When the English Witnessed Battles in the Sky
Some claimed the battles were so fierce they could smell the gunpowder.
Food and Class: What’s in the Fridge?
A recent New York Times quiz got us thinking about refrigerators, food, diet, and assumptions about class. Here are 12 stories on the subject.
How to Fight with Friends in Ancient Egypt
A scholar finds that some ancient Egyptians who were literate wrote annoyed letters to friends.
When Royals Perfumed Themselves with the Excretions of Musk Deer and Civet Cats
In the era of Louis XV, it was fashionable to drench oneself in “animal scents.”
Our Space Brothers Might Not Actually Look Like Little Green Men after All
If we find aliens, chances are they'll be nothing like we ever imagined.
Criminal Minds? Try Criminal Bodies
Cesare Lombroso wanted to use science to understand who criminals were. But his ideas about biological "atavism" easily transferred to eugenics and nativism.
The Paris Morgue Provided Ghoulish Entertainment
With its huge windows framing the corpses on display, the morgue bore an uncomfortable resemblance to a department store.
The Long History of Comet Phobia
Even the invention of the telescope couldn't convince all people to put aside superstitions about comets.
Isinglass; or, The Many Miracles of Fish Glue
Isinglass comes from the swim bladders of certain kinds of fish and can be found in everything from beer recipes to illuminated manuscripts. Ew? No way.
