curiosities

Who Invented The Toilet? Inside The Surprisingly Complicated History

While Thomas Crapper gets most of the credit due to his 19th-century innovations, the real story of who invented the first flush toilet is much more controversial than most people realize.

By Marco Margaritoff • Mar 7, 2022

Who Invented The Toilet? Inside The Surprisingly Complicated History

While Thomas Crapper gets most of the credit due to his 19th-century innovations, the real story of who invented the first flush toilet is much more controversial than most people realize.

By Marco Margaritoff • March 7, 2022

The Infamous Story Of Frances Farmer, Hollywood’s Original Bad Girl

Notorious for her drunken exploits and various stints at mental health facilities, Frances Farmer was subjected to a slew of dark rumors — but here’s the truth about her story.

By Elisabeth Sherman • Feb 21, 2022

The Infamous Story Of Frances Farmer, Hollywood’s Original Bad Girl

Notorious for her drunken exploits and various stints at mental health facilities, Frances Farmer was subjected to a slew of dark rumors — but here’s the truth about her story.

By Elisabeth Sherman • February 21, 2022

In The Wake Of Nuclear Disaster, Animals Are Thriving In The Red Forest Of Chernobyl

From elk to boars to dogs, Chernobyl's animals have found an unexpected haven for wildlife in the Red Forest of the Exclusion Zone.

By Erin Kelly • Feb 18, 2022

In The Wake Of Nuclear Disaster, Animals Are Thriving In The Red Forest Of Chernobyl

From elk to boars to dogs, Chernobyl's animals have found an unexpected haven for wildlife in the Red Forest of the Exclusion Zone.

By Erin Kelly • February 18, 2022

Grisly 18th-Century Love Note Sewn With Human Hair To Be Displayed At London Museum

Anna Maria Radclyffe likely embroidered the message with the hair of her husband, James Radclyffe, who was executed in 1716 for rebelling against the King of England.

By Kaleena Fraga • Feb 16, 2022

Weird News

Grisly 18th-Century Love Note Sewn With Human Hair To Be Displayed At London Museum

Anna Maria Radclyffe likely embroidered the message with the hair of her husband, James Radclyffe, who was executed in 1716 for rebelling against the King of England.

By Kaleena Fraga • February 16, 2022

Discover The Manchineel Tree, The Plant So Toxic That Its Nickname Is The ‘Tree Of Death’

Found in tropical places like the Florida Everglades, the manchineel tree is a flowering spurge plant that is packed with poison — from its fruit to its bark and sap.

By Bernadette Giacomazzo • Feb 15, 2022

Discover The Manchineel Tree, The Plant So Toxic That Its Nickname Is The ‘Tree Of Death’

Found in tropical places like the Florida Everglades, the manchineel tree is a flowering spurge plant that is packed with poison — from its fruit to its bark and sap.

By Bernadette Giacomazzo • February 15, 2022

This Spanish Ghost Town Just Reappeared After 30 Years At The Bottom Of A Reservoir

When the creation of a new reservoir in 1992 forced residents of Aceredo to evacuate, they thought they would never see their homes again. Now, due to a major drought, they can.

By Cara Johnson • Feb 15, 2022

News

This Spanish Ghost Town Just Reappeared After 30 Years At The Bottom Of A Reservoir

When the creation of a new reservoir in 1992 forced residents of Aceredo to evacuate, they thought they would never see their homes again. Now, due to a major drought, they can.

By Cara Johnson • February 15, 2022

How The Cardiff Giant Became Perhaps The Greatest Hoax In American History

Uncovered in New York in 1869, the Cardiff Giant was a 10-foot-tall "petrified man" that countless Christians believed was proof of the existence of Biblical giants.

By Genevieve Carlton • Feb 11, 2022

How The Cardiff Giant Became Perhaps The Greatest Hoax In American History

Uncovered in New York in 1869, the Cardiff Giant was a 10-foot-tall "petrified man" that countless Christians believed was proof of the existence of Biblical giants.

By Genevieve Carlton • February 11, 2022

A Tiny Island Off The Coast Of England Just Put Out An Open Call For A New Monarch

Piel Island spans just 50 acres and is home to a crumbling castle as well as a 300-year-old pub — and now it's in need of a new "monarch."

By Kaleena Fraga • Feb 9, 2022

News

A Tiny Island Off The Coast Of England Just Put Out An Open Call For A New Monarch

Piel Island spans just 50 acres and is home to a crumbling castle as well as a 300-year-old pub — and now it's in need of a new "monarch."

By Kaleena Fraga • February 9, 2022

Scientists Observe Chimps Treating Their Wounds With Bugs In Historic First

"Chimpanzees eat insects, but we did not know that they catch and use them to treat their wounds."

By Marco Margaritoff • Feb 8, 2022

News

Scientists Observe Chimps Treating Their Wounds With Bugs In Historic First

"Chimpanzees eat insects, but we did not know that they catch and use them to treat their wounds."

By Marco Margaritoff • February 8, 2022

Inside The Eerie ‘Lead Masks Case’ That’s Gone Unsolved For More Than 50 Years

In 1966, Brazilian UFO hunters Manoel Pereira da Cruz and Miguel José Viana were found dead on a hilltop overlooking Rio de Janeiro — with bizarre lead masks covering their eyes.

By Kaleena Fraga • Feb 7, 2022

Inside The Eerie ‘Lead Masks Case’ That’s Gone Unsolved For More Than 50 Years

In 1966, Brazilian UFO hunters Manoel Pereira da Cruz and Miguel José Viana were found dead on a hilltop overlooking Rio de Janeiro — with bizarre lead masks covering their eyes.

By Kaleena Fraga • February 7, 2022