Damn Interesting

LATEST LONG-FORM:

The Most Modern of Modern Sports
The secret runaway success of Kenneth Gandar-Dower’s racing cheetahs.

Written by Jennifer Noonan • 15 April 2019 • Read/Listen →
Site News:

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 →
Nugget:

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 →
Nugget:

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 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 →
Nugget:

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 →
Nugget:

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 →
Nugget:

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 Noonan • 12 Mar 2018 • Read →
Nugget:

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 →
Nugget:

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 →
Nugget:

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 →
Nugget:

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 →
Nugget:

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 →
Nugget:

The Democratic People’s Republic of Begonias

An iconic sight in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the Kimjongilia. This hybrid begonia was bred by a Japanese botanist and presented to Sup...
Written by Christine Ro • 15 Jan 2018 • Read →
Nugget:

Strange Brew

According to a 1957 US government study entitled The Effect of Nuclear Explosions on Commercially Packaged Beverages, canned and bottled sodas and beers ...
Written by Alan Bellows • 08 Jan 2018 • Read →
Nugget:

Buzz On, Buzz Off

Meta description preview:By the 1840’s, the British Empire was at full tilt...
Written by Erin Anderson • 11 Dec 2017 • Read →
Nugget:

Armed Conflict

Götz von Berlichingen (1480-1562) was a German knight and warrior for hire in the first half of the 16th century. In 1504, at age 24, he lost the lower p...
Written by Alan Bellows • 04 Dec 2017 • Read →

17 July 2019

How expectation influences perception How expectation influences perception
news.mit.edu
Your Smart Toaster Can’t Hold a Candle to the Apollo Computer Your Smart Toaster Can’t Hold a Candle to the Apollo Computer
theatlantic.com
Some People Are Taking ‘Storming Area 51’ More Seriously Than Others Some People Are Taking ‘Storming Area 51’ More Seriously Than Others
forbes.com
Video: An Astronaut’s Guide to Eating in Space Video: An Astronaut’s Guide to Eating in Space
wired.com
A barefoot woman scaled the face of Mount Rushmore, officials say. She almost made it to the top. A barefoot woman scaled the face of Mount Rushmore, officials say. She almost made it to the top.
sfgate.com
Notre-Dame came far closer to collapsing than people knew. This is how it was saved. Notre-Dame came far closer to collapsing than people knew. This is how it was saved.
nytimes.com
Where the Bodies are Buried Where the Bodies are Buried
texasobserver.org
Italian forest rangers on the hunt of 'escape genius' bear Italian forest rangers on the hunt of 'escape genius' bear
theguardian.com

16 July 2019

In pictures: 9,000 year-old settlement found in Israel In pictures: 9,000 year-old settlement found in Israel
bbc.com
Southern Italy’s centuries-long dancing mania Southern Italy’s centuries-long dancing mania
wellcomecollection.org
Why did we wait so long for the bicycle? Why did we wait so long for the bicycle?
rootsofprogress.org
HIV’s genetic code, extracted from a nub of tissue, adds to evidence of virus’ emergence in humans a century ago HIV’s genetic code, extracted from a nub of tissue, adds to evidence of virus’ emergence in humans a century ago
statnews.com
The Legend of Bingen’s Mouse Tower The Legend of Bingen’s Mouse Tower
amusingplanet.com
The U.S. Army Is Building a Smarter Land Mine The U.S. Army Is Building a Smarter Land Mine
popularmechanics.com
Was Bitcoin Created by This International Drug Dealer? Maybe! Was Bitcoin Created by This International Drug Dealer? Maybe!
wired.com
Radiation Levels at the Marshall Islands Remain Disturbingly High Radiation Levels at the Marshall Islands Remain Disturbingly High • (see also)
gizmodo.com
The Murderer, the Writer, the Reckoning The Murderer, the Writer, the Reckoning
nybooks.com
Did we mishear Neil Armstrong’s famous first words on the Moon? Did we mishear Neil Armstrong’s famous first words on the Moon?
theconversation.com
Ed Dwight Was Set to Be the First Black Astronaut. Here's Why That Never Happened. Ed Dwight Was Set to Be the First Black Astronaut. Here's Why That Never Happened.
nytimes.com
Photo: Neil Armstrong's family watching Saturn V launch him to the Moon 50 years ago today Photo: Neil Armstrong's family watching Saturn V launch him to the Moon 50 years ago today
damninteresting.com
Do our pets ever really love us – or do they just stick around for the food? Do our pets ever really love us – or do they just stick around for the food?
theguardian.com
The Con Man Who Became a True-Crime Writer The Con Man Who Became a True-Crime Writer
theatlantic.com
Apollo 11 launch: Watch the most memorable moments from CBS News' coverage [including the vintage ads] Apollo 11 launch: Watch the most memorable moments from CBS News' coverage [including the vintage ads]
cbsnews.com
A Visit with the Glacier Squad A Visit with the Glacier Squad
hakaimagazine.com

