It is a standing joke that physicians have horrible handwriting. It turns out this may not be such a laughing matter. A number of studies have found that sloppy handwriting is just […]
Bad Handwriting Responsible for Up to 61% of Prescription Errors
What Happened to Cause the Doomsday Phone to Ring Off the Hook?
The red phone rang repeatedly. It was The Phone — the phone designated for calls that went well beyond the classification of “urgent.” This phone was used to signal the end of […]
Learn About the Day a Hydrogen Bomb Was Accidentally Dropped on Albuquerque, New Mexico
As the bomber’s sole bomb descended upon the city below, a feeling of unbelief and dread filled the hearts of the plane’s crew. Part of their apprehension was due to the unexpected […]
The Submarine that Nearly Sank Because of an Open Hatch
When submarine captains go to school to learn how to command a multi-billion-dollar vessel, surely one of the first lessons is “Make Sure All the Hatches Are Closed Before You Dive.” For […]
Whoops! What Happens When a Country Misplaces its Declaration of Independence?
Fiji achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1970, but don’t ask the government to prove it. The actual legal document proclaiming their independence seems to have been misplaced.
Duct Tape: So Versatile That it Can Bring Down a President
Night watchman Frank Willis was making his rounds on the night of June 17, 1972. As he passed one of the doors in the office building’s parking complex, he noticed a piece […]
You Had One Job: Lock Constantinople’s Gate
Constantinople was one of the most heavily fortified cities in the world. When it was attacked on April 6, 1453, 10,000 men easily held off Sultan Mehmed II’s 100,000-150,000 attackers for fifty […]
Clear Thinking Disappears in the Camouflage
When civilians wear camouflage-patterned clothing, it is typically a fashion statement. If you will be taking your camo-patterned backpack to school, the choice of the camouflage design can be left to personal […]
The Curious Case of the Disastrous Date With the First Daughter
First dates are always awkward. “Will I make a good impression?” “Will I like him/her?” “How do I escape gracefully if the magic isn’t there?” These are questions everyone asks, no matter […]
One Line of Computer Code Nearly Killed Toy Story 2
Fans of the Toy Story movies know that Woody and Buzz Lightyear have overcome many obstacles in their adventures. What is not as well known is that one little line of computer […]
The Day Carter Cleaned Up the Launch Codes
If the President of the United States ever needs to do the unthinkable and order the use of nuclear weapons, he cannot rely on name recognition alone. The process for launch authorization […]
What Do You Do When You Accidentally Build a Fort In the Wrong Country?
Fresh from its victory against the British in the War of 1812, the United States was eager to secure its northern border. Lake Champlain had been the entry point for several British […]
A Correction 49 Years in the Making
On July 17, 1969, as Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were en route to the Moon, a curious item appeared in the pages of the New York Times:
Would You Use These Weirdly Named Products?
In marketing, deciding product’s name is the first big step to letting the world know why it needs that particular item. Unfortunately, the language barrier sometimes presents its own obstacles and sends […]
How Bad Scheduling and a Misguided Con Scheme Changed the World
Johannes Gutenberg (circa 1400 – February 3, 1468) was responsible for one of the pivotal inventions in all of history: the moveable-type printing press. That invention, more than any other, allowed mankind […]
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