Kirstin Fawcett

Map Shows How Everyone Blamed Syphilis on Everyone Else

The origins of syphilis may be one of the greatest (and grossest) health mysteries of our time. What we do know is that, throughout history, people were quick to point fingers at each other.... READ ON

How Hand Sanitizer Works (And Why It Isn't a Substitute for Soap)

Hand sanitizer doesn't look, smell, or feel like the stuff doctors use to clean their tools? (Or the kind we drink, for that matter.) It also doesn't physically wash dirt from your hands.... READ ON

Play This Shakespeare-Inspired Card Game at Your Next Soiree

This card game is a Shakespeare-inspired version of Cards Against Humanity, but with a decidedly academic take on low-brow humor.... READ ON

Why It's Hard to Keep New Year's Resolutions

It may seem like New Year's resolutions are destined to fail, but we work harder to achieve them if we set goals that are both concrete and demanding.... READ ON

When It's Too Cold to Walk Your Dog Chart

Dogs have built-in fur coats, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get chilly during their winter walks.... READ ON

Christmas Foods From History

Over the centuries, yuletide revelers have enjoyed far different culinary fare than we do today. These historical Christmas dishes are sure to confuse—or tantalize—your taste buds.... READ ON

Why Jewish Families Eat Chinese Food on Christmas

As Gentiles feast on turkey and roast beef during the Yuletide season, why do many Jews opt for chop suey? While convenience is king, other ingredients play a part in this delicious story.... READ ON

Which Thanksgiving Foods Are Allowed on a Plane

Turkeys and pies are allowable carry-ons, but you'll have to check alcohol, sauces, and condiments before you board a plane.... READ ON

If you adore felines, you’re in good company: Many of history’s most famous figures—including Florence Nightingale, Pope Paul II, Mark Twain, and the Brontë sisters—all owned, and loved, cats.... READ ON

How Science Boosts Halloween

Embrace the supernatural, but don't let science fall by the wayside. Here are a few tips for using scientific principles to crush your Halloween festivities.... READ ON

Bram Stoker Adapted 'Dracula' for the Theater

For one of literature’s most enduring works, Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' didn’t receive much of a turnout when it was first adapted for the stage: A total of two people showed up.... READ ON

Introvert vs Extrovert: Pros and Cons

Whether you're an introvert or an extrovert doesn't really matter, so long as you use your temperament to your advantage.... READ ON

7 Useful Products With a Lifetime Guarantee

It's worth it to splurge on new stuff if you know it will last forever. Here are a few items that are guaranteed to last.... READ ON

This Vincent Van Gogh Action Figure Comes Complete with Removable Ears

Today Is Art Day celebrates artist Vincent van Gogh with an action figure that comes with detachable ears.... READ ON

Cook a Game of Thrones-Inspired Feast With This Video Tutorial

Party like you're a Stark or a Lannister—minus the threat of a massacre of poisoning—with recipes for Purple Wedding pigeon pie and more.... READ ON

12 Fascinating Facts About the Metropolitan Museum of Art

It has the world's oldest surviving piano, its own floral artist, and plenty of armor—even if those metal buttons aren't around anymore.... READ ON

6 Creative Recycling Efforts From Around the Globe

This Earth Day, get inspired to think outside the plastic bin, and brainstorm creative ways to convert or re-purpose old, discarded, or unexpected materials into something new and useful..... READ ON

10 Intriguing Facts About Joseph Lister

Get to know the pioneering doctor who's been called "the father of modern surgery" and the namesake of a popular mouthwash.... READ ON

A Designer Turned Her Grandparents's World War II-Era Love Letters Into Jewelry

Instead of safekeeping her grandparents’s old love letters in a ribbon-tied shoebox, Meghan Coomes turns them into heirloom accessories.... READ ON

10 African American Inventors Who Changed the World

Get to know the brilliant minds that brought you blood banks, personal computers, touch-tone telephones, and more.... READ ON

What's the Difference Between Gophers and Groundhogs?

