Damn Interesting

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Radical Solutions
French mathematician Évariste Galois lived a full life. When he wasn't trying to overthrow the government, he was reinventing algebra.

Written by Marisa Brook and J. A. Macfarlane • 26 March 2020 • Read/Listen →
Long-Form:

Private Wojtek’s Right to Bear Arms

One of Poland’s most beloved and honored World War II veterans was not Polish at all: he was a 500-pound brown bear named Wojtek.
Written by Erika Nesvold • 12 Dec 2019 • Read/Listen →
Site News:

Permission to Grow

Beards have been banned in a number of military forces in history, from Qing Dynasty China to the modern-day Indian Army (apart from Sikhs). However cert...
Written by Alan Bellows • 22 Nov 2019 • Read →
Nugget:

Sometimes a Cigar is Just a Cigar

Shortly after the abortive Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, U.S. President John F. Kennedy summoned his press secretary Pierre Salinger to the presidential ...
Written by Alan Bellows • 26 Sep 2019 • Read →
Long-Form:

Dead Reckoning

The 18th century misadventures of HMS Wager and her reluctant crew
Written by Alan Bellows • 12 Sep 2019 • Read/Listen →
Long-Form:

The Eponymous Mr. Ponzi

The little known story of an age-old scam.
Written by Michael Durbin • 02 Sep 2019 • Read/Listen →
Long-Form:

The Most Modern of Modern Sports

The secret runaway success of Kenneth Gandar-Dower’s racing cheetahs.
Written by Jennifer Lee Noonan • 15 Apr 2019 • Read/Listen →
Site News:

A Pregnant Pause

In January of 1963, husband and wife George and Charlotte Blonsky submitted a patent application for a revolutionary invention. George, a mining engineer...
Written by Alan Bellows • 29 Mar 2019 • Read →
Nugget:

Every Breath You Take

In June of 1965, a 27-year-old gentleman by the name of Angus Barbieri checked himself into the Maryfield Hospital in Dundee, Scotland. His complaint was...
Written by Alan Bellows • 25 Jan 2019 • Read →
Nugget:

Schumann Resonances

Three times a day, every day--roughly 9am, 2pm, and 8pm Coordinated Universal Time--an extremely low frequency electromagnetic pulse races around the Ear...
Written by Matt Castle • 04 Dec 2018 • Read →
Long-Form:

A Debaculous Fiasco

The most expensive, bizarre, and obscure work ever created by Dr. Seuss.
Written by Jennifer Lee Noonan • 06 Nov 2018 • Read/Listen →
Nugget:

The Original Ghostbuster

In the early 1980s, a certain Mr. Vic Tandy found himself working for a medical device manufacturer in Warwick, in the county of Warwickshire, England. W...
Written by Erin Anderson • 14 Aug 2018 • Read →
Long-Form:

Drawing the Shorter Straw

Visionary Argentine filmmaker Quirino Cristiani created full-length animated films between 1917 and 1931. He has since been all but forgotten.
Written by Marisa Brook • 31 Jul 2018 • Read/Listen →
Nugget:

Involuntary Indefatigability

Only one fictional character has ever been honoured with a front-page obituary in the New York Times: Hercule Poirot, one of Agatha Christie's two recurr...
Written by Marisa Brook • 21 May 2018 • Read →
Long-Form:

The Curse of Konzo

In 1981, an international group of doctors identified the devastating disease behind a perplexing outbreak of paralysis in northern Mozambique.
Written by Matt Castle • 02 May 2018 • Read/Listen →
Long-Form:

A Jarring Revelation

Amanda Theodosia Jones was a 19th-century poet, entrepreneur, and inventor who found inspiration in some unlikely places.
Written by Christine Ro • 30 Mar 2018 • Read/Listen →
Nugget:

Scraping Bottom

When Germany was divided in two after the Second World War, military leaders recognized the need for liaison between the Soviet-occupied East Germany and...
Written by Alan Bellows • 19 Mar 2018 • Read →
Nugget:

The Colors of Numbers

Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which certain sensory concepts are strongly linked to each other in seemingly random but persistent ways. Tho...
Written by Jennifer Lee Noonan • 12 Mar 2018 • Read →
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Yankee Swap

One of the more controversial trades in baseball history was announced on 04 March 1973, just before the start of the 1973 baseball season. Mike Kekich a...
Written by Alan Bellows • 04 Mar 2018 • Read →
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The Mystery Lake of the Himalayas

Nestled in a valley high in the Himalayas in northern India is a small lake named Roopkund, known locally as Mystery Lake. The area around Roopkund Lake ...
Written by Erika Nesvold • 19 Feb 2018 • Read →
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Echoes of NASA

On 13 May 1960, a NASA Thor-Delta rocket carried the agency's new Echo 1 satellite into a 1,000 mile orbit around the Earth. It was a 156.995 pound metal...
Written by Alan Bellows • 12 Feb 2018 • Read →

04 April 2020

Lead pollution in ancient ice cores may track the rise and fall of medieval kings Lead pollution in ancient ice cores may track the rise and fall of medieval kings
sciencemag.org
'Going back to a different planet': Astronauts gearing up for return to Earth amid pandemic 'Going back to a different planet': Astronauts gearing up for return to Earth amid pandemic
space.com
Why The Northern Lights Make Whales Go Blind And Get Lost Why The Northern Lights Make Whales Go Blind And Get Lost
forbes.com
Deep-sea worms and bacteria team up to harvest methane Deep-sea worms and bacteria team up to harvest methane
phys.org

