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Accidental Inventions of the 20th Century, Part Two: The Slinky and the Post-it Note
While things like the Slinky and the Post-it Note may seem pretty ubiquitous, simple ideas today, they each have their own bizarre accidental origin …
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Accidental Inventions of the 20th Century, Part One: Penicillin, X-Rays and the Microwave Oven
Humans have always been compelled by curiosity -- sometimes, this leads to misfortune, but other times... curiosity and accident can also lead to wor…
10 months, 3 weeks ago
CLASSIC: Lawsonomy: How the Father of the Modern Airline Started His Own Religion
When middling baseball player Alfred Lawson first learned of the Wright Brothers, he experienced a revelation that would guide the greater part of hi…
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Did Pirates Really Ruin the US Dream of the Metric System?
Why is the United States so culturally opposed to the metric system? According to a popular legend, this conundrum dates back to the late 1700s, when…
10 months, 4 weeks ago
Yet More Ridiculous Historical Honorifics: Ethelred Just Ain't Ready
Have you been blessed -- or, perhaps, cursed -- with a nickname that just won't go away? Some of most terrifying, inspiring and ridiculous figures in…
10 months, 4 weeks ago
CLASSIC: A Dead Pope Goes To Court
The Catholic Church is no stranger to scandal and controversy, but in January of 897 the institution was home to a new and unique scandal that put th…
11 months ago
History's Most Ridiculous Clothing, with AJ Jacobs: Part Two
What's the weirdest pair of shoes you've ever seen? If you were King, would you force everyone else to be shorter than you? In the second part of thi…
11 months ago
History's Most Ridiculous Clothing, with AJ Jacobs: Part One
It's no secret that history is filled with relatively arbitrary fashion rules, fads and faux pas -- and what may be hot stuff in one era often ends u…
11 months, 1 week ago
CLASSIC: War and Candy: The Infamous Tootsie Roll Air Drop
During the battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War, the First Marine Division seemed doomed. Surrounded, outnumbered, outgunned and runn…
11 months, 1 week ago
A Ridiculous History of Tupperware
Burrrrp! The sound is familiar to any fan of Tupperware -- it's that little whoosh of air when you push down the lid and remove excess air. But what …
11 months, 1 week ago