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Permission to Grow
Beards have been banned in a number of military forces in history, from Qing Dynasty China to the modern-day Indian Army (apart from Sikhs). However cert...

Written by Alan Bellows • 22 November 2019 • Read →
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Sometimes a Cigar is Just a Cigar

Shortly after the abortive Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, U.S. President John F. Kennedy summoned his press secretary Pierre Salinger to the presidential ...
Written by Alan Bellows • 26 Sep 2019 • Read →
Long-Form:

Dead Reckoning

The 18th century misadventures of HMS Wager and her reluctant crew
Written by Alan Bellows • 12 Sep 2019 • Read/Listen →
Long-Form:

The Eponymous Mr. Ponzi

The little known story of an age-old scam.
Written by Michael Durbin • 02 Sep 2019 • Read/Listen →
Long-Form:

The Most Modern of Modern Sports

The secret runaway success of Kenneth Gandar-Dower’s racing cheetahs.
Written by Jennifer Lee Noonan • 15 Apr 2019 • Read/Listen →
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A Pregnant Pause

In January of 1963, husband and wife George and Charlotte Blonsky submitted a patent application for a revolutionary invention. George, a mining engineer...
Written by Alan Bellows • 29 Mar 2019 • Read →
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Every Breath You Take

In June of 1965, a 27-year-old gentleman by the name of Angus Barbieri checked himself into the Maryfield Hospital in Dundee, Scotland. His complaint was...
Written by Alan Bellows • 25 Jan 2019 • Read →
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Schumann Resonances

Three times a day, every day--roughly 9am, 2pm, and 8pm Coordinated Universal Time--an extremely low frequency electromagnetic pulse races around the Ear...
Written by Matt Castle • 04 Dec 2018 • Read →
Long-Form:

A Debaculous Fiasco

The most expensive, bizarre, and obscure work ever created by Dr. Seuss.
Written by Jennifer Lee Noonan • 06 Nov 2018 • Read/Listen →
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The Original Ghostbuster

In the early 1980s, a certain Mr. Vic Tandy found himself working for a medical device manufacturer in Warwick, in the county of Warwickshire, England. W...
Written by Erin Anderson • 14 Aug 2018 • Read →
Long-Form:

Drawing the Shorter Straw

Visionary Argentine filmmaker Quirino Cristiani created full-length animated films between 1917 and 1931. He has since been all but forgotten.
Written by Marisa Brook • 31 Jul 2018 • Read/Listen →
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Involuntary Indefatigability

Only one fictional character has ever been honoured with a front-page obituary in the New York Times: Hercule Poirot, one of Agatha Christie's two recurr...
Written by Marisa Brook • 21 May 2018 • Read →
Long-Form:

The Curse of Konzo

In 1981, an international group of doctors identified the devastating disease behind a perplexing outbreak of paralysis in northern Mozambique.
Written by Matt Castle • 02 May 2018 • Read/Listen →
Long-Form:

A Jarring Revelation

Amanda Theodosia Jones was a 19th-century poet, entrepreneur, and inventor who found inspiration in some unlikely places.
Written by Christine Ro • 30 Mar 2018 • Read/Listen →
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Scraping Bottom

When Germany was divided in two after the Second World War, military leaders recognized the need for liaison between the Soviet-occupied East Germany and...
Written by Alan Bellows • 19 Mar 2018 • Read →
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The Colors of Numbers

Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which certain sensory concepts are strongly linked to each other in seemingly random but persistent ways. Tho...
Written by Jennifer Lee Noonan • 12 Mar 2018 • Read →
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Yankee Swap

One of the more controversial trades in baseball history was announced on 04 March 1973, just before the start of the 1973 baseball season. Mike Kekich a...
Written by Alan Bellows • 04 Mar 2018 • Read →
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The Mystery Lake of the Himalayas

Nestled in a valley high in the Himalayas in northern India is a small lake named Roopkund, known locally as Mystery Lake. The area around Roopkund Lake ...
Written by Erika Nesvold • 19 Feb 2018 • Read →
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Echoes of NASA

On 13 May 1960, a NASA Thor-Delta rocket carried the agency's new Echo 1 satellite into a 1,000 mile orbit around the Earth. It was a 156.995 pound metal...
Written by Alan Bellows • 12 Feb 2018 • Read →
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Cracking the Case

A lengthy study of 'crack babies' born to cocaine addicts in Philadelphia in the 1980s and 1990s ended in 2013 with an unexpected result. The average IQ ...
Written by Marisa Brook • 06 Feb 2018 • Read →
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Water Proof

In 1936, Russian scientist Vladimir Lukyanov was confronted with the problem of devising a system to improve the quality of Russian concrete and the effi...
Written by Alan Bellows • 22 Jan 2018 • Read →

09 December 2019

Recordings reveal that plants make ultrasonic squeals when stressed Recordings reveal that plants make ultrasonic squeals when stressed
newscientist.com
He won hockey gold, then became a motivational speaker. But Paul Rosen’s dark secrets nearly killed him He won hockey gold, then became a motivational speaker. But Paul Rosen’s dark secrets nearly killed him
thespec.com
New York's high-rise jails: what could go wrong? New York's high-rise jails: what could go wrong?
theguardian.com

