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It Is Illegal to Collect Rainwater?
Rainwater might seem like it’s yours for the taking, but local laws can make collecting it surprisingly complicated.




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Orpheus and Eurydice: Retold Across Time, From Virgil to 'Hadestown'
The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of the most adapted in history. We examine eight versions crafted over the course of millennia.
The Spiritual Meaning of Waking Up at 3 a.m.
Waking up at 3 a.m. can feel eerie. Explore the spiritual meanings and beliefs associated with this mysterious middle-of-the-night wake-up.
What American Newspaper Front Pages Looked Like on September 12, 2001
"America has changed forever..."
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Favorite Leonardo DiCaprio Film—and His Biggest Career Regret
"My biggest regret is not..."
What Did People Really Eat in Medieval Taverns?
Medieval taverns served much more than ale, with hearty everyday foods making up most of the menu.
5 Experiences the Internet Quietly Made Obsolete
From rewinding VHS tapes to waiting for songs on the radio, the internet quietly wiped out these nostalgic daily experiences.
10 Common Children’s Toys in the Middle Ages
These toys were found through excavation reports, museum catalogue records, and the margins of one very expensive book.
The Beatles Album That Helped Inspire Otis Redding's Biggest Hit
Otis Redding's "(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay" was inspired in part by the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's" and became his biggest hit.
The Biggest News Headline the Year You Were Born
These were the stories making front-page news in the U.S. the year you came into the world.
11 Sounds That Defined Back-to-School Season in the ‘90s
Some of these nostalgic sounds include compressed air, Velcro, and a newscast your school got paid to show you.
The Surprising Reason Buddy Holly Changed the Spelling of His Last Name
Buddy Holly wasn’t the one who changed the spelling in the first place.
The Surprisingly Easy Way the Story of 'Practical Magic' Came to Author Alice Hoffman
The idea for 'Practical Magic' came to Alice Hoffman easily—almost, one could say, like magic. Here's the story of how Hoffman came up with the bestselling book and its sequels.
Bruce Springsteen's Favorite Song Is a Frank Sinatra Classic
When asked what song he'd pick if he could only listen to one for the rest of his life, The Boss chose this Frank Sinatra tune—but he's also expressed admiration for The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, and many other artists.
Did Captain Kirk Ever Actually Say “Beam Me Up, Scotty” in ‘Star Trek’?
The popularized phrase supposedly comes from ‘Star Trek,’ but was it actually ever said in original series?
The 5 Best Places in the U.S. For a Cozy Fall Getaway, Ranked
These five places offer a mix of crisp fall weather, seasonal festivities, access to nature, and small-town charm. Here are the five best spots in the U.S. to visit in autumn.
The Polar Bear Once Kept at the Tower of London
The Tower of London was once home to lions, tigers, baboons, and yes—a polar bear whose presence caused city officials a fair amount of grief.
What Charles Dickens's 'A Tale of Two Cities' Gets Right About the French Revolution
How accurate is Charles Dickens’s "A Tale of Two Cities"? See what the novel gets right about the French Revolution—and where it takes some liberties.
6 Pieces of ‘Star Trek’ Technology That Eventually Became Real
From the communicator to touchscreens, 'Star Trek' predicted the future in surprisingly accurate ways.
5 of the Most Common Jobs in America 100 Years Ago
This Labor Day, we’re looking back at the culture of the 1920s. Here are five of the most common professions one century ago.






























