News

River Phoenix was just as captivating in real life as he was on the screen in his tragically brief career.

These hikers's gut microbes are running the show.

Your gut microbes might be yearning for their outdoor counterparts—and telling your brain to go find them.

Coronavirus vaccine trials pose a lot of questions for those looking to volunteer.

Thinking of enrolling in one of the coronavirus vaccine trials being conducted around the country? Here's what you need to know.

Bonnie Tyler was singing about lovestruck vampires long before Twilight’s Bella and Edward came along.

The new Girl Scout cookie variety, which is called Toast-Yay!, is meant to look and taste like a slice of French toast.

Chances are you've got your fair share of virtual meetings scheduled for the next few months. Here are the webcams, lights, and other accessories you need to make them less of an annoyance.

About half of the 40,000 documents in the Library of Congress's Lincoln Papers Collection are now available to search and read digitally online.

A gold-embossed religious text from the 15th century.

“I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it.” —Ariana Grande and also the avaricious rats of Oxburgh Hall.

Buckling up was once a political statement.

“We are smart enough to buckle up without police, tickets, and Big Brother,” Jerry Williams said. But were they?

Death Valley National Park in California.

The searing heat comes close to the 134 degrees recorded in Death Valley in 1913. But with that temperature called into question, Sunday's measurement may be the hottest ever.

Jim Carrey, one hideous bowl cut, and Jeff Daniels star in Dumb and Dumber (1994).

While toddlers are often seen sporting this definite fashion don't, a number of adults have rocked the look—dating all the way back to the Middle Ages.

No word yet on whether Amy Adams will be a member of the task force.

The Navy keeps spotting UFOs along the coast, and the Department of Defense wants to get to the bottom of it.

Inclement weather doesn't stop them, but a lack of funding could.

You can decorate your envelope with Sally Ride, Scooby-Doo, or a lovely portrait of mustachioed Walt Whitman.

What’s more surprising than 'Sharknado' making it on to this list? The sequel to 'Sharknado making it on to this list.

The Last Blockbuster on Earth is located in Bend, Oregon.

For the cost of a video rental, you can spend the night in the world's last remaining Blockbuster store, located in Bend, Oregon.

Dogs stare for a number of different reasons.

Dogs have a tendency to stare at their human companions. It turns out it's a form of training. (For the person, not the dog.)

© Jorge Royan, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Wait times at Disney World and Disneyland can get long, but Imagineers use clever strategies to make the hours move faster.

If you’ve found yourself purchasing 'Stamped' but not 'The Hate U Give' or 'With the Fire on High,' then you’re doing yourself a major disservice.

Sperm have been duping us for nearly 350 years.

This new revelation about how sperm propel themselves to eggs could inform future studies on male infertility.

This map shows the world's most popular songs with country names in the title, from "Russian Roulette" by Rihanna to "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles.

The name "Jim Crow" appears throughout many U.S. history books, but he was a caricature—not a real person.

Earthquakes don't cause giant cartoonish chasms to open up, but they can tear up the landscape like this.

Fear not: the chances of “The Big One” hitting while you read this article are very, very slim. But that doesn't mean you should let your guard down.

Forget deep-fried Oreos and deep-fried butter—thanks to Mark Zable, you can now have your beer and eat it, too.

An illustration depicting fugitives along the Underground Railroad in Maryland, taken from William Still's 1872 book The Underground Railroad.

You already know Harriet Tubman—here are nine other heroes who smuggled fugitives to freedom on the Underground Railroad.

10 Surprising Facts About River Phoenix

Craving Nature? Your Gut Microbiome Might Be Responsible

10 Questions About Joining a Coronavirus Vaccine Trial, Answered

The Surprising Stories Behind 12 Classic Pop Songs

French Toast Girl Scout Cookies Are Coming in 2021

15 Products You Need for Your Next Zoom Meeting

You Can Now Read Thousands of Abraham Lincoln's Personal Letters Online

Rare 16th-Century Textiles and Manuscripts Pulled Out of Giant Rat Nests in English Manor House

When a Radio Host Led an Uprising Against Massachusetts’s Seat Belt Law

It Was 130 Degrees in Death Valley This Weekend—Likely the Hottest Temperature Recorded on Earth Since 1913

The Unkindest Cut: A History of the Bowl Cut

The Federal Government Is Organizing a Task Force to Examine UFO Sightings—Because Aliens

The U.S. Postal Service Is Struggling—Buying Stamps Can Help

The 10 Best Shark Movies of All Time, According to Rotten Tomatoes

The World’s Last Blockbuster Has Been Transformed Into an Airbnb—and It Costs Just $4 Per Night

The Reason Your Dog Stares at You

The Psychological Tricks Disney Parks Use to Make Long Wait Times More Bearable

14 Black Authors You Should Read Right Now

A Stroke of Genius: New Research Shows That Sperm Don’t Slither—They Corkscrew

The Most Popular Songs Named After Each Country

Who Was Jim Crow?

9 Rockin' Facts About Earthquakes

Fried Beer Exists—and We Have Texas to Thank (or Blame) for It

9 Unsung Heroes of the Underground Railroad