08 December 2019

Video: An Antidote to Dissatisfaction [10:00] Video: An Antidote to Dissatisfaction [10:00]
youtube.com
Video: Relative rotation rates of the planets cast to a single sphere [0:20] Video: Relative rotation rates of the planets cast to a single sphere [0:20]
reddit.com
A US town only reached through Canada A US town only reached through Canada
bbc.com
Austria struggles with marauding Krampus demons gone rogue Austria struggles with marauding Krampus demons gone rogue
theguardian.com
Lovers in Auschwitz, Reunited 72 Years Later. He Had One Question. Lovers in Auschwitz, Reunited 72 Years Later. He Had One Question.
nytimes.com
'Don't mess with us': Family of the 'Cat Lady' seeks justice in Muskoka mystery of missing seniors 'Don't mess with us': Family of the 'Cat Lady' seeks justice in Muskoka mystery of missing seniors
cbc.ca
Uncovered details behind the shooting and death of Michel Vieanneau Uncovered details behind the shooting and death of Michel Vieanneau
newsinteractives.cbc.ca
When a DNA Test Says You’re a Younger Man, Who Lives 5,000 Miles Away When a DNA Test Says You’re a Younger Man, Who Lives 5,000 Miles Away
nytimes.com

07 December 2019

Why We Get Nostalgic About Junk Food Why We Get Nostalgic About Junk Food
thewalrus.ca
One man’s 10-year experiment to record every moment One man’s 10-year experiment to record every moment
bbc.com
Black holes formed from dark matter could be making dead stars explode Black holes formed from dark matter could be making dead stars explode
newscientist.com
Colored Micrographs Magnify Pollen Seeds, Plant Cells, and Leaf Structures in Photographs by Rob Kesseler Colored Micrographs Magnify Pollen Seeds, Plant Cells, and Leaf Structures in Photographs by Rob Kesseler
thisiscolossal.com
On this day in 1941 a Japanese fighter pilot crash landed on the sparsely populated Hawaiian island of Niihau On this day in 1941 a Japanese fighter pilot crash landed on the sparsely populated Hawaiian island of Niihau
damninteresting.com
Suspect swallows poison after verdict in French murder case Suspect swallows poison after verdict in French murder case
france24.com
Remembrance Lake: In Japan, an intimate reminder of climate change Remembrance Lake: In Japan, an intimate reminder of climate change
reuters.com
Billionaires only, please! London vault for the ultra-rich opens Billionaires only, please! London vault for the ultra-rich opens
theguardian.com
The Man Who Predicted Nazi Germany The Man Who Predicted Nazi Germany
nytimes.com
Our Bodies Age in Three Distinct Shifts, According to More Than 4,000 Blood Tests Our Bodies Age in Three Distinct Shifts, According to More Than 4,000 Blood Tests
sciencealert.com
The dark side of electronic waste recycling The dark side of electronic waste recycling
theverge.com
Victoria Falls dries to a trickle after worst drought in a century Victoria Falls dries to a trickle after worst drought in a century
theguardian.com

06 December 2019

Buyer beware of this $1 million gene therapy for aging Buyer beware of this $1 million gene therapy for aging
technologyreview.com
Two pigs engineered to have monkey cells born in China Two pigs engineered to have monkey cells born in China
newscientist.com
Drivers Refuse to Put Down Their Phones. People Keep Dying. Drivers Refuse to Put Down Their Phones. People Keep Dying.
bloomberg.com
New kind of alien 'mineral' created on Earth New kind of alien 'mineral' created on Earth
nationalgeographic.com
Hundreds of wacky, obsolete laws still exist. Why don’t more states remove them? Hundreds of wacky, obsolete laws still exist. Why don’t more states remove them?
vox.com
Why it can be hard to stop eating even when you're full: Some foods may be designed that way Why it can be hard to stop eating even when you're full: Some foods may be designed that way
theconversation.com
A new CDC report warns: “Stop referring to a coming post-antibiotic era—it’s already here.” A new CDC report warns: “Stop referring to a coming post-antibiotic era—it’s already here.”
daily.jstor.org
The science of sewage: What your wastewater could reveal about you The science of sewage: What your wastewater could reveal about you
newatlas.com
On this day in 1917 a munitions ship disastrously exploded in the port of Halifax On this day in 1917 a munitions ship disastrously exploded in the port of Halifax
damninteresting.com
Asteroid Bennu’s Mysterious Particle Events Explained by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx [Video] Asteroid Bennu’s Mysterious Particle Events Explained by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx [Video]
scitechdaily.com
What we get wrong about time What we get wrong about time
bbc.com
Why the Ottoman Empire rose and fell Why the Ottoman Empire rose and fell
nationalgeographic.com
The Disappearing Y Chromosome The Disappearing Y Chromosome
theatlantic.com
Famous World War I Battleship Discovered at the Bottom of the Atlantic Famous World War I Battleship Discovered at the Bottom of the Atlantic
livescience.com
Briton revived after six-hour cardiac arrest Briton revived after six-hour cardiac arrest
bbc.com

05 December 2019

Subway sues journalists for reporting its chicken is only 50% chicken—and loses Subway sues journalists for reporting its chicken is only 50% chicken—and loses
thetakeout.com
Jackpot: How two lottery-crazed bank clerks cooked up China’s biggest bank robbery of all time Jackpot: How two lottery-crazed bank clerks cooked up China’s biggest bank robbery of all time
marker.medium.com
Can Bee Stings Treat Lyme Disease? Can Bee Stings Treat Lyme Disease?
texasmonthly.com
What caused this great warship to sink? What caused this great warship to sink?
bbc.com
The Photographer Who X-Rayed Chernobyl The Photographer Who X-Rayed Chernobyl
atlasobscura.com
Why Mammals Are So Good at Hearing (And Chewing) Why Mammals Are So Good at Hearing (And Chewing)
theatlantic.com
Cities Around the Globe Are Eagerly Importing a Dutch Speciality—Flood Prevention Cities Around the Globe Are Eagerly Importing a Dutch Speciality—Flood Prevention • (see also)
smithsonianmag.com


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