Recounting the scariest part of my childhood — He preferred to be called T. He’d get immediately soured if you referred to him by anything else. But we all loved him nonetheless. T loved listening to 90s grunge music, binge eating on Friday nights, and having long conversations with friends who didn’t always listen to what he’d have…

#3. Viking horns weren’t real — If I had friends, I’d be telling anyone willing to listen just how wrong we humans are about so many things throughout history. It’s almost as if fibbing, embellishing, and stretching the truth is in our very nature. But surely, not everything is on purpose. Sometimes mistruths are misquotes, mistranslations…

The odd mystery behind the beautiful estate — You find yourself wanting to take a day trip to visit the historic Overtoun House, a 19th-century mansion and estate built in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It was first built in 1863 by a man named James White. The stunning building has a storied past of being owned by an industrialist…

Explaining the Monty Hall Problem — “Logic is in the eye of the logician.” — Gloria Steinem Oh boy, do we ever like proving ourselves to be right. After all, it’s what fuels social media and our ever-rising disdain for each other. …

Just what the heck is this thing? — “It is only through mystery and madness that the soul is revealed.”― Thomas Moore Who doesn’t like a good mystery? Georg Baresch sure did. Way back in 1637, he wrote to a famous polymath about a mysterious book he had in his vast collection. In the letter, he mentioned a…

Always read the fine print — “What is this, a skyscraper for ants?!” A huge petroleum reservoir was discovered just over 100 years ago in Wichita County, Texas. Much like the Klondike Gold Rush way up north, people flooded the area, increasing the surrounding population by 20,000 seemingly overnight by 1918. Oil men, riggers, and all…

When bioluminescence brings the waves to life — You’re in the tropics strolling down the beach at night when you suddenly spot something a bit…out of place. As the waves roll in front of you, an alienesque white glow emanates from the watery depths. Do you run? Do you scream? Do you search for this article and find…

This fiery pithole has been burning steadily since 1971 — Around 260 kilometers north of Turkmenistan's capital city, Darvaza, lies a devilish view. A circular depression opens up in the middle of the surrounding desert and visitors are greeted by the sight of leaping flames, boiling mud, and the burning smell of ancient history. The phenomenon goes by several names…

“Pardonnez-moi, monsieur.” — The last words a person ever shouts out into the void of our universe is given a special place in our society. They mark an ending of something. That someone existed, and no longer exists, and is therefore unable to ever utter another sound. It’s a simple premise yet we…