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Unless you’ve studied human or animal biology in depth, you’ve likely never heard of the cloaca (pronounced klow·ei·kuh). The norm in animals like reptiles, amphibians, birds and sharks, the cloaca is a common chamber where multiple body systems come together (the genital, intestinal and urinary tracts). From there, the cloaca has only one opening. So instead of…

For decades, scientists have puzzled over why the nests of a little ant called Formica archiboldi are littered with the skulls of other ant species. The most common heads found are those of fierce, predatory trap-jaw ants (Odontomachus). Some researchers have wondered if F. archiboldi somehow inherits trap-jaw ant nests, or if it’s a specialized predator itself. According to a study…

There’s a new trend at children’s birthday parties these days. Some parents are banning balloons. Not because they’re a potential choking hazard. And not because kids inhale the helium. And not even because balloons are really bad for the environment. These parents are nixing balloons to save the children from the disappointment of having one pop…

When it comes to astonishing architectural achievements of ancient Egypt, one clear example comes to mind: the pyramids. But these historic structures aren’t the only majestic geometric feats to originate near the Nile. In fact, their rectangular cousin, the obelisk, can be found in countries throughout the world, from Washington, D.C., to Paris, France. But the iconic…

Have you ever looked at the face of what you thought was a striped tabby cat, but when you saw the rest of its body, realized it was actually spotted? Most likely you met an Egyptian Mau (“mau” is the Egyptian word for cat.) These elegant, midsized cats are the only natural domesticated breed of spotted…

As the first Black aviators to serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps, the Tuskegee Airmen broke through a massive segregation barrier in the American military. Their success and heroism during World War II, fighting Germans in the skies over Europe, shattered pervasive stereotypes that African Americans had neither the character nor the aptitude for combat. And their…

It should come as no surprise that people living in the original 13 colonies lived harder lives than contemporary Americans, without the benefit of the modern conveniences. But colonists still found ways to get their work done, make themselves a little more comfortable—and even have some fun. From farming implements to kitchenware to toys, these 13 objects…

The most common origin story for the potato chip involves Moon’s Lake House, a popular restaurant in the resort town of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. But even there, at least five different men and women have been credited as its creator. What’s more, food historians suggest the chip probably wasn’t invented in Saratoga—and possibly not in…

Thanks in part to the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., in which a small force of Spartan soldiers stayed behind to fight to the death against a vastly larger Persian army, the warriors of Sparta have long been famous for their military prowess and tenacity. Even today, the word “Spartan” conjures up an image of an awesomely fit,…

In late 1937, over a period of six weeks, Imperial Japanese Army forces brutally murdered hundreds of thousands of people–including both soldiers and civilians–in the Chinese city of Nanking (or Nanjing). The horrific events are known as the Nanking Massacre or the Rape of Nanking, as between 20,000 and 80,000 women were sexually assaulted. Nanking,…

Mashup inventions have changed all of our lives. Imagine how crowded nightstands would be if they needed to hold a stereo, speakers, clock and alarm signal. Or how pockets might bulge if people didn’t have a single, small accessory that folded a slew of tools in one handy-dandy knife. And it’s hard to even remember…

Have you ever traded in your old mattress for a new one? Many of us are guilty of using our mattresses way beyond their recommended lifespan. But if you consider everything your mattress absorbs over the years, you might be running to the store for a new one. In just 10 years’ time, your mattress…

In Europe, the 1300s were dark days — a period of religious insularity and superstition made even worse by the arrival of the Black Death, an outbreak of bubonic plague that killed an estimated 50 million people on the continent alone. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in sub-Saharan Africa, the Mali Empire was experiencing a medieval…

Methane, the main ingredient in natural gas, is a larger climate problem than the world anticipates, and cutting its emissions will be crucial to slow global warming, a United Nations report released May 6, 2021, warns. The greenhouse gas is many times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the planet, and its concentration in the atmosphere is increasing…

In September 2020, lifestyle blogger Devida Lederle chronicled a devastating event she says she never saw coming “in a million years.” Lederle, creator of multi-channel health and wellness platform The Healthy Maven, wrote candidly about the weeks-long saga that ensued once she discovered her first pregnancy was ectopic. “If you don’t know anything about an ectopic pregnancy, it’s basically a…

Add some sweetness to your morning with these breakfast and brunch tips and ideas. So many people are on-the-go that they forget the most important meal of the day: breakfast. Make time for breakfast or brunch by making sure there are plenty of healthy options that will entice you to eat. Planning the night before…

