These chemical reaction GIFs will remind you of how some truly strange stuff can happen with even the most basic of elements.

As "12 Years a Slave" generates Oscar buzz and its author joins a pantheon of former slaves, here are five other inspiring former slaves to remember.

From zoology to physics to astronomy to microbiology, we're bringing you the year's best, most mystifying science photos we could find!

From Roald Dahl's days as a sexy spy to Dan Brown's failed attempts at gaining fame in children's electronic music, these facts about famous authors are down-right odd.

From the mind-boggling Day of the Dead in Mexico to Latvia's Go Blonde festival, a fascinating look at the most interesting parades from around the world!

This year saw an incredible amount of extremes: from weather to pop culture adoption to activism, these photos of 2013 present a year of hi-octane events.

Stress impacts everyone in different ways, almost all of them negative. From going up a pant size to avoiding sex, these stress effects may surprise you.

These low-tech Christmas toys are sure to make you miss the days when entertainment meant attaching two balls to a string, not buying an iPad for your toddler.

Bet you never thought that Bubble Wrap was originally intended to be wallpaper. Read more about the surprising origins of everyday items here.

Following a 12-year absence, the 1948 Olympics served as a much-needed reminder of the human capacity for good.

If you weren't already aware, most people from the United States aren't too hip to the field of geography. Here are 31 examples of it.