How many times have you seen it? You are watching a dramatic scene that takes place in a hospital’s operating room or emergency room. The slow, steady beep of the EKG abruptly […]
Can A Person Be Shocked Back to Life After Flatlining?
Was Elizabeth I Poisoned By Her Makeup?
”If looks could kill…” No, we’re not talking about the imperious glare for which Queen Elizabeth I was feared. The killing looks in this case refer to the appearance of Her Majesty. […]
If You Swallow Gum Will It Stay In Your Stomach For Years?
“If you swallow your gum, it will stay in your stomach for ten years.” This was the sage warning given by our 7th-grade science teacher, and we took it to heart. Of […]
The Unkillable General Adrian Carton de Wiart
In the realm of science fiction, one of the most formidable fighters of all time is a Terminator. These robotic soldiers from the future are the ultimate killing machine because they are […]
A Warning for Women About the Dangers of Bicycle Face
Nineteenth-century life had more than its share of challenges for women. Disenfranchisement, substandard medical care, and the need to wear corsets are just a few of the downsides they had to face. […]
How a Medical Legend Maneuvered Celebrities into Treating AIDS Patients With Malaria
Each year 1-3 million people die from malaria. Another 1 million annually succumb to AIDS. You don’t need to be a physician to realize both of these diseases are pretty bad. Anyone […]
How To See Impossible Colors
This is an article about colors, written by a person who is colorblind. Impossible, you say? So did this writer. In the course of protesting this assignment, however, it was pointed out […]
The Prime Minister Who Got Eaten By His People
You know what they say about pursuing a career in politics. It is a vocation fraught with hazards. The public is so fickle and can love you one day, only to chew […]
Why Does the U.S. Have a Secret Strategic Chicken Stockpile?
Hey, you. Yeah… We’re talking to you. Come here for a minute. Lean in. Listen carefully. Can you keep a secret? So can we. That’s why we have never disclosed any information […]
All 21st Century Women Are Supposed to be Amazons
Those who lived long ago, in a difficult-to-fathom age known by paleontologists as “the 20th century,” liked to imagine what life would be like in our era. They would likely be disappointed […]
How a 20th-Century Doctor Treated Patients By Sticking an Ice Pick Into Their Brains Through Their Eyes
“It isn’t brain surgery.” We use the phrase to describe simple tasks that anyone should be able to do. The unstated assumption behind this is that brain surgery is far from simple […]
The Strange Case of the Woman Who Urinated From Her Ears, Eyes, Nose, and Navel
If you have suffered through a long car ride in which the driver refuses to stop for a bathroom break, you may have felt as if your eyeballs were floating. Possibly you […]
Oofty Goofty — The Man Who Made a Living Getting Beat Up
To be successful, you need to find something you do well and get people to pay you to do it. As demonstrated by a fellow known as Oofty Goofty, it’s possible to […]
How Fast is a Finger Snap?
Snapping one’s fingers is a universally-understood way of communicating how easily and quickly something can be accomplished. If you want to be a bit more precise, you might want to know just […]
Who Would Want to Be the Shepherd of the Royal Anus?
What is the weirdest job you could list on your resume? It probably doesn’t hold a candle to “Shepherd of the Royal Anus.” Despite what you may think, having that job was […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 