Damn Interesting

LATEST 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 January 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 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 Noonan • 12 Mar 2018 • Read →
Nugget:

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 →
Nugget:

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 →
Nugget:

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 →
Nugget:

Cracking the Case

A lengthy study of 'crack babies' born to cocaine addicts in Philadelphia in the 1980s and 1990s ended in 2013 with an unexpected result. The average IQ ...
Written by Marisa Brook • 06 Feb 2018 • Read →
Nugget:

Water Proof

In 1936, Russian scientist Vladimir Lukyanov was confronted with the problem of devising a system to improve the quality of Russian concrete and the effi...
Written by Alan Bellows • 22 Jan 2018 • Read →
Nugget:

The Democratic People’s Republic of Begonias

An iconic sight in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the Kimjongilia. This hybrid begonia was bred by a Japanese botanist and presented to Sup...
Written by Christine Ro • 15 Jan 2018 • Read →
Nugget:

Strange Brew

According to a 1957 US government study entitled The Effect of Nuclear Explosions on Commercially Packaged Beverages, canned and bottled sodas and beers ...
Written by Alan Bellows • 08 Jan 2018 • Read →
Nugget:

Buzz On, Buzz Off

Meta description preview:By the 1840’s, the British Empire was at full tilt...
Written by Erin Anderson • 11 Dec 2017 • Read →
Nugget:

Armed Conflict

Götz von Berlichingen (1480-1562) was a German knight and warrior for hire in the first half of the 16th century. In 1504, at age 24, he lost the lower p...
Written by Alan Bellows • 04 Dec 2017 • Read →
Nugget:

Australia’s Humped Pestilence

The introduction of non-native species can be a tricky business. The feral camels of Australia are a case in point. They were brought to the country in 1...
Written by Christine Ro • 27 Nov 2017 • Read →
Long-Form:

Death by Derivatives

The opening of a canal in 1848 led to the birth of modern financial derivatives, and the early demise of some of the men who traded them
Written by Michael Durbin • 21 Nov 2017 • Read/Listen →

25 March 2019

Inside the Surveillance Program IBM Built for Rodrigo Duterte Inside the Surveillance Program IBM Built for Rodrigo Duterte
theintercept.com
‘A State of Emergency’: Native Americans Stranded for Days by Flooding ‘A State of Emergency’: Native Americans Stranded for Days by Flooding
nytimes.com
On the Trail of the Robocall King On the Trail of the Robocall King
wired.com
‘A Swiss cheese-like material’ that can solve equations ‘A Swiss cheese-like material’ that can solve equations
penntoday.upenn.edu
How Filmmakers Created Fake Newsreels in the 1920s How Filmmakers Created Fake Newsreels in the 1920s
paleofuture.gizmodo.com

24 March 2019

An Elusive Whale Is Found All Around the World An Elusive Whale Is Found All Around the World
nytimes.com
Ketamine: can it really be an antidepressant? Ketamine: can it really be an antidepressant?
theguardian.com
A Peek Inside the Extremely Metal Life of Lava Crickets A Peek Inside the Extremely Metal Life of Lava Crickets
atlasobscura.com
Passengers recount harrowing hours aboard stranded cruise ship facing 26-foot swells off Norway’s coast Passengers recount harrowing hours aboard stranded cruise ship facing 26-foot swells off Norway’s coast
washingtonpost.com
Lithuanian Pleads Guilty to Stealing $100 Million From Google, Facebook Lithuanian Pleads Guilty to Stealing $100 Million From Google, Facebook
bleepingcomputer.com
Survivor of Guatemalan massacre seeks justice Survivor of Guatemalan massacre seeks justice
newsinteractives.cbc.ca
The lemonade enema The lemonade enema
thomas-morris.uk

