Austin Thompson

Joined: Jun 27, 2014

Austin is a researcher and app developer from Albuquerque. Despite that, he only knows two extras from Breaking Bad.

There’s no denying how cute red pandas are.

12 Facts About Red Pandas

10 Scientific Benefits of Being a Cat Owner

James Patterson, Barbara Cartland, and Mao Zedong are all bestselling authors.

10 of the Best-Selling Authors of All Time

Learn more about the traditions behind Passover.

12 Things You Might Not Know About Passover

It's easy to make a case for The Nile as the longest river in the world, but measuring a river isn't that easy.

What Is the Longest River in the World?

It’s an issue so complicated that river length isn't even considered a useful measure anymore.

What's the Smallest Country In the World?

Determining the world's smallest country isn’t as easy as simply calculating area or population.

The Bard gave us a great many words—just probably not as many as we once thought.

21 Words We Owe to Shakespeare (And 4 We Don't)

Shakespeare is the first known citation for over a thousand words and even more meanings—but new research occasionally shows that Shakespeare actually didn't originate some phrases, a trend that will likely continue over time.

27 Temporarily Banned Episodes of Popular TV Shows

Over the years, a number of TV series have removed specific episodes from their rerun schedules. Some eventually return to the airwaves, while others may be serving a lifetime ban.

The Curious (and Possibly Murderous) Origins of Punxsutawney Phil's Name

Punxsutawney Phil's moniker might have something to do with the royal family, a pair of heinous groundhog murders, and some good old-fashioned small-town competition.

Al Capone got the scars that gave him his Scarface moniker in a barroom brawl.

The Myth of How Al Capone Gave Us the Term ‘Money Laundering’

According to popular lore, when looking for places to funnel his unlawfully obtained money, American gangster Al Capone gravitated toward laundromats.

Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Unique History Behind 5 Rules Every U.S. Senator Needs to Follow

Senators get free water, but they need to buy their own milk. And they can have flowers on the Senate floor, but only under very specific circumstances.

Pete Souza/The White House, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Can Presidents Pardon Themselves?

It’s a question that has been debated since the writing of the Constitution: Can Presidents pardon themselves?

The Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773

17 Fascinating Facts About the Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party became a foundational moment in American history—and it was not without controversy. Here's what you need to know.

What's a fish got to do with April Fools' Day?

The Hazy Origins of April Fools' Day

The origins of April Fools’ Day have long been caught up in myths and legends involving everything from mackerels to calendar switches.

When Did Shaking Hands Become a Standard Way of Greeting Someone?

There's ancient evidence for the custom of shaking hands, but did it mean the same thing then as it does today?

An illustration of an ancient Yule celebration, as seen in the German newspaper Die Gartenlaube in 1880.

The Many Stories Behind the Origins of Yule

The word "yule" gets thrown around a lot during the Christmas season, but what does it even mean? Well, like so many of the holiday's traditions, its origins are a bit complex.