competitions
Wax Bullet Duels Were the Paintball Fights of 1909
Prideful men could fluff their feathers without anyone ending up dead.
All Stories
chemicals
Found: A Gorgeous New Shade of Blue
Just mix manganese oxide with some other chemicals, and bake in a 2,000 degree oven.
africa
The World's Oldest Library Has Reopened
After years of renovations.
comedy
How a Portuguese-to-English Phrasebook Became a Cult Comedy Sensation
Meet 1883's most absurd language guide.
olympics
Watch a Man Throw a Bucket of Water at the Olympic Torch and Miss
It was a good try.
japan
Watch a Japanese Chef Turn Slicing a Cucumber into a Fine Art
Who knew you could get so creative with the gourd family.
found
Huge New Trove of 'Life-Saving' Helium Is Discovered
We've long fretted over a possible helium shortage.
clowns
A Night and a Day in Tonopah, Nevada
An adventure through Nevada's historic mining town, featuring the world-famous Clown Motel, a miner's graveyard, and a forest of cars.
fleeting wonders
Orangutans Escape Zoo Enclosure, Attempt To Meet Duke Of Westminster
It didn't happen.
horticulture
The Unknown French Horticulturist Who Made Lilacs Happen
If you've ever enjoyed a stroll through a modern garden, thank Victor Lemoine.
disney
Found: Elie Wiesel’s Review of Disneyland
He loved it.
astronauts
Some Astronauts Are Spending 6 Days in Caves to Train for Space
It's part of the European Space Agency's Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising, which forms the acronym CAVE.
weather
Who Needs a Weather App When You Can Get This Weather Stick?
Swap your Apple phone for an actual branch.
longreads
Did an Uncredited Woman Invent Breakfast Cereal?
Before there was granola, there was granula—and billions turned out to be at stake.
statistics
The Scottish Scoundrel Who Changed How We See Data
When he wasn't blackmailing lords and being sued for libel, William Playfair invented the pie chart, the bar graph, and the line graph.
tedium
A Brief History of the White House, as Portrayed by Hollywood
Independence Day wasn't the first, of course.
mammoths
Some 14,000-Year-Old Mammoth Bones Were Found Near Mexico City
The animal was probably cut up by humans after its death.
canals
Massive New $5.2 Billion Panama Canal Opens
A Pyrrhic victory?