03 April 2020

How to Refuel a Nuclear Power Plant During a Pandemic How to Refuel a Nuclear Power Plant During a Pandemic
wired.com
Edible insects set to be approved by EU in 'breakthrough moment' Edible insects set to be approved by EU in 'breakthrough moment'
theguardian.com
How Strong Is Space? How Strong Is Space?
forbes.com
NASA's James Webb Telescope Spreads Its Wings for the First Time NASA's James Webb Telescope Spreads Its Wings for the First Time
popularmechanics.com
The U.S. has resisted the metric system for more than 50 years The U.S. has resisted the metric system for more than 50 years
sciencenews.org
A Look Back at Franklin, America's Lost State A Look Back at Franklin, America's Lost State
atlasobscura.com
Why Ulysses S. Grant Was More Important Than You Think Why Ulysses S. Grant Was More Important Than You Think • (see also)
daily.jstor.org
The food that could last 2,000 years The food that could last 2,000 years
bbc.com
Huge feral hogs invading Canada, building ‘pigloos’ as they go Huge feral hogs invading Canada, building ‘pigloos’ as they go
nationalgeographic.com
New episode of Damn Interesting Week: The End of the Book New episode of Damn Interesting Week: The End of the Book
damninteresting.com
1,400-year-old mystery of strange 'red sign' in Japan's sky solved 1,400-year-old mystery of strange 'red sign' in Japan's sky solved
space.com
Extreme Experiment on Mexican Volcano Challenged the Speed of Light Extreme Experiment on Mexican Volcano Challenged the Speed of Light
gizmodo.com
Mars might be made of mashed-up baby planets Mars might be made of mashed-up baby planets
popsci.com
Meet the Xenobots, Virtual Creatures Brought to Life Meet the Xenobots, Virtual Creatures Brought to Life
nytimes.com

02 April 2020

Mice have a range of facial expressions, researchers find Mice have a range of facial expressions, researchers find
theguardian.com
This lizard lays eggs and gives live birth. We think it's undergoing a major evolutionary transition This lizard lays eggs and gives live birth. We think it's undergoing a major evolutionary transition
theconversation.com
Bizarre life-forms found thriving in ancient rocks beneath the seafloor Bizarre life-forms found thriving in ancient rocks beneath the seafloor
nationalgeographic.com
A mysterious superconductor’s wave could reveal the physics behind the materials A mysterious superconductor’s wave could reveal the physics behind the materials
sciencenews.org
A visual history of Chinese propaganda A visual history of Chinese propaganda
huckmag.com
The French brotherhood burying the dead – rich or poor - since 1188 The French brotherhood burying the dead – rich or poor - since 1188
theguardian.com
Hubble's best evidence yet for 'missing link' of black holes may solve 14-year-old space mystery Hubble's best evidence yet for 'missing link' of black holes may solve 14-year-old space mystery
space.com
Scientists Have Unearthed Traces of an Ancient Rainforest In... Antarctica Scientists Have Unearthed Traces of an Ancient Rainforest In... Antarctica • (see also)
sciencealert.com
The Cleopatra’s Nose of 1914 The Cleopatra’s Nose of 1914
laphamsquarterly.org
How a group of homeless mothers in Oakland took on a housing crisis How a group of homeless mothers in Oakland took on a housing crisis
story.californiasunday.com
Forget Still Pictures. This New Observatory Will Make Astronomy Videos Forget Still Pictures. This New Observatory Will Make Astronomy Videos
airspacemag.com
The people who live on remote rocks in the North Atlantic The people who live on remote rocks in the North Atlantic
bbc.co.uk
Mice “detectives” hint at how humans read between the lines Mice “detectives” hint at how humans read between the lines
magazine.ar.fchampalimaud.org
30 years later, we still don't know what really happened during the Belgian UFO wave 30 years later, we still don't know what really happened during the Belgian UFO wave
theweek.com
Testing psychedelic placebos: Study watches people trip on fake drugs Testing psychedelic placebos: Study watches people trip on fake drugs
newatlas.com
The friendly Mr Wu The friendly Mr Wu
1843magazine.com
The Woman Who Lives 200,000 Years in the Past The Woman Who Lives 200,000 Years in the Past
outsideonline.com
Cannabis Scientists Are Chasing the Perfect High Cannabis Scientists Are Chasing the Perfect High
nytimes.com
To Make the Perfect Mirror, Physicists Confront the Mystery of Glass To Make the Perfect Mirror, Physicists Confront the Mystery of Glass
quantamagazine.org
'It’s a place where they try to destroy you': why concentration camps are still with us 'It’s a place where they try to destroy you': why concentration camps are still with us
theguardian.com

01 April 2020

What did people do before toilet paper? What did people do before toilet paper?
nationalgeographic.com
This Is Why Earth, Surprisingly, Is The Densest Object In Our Solar System This Is Why Earth, Surprisingly, Is The Densest Object In Our Solar System
forbes.com
Death, lies and uranium: How an Ohio man’s mysterious disappearance in 1984 still haunts family, friends Death, lies and uranium: How an Ohio man’s mysterious disappearance in 1984 still haunts family, friends
usatoday.com
Visiting the Bottom of the Mariana Trench Sounds Pretty Appealing Right Now Visiting the Bottom of the Mariana Trench Sounds Pretty Appealing Right Now
popularmechanics.com
The School Shooting That Austin Forgot The School Shooting That Austin Forgot
texasmonthly.com
Why Do Physicists Keep Finding New States of Matter? Why Do Physicists Keep Finding New States of Matter?
gizmodo.com
Solving a molecular mystery may have opened new class of cancer drugs Solving a molecular mystery may have opened new class of cancer drugs
newatlas.com


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