Myth

4,300-Year-Old Silver Cup May Be One of the Earliest Depictions of the Cosmos

The inscription on a masterfully crafted cup from the Ain Samia necropolis may mean something entirely different than sc…

Interesting
Were the Vikings Really That Terrifying? Debunking the Myth

Vikings are usually shown as brutal, bloodthirsty warriors—battle axes in hand and horned helmets on their heads. In popular culture they storm ashore, plunder villages, and kill without mercy. But…
Health & Beauty
Does the Five-Second Rule Actually Keep Dropped Food Safe?

For ages, people have joked that food is safe if it’s on the floor for five seconds or less. Some even argue that ten seconds isn’t a big deal. But…
Interesting
The Real Reason Medieval Spiral Staircases Wind Clockwise

Medieval castles often feature spiral staircases that typically wind upward in a clockwise direction. According to a 2011 study, about 70 percent of castles in England and Wales have such…
Health & Beauty
How an Ig Nobel winner proved ‘blue zones’ of supercentenarians are mostly data errors

Recently, Dr. Sol Justin Newman of the UCL Longitudinal Studies Centre received the first-ever Ig Nobel Prize in demography. The award cited his “detective work” uncovering that many of the…