In 2003 a teen with cancer died because his naturopathic Dr assured his parents he will cure his cancer with photo luminescence: taking a vial of blood from him, exposing it to ultraviolet light from a device, injecting the treated blood back in a hydrogen-peroxide solution. He died 9 days later.
A 14-year-old North Korean schoolgirl drowned while…
A 14-year-old North Korean schoolgirl drowned while attempting to rescue portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il from a flood.
To study wind currents, the US Navy sprayed San Francisco….
To study wind currents, the US Navy sprayed San Francisco with S. marcescens, thought to be a non-pathogenic bacterium. Doctors soon noted drastic increases in pneumonia and urinary tract infections.
A French man fell in love with someone he thought was a female…
A French man fell in love with someone he thought was a female Chinese opera singer, and had a decades-long affair that resulted in a child… only to discover that the whole time the singer had actually been male and a spy.
Up to 70% of people will experience a…
Up to 70% of people will experience a hypnagogic jerk when falling asleep. A hypnagogic jerk is an involuntary muscle spasm that occurs as a person is drifting off to sleep. The phenomenon is so named in reference to the hypnogogic state — the transitional period between wakefulness and sleep.
Research indicates black Americans really do tip waiters less…
Research indicates black Americans really do tip waiters less than whites Americans, but likely as part of a cycle: waiters resist serving African Americans, or they provide poorer service, which discourages blacks from patronizing table-service restaurants.
In 2008 a school Camden, NJ forced 7 students to eat their…
In 2008 a school Camden, NJ forced students to eat their lunch off the floor for 2 weeks after a child accidentally spilled water while refilling a water cooler. 7 students won a $500,000 legal settlement.
Detroit’s city flag contains a four-world Latin phrase…
Detroit’s city flag contains a four-world Latin phrase on the seal: “Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus.” It translates to “we hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes”. But it’s not a reference to the city’s present-day struggles. The flag was designed in 1907 and officially adopted in 1948, and the motto dates back […]
In 1923 the State of Illinois passed an act declaring “American”…
In 1923 the State of Illinois passed an act declaring “American” (as opposed to “English”) to be the state’s official language. The act was proposed by Senator Frank J. Ryan of Chicago who was “fed up” with American being called English. Ryan, in turn, got the idea from Montana Congressman Washington McCormick, who had tried, […]
Chinese mathematician Yitang Zhang could not get an academic…
Chinese mathematician Yitang Zhang could not get an academic job upon graduating, having to work as an accountant and a delivery worker for a New York City restaurant. He later went on to solve a math problem that had been unsolved for 150 years and won a MacArthur Genius Grant.