POP CULTURE

You've definitely seen them: commemorative state plates featuring landmarks and slogans from a particular state. I call them "state plates," but the official term among collectors is "souvenir state plates." They're often displayed in kitchens, and the

If you've been watching Mad Men lately, you've seen a fictionalized version of Conrad Hilton, the hotelier and great-grandfather of Paris Hilton. The "Connie" Hilton seen on Mad Men is quite eccentric (even loony at times), though the real-life character

Though most people tend to think of the 1980s Saturday morning cartoon series or the later live action films when they hear "The Smurfs," those little blue characters were first introduced in 1958, in a Belgian comic book series created by the famed artis

Conventional wisdom tells us that a college degree will get you much further than only a high school diploma. But what about those who choose to cut out while pursuing their higher educations and go it alone, free from the constraints of academia?

Here are a few facts that you may not have known about the gang in gold and red (and maybe a couple about the set in silver and green).

Some acknowledged it, some took their secret to their graves.

Steve Wiebe, the hapless hero of the video game documentary King of Kong, is trying once again to beat Billy Mitchell's record on Donkey Kong. Why is this news? (After all, he's been going back and forth with Mitchell for years.) Well, it's news becaus

Discover Magazine's Cosmic Variance blog brings us Rules for Time Travelers, a set of eleven rules that help to explain (or contradict) various time-travel scenarios in pop culture. And believe me, time travel is the new romantic comedy -- with Star Trek

Some of the biggest internet sensations have been animals. If the world wide web had a zoo, who would be the founding members? These six, presented in no particular order, would be at the top of the list. 1. Badgers Badgers Badgers The flash animation B

Epistolary history is full of open letters, those that are written with the intent that they'll be read by a wide audience. Here we've collected six of the best (or at least, most influential) open letters of all time. 1. Letter from Birmingham Jail W

Here's a re-post of a Halloween favorite from last year. Be sure to check out the

Woot is hands-down my favorite place to buy strange things on the Internet. The idea is simple: one thing per day, one price, cheap shipping. They put up a new thing each day, slap a price on it (generally a low-low price), and sell it until they run o