Damn Interesting

LATEST LONG-FORM:

Private Wojtek’s Right to Bear Arms
One of Poland’s most beloved and honored World War II veterans was not Polish at all: he was a 500-pound brown bear named Wojtek.

Written by Erika Nesvold • 12 December 2019 • Read/Listen →
Site News:

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 Nov 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 →
Nugget:

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 →

20 January 2020

How Africa's richest woman exploited family ties, shell companies and inside deals to build an empire How Africa's richest woman exploited family ties, shell companies and inside deals to build an empire
icij.org
Chemists find fungal shrapnel in the air Chemists find fungal shrapnel in the air
phys.org
The Night MLK Died, Washington, D.C. Burned The Night MLK Died, Washington, D.C. Burned
citylab.com
Dozens of non-oncology drugs can kill cancer cells Dozens of non-oncology drugs can kill cancer cells • (see also)
medicalxpress.com
Why Didn't the Allies Bomb Auschwitz? Why Didn't the Allies Bomb Auschwitz? • (see also)
livescience.com
Astronomers just got a deep peek at a black hole Astronomers just got a deep peek at a black hole
nationalgeographic.com
Study finds that the popular rubber hand illusion could be used to treat OCD Study finds that the popular rubber hand illusion could be used to treat OCD
arstechnica.com
Alex Haley’s 1965 Playboy Interview with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Alex Haley’s 1965 Playboy Interview with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
thedailybeast.com
“Relentless Absurdity”: An Army Photographer’s Censored Images “Relentless Absurdity”: An Army Photographer’s Censored Images
newyorker.com
Crispus Attucks Needs No Introduction. Or Does He? Crispus Attucks Needs No Introduction. Or Does He?
daily.jstor.org
ESA finally solves its Huygens probe's Titan landing mystery ESA finally solves its Huygens probe's Titan landing mystery
slashgear.com
How to Make Sense of an Undrowned Town How to Make Sense of an Undrowned Town
atlasobscura.com
World's 22 richest men wealthier than all the women in Africa, study finds World's 22 richest men wealthier than all the women in Africa, study finds
theguardian.com
Golf ball-sized hail, a dust storm, two people struck by lightning — and that's just 24 hours in Australia Golf ball-sized hail, a dust storm, two people struck by lightning — and that's just 24 hours in Australia
abc.net.au
Not a fake: Van Gogh self-portrait is his only work painted while suffering psychosis, experts say Not a fake: Van Gogh self-portrait is his only work painted while suffering psychosis, experts say
theartnewspaper.com
Extremely detailed 9000x9000 pixel image of the moon created by merging thousands of photos Extremely detailed 9000x9000 pixel image of the moon created by merging thousands of photos • Source
i.redd.it
How Visine Eye Drops In The Mouth Can Kill, Here Are Two Cases How Visine Eye Drops In The Mouth Can Kill, Here Are Two Cases
forbes.com
What if the Universe has no end? What if the Universe has no end?
bbc.com
Caneel Bay: Why a Caribbean Paradise Remains in Ruins Caneel Bay: Why a Caribbean Paradise Remains in Ruins
nytimes.com

19 January 2020

In 1930s New York, the Mayor Took on the Mafia by Banning Artichokes In 1930s New York, the Mayor Took on the Mafia by Banning Artichokes
atlasobscura.com
The Mysterious "Order of the Odd Fellows" that frankly, belongs in a Wes Anderson Movie The Mysterious "Order of the Odd Fellows" that frankly, belongs in a Wes Anderson Movie
messynessychic.com
Living in Alan Turing’s Future Living in Alan Turing’s Future
newyorker.com
Your Blood Type Could Affect How Likely You Are to Get The Stomach Flu This Winter Your Blood Type Could Affect How Likely You Are to Get The Stomach Flu This Winter
sciencealert.com
The Leech's Journey, From Welsh Lab to American Hospitals The Leech's Journey, From Welsh Lab to American Hospitals
atlasobscura.com
'This is not how sequoias die. It’s supposed to stand for another 500 years' 'This is not how sequoias die. It’s supposed to stand for another 500 years'
theguardian.com
Photos: SpaceX Falcon 9 exploding (as planned) after today's Crew Dragon in-flight abort test Photos: SpaceX Falcon 9 exploding (as planned) after today's Crew Dragon in-flight abort test • Video
twitter.com
That Lead Apron in the X-Ray Room? You May Not Need It That Lead Apron in the X-Ray Room? You May Not Need It
nytimes.com
Why Dutch officials want you to forget the country of Holland Why Dutch officials want you to forget the country of Holland
thestar.com

18 January 2020

Notre Dame’s fire gives scientists a look at the cathedral’s origins Notre Dame’s fire gives scientists a look at the cathedral’s origins
sciencenews.org
Type of Herpes Virus Tied to Multiple Sclerosis Type of Herpes Virus Tied to Multiple Sclerosis
the-scientist.com
At the Bottom of the Sea, They Wait to Feast on Alligators At the Bottom of the Sea, They Wait to Feast on Alligators
nytimes.com
Fastest spinning object in the world hits 300 billion rpm Fastest spinning object in the world hits 300 billion rpm
newatlas.com
Mars Orbiter Just Sent Back an Incredible Photo of The Red Planet's Icy North Pole Mars Orbiter Just Sent Back an Incredible Photo of The Red Planet's Icy North Pole
sciencealert.com
The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries: Wiblingen and Schussenried Abbeys The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries: Wiblingen and Schussenried Abbeys
thedailybeast.com
If You Look Very, Very Close, Antarctica Is Teeming With Life If You Look Very, Very Close, Antarctica Is Teeming With Life
atlasobscura.com
'Extremely rare’ Assyrian carvings discovered in Iraq 'Extremely rare’ Assyrian carvings discovered in Iraq
nationalgeographic.com
In pictures: Tokyo at night In pictures: Tokyo at night
bbc.com
60 hours on burning Kangaroo Island 60 hours on burning Kangaroo Island
nationalgeographic.com
Does Domestic-Violence Rehabilitation Work? Does Domestic-Violence Rehabilitation Work?
theatlantic.com
The Baron of Botox Is Gone, But His Face Lives On The Baron of Botox Is Gone, But His Face Lives On
gen.medium.com
Excess of Immune Cells Found in Brains of People with Autism Excess of Immune Cells Found in Brains of People with Autism
the-scientist.com
NASA Says Goodbye to One of Agency's Great Observatories NASA Says Goodbye to One of Agency's Great Observatories
jpl.nasa.gov

17 January 2020

The Horrors and Ironies of Solovetsky Prison The Horrors and Ironies of Solovetsky Prison
crimereads.com
Why This 18th-Century Naturalist Believed He’d Discovered an Eyewitness to the Biblical Flood Why This 18th-Century Naturalist Believed He’d Discovered an Eyewitness to the Biblical Flood
smithsonianmag.com
Portrait found in gallery walls verified as missing Klimt masterpiece Portrait found in gallery walls verified as missing Klimt masterpiece
cbc.ca


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