curiosities

Michelle Philpots, The British Woman With Such Severe Amnesia That She Wakes Up Every Day Thinking It’s 1994

Michelle Philpots starts each day with no memory of the day before, the result of a rare variety of amnesia which helped inspire the 2004 film "50 First Dates."

By Austin Harvey • Aug 22, 2025

Michelle Philpots, The British Woman With Such Severe Amnesia That She Wakes Up Every Day Thinking It’s 1994

Michelle Philpots starts each day with no memory of the day before, the result of a rare variety of amnesia which helped inspire the 2004 film "50 First Dates."

By Austin Harvey • August 22, 2025

Rare Orange Shark With White Eyes Spotted Off The Coast Of Costa Rica

Despite having both xanthism and albinism, this Caribbean nurse shark survived well into adulthood, raising new questions about the conditions and the species' adaptability.

By Austin Harvey • Aug 21, 2025

News

Rare Orange Shark With White Eyes Spotted Off The Coast Of Costa Rica

Despite having both xanthism and albinism, this Caribbean nurse shark survived well into adulthood, raising new questions about the conditions and the species' adaptability.

By Austin Harvey • August 21, 2025

The Strange Story Of Vasile Gorgos, The Romanian Farmer Who Disappeared For 30 Years —Then Returned Home With No Memory Of Where He’d Been

Vasile Gorgos returned to his farm in Romania in 2021, three decades after he'd first vanished, wearing the same clothes he wore on the day he went missing.

By Austin Harvey • Aug 19, 2025

The Strange Story Of Vasile Gorgos, The Romanian Farmer Who Disappeared For 30 Years —Then Returned Home With No Memory Of Where He’d Been

Vasile Gorgos returned to his farm in Romania in 2021, three decades after he'd first vanished, wearing the same clothes he wore on the day he went missing.

By Austin Harvey • August 19, 2025

Inside The Ruins Of Nan Madol, The Ancient Micronesian City Built Atop A Coral Reef

Often referred to as the "Venice of the Pacific," Nan Madol was history's only city ever built on a coral reef, and it served as a royal capital for the Saudeleur dynasty of Micronesia from around 1200 until the 17th century.

By Austin Harvey • Aug 17, 2025

Inside The Ruins Of Nan Madol, The Ancient Micronesian City Built Atop A Coral Reef

Often referred to as the "Venice of the Pacific," Nan Madol was history's only city ever built on a coral reef, and it served as a royal capital for the Saudeleur dynasty of Micronesia from around 1200 until the 17th century.

By Austin Harvey • August 17, 2025

Inside The Mütter Museum Of Philadelphia, Where Some Of History’s Strangest Medical Oddities Are On Display

From President Cleveland's tumor to Albert Einstein's brain, the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia holds an array of macabre anatomical curiosities.

By Erin Kelly • Aug 3, 2025

Inside The Mütter Museum Of Philadelphia, Where Some Of History’s Strangest Medical Oddities Are On Display

From President Cleveland's tumor to Albert Einstein's brain, the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia holds an array of macabre anatomical curiosities.

By Erin Kelly • August 3, 2025

More Than Two Dozen Centuries-Old Petroglyphs Were Revealed By Shifting Sands On A Hawaiian Beach

Waves recently washed away the top layer of sand on a beach in Oahu and revealed 26 petroglyphs that could date as far back as 1,000 years.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jul 28, 2025

News

More Than Two Dozen Centuries-Old Petroglyphs Were Revealed By Shifting Sands On A Hawaiian Beach

Waves recently washed away the top layer of sand on a beach in Oahu and revealed 26 petroglyphs that could date as far back as 1,000 years.

By Kaleena Fraga • July 28, 2025

The Astonishing History Of The World’s Oldest Fossils — And The Questions That Remain

Confirmed in 2017 to be the oldest known fossils on Earth, these prehistoric bacteria from Western Australia are 3.5 billion years old. But some believe that there are even older fossils waiting to be discovered.

By Katie Serena • Jul 27, 2025

The Astonishing History Of The World’s Oldest Fossils — And The Questions That Remain

Confirmed in 2017 to be the oldest known fossils on Earth, these prehistoric bacteria from Western Australia are 3.5 billion years old. But some believe that there are even older fossils waiting to be discovered.

By Katie Serena • July 27, 2025

What Was The Scavenger’s Daughter? Inside The Grisly History Of This 16th-Century Torture Device

Invented during the reign of England's King Henry VIII for use at the Tower of London, the scavenger's daughter was a metal device that forced its victims into a kneeling position, painfully compressing their bodies until they bled from the ears.

By Marco Margaritoff • Jul 21, 2025

What Was The Scavenger’s Daughter? Inside The Grisly History Of This 16th-Century Torture Device

Invented during the reign of England's King Henry VIII for use at the Tower of London, the scavenger's daughter was a metal device that forced its victims into a kneeling position, painfully compressing their bodies until they bled from the ears.

By Marco Margaritoff • July 21, 2025

Scientists Just Learned That Some Species Of Fig Trees Can Convert Carbon Dioxide Into Limestone

Calcium carbonate deposits produced by African fig trees could provide a sustainable method of slowing climate change.

By Austin Harvey • Jul 17, 2025

News

Scientists Just Learned That Some Species Of Fig Trees Can Convert Carbon Dioxide Into Limestone

Calcium carbonate deposits produced by African fig trees could provide a sustainable method of slowing climate change.

By Austin Harvey • July 17, 2025

Archaeologists In China Discovered 300,000-Year-Old Wooden Tools Preserved In Clay

The artifacts were preserved in low-oxygen clay and are the oldest wooden tools ever found in East Asia.

By Austin Harvey • Jul 15, 2025

News

Archaeologists In China Discovered 300,000-Year-Old Wooden Tools Preserved In Clay

The artifacts were preserved in low-oxygen clay and are the oldest wooden tools ever found in East Asia.

By Austin Harvey • July 15, 2025