The ABCs OF RPS
Put that competitive instinct and that deep-seated pathological need to win to the test: Here are some ways to increase the likelihood you’ll win at that classic battle of weapons and wits: Rock, Paper, Scissors.
From Books
Safe Spaces
We all want to be in the safest place possible, especially when we’re in these harrowing situations. (This article was first published in our 31st annual edition, Uncle John’s Actual and Factual Bathroom Reader.) SAFEST PLACE TO SIT ON A PLANE In 2015 Time magazine analyzed data from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aircraft Accident Database […]
The Big Book of Funtivity Downloadable
There’s never a dull moment when kids open up The Big Book of Funtivity. Loaded with all sorts of puzzles, brainteasers, jokes, weird facts, and more, this book will entertain and amuse kids for hours on end. Doodle and fill in the blanks of your own silly comic strips, perform cool science experiments with household objects, […]
Can Dogs Smell Emotion?
Dogs’ noses are wondrous things. Their acute sense of smell enables them to be trained to detect bombs and drugs, and find earthquake survivors. But it also makes them fine-tuned to human emotions, strengthening the bond between dog and owner and helping them serve as therapeutic companions to those in distress. (This article was first […]
Has Anyone Lived in the Eiffel Tower?
In 2016, a vacation rental company transformed a first-floor conference room in the Eiffel Tower into a luxury two-bedroom apartment, and four lucky contest winners got to call the tower home for a night. But there once was a man who could live there as he pleased. (This article was first published in Who Knew?) […]
Origin of Nachos
Readers sometimes ask if we’ll ever run out of things to write about. No way. Origins are a good example: as we recently discovered, even lowly snack foods can have fascinating (and delicious) origins.
Did Van Gogh Cut Off His Own Ear?
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889) is one of Vincent van Gogh’s most recognizable paintings The bandaged right side of his face has fascinated art historians for decades—some believe he only sliced the earlobe, while others wonder if the wound was not selfinflicted at all. (This article was first published in Who Knew?) An Earful of […]
High Anxiety
We’ve all had those moments—when something completely unexpected scares the c**p out of us. It gives us something to laugh about…later.
DUDE, Your Pants are Falling Down
As a fad, baggy hip-hop jeans have lasted longer than bell-bottoms and parachute pants…combined
Impact of Colors
Colors have a lot more impact on our daily lives than you might think. Here are some things researchers have found out about people and their perceptions and responses to colors.
Origins of Cappuchinos, Corn Dogs, and More
When Uncle John was a kid, the basic food groups were meat, bread, vegetables, and dairy products. Uncle John always wondered why they left out the other basic food groups: coffee, candy, cold soup, fish sticks, corn dogs, and salad dressing.
Box-Office Bloopers
Everyone loves bleepers…er, bloppers…er, we mean bloopers. Here are a few great ones from the silver screen.
Animal Houses
College: home of higher education, world-class research…and fraternities
Wide World of Weird Sports
Tired of baseball, basketball, and football? Your worries are over—we’ve found some unusual alternatives for you.
Lebowski 9:29
Lots of movies have inspired their own fan conventions. Let’s see, there’s Star Trek and Star Wars and…The Big Lebowski?
Bad Hair Days
Think you’ve ever had a bad hair day? Just be glad you never had one like these folks.
Weird Beauty Treatments
Beauty is in the eye of the person with the weirdest beauty treatment.
Sneaky Corporations
Powerful corporations often set up fake “institutes” and programs that sound like independent foundations promoting the public good—when in fact they’re just the opposite. Here are four examples.
