People & Society

Intriguing facts about human culture, religion, psychology, and social behavior.

What is Encephalitis lethargica? June 1, 2021
Was Hades Misunderstood? June 1, 2021
Why Are Barns Red? June 1, 2021
How Did Latin Help a Reporter Break the Story of Pope Benedict's Resignation? May 30, 2021
How Many M&M's Do You Need to Stack to Beat the World Record? May 30, 2021
Who Was the Drummer in Ornette Coleman's "The Empty Foxhole" Album? May 29, 2021
Are Haunted Houses Real? May 28, 2021
How Did a Homeless Woman Survive Living in a Man's Closet for a Year? May 28, 2021
How Did Orange Peels Save an Entire Rainforest? May 3, 2021
Why Was a School in Poland Named After an Indian Maharaja? May 3, 2021
How Did the Ladies of the Parkham Women's Institute Misunderstand Pirate Night? May 3, 2021
Boring, Bland, and Dull: Unexciting or Some Very Unique Town Names? May 2, 2021
Why Did People Think Women Shouldn't Be on Trains? May 1, 2021
Are There Any Private Beaches in Mexico? April 30, 2021
In the 70s, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, tried creating its own artificial coral reef by dumping some 2 million used tires into the ocean. It became an environmental disaster, naturally, but also a military training exercise when divers had to retrieve the tires (almost one by one). April 25, 2021
Walter Breuning stopped smoking cigars at age 103 because they became too expensive. At age 108, he began smoking cigars again after receiving a lot of gifts of cigars. He ultimately ended up living to age 114.5 and was the second-last verified surviving man born in the 1800s. April 23, 2021
Scientists "hacked" the genetic code of brewer's yeast to produce cannabis compounds. They inserted genes from cannabis plants into the yeast's genetic code which allowed it to produce CBD and THC. Their end goal is to allow large scale cannabinoid production without cultivation. April 22, 2021
In the 20's a freak show saved over 6500 premature babies' lives. Hospitals would leave them to die; but a "fake" Dr by the name of Martin Couney would display the babies in an experimental glass case called an incubator. He used the proceeds to pay for the show, seeing an 85% survival rate. April 22, 2021
The tobacco industry managed to shift blame of people falling asleep with lit cigarettes away from their products onto beds and sofas being too flammable getting the government to force flame retardants into all sorts of home products that now are linked to cancer etc. April 20, 2021
Friends Thomas Cook and Joseph Feeney shook hands in 1992, swearing if either one won the Powerball jackpot, they would split the winnings. Well the power of friendship and a handshake has paid off: 28 years later Tom won $22 million and split the winnings with his friend. April 19, 2021