The short answer: a lot.... READ ON

13 Fascinating Facts About Pallas’s Cats

The elusive, fluffy wildcat may be adorable, but they're not social animals. They don't even seem to like each other very much.... READ ON

Take a Peek Inside London's Museum of Childhood

The collections contain vintage toys, many of which are no longer sold in stores.... READ ON

Don't Have Space For a Christmas Tree? Decorate a Pineapple Instead

Forego the forest vibe for a more tropical aesthetic.... READ ON

Lexington, Kentucky Residents Can Pay Parking Tickets With Canned Goods

The “Food for Fines” program allows one wrong to make a right.... READ ON

13 Facts About Siamese Cats

10. A pair of these blue-eyed once foiled an espionage plot.... READ ON

7 Facts About Ragdoll Cats

The Ragdoll cat can be described in three words: big, beautiful, and friendly.... READ ON

The War of the Worlds Broadcast Might Not Have Caused Mass Panic

It was 80 years ago that a radio broadcast caused the public to panic ... but did it really?... READ ON

50 Fascinating Facts About Felines

It's Respect Your Cat Day! If you want to celebrate your feline friends in all their furry glory (not that they'd have it any other way), try sharing some of the 50 bits of cat trivia below.... READ ON

Celebrate National Boston Cream Pie Day by Trying the Original Recipe

In 1996, the treat was declared the official dessert of Massachusetts, cementing its place in our cookbooks—and taste buds—for good.... READ ON

5 Ways You Can Register to Vote in Less Than 5 Minutes

The process doesn't have to be tedious or time-consuming.... READ ON

The Most Popular Halloween Candy in Each State

Here's your proof that plenty of people really do love candy corn.... READ ON

What to Put in Your Go-Bag in Case of an Emergency

It’s always a smart idea to prepare for the worst while still hoping for the best.... READ ON

11 Things You Should Always Buy at Thrift Shops

Why pay top dollar for retail items when you can often score the same goods secondhand?... READ ON

11 Amazing Hotels for Book Lovers

Escape reality—both literally and figuratively—by visiting one of these literary-inspired getaways.... READ ON

10 Nice Things You Can Do for Your Cat

Besides feeding it, of course.... READ ON

50 Tools Every Homeowner Should Have

You'll need these pieces of equipment to keep your home in tip-top shape.... READ ON

You Can Buy Michelangelo's Tuscan Farmhouse for $7.5 Million

The 11th century villa boasts 10 bedrooms, a vineyard, and one storied history.... READ ON

Solve a Murder Mystery (and Eat Cheesecake) with The Golden Girls

Nothing this bad happened back in St. Olaf!... READ ON

England Copied Its Teatime Customs from Queen Catherine of Braganza

Royals have always been trendsetters.... READ ON

12 People You May Not Have Known Were Olympians

Like, say, Darth Vader's stunt double.... READ ON

11 Secrets of Book Conservators

Their best handiwork should be impossible for you to see.... READ ON

15 Foods You Didn't Know Could Come in Cans

Why celebrate February's National Canned Food Month with basic chicken soup when you could try a whole canned chicken?... READ ON

California's Proposed Straw Ban Won't Actually Threaten Restaurant Employees With Jail Time

As it currently reads, restaurant employees would face $1000 fines or jail sentences of up to six months for handing out straws unasked.... READ ON

A Restaurant In Australia Is Garnishing Its Margaritas With Frozen Eyeballs

No, they're not human.... READ ON

This Mass Grave in England May Hold the Skeletons of Hundreds of Viking Invaders

In the late 9th century, Vikings across Scandinavia banded together to invade England.... READ ON

The Most Popular Cocktail in Each State, Mapped

Long Island Iced Teas are popular just about everywhere but their home state, it seems.... READ ON

Why Subliminal Messaging Doesn't Work (Unless You Want It To)

Hidden advertisements probably aren't causing your soda cravings.... READ ON

The Surprising Place Where You're Likely to Encounter Germs at the Airport

The case for breaking out the hand sanitizer before reaching your boarding gate.... READ ON

25 Great Insults From 18th Century British Slang

"You jerk" just doesn't have the same ring as "You unlicked cub."... READ ON

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