curiosities

The Unbelievable Life Of August Willich, The Prussian Revolutionary And Communist Who Fought For The Union In The American Civil War

From renouncing his Prussian nobility to challenging Karl Marx to a duel to fighting wars on multiple continents, August Willich's life story is truly one of a kind.

By Lisa Hornung • Jun 29, 2023

The Unbelievable Life Of August Willich, The Prussian Revolutionary And Communist Who Fought For The Union In The American Civil War

From renouncing his Prussian nobility to challenging Karl Marx to a duel to fighting wars on multiple continents, August Willich's life story is truly one of a kind.

By Lisa Hornung • June 29, 2023

Deadly New Zealand Cyclone Unveils Fossils Of Two Enormous, Extinct Marine Predators

The 80 million-year-old fossils, belonging to an Elasmosaurus and a mosasaur, were discovered in the Maungataniwha Native Forest on New Zealand's North Island.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jun 23, 2023

Science News

Deadly New Zealand Cyclone Unveils Fossils Of Two Enormous, Extinct Marine Predators

The 80 million-year-old fossils, belonging to an Elasmosaurus and a mosasaur, were discovered in the Maungataniwha Native Forest on New Zealand's North Island.

By Kaleena Fraga • June 23, 2023

Inside The Enduring Myth Of The Loch Ness Monster And The Most Convincing Sightings From History

A marine creature from Scottish folklore, the Loch Ness Monster is one of the most famous cryptids in history — but is it actually real?

By Kaleena Fraga • Jun 20, 2023

Inside The Enduring Myth Of The Loch Ness Monster And The Most Convincing Sightings From History

A marine creature from Scottish folklore, the Loch Ness Monster is one of the most famous cryptids in history — but is it actually real?

By Kaleena Fraga • June 20, 2023

The Grim History Of Oubliettes, The Medieval Dungeons Where Prisoners Were Left To Die

Used during the Middle Ages, oubliettes were pit-like prisons where doomed victims were left to slowly starve or go mad.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jun 17, 2023

The Grim History Of Oubliettes, The Medieval Dungeons Where Prisoners Were Left To Die

Used during the Middle Ages, oubliettes were pit-like prisons where doomed victims were left to slowly starve or go mad.

By Kaleena Fraga • June 17, 2023

‘Vampire Grave’ With Over 400 Skeletons Discovered Near 18th-Century Church In Poland

Many of the skeletons appear to have been dug up and decapitated — in order to keep these suspected vampires from rising out of the grave.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jun 12, 2023

News

‘Vampire Grave’ With Over 400 Skeletons Discovered Near 18th-Century Church In Poland

Many of the skeletons appear to have been dug up and decapitated — in order to keep these suspected vampires from rising out of the grave.

By Kaleena Fraga • June 12, 2023

Kryptos, The CIA Sculpture With A Coded Message That No One Has Been Able To Solve

More than three decades after the installation of Kryptos, three of its four coded messages have been cracked — but one remains a mystery.

By Austin Harvey • Jun 9, 2023

Kryptos, The CIA Sculpture With A Coded Message That No One Has Been Able To Solve

More than three decades after the installation of Kryptos, three of its four coded messages have been cracked — but one remains a mystery.

By Austin Harvey • June 9, 2023

New Facial Reconstruction Of King Tut Offers Revealing Look At The Egyptian Boy King

The new facial reconstruction of King Tut, which used new technology and drew on old research, suggests that the young Egyptian pharaoh had the face of a "delicate" student.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jun 9, 2023

News

New Facial Reconstruction Of King Tut Offers Revealing Look At The Egyptian Boy King

The new facial reconstruction of King Tut, which used new technology and drew on old research, suggests that the young Egyptian pharaoh had the face of a "delicate" student.

By Kaleena Fraga • June 9, 2023

‘Atlantis Of The North Sea’ Found 600 Years After It Allegedly Disappeared Beneath The Waves

Legend holds that the lost city of Rungholt was swallowed by the ocean in 1362 as punishment for its inhabitants' sins.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jun 5, 2023

News

‘Atlantis Of The North Sea’ Found 600 Years After It Allegedly Disappeared Beneath The Waves

Legend holds that the lost city of Rungholt was swallowed by the ocean in 1362 as punishment for its inhabitants' sins.

By Kaleena Fraga • June 5, 2023

Engineers Just Built A House In Indonesia Out Of Concrete Made From Used Diapers

Disposable diapers and concrete are both damaging to the environment, but Japanese researchers believe that using diapers to create concrete could solve a portion of that problem.

By Austin Harvey • May 26, 2023

News

Engineers Just Built A House In Indonesia Out Of Concrete Made From Used Diapers

Disposable diapers and concrete are both damaging to the environment, but Japanese researchers believe that using diapers to create concrete could solve a portion of that problem.

By Austin Harvey • May 26, 2023

A Book Checked Out In 1927 Was Just Returned To A California Library Nearly A Century Late

The late fee for this copy of Benson Lossing's “A Family History of the United States” would have been over $1,700 — but the library stopped collecting them in 2019.

By Austin Harvey • May 26, 2023

News

A Book Checked Out In 1927 Was Just Returned To A California Library Nearly A Century Late

The late fee for this copy of Benson Lossing's “A Family History of the United States” would have been over $1,700 — but the library stopped collecting them in 2019.

By Austin Harvey • May 26, 2023

The Muffin Man: Is The Beloved Nursery Rhyme Actually Based On A Serial Killer?

Though sources are scant, some claim that the true story of the Muffin Man has to do with a vicious 16th-century serial killer.

By Kaleena Fraga • May 24, 2023

The Muffin Man: Is The Beloved Nursery Rhyme Actually Based On A Serial Killer?

Though sources are scant, some claim that the true story of the Muffin Man has to do with a vicious 16th-century serial killer.

By Kaleena Fraga • May 24, 2023

The Strange Mystery Of The Salish Sea Feet That Keep Washing Up On The Shores Of The Pacific Northwest

Experts think they’ve finally figured out why more than 20 severed feet have been found on the beaches of the Salish Sea near Vancouver and Seattle since 2007.

By Kaleena Fraga • May 20, 2023

The Strange Mystery Of The Salish Sea Feet That Keep Washing Up On The Shores Of The Pacific Northwest

Experts think they’ve finally figured out why more than 20 severed feet have been found on the beaches of the Salish Sea near Vancouver and Seattle since 2007.

By Kaleena Fraga • May 20, 2023