curiosities

CONOP 8888: The Pentagon’s Plan For Defending Against A Zombie Apocalypse

What CONOP 8888 says about defending against a zombie invasion — and why it exists.

By Wyatt Redd • Jul 18, 2018

CONOP 8888: The Pentagon’s Plan For Defending Against A Zombie Apocalypse

What CONOP 8888 says about defending against a zombie invasion — and why it exists.

By Wyatt Redd • July 18, 2018

Why Some Wounded Civil War Soldiers Actually Glowed In The Dark – And Lived Because Of It

"Angel's Glow" was a phenomenon of the Civil War in which soldiers' wounds seemed to glow in the dark. It took 139 years to figure out why.

By Aimee Lamoureux • Jul 12, 2018

Why Some Wounded Civil War Soldiers Actually Glowed In The Dark – And Lived Because Of It

"Angel's Glow" was a phenomenon of the Civil War in which soldiers' wounds seemed to glow in the dark. It took 139 years to figure out why.

By Aimee Lamoureux • July 12, 2018

They Said She Was Eaten By Lions — But The Real Story Of Her Disappearance Is More Grim

The tragic murder of Julie Ward spawned a decades-long search for the truth that's still ongoing.

By Kara Goldfarb • Jul 4, 2018

They Said She Was Eaten By Lions — But The Real Story Of Her Disappearance Is More Grim

The tragic murder of Julie Ward spawned a decades-long search for the truth that's still ongoing.

By Kara Goldfarb • July 4, 2018

Ambrose Burnside And The Origin Of The Word ‘Sideburns’

Ambrose Burnside may have been a Civil War general as well as a governor and U.S. senator, but many today know him best as the man who popularized sideburns.

By Aimee Lamoureux • Jun 27, 2018

Ambrose Burnside And The Origin Of The Word ‘Sideburns’

Ambrose Burnside may have been a Civil War general as well as a governor and U.S. senator, but many today know him best as the man who popularized sideburns.

By Aimee Lamoureux • June 27, 2018

Who The Sea Peoples Were And How They Devastated The Ancient World

The Sea Peoples terrorized Egypt and the Mediterranean during the Bronze Age, but their identity and origins remain mysterious to this day.

By Gina Dimuro • Jun 26, 2018

Who The Sea Peoples Were And How They Devastated The Ancient World

The Sea Peoples terrorized Egypt and the Mediterranean during the Bronze Age, but their identity and origins remain mysterious to this day.

By Gina Dimuro • June 26, 2018

Macuahuitl: The Aztec “Obsidian Chainsaw” Even More Fearsome Than It Sounds

The macuahuitl was plenty deadly enough to take you down. But the Aztecs would rather bring you to the edge of death, then sacrifice you alive.

By William DeLong • Jun 22, 2018

Macuahuitl: The Aztec “Obsidian Chainsaw” Even More Fearsome Than It Sounds

The macuahuitl was plenty deadly enough to take you down. But the Aztecs would rather bring you to the edge of death, then sacrifice you alive.

By William DeLong • June 22, 2018

Sea Tornado In China Brings Torrential Downpour Of Hail And Animals

You've heard the expression "raining cats and dogs," but what about raining octopuses and starfish?

By Katie Serena • Jun 15, 2018

Sea Tornado In China Brings Torrential Downpour Of Hail And Animals

You've heard the expression "raining cats and dogs," but what about raining octopuses and starfish?

By Katie Serena • June 15, 2018

Sylvester Magee Claimed To Be 130 Years Old – And That’s Not Even The Craziest Part

Sylvester Magee was born a slave, enlisted in the war as a Confederate, defected and fought for the Union, then lived to be 130 years old.

By Katie Serena • Jun 12, 2018

Sylvester Magee Claimed To Be 130 Years Old – And That’s Not Even The Craziest Part

Sylvester Magee was born a slave, enlisted in the war as a Confederate, defected and fought for the Union, then lived to be 130 years old.

By Katie Serena • June 12, 2018

How Grand Central Terminal’s Whispering Gallery Allows You To Hear Soft Words 30 Feet Away

Explaining the unusual architectural phenomenon of the whispering gallery that carries even the quietest words across dozens of feet amid swells of croud noise.

By Kara Goldfarb • Jun 8, 2018

How Grand Central Terminal’s Whispering Gallery Allows You To Hear Soft Words 30 Feet Away

Explaining the unusual architectural phenomenon of the whispering gallery that carries even the quietest words across dozens of feet amid swells of croud noise.

By Kara Goldfarb • June 8, 2018

Having Sex With Westworld-type Robots May Not Be Good For Your Health, Says Study

“The medical profession needs to be prepared for inevitable questions about the impact of sex robots on health.”

By Kara Goldfarb • Jun 5, 2018

Science News

Having Sex With Westworld-type Robots May Not Be Good For Your Health, Says Study

“The medical profession needs to be prepared for inevitable questions about the impact of sex robots on health.”

By Kara Goldfarb • June 5, 2018

Why The Wholphin Is One Of The World’s Rarest Hybrid Animals

Keikaimalu, the world's first known surviving wolphin, was born to a male false killer whale and a female bottlenose dolphin.

By William DeLong • May 29, 2018

Why The Wholphin Is One Of The World’s Rarest Hybrid Animals

Keikaimalu, the world's first known surviving wolphin, was born to a male false killer whale and a female bottlenose dolphin.

By William DeLong • May 29, 2018