Ancient Rome’s Urine Tax: Why Vespasian Taxed Pee and Said “Money Doesn’t Stink”
Ancient Rome taxed urine because it was valuable to textile workers. Meet Vespasian, the urine tax, and the origin of “money doesn’t stink.”
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Weird Migraine Facts: Auras, Phantom Smells, Alice in Wonderland, and LSD
Read more: Weird Migraine Facts: Auras, Phantom Smells, Alice in Wonderland, and LSDDiscover bizarre migraine facts, from auras to phantom smells, that make you question reality—without needing Alice or LSD!
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The Dark Triad: Meet Psychology’s Most Unpleasant Personality Traits
Read more: The Dark Triad: Meet Psychology’s Most Unpleasant Personality TraitsExplore the Dark Triad personality traits—narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy—and what psychology says about our darker side.
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Will My Dog Eat Me If I Die? Your Cat May Not Be the One to Worry About
Read more: Will My Dog Eat Me If I Die? Your Cat May Not Be the One to Worry AboutAdmit it. You’ve wondered, “Will my dog eat me if I die at home alone?” OK, maybe you’re wondering about your cat. Forensic science has investigated the unsettling question—and the answer may surprise pet owners.
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Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Dickens: The 5-Week Houseguest From Hell
Read more: Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Dickens: The 5-Week Houseguest From HellLearn how the friendship of Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Dickens was ruined by one of history’s worst cases of an overstayed houseguest.
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Rattlesnakes for Felons: Benjamin Franklin’s Plan to Repay Britain
Read more: Rattlesnakes for Felons: Benjamin Franklin’s Plan to Repay BritainBenjamin Franklin answered Britain’s convict shipments with “Rattlesnakes for Felons,” a satirical proposal to send rattlesnakes in return—and place them near Parliament.
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The Hula Hoop Craze: How a Plastic Circle Put the World in a Spin
Read more: The Hula Hoop Craze: How a Plastic Circle Put the World in a SpinDiscover the ancient origins, explosive 1958 craze, disputed invention story, and lasting legacy of the Hula Hoop.
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Cyrus the Great: The Strange Legend of the King of Boys
Read more: Cyrus the Great: The Strange Legend of the King of BoysHow did Cyrus the Great go from hidden prince to playground king and conqueror? Explore Herodotus’s strange, dark, and possibly legendary tale.
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Tetrachromacy: Are Some People Seeing Colors the Rest of Us Cannot?
Read more: Tetrachromacy: Are Some People Seeing Colors the Rest of Us Cannot?Could some people see colors invisible to the rest of us? Explore tetrachromacy, fourth cone cells, color vision, and the science behind hidden hues.
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The Origin of Rapunzel: The Tangled History of the Girl in the Tower
Read more: The Origin of Rapunzel: The Tangled History of the Girl in the TowerWhat is the origin of Rapunzel? Explore its ancient roots, Grimm revisions, hidden pregnancy, and Disney’s transformation in Tangled.
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The True History of Feral Children: Could Mowgli Really Exist?
Read more: The True History of Feral Children: Could Mowgli Really Exist?Explore true stories of feral children, from wolf-child legends and Victor of Aveyron to modern cases of neglect, survival, and fraud.
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Sand as a Toy: Why Ground-Up Rocks Belong in the Toy Hall of Fame
Read more: Sand as a Toy: Why Ground-Up Rocks Belong in the Toy Hall of FameDiscover the fun and fascinating history of sand as a toy, how it entered the National Toy Hall of Fame, and how sandboxes help shape childhood.
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The Pine Tree Riot: Before Colonists Dumped Tea, They Fought Over Trees
Read more: The Pine Tree Riot: Before Colonists Dumped Tea, They Fought Over TreesBefore the Boston Tea Party, New Hampshire colonists fought the Crown over white pine trees in the forgotten 1772 Pine Tree Riot.
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Michael Godwin: The Murderer Who Escaped the Electric Chair—Then Electrocuted Himself on a Toilet
Read more: Michael Godwin: The Murderer Who Escaped the Electric Chair—Then Electrocuted Himself on a ToiletMichael Godwin escaped South Carolina’s electric chair—only to accidentally electrocute himself while repairing headphones on a prison toilet.
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Swede Momsen: The Man Who Saved the U.S. Navy From Itself
Read more: Swede Momsen: The Man Who Saved the U.S. Navy From ItselfMeet Swede Momsen, the naval genius who rescued trapped submariners, exposed defective torpedoes, and repeatedly saved the U.S. Navy from itself.
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Nintendo Is Older Than the Airplane—and Mario Wasn’t Even Its Strangest Idea
Read more: Nintendo Is Older Than the Airplane—and Mario Wasn’t Even Its Strangest IdeaNintendo is older than airplanes, sliced bread, and video games. Learn how the company began in 1889 and evolved from playing cards to Mario and the Switch.