SEAL Team Six’s security and counterterrorism missions have ranged from Grenada to Bosnia to Iraq. Originally known as SEAL Team Six, the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DevGru) is one of several publicly disclosed units under the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), an elite and highly classified group that coordinates counterterrorism and other…

British royal history proves that with great power comes great responsibility… and a great deal of rules. While the role of the Crown in contemporary society is largely symbolic, vestiges of traditions passed down during the monarchy’s thousand-year reign are potent reminders of the past. 1. Who was the earliest king of England? King Athelstan…

In 1900, at a time when the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 banned most Chinese immigration and reflected a climate of deep anti-Asian prejudice, 9-year-old Mabel Ping-Hua Lee came to America from China on a scholarship to attend school. At 16, she would cement her place in women’s suffrage history, helping to lead a storied New York…

It’s a grim but necessary calculation, counting those Americans who have died in service to their country, as targets of terrorist attacks, amid natural disasters or as victims of pandemic disease. Here are major events from history that have inflicted a devastating toll on American lives. The Attack on Pearl Harbor: 2,390 Enlisted men of the…

When the era of Communist rule began in Russia in 1917, religion was seen as a hindrance to a thriving socialist society. As Karl Marx, coauthor of the The Communist Manifesto, declared, “Communism begins where atheism begins.” Joseph Stalin, as the second leader of the Soviet Union, tried to enforce militant atheism on the republic. The new “socialist man,”…

On September 30, 331 bc, the fate of two empires was decided on a plain 70 miles north of present-day Irbil, Iraq. Lying near the hamlet of Gaugamela, the plain was part of a vast territory north of the Persian provincial capital of Babylon where King Darius III, also known as Darius Codomanus, had mustered…

It’s hard to feel sorry for Bill Koch. The billionaire brother of conservative political donors Charles and David Koch sold his share in the family energy business years ago and dedicated his enviable nest egg — how big of a nest do you need for $4 billion — to the aristocratic hobby of collecting rare…

College can be rough, especially if you’re a freshman. New friends, crusty professors, looming term papers and Friday afternoon classes are some of the hurdles newbies navigate. No one would blame you if you decided to call it a day, take a hot shower, and wash your academic and personal troubles down the drain. Beware. Lurking…

It’s more than six times the length of a double-decker bus and larger than some football pitches. You’d struggle to find somebody to fit the world’s largest t-shirt, but that hasn’t stopped it from gaining the attention of people all over the world. We first saw the t-shirt in October 2014 when it was revealed…

Ask any long-haul trucker, one whose livelihood depends on squeezing every last mile from every last drop of diesel, and he’ll tell you this: An aerodynamic trailer is more fuel-efficient and therefore cheaper to tow than a big, square box on wheels. But the trucker has to overcome the unavoidable fact that his trailer is…

You may have heard the British use the word “autumn” to describe the time of year that ends summer and turns to winter or in simpler terms, the third season. But why do they use a different word? Both “fall” and “autumn” were used as part of the English language to describe the third season…

If you’ve ever driven west on Interstate 80 through Nebraska, you’ve seen one of the flattest and emptiest roads in America … and you probably had some time to ponder life’s most important questions. For example, why is the highway called “I-80,” anyway? And why do some interstate names have one, two or three digits? Buckle up,…

How an unpiloted supersonic fighter became the most notorious ghost rider of all time. Unpiloted aircraft have taken off on their own, usually after a pilot hand-props the airplane to start it without realizing the throttle has been left wide open. The unguided missiles then charge across an airport willy-nilly, generally taking out themselves and a…

Ellis Island is a historical site that opened in 1892 as an immigration station, a purpose it served for more than 60 years until it closed in 1954. Located at the mouth of Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, Ellis Island saw millions of newly arrived immigrants pass through its doors. In fact,…

Hurricane Katrina, the tropical cyclone that struck the Gulf Coast in August 2005, was the third-strongest hurricane to hit the United States in its history at the time. With maximum sustained winds of 175 mph, the storm killed a total of 1,833 people and left millions homeless in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast…

When you think of the word ‘America,’ what specific symbols come to mind? The Statue of Liberty? Baseball? Burgers? A world-class (albeit very expensive) college degree? Those are all good guesses, but for a long time, a sweeter treat has come to represent the best — and worst — of the U.S.: apple pie. Encyclopedia Britannica proclaims…

