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Railroad Tycoons Decided What Time It Is Now
Nowadays the world is divided into a series of 'time zones.' Yet before the 1880s, towns across the United States ran on a sort of local time -- when…
5 years, 7 months ago
Why do people 'christen' ships with champagne?
We've all heard about the practice of smashing a champagne bottle against the hull of a ship before launching it -- but where does this practice come…
5 years, 7 months ago
The Hidden History of Jewish Pirates, Part 2: Famous Privateers
During the age of European expansion, members of the Jewish diaspora traveled to Caribbean and the continents of North and South America, often escap…
5 years, 7 months ago
The Hidden History of Jewish Pirates, Part 1: Escaping Europe
During the age of European expansion, members of the Jewish diaspora traveled to Caribbean and the continents of North and South America, often escap…
5 years, 7 months ago
Ridiculous "Remedies" of the Spanish Flu: The Rise of the Lemon
Have you ever used a home remedy when under the weather? Some, like honey and lemon (and whiskey) for a sore throat, remain common today. In 2020, ot…
5 years, 8 months ago
That Time Rebellious Freemasons Starting Kissing Porcelain Pug Butts
We've all heard about Freemasons -- but what about the Order of the Pug? Join the guys as they explore the strange series of events that led German M…
5 years, 8 months ago
Clever Hans, Part 2: The Rise and Fall of Hans
Unconvinced by claims of this horse's mathematical acumen, psychologist Oskar Pfungst conducted a series of experiments to determine whether Clever H…
5 years, 8 months ago
Clever Hans, Part 1: The Equine Mathematician
Back in the early 20th century, retired teacher Wilhelm von Osten had a dream -- to exhibit the gifts of his brilliant horse, Clever Hans, to the wor…
5 years, 8 months ago
Henry VIII and That English Sweat, Part 2: A Disease and a King
While history often only remembers Henry VIII as a real pill, he was also a profound hypochondriac -- and, rightly terrified of contracting the Engli…
5 years, 8 months ago
Henry VIII and That English Sweat, Part 1: A Pandemic
Beginning in 1485, a mysterious disease swept in waves across England. No one was sure how it spread, no treatment existed, and the disease took the …
5 years, 8 months ago