23 March 2019

One of the Worst Earthquakes in Korea's History Was Caused by Humans One of the Worst Earthquakes in Korea's History Was Caused by Humans
popularmechanics.com
Dear MESSENGER: How unmasking Mercury brought art to life Dear MESSENGER: How unmasking Mercury brought art to life
nationalgeographic.com
Drugged orangutan found in Russian's airline luggage Drugged orangutan found in Russian's airline luggage
theguardian.com
Exoplanet tally set to pass 4,000 mark Exoplanet tally set to pass 4,000 mark
bbc.com
There's a reason England was able to harness geniuses like Isaac Newton There's a reason England was able to harness geniuses like Isaac Newton
popsci.com
Bug Scientists Squash 'Insect Apocalypse' Paper Bug Scientists Squash 'Insect Apocalypse' Paper
earther.gizmodo.com
Astronomers Find Fossils of Early Universe Stuffed in Milky Way's Bulge Astronomers Find Fossils of Early Universe Stuffed in Milky Way's Bulge
livescience.com

22 March 2019

What was the Cold War? What was the Cold War?
nationalgeographic.com
'I wrote a story that became a legend. Then I discovered it wasn’t true.' 'I wrote a story that became a legend. Then I discovered it wasn’t true.'
cjr.org
Image: Jupiter Marble Image: Jupiter Marble
nasa.gov
Villain or Visionary? Wernher Von Braun: The Father of Rocket Science Villain or Visionary? Wernher Von Braun: The Father of Rocket Science • (see also)
interestingengineering.com
A More Humane Livestock Industry, Brought to You by Crispr A More Humane Livestock Industry, Brought to You by Crispr
wired.com
Psychology may help explain why male and female serial killers differ Psychology may help explain why male and female serial killers differ
news.psu.edu
These x-rays of seeds turn biology into art These x-rays of seeds turn biology into art
nationalgeographic.com
Science Says: Tiny ‘water bears’ can teach us about survival Science Says: Tiny ‘water bears’ can teach us about survival
apnews.com
Mongolia's epic celebration at -40C Mongolia's epic celebration at -40C
bbc.com
USAF Plans For Its "Skyborg" AI Computer Brain To Be Flying Drones In The Next Two Years USAF Plans For Its "Skyborg" AI Computer Brain To Be Flying Drones In The Next Two Years
thedrive.com
The Mortician and the Murderer The Mortician and the Murderer
topic.com
Those Midwestern Floods Are Expected to Get Much, Much Worse Those Midwestern Floods Are Expected to Get Much, Much Worse
wired.com
Scientists rise up against statistical significance Scientists rise up against statistical significance
nature.com
An Impossible Scenario: Scientists Watch as Heat Moves at the Speed of Sound An Impossible Scenario: Scientists Watch as Heat Moves at the Speed of Sound
scientificamerican.com
The Old Daytime-Drinking, Sexual-Harassing Ways Are Thriving at Lloyd’s The Old Daytime-Drinking, Sexual-Harassing Ways Are Thriving at Lloyd’s
bloomberg.com
Dirty lies: how the car industry hid the truth about diesel emissions Dirty lies: how the car industry hid the truth about diesel emissions
theguardian.com

21 March 2019

Navy Ready to ‘Burn the Boats’ with 2021 Laser Installation on a Destroyer Navy Ready to ‘Burn the Boats’ with 2021 Laser Installation on a Destroyer
news.usni.org
The Mola Is a Giant Bag of Secrets The Mola Is a Giant Bag of Secrets
theatlantic.com
'Mindblowing' haul of fossils over 500m years old unearthed in China 'Mindblowing' haul of fossils over 500m years old unearthed in China
theguardian.com
The Fight to Tame a Swelling River With Dams That May Be Outmatched by Climate Change The Fight to Tame a Swelling River With Dams That May Be Outmatched by Climate Change
nytimes.com
A Twin Inside a Twin: In Colombia, an Extraordinary Birth A Twin Inside a Twin: In Colombia, an Extraordinary Birth
nytimes.com
Video: The Truth About Wasabi [6:41] Video: The Truth About Wasabi [6:41]
youtube.com
The Biology of Death-Feigning The Biology of Death-Feigning
daily.jstor.org
Chop Up a Worm. It Will Regenerate. Scientists Figured Out Why. Chop Up a Worm. It Will Regenerate. Scientists Figured Out Why.
nytimes.com
'Super-smeller' helps develop swab test for Parkinson's disease 'Super-smeller' helps develop swab test for Parkinson's disease
theguardian.com
On Pluto, It’s Been Spring Since 1990 On Pluto, It’s Been Spring Since 1990
theatlantic.com


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