The general scientific consensus was that someone was trying to pull off a hoax. The newly-discovered animal could not possibly be real. It was an admirable effort, to be sure. It appeared […]
Perplexing Platypus Promotes Plentiful Pondering
Why Butter is Shaped Differently Around the USA
Everyone knows there is a difference between the western and eastern halves of the United States. The weather, culture, cost of living, and political preferences are so stark that it is almost […]
Join the Effort to Save These Words and Phrases From Extinction
They are on the precipice of extinction. Without decisive action, all fifty of them will be gone, only to appear as footnotes in the textbooks of the future. Saving them is going […]
Dip Your Frog to Keep Your Milk Fresh
We are beginning to believe frogs may be the true superheroes of the natural world. We have previously documented their amazing powers of levitation, and times when it literally rained frogs on […]
Coffee, Crypts, Bones, and Friars — the Origin of the Cappuccino
What do coffee, crypts, bones, and friars have in common? No, they aren’t the ingredients for a misguided Halloween party theme. They are, instead, the basis for what may be one of […]
Some Cheesy Facts About Cheese
Who doesn’t like cheese? With all of the different kinds of the tasty food item and the infinite variety of uses in cuisine, cheese is an indispensable staple in the kitchens of […]
If You Enjoy Fresh Milk, Thank Al Capone
In the shady world of organized crime, no name struck greater freak and respect than that of Al Capone. The notorious Chicago mobster presided over an empire of bootleg alcohol, gambling, and […]
Can Cows — and Cheese — Contribute To Safer Smoking?
We already reported the alarming practice of attempting to make cigarettes safe by using filters made from asbestos. If you are looking for a safer and all-organic way to introduce carcinogens into […]
The Pink Poop Pandemic and the Breakfast Cereal That Caused It
What do monsters eat for breakfast? When Mary Shelley described Frankenstein’s monster, her words were remarkably descriptive. She did not, however, disclose what kind of breakfast cereal the freak of nature might […]
Hippo Milk is Pink — and Ten Other Fun Facts about the Hippopotamus
Before you gulp down that glass of strawberry-flavored milk, you’d better make sure that you haven’t grabbed a beverage intended for a baby hippopotamus. The two milks may look identical, but the […]
Can You Get Over the Hump and Drink Camel Milk?
If you have difficulty drinking all the milk in your refrigerator before it spoils, you might consider switching to camel milk. It has a feature you will appreciate: it does not curdle.
The Early Bird Gets the Worm … and the Cheese It Lives In
Casu marzu is a type of cheese found mainly in Sardinia, Italy. It is distinctive in that it contains live maggots. The maggots — larvae of the cheese fly (Piophila casei), are translucent […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 