Just about everyone reading this has likely heard of psychological maladies like obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. Conditions such as anxiety disorders and depression are everyday terms. However, there are some strange mental illnesses that you’ve probably never heard of. Some of these are location-specific and only affect people visiting a place. Others affect anybody but

Although forensics is a well-spread field, many have accused it of being less of a science and more of a pseudoscience, with untested claims and high error rates. As much as you’d like to believe in the various methods’ famous accuracy, the reality is that they don’t work the same way they do in famous

Ancient weapons may have been forged from wood, stone, and lower-grade metal, but they were all deadly. Recent discoveries unearthed rare swords and spear points but also unusual facts. From fierce Vikings who did not use their swords to clumsy-looking paddles designed to crush skulls, unexpected uses are coming to light. Researchers also look to

In 1915, a German thinker named Friedrich Naumann wrote a book entitled Mitteleuropa. Naumann saw in Central Europe the chance for an economic trading zone free from the claws of imperial powers Great Britain, France, and Russia. Other German thinkers, especially Prussian militarists, conceived of Mitteleuropa as a pan-German state ruled from Berlin.[1] The Habsburg

Imagine you’re walking through your home city or town, maybe in your own neighborhood on the way to your favorite nearby grocery market, when all of a sudden, you find yourself stopped, paralyzed with fear as you stare into the eyes of a dead person, staring your own mortality right in the face. Statistically speaking,

Diamonds are not only a woman’s best friend. They are also a geologist’s best friend. These precious stones sometimes contain unbelievably rare or unseen elements that reveal the deepest secrets buried in our Earth. By analyzing diamond finds, scientists have been able to guess what lies underground and have even uncovered some facts about the

In the animal kingdom, there is no shortage of odd bodily functions to keep you wondering what on Earth Mother Nature was thinking. What can we say about the workings of the animal kingdom? We have much in common with our animal friends, and yet we have many differences. It goes without saying that these

Some people have always been frightened of bridges. Gephyrophobia sufferers often try to avoid crossing bridges altogether, driving miles out of their way to avoid them. Of course, quite a few bridges can be rough experiences for those with acrophobia, as well. With some bridges, however, terror seems to be the only sensible response. Here,