mythological monsters in the world. They are human and inhuman at the same time. Their myth can be made to fit almost any desired theme—from aristocrats literally feeding off the poor to sparkly, misunderstood teens. However, vampires are only the most celebrated blood-hungry fiends. Most cultures have their own

For people outside of the complex and exciting world of cryptocurrency, Bitcoin can be hard to understand. Many have brushed it off for years, saying that it was a fad that would disappear as quickly as the value of Beanie Babies. However, with the price spiking in the thousands of dollars for a single Bitcoin,

Giant trees, glowing mushrooms, flowers that look like birds, and plants that are half animal—surely these things only belong in a movie? Think again! Although you probably don’t know anyone who is 3 meters (10 ft) tall and blue yet, Pandora is not worlds apart from our Earth after all. In fact, many discoveries that

All murders are tragic, untimely, and not to be trivialized. Sometimes, though, out of a combination of morbid fascination and the rich tapestry that makes up the human existence, the backstories to them enthrall the public—even for decades after. Whether it’s to assume a person’s identity, to collect huge amounts of insurance money, or even

Medical science and technology are always changing. Advances in equipment and scientific knowledge allow medical procedures to become safer and less invasive so that we can all stay healthy and live longer. However, you may be surprised by how much our medical knowledge has changed in just the last 100 years. Not that long ago,