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These Eerie Bronze Hands Were Tokens of a Mysterious Ancient Cult
This creepy hand from the third century once belonged to a follower of an ancient Greek and Roman cult. (Photo: Walters Art Museum/CC BY-SA 3.0) Thousands of years ago, some Greeks and Romans walked...
View ArticlePracticing for the Pacific Northwest's Massive Future Earthquake
#CascadiaRising exercise underway on Vashon Island. @WANationalGuard preparing for mega-quake/tsunami. #Q13FOXpic.twitter.com/cwfpFUZ53c— Tina Patel (@tina_patel) June 7, 2016A 9.0-magnitude earthquake...
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Areopolis in Areopolis, Greece
It can be hard to nail down exactly where revolution is sparked. Unrest and oppression usually spread the seeds of revolt around pretty generously. But the start of the Greek War of Independence can...
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Electric Eels Revealed to Make Leaping Attacks, Confirming 200-Year-Old Legend
The sequence above begins on the upper-left and ends on the lower right. (Photo: Kenneth Catania/Vanderbilt University)Over 200 years ago, the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt was in the Amazon and...
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Bonsai Rock, Lake Tahoe in New Washoe City, Nevada
Along Route 28 on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, not far from Carson City, there are pristine beaches and photogenic look-out points. The lake is vast, majestic, and more than a little awe-inspiring....
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The Story of Sam Patch, America's First Professional Waterfall Jumper
An 1850s man and woman in front of Niagara Falls, where Sam Patch performed two death-defying leaps. (Photo: Public Domain)There were myriad ways to become famous in 19th-century America, most of them...
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What Happened to 'The Most Liberated Woman in America'?
(All illustrations: Michael Tunk)I am standing in the living room of a wood-paneled modular house out in the Nevada desert. Alongside me is Barbara Williamson, once called “the most liberated woman in...
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Iona Abbey in Isle of Iona, United Kingdom
The story of the real-life Macbeth bears little resemblance to the murderous tale portrayed in Shakespeare's play. The real Macbeth was King of Scots from 1040, when he killed the ruling king for the...
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The Married Woman Who Kept Her Lover in the Attic
Walburga 'Dolly' Oesterreich being arraigned in court on the alleged charges of murdering her husband. Left to right: Detective Cline, Mrs. Oesterreich, Judge Channing Follette, and a court reporter....
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The Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Canada
Canoes originated with the native peoples of North America, in order to navigate the continent's copious lakes and rivers. The ingenious vessels first began as dugouts—big, hollowed tree trunks—and...
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Israel Finds 22 Pounds of Ancient Coins, Artifacts in Norwegian Diplomat's Car
(Photo: Israel Tax Authority)Some 22 pounds of ancient coins, statuettes, and other artifacts were found hidden in the paneling of a Norwegian diplomat's car, authorities said Monday. The coins were...
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The Nation’s First Tuberculosis Hospital Was Built Inside a Cave
Consumptive's Room, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. (Photo: Library of Congress/LC-USZ62-64952)A tourist visiting Mammoth Cave, just outside Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1842 would have encountered “a bizarre...
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Al 'Ula in Al 'Ula, Saudi Arabia
Walking through the narrow corridors of Al ‘Ula in northwestern Saudi Arabia is like traversing a maze, with ancient history at each turn. Once a bustling civilization, these 800 tightly packed...
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John Muir's Alarm Clock Desk in Madison, Wisconsin
When he was a college student at the University of Wisconsin in the early 1860s, John Muir, the grandfather of American environmentalism, apparently had some trouble getting out of bed. Gifted with...
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The Secret Egyptian Chapel Hidden Inside a Chicago Break Room
A detail of the chapel walls. (Photo: © Anni Glissman)It’s a normal office break room—fluorescent lighting, coat rack, microwave. But it’s in a museum, so of course there’s something a little quirky...
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India's Desert Farmers Are Saving Themselves With Artificial Glaciers
An Ice Stupa prototype, decorated for a visit from a local monk. (Photo: Ice Stupa Project)There shouldn't be so many trees in Fiang. Like the rest of Ladakh, India's northernmost region, the village...
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8 Real-World Forests That Look Like They Belong in a Fantasy Novel
Roll for initiative. Your adventure begins here. (Photo: Efired/Shutterstock.com)Fantasy stories can be set in any imaginable location, but nothing beats the enchantment of a lush and sprawling forest....
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How U.S. Taxpayers Secretly Funded the Country's First Modern Stink Bombs
A tank commander in training, 1942. (Photo: Library of Congress/LC-DIG-fsac-1a35198)They were my first secret documents, and they did not disappoint. Individual pages in the file were rubberstamped...
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Found: A Stash of 19th Century Wine Abandoned by Nazi Sympathizers
Becov castle, where the wine was found. (Photo: Palickap/CC BY-SA 3.0)In 1945, the Beaufort-Spontins left behind their Czech castle. The family had chosen the wrong side in World War II—they had been...
View ArticleMonkey Shuts Down Kenya's Power Supply
Midmorning yesterday, much of Kenya stalled to a halt. The electricity cut off, plunging interiors into darkness. Screens blipped off. Internet connections fizzled. It was, in the words of Kenya...
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