Articles
Explore our collection of articles covering a wide range of topics.
Why do school buses have thick black stripes running along their sides?
Those iconic black stripes aren't just for decoration; they're strategically placed steel "rub rails" designed to absorb impact and keep passengers safe in a collision.
Why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway?
It's one of the English language's most baffling contradictions, and the surprising historical reason for the mix-up is hiding in plain sight.
How did common table salt give us the modern word for salary?
Long before it was a staple in your kitchen, this common crystal was so valuable it was used to pay Roman soldiers, giving us the very word for salary.
How did one volcano's eruption cancel summer for the entire planet?
In 1816, a single volcanic blast was so powerful it blotted out the sun, causing snow to fall in June and famine to sweep across the globe.
What two letters are hiding inside the ampersand symbol?
That familiar '&' on your keyboard is actually a clever mashup of two letters hiding in plain sight. Discover the ancient secret, and you'll never look at the ampersand the same way again.
Why did a medieval pope's war on cats potentially make the Black Death much worse?
He declared them diabolical, but in waging war on Europe's cats, one medieval pope may have cleared the path for the rats that would carry the Black Death to millions.