curiosities

Who Invented Peanut Butter? Inside The Origins Of The Beloved Sandwich Spread

From Marcellus Gilmore Edson's game-changing peanut paste to John Harvey Kellogg's famous patent, meet the men credited with inventing peanut butter.

By Marco Margaritoff • Feb 22, 2024

Who Invented Peanut Butter? Inside The Origins Of The Beloved Sandwich Spread

From Marcellus Gilmore Edson's game-changing peanut paste to John Harvey Kellogg's famous patent, meet the men credited with inventing peanut butter.

By Marco Margaritoff • February 22, 2024

Scientists In Canada Discover Fossils Of 350-Million-Year-Old ‘Alien’ Trees

"It's a very Dr. Seuss-looking tree."

By Austin Harvey • Feb 22, 2024

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Scientists In Canada Discover Fossils Of 350-Million-Year-Old ‘Alien’ Trees

"It's a very Dr. Seuss-looking tree."

By Austin Harvey • February 22, 2024

The Strange Story Of June And Jennifer Gibbons, The ‘Silent Twins’ Who Only Spoke To Each Other

"Silent twins" June and Jennifer Gibbons spoke only to each other, used their own special language, and mirrored each other's behavior for three decades straight.

By Katie Serena • Feb 21, 2024

The Strange Story Of June And Jennifer Gibbons, The ‘Silent Twins’ Who Only Spoke To Each Other

"Silent twins" June and Jennifer Gibbons spoke only to each other, used their own special language, and mirrored each other's behavior for three decades straight.

By Katie Serena • February 21, 2024

Scientists Just Discovered The World’s Biggest Snake In The Amazon Rainforest

Biologists spotted a northern green anaconda that was 26 feet long and weighed 440 pounds.

By Austin Harvey • Feb 20, 2024

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Scientists Just Discovered The World’s Biggest Snake In The Amazon Rainforest

Biologists spotted a northern green anaconda that was 26 feet long and weighed 440 pounds.

By Austin Harvey • February 20, 2024

Excavations Of An Iron-Age Cemetery In Italy Reveal Skeletons Buried Alongside Dogs And Horses

Though some of the animal remains were cows and chickens, probably left as food offerings, other graves contained dogs and horses, which may have been pets buried alongside their owners.

By Kaleena Fraga • Feb 19, 2024

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Excavations Of An Iron-Age Cemetery In Italy Reveal Skeletons Buried Alongside Dogs And Horses

Though some of the animal remains were cows and chickens, probably left as food offerings, other graves contained dogs and horses, which may have been pets buried alongside their owners.

By Kaleena Fraga • February 19, 2024

When Was Jesus Born? Inside The Enduring Mystery

Jesus Christ was likely born sometime between 6 and 4 B.C.E. — but no one knows the exact date.

By Kaleena Fraga • Feb 17, 2024

When Was Jesus Born? Inside The Enduring Mystery

Jesus Christ was likely born sometime between 6 and 4 B.C.E. — but no one knows the exact date.

By Kaleena Fraga • February 17, 2024

New Study Claims To Identify The Tombs Of Alexander The Great’s Father, Half-Brother, And Son

Researchers have long believed that Alexander the Great's relatives were buried at the "Great Tumulus" in modern-day Greece, but the new study suggests that experts had the order of the tombs mixed up.

By Kaleena Fraga • Feb 16, 2024

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New Study Claims To Identify The Tombs Of Alexander The Great’s Father, Half-Brother, And Son

Researchers have long believed that Alexander the Great's relatives were buried at the "Great Tumulus" in modern-day Greece, but the new study suggests that experts had the order of the tombs mixed up.

By Kaleena Fraga • February 16, 2024

The Fascinating History Of Chinampas, The Mesoamerican Method Of Farming On Water

Favored by the Aztecs, chinampas are man-made islands used to grow crops in freshwater lakes — and the agricultural system is still used in Mexico today.

By Morgan Dunn • Feb 15, 2024

The Fascinating History Of Chinampas, The Mesoamerican Method Of Farming On Water

Favored by the Aztecs, chinampas are man-made islands used to grow crops in freshwater lakes — and the agricultural system is still used in Mexico today.

By Morgan Dunn • February 15, 2024

Was Abraham Lincoln America’s First Gay President?

Abraham Lincoln had unusually close relationships with a businessman named Joshua Green and a presidential bodyguard named David Derickson. But was he gay?

By Richard Stockton • Feb 14, 2024

Was Abraham Lincoln America’s First Gay President?

Abraham Lincoln had unusually close relationships with a businessman named Joshua Green and a presidential bodyguard named David Derickson. But was he gay?

By Richard Stockton • February 14, 2024

‘Titanic Of The Alps’ Shipwreck From 1933 To Be Raised From The Bottom Of Lake Constance

The Säntis operated for 40 years before it was sunk in 1933 — and it's so well-preserved that you can still read its name on the side of the ship.

By Kaleena Fraga • Feb 9, 2024

News

‘Titanic Of The Alps’ Shipwreck From 1933 To Be Raised From The Bottom Of Lake Constance

The Säntis operated for 40 years before it was sunk in 1933 — and it's so well-preserved that you can still read its name on the side of the ship.

By Kaleena Fraga • February 9, 2024

How Did Socrates Die? Inside The Famed Greek Philosopher’s Forced Suicide

Despite his spirited defense against charges of impiety and corrupting the youth, Socrates was sentenced to death by poisoning in 399 B.C.E. by a jury of his Athenian peers.

By Austin Harvey • Feb 8, 2024

How Did Socrates Die? Inside The Famed Greek Philosopher’s Forced Suicide

Despite his spirited defense against charges of impiety and corrupting the youth, Socrates was sentenced to death by poisoning in 399 B.C.E. by a jury of his Athenian peers.

By Austin Harvey • February 8, 2024

Inside The Eerie Ghost Town Of Centralia, Pennsylvania That’s Been On Fire Since 1962

When a fire erupted inside the coal mine in Centralia, residents thought it would quickly burn out on its own. But the blaze is still going six decades later and the state has given up on trying to fight it.

By Katie Serena • Feb 8, 2024

Inside The Eerie Ghost Town Of Centralia, Pennsylvania That’s Been On Fire Since 1962

When a fire erupted inside the coal mine in Centralia, residents thought it would quickly burn out on its own. But the blaze is still going six decades later and the state has given up on trying to fight it.

By Katie Serena • February 8, 2024