Damn Interesting

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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 September 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 →
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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 →
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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 →
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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 →
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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 →
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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 →
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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 →
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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 →
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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 →
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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 →
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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 →

21 October 2019

World's oldest pearl discovered near Abu Dhabi World's oldest pearl discovered near Abu Dhabi
bbc.com
Incredible Illustrations for Alice’s Adventure’s In Wonderland by Salvador Dalí Incredible Illustrations for Alice’s Adventure’s In Wonderland by Salvador Dalí
flashbak.com
One of these is a deadly viper. The other is a harmless toad. Can you tell the difference? One of these is a deadly viper. The other is a harmless toad. Can you tell the difference?
sciencemag.org
Powered by Sunlight, ‘Artificial Leaf’ Successfully Produces Clean Gas From CO2 and Water Powered by Sunlight, ‘Artificial Leaf’ Successfully Produces Clean Gas From CO2 and Water
scitechdaily.com
Why Do Pigeons Bob Their Heads? Why Do Pigeons Bob Their Heads? • (see also)
livescience.com
Astronomers have spotted a new type of storm on Saturn Astronomers have spotted a new type of storm on Saturn
sciencenews.org
A Scientist Created ‘Gravity Crystals’ to Simulate Dead Stars on Earth A Scientist Created ‘Gravity Crystals’ to Simulate Dead Stars on Earth
vice.com
Nikon Small World photo winners reveal hidden world around us Nikon Small World photo winners reveal hidden world around us
qz.com
World's loudest bird "sings" at a deafening 125 dB World's loudest bird "sings" at a deafening 125 dB
newatlas.com
What was the first color in the universe? What was the first color in the universe?
phys.org
Researchers have grown muscle cells on edible gelatin scaffolds that mimic the texture and consistency of meat Researchers have grown muscle cells on edible gelatin scaffolds that mimic the texture and consistency of meat
news.harvard.edu
An Ancient History of Piracy An Ancient History of Piracy
crimereads.com
Restoring the Ship of Theseus Restoring the Ship of Theseus
laphamsquarterly.org
The newest gene editor radically improves on CRISPR The newest gene editor radically improves on CRISPR
technologyreview.com
Space May Soon Become a War Zone Space May Soon Become a War Zone
realclearscience.com
Why don’t evergreens change color and drop their leaves every fall? Why don’t evergreens change color and drop their leaves every fall?
theconversation.com
The lost river: Mexicans fight for mighty waterway taken by the US The lost river: Mexicans fight for mighty waterway taken by the US
theguardian.com
Would An Alien Civilization Classify Earth As An 'Interesting' Planet? Would An Alien Civilization Classify Earth As An 'Interesting' Planet?
forbes.com
When do the clocks change around the world? And why? When do the clocks change around the world? And why?
theguardian.com
This bizarre primate has a newly discovered digit This bizarre primate has a newly discovered digit
nationalgeographic.com
The Two Mughal Princes Who Stood in the Way of the British East India Company The Two Mughal Princes Who Stood in the Way of the British East India Company
lithub.com

20 October 2019

A Nun’s 450-Year-Old ‘Last Supper’ Makes Its Museum Debut in Florence A Nun’s 450-Year-Old ‘Last Supper’ Makes Its Museum Debut in Florence
atlasobscura.com
For The First Time Ever, Scientists Discover Fractal Patterns in a Quantum Material For The First Time Ever, Scientists Discover Fractal Patterns in a Quantum Material
sciencealert.com
Why It’s So Hard to Make a Better Baby Formula Why It’s So Hard to Make a Better Baby Formula
blogs.discovermagazine.com
A British actor left Hollywood to fight ISIS. Now he’s marooned in Belize. It’s quite a story. A British actor left Hollywood to fight ISIS. Now he’s marooned in Belize. It’s quite a story.
washingtonpost.com
Antibiotics Are Getting into Everything Antibiotics Are Getting into Everything
daily.jstor.org
Bayan Obo: The Chinese Mine That Makes All Gadgets Possible Bayan Obo: The Chinese Mine That Makes All Gadgets Possible
amusingplanet.com
Road built by biblical villain uncovered in Jerusalem Road built by biblical villain uncovered in Jerusalem
nationalgeographic.com
The miraculous journey of a captive-bred hermit crab The miraculous journey of a captive-bred hermit crab
theoutline.com
Doubting death: how our brains shield us from mortal truth Doubting death: how our brains shield us from mortal truth
theguardian.com
The Not-Com Bubble Is Popping The Not-Com Bubble Is Popping
theatlantic.com
A brief history of theater fires in New York City—and the regulations that helped people escape them A brief history of theater fires in New York City—and the regulations that helped people escape them • (see also)
laphamsquarterly.org
Does Io Have a Magma Ocean? Does Io Have a Magma Ocean?
eos.org
The $68,000 Fish: The future of salmon in the Pacific Northwest The $68,000 Fish: The future of salmon in the Pacific Northwest
harpers.org

19 October 2019

Dark Matter's Biggest Problem Might Simply Be A Numerical Error Dark Matter's Biggest Problem Might Simply Be A Numerical Error
forbes.com
Murder in Paradise: The Tale of the Baroness and the Bohemians Murder in Paradise: The Tale of the Baroness and the Bohemians
lithub.com
Why Neanderthals Could Outsprint Humans Why Neanderthals Could Outsprint Humans
realclearscience.com
'Miracle of the dancing sun' may be a meteorological event 'Miracle of the dancing sun' may be a meteorological event
theguardian.com
Why Harriet Tubman risked it all for enslaved Americans Why Harriet Tubman risked it all for enslaved Americans
nationalgeographic.com
Canadian breakthrough that became the world's most expensive drug, then vanished, gets second chance Canadian breakthrough that became the world's most expensive drug, then vanished, gets second chance
cbc.ca
The Untold Story of the 2018 Olympics Cyberattack, the Most Deceptive Hack in History The Untold Story of the 2018 Olympics Cyberattack, the Most Deceptive Hack in History
wired.com
'As the ancient Egyptians left them': Archaeologists uncover more than 20 sealed coffins 'As the ancient Egyptians left them': Archaeologists uncover more than 20 sealed coffins
cnn.com
All plastic waste could be recycled into new plastic All plastic waste could be recycled into new plastic
chalmers.se
Hubble reveals that galaxies without dark matter really exist Hubble reveals that galaxies without dark matter really exist
astronomy.com
The True Story of the Genetically Modified Superfood That Almost Saved Millions The True Story of the Genetically Modified Superfood That Almost Saved Millions
foreignpolicy.com


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