curiosities

22 Things You Didn’t Know About Friday The 13th

The clinical term for a phobia of Friday the 13th is paraskevidekatriaphobia and more interesting facts about Friday the 13th.

By Abby Norman • Nov 13, 2015

22 Things You Didn’t Know About Friday The 13th

The clinical term for a phobia of Friday the 13th is paraskevidekatriaphobia and more interesting facts about Friday the 13th.

By Abby Norman • November 13, 2015

Failed Products: Adult Baby Food, Purple Ketchup, And Other Fabulous Flops

Tucked away in Ann Arbor, Michigan is NewProductWorks (NPW). Affiliated with global market research consultants GfK, NPW has a stock of about 120,000 different products across 350 categories. There is just about one of everything crammed onto the shelves. For this reason, companies and individuals looking to create and market...

By Callie Stewart • Nov 12, 2015

Failed Products: Adult Baby Food, Purple Ketchup, And Other Fabulous Flops

Tucked away in Ann Arbor, Michigan is NewProductWorks (NPW). Affiliated with global market research consultants GfK, NPW has a stock of about 120,000 different products across 350 categories. There is just about one of everything crammed onto the shelves. For this reason, companies and individuals looking to create and market...

By Callie Stewart • November 12, 2015

Inside Kyoto, The City Of 10,000 Shrines

They don’t call Kyoto the “city of 10,000 shrines” for nothing. The ancient cities of Nara and Kyoto are located in what’s known as Japan’s Kansai region, where many emperors resided long ago. Immaculate shrines drape the region in timeless grandeur, and are made that much more splendid courtesy of...

By Erin Kelly • Nov 9, 2015

Inside Kyoto, The City Of 10,000 Shrines

They don’t call Kyoto the “city of 10,000 shrines” for nothing. The ancient cities of Nara and Kyoto are located in what’s known as Japan’s Kansai region, where many emperors resided long ago. Immaculate shrines drape the region in timeless grandeur, and are made that much more splendid courtesy of...

By Erin Kelly • November 9, 2015

Welcome To Kamchatka: Far Eastern Russia’s Wild, Volcanic Peninsula

Tourists are beginning to trickle into the volcanic peninsula of Kamchatka in Russia. If you don't have the budget to visit just yet, let us be your guide.

By John Schellhase • Nov 8, 2015

Welcome To Kamchatka: Far Eastern Russia’s Wild, Volcanic Peninsula

Tourists are beginning to trickle into the volcanic peninsula of Kamchatka in Russia. If you don't have the budget to visit just yet, let us be your guide.

By John Schellhase • November 8, 2015

What Happens To Your Body When You Do Krokodil, The “Zombie Drug”

The drug currently known as krokodil was born in the early 1930s as desomorphine, a fast-acting medical alternative to morphine. But by the 1990s, Russian doctors began noticing reptilian patches of skin on some drug addicts in Siberia and Far East Russia. Today, the drug’s cheap, concentrated power makes it...

By Richard Stockton • Nov 7, 2015

What Happens To Your Body When You Do Krokodil, The “Zombie Drug”

The drug currently known as krokodil was born in the early 1930s as desomorphine, a fast-acting medical alternative to morphine. But by the 1990s, Russian doctors began noticing reptilian patches of skin on some drug addicts in Siberia and Far East Russia. Today, the drug’s cheap, concentrated power makes it...

By Richard Stockton • November 7, 2015

Meet Vít Jedlička, The President Of Liberland, A Tea Party Paradise In Eastern Europe

The 2.7 square mile country called Liberland was just founded and its ruler is modeling his politics on the Tea Party movement.

By Teresa Cantero • Nov 4, 2015

Meet Vít Jedlička, The President Of Liberland, A Tea Party Paradise In Eastern Europe

The 2.7 square mile country called Liberland was just founded and its ruler is modeling his politics on the Tea Party movement.

By Teresa Cantero • November 4, 2015

Sliced And Stacked: A Brief History Of The Sandwich

Despite all of our worldly excesses, the sandwich is proof that at our core, people are pragmatic. Before the term “sandwich” was coined, this portable food was simply called “meat on bread,” which frankly doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. Hot or cold, savory or sweet, finger-food or...

By Erin Kelly • Nov 2, 2015

Sliced And Stacked: A Brief History Of The Sandwich

Despite all of our worldly excesses, the sandwich is proof that at our core, people are pragmatic. Before the term “sandwich” was coined, this portable food was simply called “meat on bread,” which frankly doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. Hot or cold, savory or sweet, finger-food or...

By Erin Kelly • November 2, 2015

The Surprising Stories Behind Seven Of The Most Common Superstitions

Crossing the path of a black cat portends misfortune to come. Breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck. Walking under a ladder is just asking for trouble. These common superstitions have permeated our culture for thousands of years, leaving some of their sinister origins long since forgotten…

By Briana Jones • Oct 30, 2015

The Surprising Stories Behind Seven Of The Most Common Superstitions

Crossing the path of a black cat portends misfortune to come. Breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck. Walking under a ladder is just asking for trouble. These common superstitions have permeated our culture for thousands of years, leaving some of their sinister origins long since forgotten…

By Briana Jones • October 30, 2015

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Daylight Saving Time

As we set our clocks back one hour this Saturday — this is your reminder; you’re welcome — you’re probably asking yourself why you’re doing it. That is, if you even need to manually set back your clocks anymore. Most of us have digital timekeeping mechanisms that respond to whatever timezone...

By Abby Norman • Oct 29, 2015

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Daylight Saving Time

As we set our clocks back one hour this Saturday — this is your reminder; you’re welcome — you’re probably asking yourself why you’re doing it. That is, if you even need to manually set back your clocks anymore. Most of us have digital timekeeping mechanisms that respond to whatever timezone...

By Abby Norman • October 29, 2015

9 Creepy Destinations You Can Visit Across Europe

The so-called Old Continent could just as easily be called the "Creepy Continent." After you check out these spots, you'll understand why.

By John Schellhase • Oct 28, 2015

9 Creepy Destinations You Can Visit Across Europe

The so-called Old Continent could just as easily be called the "Creepy Continent." After you check out these spots, you'll understand why.

By John Schellhase • October 28, 2015