Scorpions are incredibly resilient. Scientists have frozen scorpions overnight, left them in the sun the following day, and when thawed, the arthropod walked away unscathed.
When asked how they discovered the hallucinogenic properties of the plants used…
When asked how they discovered the hallucinogenic properties of the plants used in the ayahuasca brew, many indigenous Amazonian people said they “received the instructions directly from plants and plant spirits”.
The Nobel Committee declined to award the Nobel Peace Prize in 1948 because…
The Nobel Committee declined to award the Nobel Peace Prize in 1948 because “there was no suitable living candidate.” This was meant as tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated earlier that year without receiving the Prize.
In the early 1900s, 6-day long bicycle races were quite popular. The winner would be whoever…
In the early 1900s, 6-day long bicycle races were quite popular. The winner would be whoever rode the greatest distance in the 6days. They would get extremely little sleep and hallucinate on the track.
Niccolo Paganini, regarded by many people to be the greatest Violin Virtuoso ever, was…
Niccolo Paganini, regarded by many people to be the greatest Violin Virtuoso ever, was so good that he was thought to be the son of the Devil or to have sold his soul for his talent. Therefore he was forced to publish his mother’s letters to him in order to prove that he had human parents.
Istanbul has a vending machine that releases food and water for the city’s stray…
Istanbul has a vending machine that releases food and water for the city’s stray dogs in exchange for recycled plastic bottles.
March 17 is St Gertrude’s Day: the patron saint of cats, travelers, gardeners…
March 17 is St Gertrude‘s Day, the patron saint of cats, travelers, gardeners, and mental illness.
Since the 1990s, Carmel, Indiana has been replacing all signaled intersections with…
Since the 1990s, Carmel, Indiana has been replacing all signaled intersections with roundabouts. Benefits include gas savings of 24k gallons/year per roundabout; construction costs $125,000 less per intersection; injury accidents dropped by 80 percent and total accidents dropped by 40 percent.
Monica Lewinsky, as of 2014, had still not held a full-time…
Monica Lewinsky, as of 2014, had still not held a full-time job since leaving the Pentagon in 1997.
Saint Patrick’s Day began as a “feast day” in honor of the anniversary of the day…
Saint Patrick’s Day began as a “feast day” in honor of the anniversary of the day Saint Patrick died. To honor him, Christians could put aside their Lenten restrictions on food and alcohol consumption on this day, which is why excessive drinking has become so permanently linked to the celebration.