medicine
A New Robot Can Drill Through a Skull in Under 3 Minutes
The future of cranial surgery is here.
All Stories
facial hair
A WWI Anthrax Outbreak Was Caused by Shaving Brushes
Lathering up could be painful.
crash site
This Plane Crash Is Both Spectacular and, Thankfully, Injury-Free
Fireballs.
space exploration
The 17th-Century Moon Mission That Never Got Off the Ground
Dr. John Wilkins' lunar ambitions were a little too lofty.
found
Found: A Giant Wave of Gas Twice the Size of the Milky Way
It's 200,000 light years across.
sewers
Portland's Sewers May Soon Help Power the City's Garbage Trucks
"We're going to be turning poop into power."
bathrooms
Found: Hidden Golden Toilets With a Political Message
Some puckish politico has placed them across Indiana.
obscura day 2017
The Twisted History of IUD Design
Before doctors settled on the T-shape, these contraceptives came in all shapes and sizes.
pyramids
A New Look at the Little-Known Pyramids of Ancient Nubia
A photographer’s journey deep into the Sudanese desert.
minor threats
Watch a Great White Shark Breach—Just Feet Away
Why, hello there.
tedium
The Consequences of Amtrak Not Owning Its Own Tracks
Was your train late, recently?
statues
An Ivan the Terrible Statue in Russia Was 'Stolen' an Hour After It Went Up
The government was behind it.
europe
Tiny Gadheim Will Be the New Center of the EU, Thanks to Brexit
EU flags will soon grace a German field.
craters
A Giant Permafrost Crater Grows in Siberia
It's yet another canary in the climate coal mine.
money
Found: A Lost Wallet, 13 Years Later
Dean McAuley thinks it went missing on a scuba-diving trip.
anatomy
A Visit to the Synthetic Cadaver Factory
Florida's SynDaver Labs makes extraordinarily advanced anatomical models.
migrations
Norway's Migrating Reindeer Are Too Slow for Slow TV
Reality television stars can be so fickle.
story
Debunking the Myth of 19th-Century 'Tear Catchers'
It’s hard to keep a good story down when there’s money to be made.