You may be surprised to find out that many inmates escape prison every year. Though they are confined to a small area with no freedom, it is worrisome that these getaways occur with success. The prison population has increased by 340% from 1980 to 2010. For every 11.2 prisoners, there are 2 guards. Since this…

For centuries, Black Americans have used music as a powerful tool. In the antebellum South, enslaved people sang spirituals to covertly plan their escape to freedom. Poems were put to music and performed to celebrate the eradication of slavery, and ballads and hip hop have been leveraged to protest violence and discrimination against Black Americans.…

A funky little instrument that appears now in popular pop music tracks, the ukulele has been around for years. Not only that, but it’s already appeared in the charts before. Read on for more facts about the ukulele! The ukulele is a small instrument that is incredibly popular with Hawaiian music. In fact, it derived from two…

The Maya Empire, centered in the tropical lowlands of what is now Guatemala, reached the peak of its power and influence around the sixth century A.D. The Maya excelled at agriculture, pottery, hieroglyph writing, calendar-making and mathematics, and left behind an astonishing amount of impressive architecture and symbolic artwork. Most of the great stone cities…

A 47-year-old woman called Tammy Sexton, in Birmingham – Alabama was shot in the head by her husband with a .380-caliber handgun and not only did she survive, she managed to make herself a cup of tea and offered one to a police officer! The husband, Donald Ray Sexton, shot and killed himself after he shot his wife. Tammy…

Have you heard the expression “dead as a Dodo” and wondered where it came from? Or wondered why the Dodo became extinct? Well read the facts! What is a Dodo? The Dodo was a plump gray bird, with white feathers. It weighed in around 20 to 23 kilograms. A flightless bird, it had a hooked…

Cheese is one of the happiest accidents of food history, likely discovered when an enterprising herdsman decided to store some fresh milk in a pouch made from a sheep’s stomach and later opened it to find the liquid transformed into curds of fatty goodness (along with some whey to drink). In ruminant animals like cows and sheep, the…

We all enjoy walking around a museum, having a good look at the sculptures and bits of art on display – usually from a good distance behind some red ropes. But there are some sculptures out there where standing behind a barrier just wouldn’t do it because you wouldn’t see them! English sculptor and artist…

The history of chocolate can be traced to the ancient Mayans, and even earlier to the ancient Olmecs of southern Mexico. The word chocolate may conjure up images of sweet candy bars and luscious truffles, but the chocolate of today is little like the chocolate of the past. Throughout much of history, chocolate was a…

If you are looking for facts about turkeys, look no further, here are some interesting turkey facts that will have you gobbling for more! A turkey is the relation of the grouse. In Latin, turkeys are known as Meleagris. The turkey is classed as poultry. The domesticated turkey is descended from the wild turkey. It has…

U.S. presidential history is filled with “firsts.” First president? George Washington. First president to die in office? William Henry Harrison. First president to serve two non-consecutive terms? That would be Grover Cleveland, who won the 1884 election, lost the 1888 election, then won again in 1892. Cleveland is both the 22nd and the 24th president and the only commander-in-chief to hold…

On October 29, 1929, Black Tuesday hit Wall Street as investors traded some 16 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange in a single day. Billions of dollars were lost, wiping out thousands of investors. In the aftermath of Black Tuesday, America and the rest of the industrialized world spiraled downward into the Great…

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Wednesday, May 5 in 2021, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is…

The Biltmore is called the “grandest private home in America,” but even that doesn’t do it justice. At 178,926 square feet, the Gilded Age estate dwarfs the White House by a factor of three and puts Hearst Castle (at 70,000 square feet) to shame. It’s about the same size as a Walmart Supercenter, but it’s…

Anyone who’s been to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico or the Cave of the Crystals in Mexico understands the pull of underground exploration. Yet each year, magical underground mazes claim the lives of experienced spelunkers and cave divers alike. Among the hazards: falling, pockets of toxic gases, getting lost, tumbling rocks, hypothermia, dehydration, or perhaps the most horrifying: Getting stuck in the jaws of tight sharp…

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says that if you answer a phone call and you’re talking to a computer and not a human being, you have received a robocall. While some can be useful, such as severe weather alerts, appointment reminders, or community updates, other robocalls with sales pitches, political messages or scams are annoying, or even…

No, you haven’t read that title wrong. And no, it’s not a typo either. We’ve heard of Australia’s beautiful Great Barrier Reef, but one diver’s paradise we’ve not heard so much about is the Great Carrier Reef. 24 miles from the coast on Pensacola, sitting at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, is the USS Oriskany – an…

