There is a theory that says society has 4 stages of approx 20 yrs: High (strong institutions; low individualism), Awakening (strong activism & art), Unraveling (distrusted institutions; strong individualism), and Crisis (destroy institutions for national survival). We’re in the Crisis stage.
When Joseph Heller was asked why he hadn’t ever…
When Joseph Heller was asked why he hadn’t ever written anything as good as Catch-22 since, his reply was that neither has anyone else.
There’s a team of NASA scientists who’ve been pretending…
There’s a team of NASA scientists who’ve been pretending they’re on Mars for nearly a year. They live and work in a dome on the side of a Hawaiian volcano and only go out in spacesuits.
A 2013 Video Game, Last of Us, includes an easter egg…
A 2013 Video Game, Last of Us, includes an easter egg which has an in-game pest control company’s phone numbers displayed. If players were to call these numbers in real life, they would reach phone sex hotlines. The makers of the game soon patched these numbers out after these findings were reported.
At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the US men’s basketball team…
At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the US men’s basketball team beat Canada 19-8 to win the gold medal. The game was held outdoors on a dirt court in the pouring rain. The conditions prevented dribbling, which is why the score was so low.
Starting in 1910, a series of books were published featuring a…
Starting in 1910, a series of books were published featuring a fictional boy-inventor by the name of Tom Swift. One of these books was titled “Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle.” Many years later, this led to the naming of the TASER that police now carry: “Tom A. Swift Electric Rifle”.
A company is attempting to create a community of tech workers aboard…
A company is attempting to create a community of tech workers aboard a cruise ship anchored 12 miles from the US sea border so that they don’t have to obey labor laws or get work visas.
In 18th century England, umbrellas were strictly taboo…
In 18th century England, umbrellas were strictly taboo and seen as a detestable, effeminate contraption. Cab drivers saw them as a threat to their business and grew violent towards umbrella owners.
There is an unreleased experimental Russian film where nobody…
There is an unreleased experimental Russian film where nobody on set was allowed to admit they were part of a movie production. Everyone had to pretend they were living in the 50’s for three whole years. The entire set was even wired to reproduce the effect of living under the Soviet regime.
In Japan, sleeping on the job is encouraged…
In Japan, sleeping on the job is encouraged. It is viewed as exhaustion from working hard. Some people even fake it to look committed to their job.