How chocolate accidentally inspired the Coca-Cola bottle
The soda bottle’s iconic design was incorrectly modeled on the shape of a cocoa bean. Continue reading How chocolate accidentally inspired the Coca-Cola bottle
Author: Taylor Shortal
Why British royals banned soccer
The early iterations of association football did not receive a warm welcome in medieval Britain. Continue reading Why British royals banned soccer
Joan of Arc never fought in battle
The French martyr of the Hundred Years’ War was not the fierce warrior most imagine today. Continue reading Joan of Arc never fought in battle
Parrots name their babies
After their parents give them a signature contact call, parrot chicks are identified by these calls throughout their lives. Continue reading Parrots name their babies
The Autobahn: Fast but not Furious
The world’s fastest highway network has a fatality rate lower than the U.S. Interstate System. Continue reading The Autobahn: Fast but not Furious
George Washington, King of American whiskey
Settling into retirement, the Founding Father lived off the profits of an entirely different Spirit of ’76. Continue reading George Washington, King of American whiskey
The modern Japanese sport of samurai swimming
Classical Japanese swimming, also known as Nihon Eiho, is composed of several centuries-old aquatic activities, which include writing calligraphy while treading water and swimming in a 40-pound suit of armor. Continue reading The modern Japanese sport of samurai swimming
When the brother of John Wilkes Booth saved Lincoln’s son
Both thespians, the Wilkes brothers played drastically different parts off-stage. Continue reading When the brother of John Wilkes Booth saved Lincoln’s son
Rumble: The story behind the only instrumental banned from the radio
Link Wray’s 1958 guitar classic riled the polite segments of society while solidifying the sound of hard rock for decades to come. Continue reading Rumble: The story behind the only instrumental banned from the radio
Infrared cameras can’t see polar bears
Popular culture has long heralded thermal imaging as the pinnacle of surveillance technology. But now infrared cameras have found — or haven’t found — their kryptonite. Continue reading Infrared cameras can’t see polar bears
Pulp Sage 