November 12, 1970, was a whale of a day at Florence, Oregon. The sun was bright, and the skies were clear. Only the presence of a decomposing whale carcass marred the beautiful […]
What Could Go Wrong When Using Dynamite to Move a Whale?
Making Nuclear Reactors Safe From Butt-Pinching
Harnessing the power of the atom provides humanity with virtually unlimited power. It also poses devastating consequences if things go poorly. The nuclear disasters at Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Three Mile Island happened […]
The Horrifying Hanging of Mary, the Circus Elephant Who Was Executed for Murder
When the sentence of death is carried out, it is always noteworthy. Mary’s execution was no exception. This particular use of capital punishment attracted even more attention than usual. People gathered from […]
Luxembourg Cars Must Have Windshield Wipers But Windshields Are Optional
Governments can be famous for making regulations that put more emphasis on form than substance. No better example can be found than the highly-bureaucratic Vogons in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: […]
Deliver Us From Weevils — The Time a Town Put a Bunch of Insects on Trial
Something was bugging the people of St. Julien. The “something” was a bug. A bunch of them, actually. Weevils were threatening the peace and prosperity of the French town. Criminal trespass to […]
How a Brilliant Military Maneuver Conquered the Wrong City
You may not hear a lot about him today, but in the 9th century, Hastein was a rising star in the Viking community. The chieftain made his name with raids in the […]
How the Baby Ruth Candy Bar Influenced the Bombing of Hiroshima
This morning’s headlines are filled with reports of war, pandemic, political turmoil, and — perhaps most distressingly — further chronicles in the lives of a couple of people named Harry and Meghan. […]
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 […]
What Could Go Wrong With Putting Wings on a Ford Pinto?
As much as we enjoy the comforts provided by the 21st century, our biggest disappointment is the lack of flying cars. Every traffic jam brings daydreams of being able to push the […]
The Scandalous Saga of the Ugly Man Who Was Executed for Fathering a One-Eyed Pig
Most people want their lives to be significant. We want to be remembered after we leave this world. It is downright depressing to consider the possibility of making so little of an […]
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 […]
The Bridge That Wouldn’t Work Because of a Misplaced Remote Control
Admit it. We’re all guilty of setting the remote control somewhere and losing track of it. Even though the television is less than 10 feet away, we’ll hunt around for 15 minutes, […]
Does the Way Music is Tuned Explain Why the World is a Mess?
Welcome, Dear Reader. How are you doing? Are you having a good day? Did you have a nice time during the holidays? Gee, that’s wonderful. You obviously did not spend those hours […]
How a Full Bladder Started a Bloody War
Not to be indelicate, but there are some things we just can’t control. After all, when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. While it is true that some of us […]
Finland’s Reflecting Reindeer Plan … And How It Turned Out
Once upon a time, there was a reindeer. It was a very special reindeer because part of its body glowed brightly in the night. If it weren’t for that unnatural light source, […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 