15 July 2019

Small horned dinosaur from China, a Triceratops relative, walked on two feet Small horned dinosaur from China, a Triceratops relative, walked on two feet
penntoday.upenn.edu
The battle to separate Safa and Marwa The battle to separate Safa and Marwa
bbc.com
How to fight a war in space (and get away with it) How to fight a war in space (and get away with it)
technologyreview.com
These scientists found 2,500 years of economic history frozen in ice These scientists found 2,500 years of economic history frozen in ice • (see also)
grist.org
Eclipses make animals do strange things Eclipses make animals do strange things
earthsky.org
The Promise and Price of Cellular Therapies The Promise and Price of Cellular Therapies
newyorker.com
The Secret World of Air Traffic Controllers The Secret World of Air Traffic Controllers • (see also)
topic.com
The habitability of Titan and its ocean The habitability of Titan and its ocean
phys.org
Striped Maples Can Change Sex Repeatedly Striped Maples Can Change Sex Repeatedly
blogs.scientificamerican.com
Is It Time to Play With Spaceships Again? Is It Time to Play With Spaceships Again?
nytimes.com
Anorexia not just a psychiatric problem, scientists find Anorexia not just a psychiatric problem, scientists find
theguardian.com
We Have The First-Ever Images of Molecules Changing Their Charge State We Have The First-Ever Images of Molecules Changing Their Charge State
sciencealert.com
How (Relatively) Simple Symmetries Underlie Our Expanding Universe How (Relatively) Simple Symmetries Underlie Our Expanding Universe
quantamagazine.org
Is It Okay to Laugh at Florida Man? Is It Okay to Laugh at Florida Man?
washingtonpost.com
What the Shoemaker-Levy 9 Impact Taught Us What the Shoemaker-Levy 9 Impact Taught Us
planetary.org
Rare Human-Sized Giant Jellyfish Caught On Camera Rare Human-Sized Giant Jellyfish Caught On Camera
vice.com
Headed to Mars? Pack Some Aerogel—You Know, for Terraforming Headed to Mars? Pack Some Aerogel—You Know, for Terraforming
wired.com
This is now the world's largest volcano, geologists say This is now the world's largest volcano, geologists say
nationalgeographic.com
Explaining a Novel to Pakistani Intelligence Explaining a Novel to Pakistani Intelligence
cjr.org
What Leonardo da Vinci Couldn’t Finish What Leonardo da Vinci Couldn’t Finish
nytimes.com
The real midlife crisis confronting many Americans The real midlife crisis confronting many Americans
theconversation.com


More ⇨

⇧
HALP
Sorry to interrupt. It seems you've really digging into our curated links. We put a lot of effort into finding these gems. Please consider donating so we can keep up the effort. Would you like to know more?
Sorry to interrupt. It seems you've read at least whole articles now. Yay! This is a reader-supported project, and you can get stuff for donating. Would you like to know more?
Hello! This site is an independent project. We despise advertising so we ask for direct support from readers. If you donate you can get stuff. Would you like to know more?