curiosities

Why Thomas Crapper’s Name Is Synonymous With The Toilet Even Though He Didn’t Actually Invent It

A number of myths surround Victorian-era sanitary engineer Thomas Crapper, namely that he invented the flush toilet and that the word "crap" comes from his name.

By Marco Margaritoff • Mar 26, 2022

Why Thomas Crapper’s Name Is Synonymous With The Toilet Even Though He Didn’t Actually Invent It

A number of myths surround Victorian-era sanitary engineer Thomas Crapper, namely that he invented the flush toilet and that the word "crap" comes from his name.

By Marco Margaritoff • March 26, 2022

Meet Shoji Morimoto, The Japanese ‘Do-Nothing Guy’ Who People Can Rent Out Just For Company

Shoji Morimoto provides a curious service to the lonely and socially anxious — and has been in especially high demand since the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Marco Margaritoff • Mar 23, 2022

News

Meet Shoji Morimoto, The Japanese ‘Do-Nothing Guy’ Who People Can Rent Out Just For Company

Shoji Morimoto provides a curious service to the lonely and socially anxious — and has been in especially high demand since the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Marco Margaritoff • March 23, 2022

Was Abraham Lincoln Black? Inside The Curious Question Of The Great Emancipator’s Race

Rumors spread that Abraham Lincoln was Black even before he was elected president and have persisted for over 150 years — but is there any truth to them?

By Kaleena Fraga • Mar 22, 2022

Was Abraham Lincoln Black? Inside The Curious Question Of The Great Emancipator’s Race

Rumors spread that Abraham Lincoln was Black even before he was elected president and have persisted for over 150 years — but is there any truth to them?

By Kaleena Fraga • March 22, 2022

Meet Elizabeth Bathory, The ‘Blood Countess’ Who May Have Been History’s Most Prolific Female Serial Killer

From 1590 to 1610, Elizabeth Bathory allegedly tortured and killed hundreds of poor servant girls and women in Hungary. But was she actually guilty of these heinous crimes?

By Elisabeth Sherman • Mar 22, 2022

Meet Elizabeth Bathory, The ‘Blood Countess’ Who May Have Been History’s Most Prolific Female Serial Killer

From 1590 to 1610, Elizabeth Bathory allegedly tortured and killed hundreds of poor servant girls and women in Hungary. But was she actually guilty of these heinous crimes?

By Elisabeth Sherman • March 22, 2022

The Chilling Story Of Simon Monjack, The ‘Disturbed’ Husband Of Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy was married to Simon Monjack for just two years before she met an untimely death in December 2009. Eerily, he would also die five months later.

By Bernadette Giacomazzo • Mar 21, 2022

The Chilling Story Of Simon Monjack, The ‘Disturbed’ Husband Of Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy was married to Simon Monjack for just two years before she met an untimely death in December 2009. Eerily, he would also die five months later.

By Bernadette Giacomazzo • March 21, 2022

This Man’s Tongue Turned Black And Hairy Following A Paralyzing Stroke That Forced Him To Change His Diet

Known as lingua villosa nigra or "black hairy tongue," the condition is caused by a failure to scrape away the dead skin cells from the top of the tongue.

By Marco Margaritoff • Mar 15, 2022

News

This Man’s Tongue Turned Black And Hairy Following A Paralyzing Stroke That Forced Him To Change His Diet

Known as lingua villosa nigra or "black hairy tongue," the condition is caused by a failure to scrape away the dead skin cells from the top of the tongue.

By Marco Margaritoff • March 15, 2022

The Terrifying True Story Of The Winchester Mystery House And The Tormented Heiress Who Built It

Over the course of 40 years, Sarah Winchester had the so-called Winchester Mansion built in San Jose to her bizarre specifications — in order to appease the ghosts she thought were haunting her.

By Katie Serena • Mar 11, 2022

The Terrifying True Story Of The Winchester Mystery House And The Tormented Heiress Who Built It

Over the course of 40 years, Sarah Winchester had the so-called Winchester Mansion built in San Jose to her bizarre specifications — in order to appease the ghosts she thought were haunting her.

By Katie Serena • March 11, 2022

The Descendants Of An Enslaved Man Named West Ford Say They Have Proof That George Washington Was His Father

When Venus, an enslaved woman who worked on the plantation of George Washington's brother, was asked to name the father of her child West Ford, she "identified the old general."

By Kaleena Fraga • Mar 9, 2022

News

The Descendants Of An Enslaved Man Named West Ford Say They Have Proof That George Washington Was His Father

When Venus, an enslaved woman who worked on the plantation of George Washington's brother, was asked to name the father of her child West Ford, she "identified the old general."

By Kaleena Fraga • March 9, 2022

Inside Breatharianism, The Bizarre Belief That Humans Don’t Need Food Or Water To Survive

Also known as inedia, breatharianism is a pseudoscientific practice promoted by gurus who insist that they can live off "pranic light" — which is contained in the air.

By Kaleena Fraga • Mar 8, 2022

Inside Breatharianism, The Bizarre Belief That Humans Don’t Need Food Or Water To Survive

Also known as inedia, breatharianism is a pseudoscientific practice promoted by gurus who insist that they can live off "pranic light" — which is contained in the air.

By Kaleena Fraga • March 8, 2022

Why Viking Helmets Were Far Different From What You Think They Are

The Viking helmet is usually depicted with horns, but the Norse warriors really never wore them.

By Kaleena Fraga • Mar 7, 2022

Why Viking Helmets Were Far Different From What You Think They Are

The Viking helmet is usually depicted with horns, but the Norse warriors really never wore them.

By Kaleena Fraga • March 7, 2022