Posted inHistory
Why we say “bless you” after a sneeze
Why do we say “bless you” after someone sneezes? It's not what you think. In fact, ancient soul-protection rituals show its history is much stranger.
Posted inWorld
8 fun (and some gross) facts about fast food
Have you ever heard of bubblegum broccoli or rats in burgers? Fast food hides stranger secrets than you’d think, and some of them are pretty unsettling.
Posted inScience
10 surprising foods that can improve your sleep
Some bedtime snacks can actually help you sleep better. These surprising foods do more than fill you up, as they might help you drift off faster.
Why the Washington Monument is two different shades of stone
One detail on the Washington Monument seems out of place. But it isn’t damage or age. It's part of a long, messy build that changed everything halfway through.
Posted inHistory
The story of why Connecticut supposedly banned pickles that didn’t bounce
A spoiled batch of pickles and one offhand remark became a lasting myth. How did Connecticut’s pickle law end up so famously misunderstood?
Why the Mississippi River once flowed backward for three days
For three strange days in 1812, the Mississippi River seemed to defy nature itself. Just what force could be powerful enough to make it flow backward?
Why lightning strikes most often in one Florida city
There’s a spot in Florida where lightning seems almost drawn to the ground. Orlando sits at the center of it all. What’s causeing all those daily strikes?