In the power relationship between America’s enslaved people and their enslavers, it’s widely assumed that the planter class held all the cards. After all, they were the dominant group who frequently enforced their will with whips, chains, dogs—and worse. Most enslaved people were considered little more than legal property, business investments whose human needs and family relationships were relevant…

The South African activist and former president Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) helped bring an end to apartheid and has been a global advocate for human rights. A member of the African National Congress party beginning in the 1940s, he was a leader of both peaceful protests and armed resistance against the white minority’s oppressive regime in a racially…

The Birmingham church bombing occurred on September 15, 1963, when a bomb exploded before Sunday morning services at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama—a church with a predominantly Black congregation that also served as a meeting place for civil rights leaders. Four young girls were killed and many other people injured. Outrage over…

You are probably well aware that your body requires adequate sleep every night – ideally around seven to eight hours – to function properly and maintain your health, but you may not realize how much goes on while you are sleeping. Read on to learn eight surprising things your mind and body are doing while…

As The Beatles famously pointed out: “money can’t buy me love”. Despite this, a brief overview of human history depicts a species desperately attempting to climb over one another in the pursuit of greatest riches. Whilst many failed, a small minority succeeded and amassed ludicrously large fortunes, often at the expense of others. For the…

Recently I hit random on Wikipedia, then followed a series of pages about plastic money! Some of the things I learned about our beloved plastic were very interesting and I will share some of them with you today. Visa Visa was started by Bank Of America under the name Bankamericard. The card slowly expanded to…

Not only is the Bumblebee bat, (or Kitti’s Hog Nosed Bat as it is also known as) the world’s smallest bat, but it is also the world’s smallest mammal. These cute little creatures are just 29 – 33mm in length, and have a wingspan of approximately 170mm, and weigh a tiny amount of 2 grams!…

How do you like to wear your fingernails? Whether you prefer them elongated, clipped to the quick or occasionally chewed, you may have wondered how long they would grow if you left them alone. And by “left alone,” we mean for a really, really long time. As our Brainstuff video host Josh Clark explains in the video…

More than 3,800 years after he took power, the ancient Babylonian king Hammurabi is best remembered for the Code of Hammurabi which was inscribed on human-sized stone pillars that he placed in the towns of his realm. But the system of 282 laws was just one of the achievements of a leader who turned Babylon, a city-state located 60 miles…

Throughout our lives, innovations in food-related technology have always seemed to be something that has taken a bit of a back burner. Communication, storage, vehicles, construction, and numerous other fields always seem to have the big breaks, the new gadgets, and gizmos that everyone rushes for, and they seem to then get combined where possible…

“Do you suppose that your beard creates brains and therefore you grow that fly-flapper? Take my advice and shave it off at once; for that beard is a creator of lice and not of brains.” So wrote Ammianus Marcellinus, an historian and soldier from the days of the Roman Empire. His take on long facial hair was meant to…

The world contains billions upon billions of people spread far and wide. Just like the people themselves the countries can be rather strange and hold some very interesting facts. I often wonder what’s the largest, longest, lowest or most luxurious country in the world and what wonders does that particular country hold. Here we’re going…

When it came to waging war at sea during the American Revolution, the mighty British Navy had a vast advantage over its small and inexperienced colonial counterpart. But while the Continental fleet had little impact on the outcome of the war, tens of thousands of citizen sailors seeking both freedom and fortune played a critical, yet…

As the 21st century unfolds, climate change will look different for everyone. We’re pretty familiar at this point with photos of polar bears riding around on miniscule rafts of ice, and though we can imagine what the social outcomes of climate change will be for humans, these seem far away — part of some sort of environmental…

The waiter is waiting. You’re at a restaurant with a group of friends and you generously offered to pick up the check. Only you forgot how much you hate calculating the tip! Now the waiter is impatiently peering over your shoulder as you fumble with basic division and addition, hoping your friends don’t notice how red…

Many will have heard the expression that in space, no one can hear you scream. Like many others before you, you may have simply accepted this as the truth without thinking much more on the topic. Some may have even delved further and learned that space is silent because sound cannot travel through a vacuum.…

You’ve heard the terms before: Gold digger. Trophy wife. They most often apply to women whose social or economic status is “lower” than their husbands.’ You might even know of a few couples where these terms could apply. But this act of a woman vying for “higher status” when marrying also has a scholarly name and a…