Home Articles Contact Podcasts

All Of My Articles (In One Convenient Place)

All That's Interesting •

A Wisconsin Man Who Let 200 Venomous Snakes Bite Him Is Now Helping Scientists Create A Universal Antivenom

For the past two decades, a man named Tim Friede has been self-administering doses of venom from cobras, mambas, rattlesnakes, and other deadly species with the hope of developing immunity to snakebites and helping scientists create a universal antivenom.

Friede administered most of these venoms via injection, but he also let venomous snakes bite him more than 200 times in the pursuit of this potential remedy — and it seems his sacrifice has paid off. Researchers have now used Friede’s antibodi...
All That's Interesting •

'NAZIS GIVE UP': 44 Photos That Capture The Glory Of VE Day, When World War II Ended In Europe

Between 1939 and 1945, World War II devastated a significant portion of Europe and Asia. The rise of Adolf Hitler, the spread of Nazi ideology, the brutal ambition of the Japanese Empire, and the fascist agenda of Benito Mussolini plunged the world into chaos, creating a conflict that would redefine the nature of war and forever change international relations.

For a time, it seemed like there would be no end to the war — or, at the very least, no good end. The Axis Powers had orchestrated a bru...
All That's Interesting •

Archaeologists Exploring Egypt’s ‘Fortress Of The East’ Just Found The Ruins Of A Moat And A Walkway Once Lined With 500 Trees

New archaeological excavations in the northern Sinai Desert have revealed previously hidden secrets about ancient Egypt’s so-called “Fortress of the East.” Archaeologists have found the remains of military fortifications, residential units, and a ditch that could indicate the presence of another fortress in the region.

The most fascinating discovery, however, was that the fortress once featured an impressive limestone road leading to its entrance, along which more than 500 trees had been plante...
All That's Interesting •

Construction Project In Scotland Reveals A 2,000-Year-Old Underground Chamber Filled With Pottery

In 2018, a construction project in the small village of Knockaird on Scotland’s Isle of Lewis revealed the presence of an underground stone chamber known as a “souterrain” beneath the property of a local resident.

Following the discovery, experts from AOC Archaeology were called in to conduct an excavation, during which they ascertained that the chamber was originally built during the Iron Age. Now, seven years after it was first discovered, the details of what they found have been made public....
All That's Interesting •

A Turkish Fisherman Just Pulled A Roman-Era Trident Out Of A Lake

Early one morning in April 2025, a Turkish man named Osman Erim went fishing at Lake Iznik with some friends. After casting his net, Erim made the discovery of a lifetime. There, among the fish he’d pulled in, was the tip of a trident.

Erim immediately contacted experts from a local museum, who believe that the object dates back to the Roman period. As a result, the object is now being called “Poseidon’s Trident,” referring to the weapon wielded by the deity in classical mythology.

Osman Erim...
All That's Interesting •

Ans Van Dijk, The Jewish Nazi Collaborator Who May Have Betrayed The Frank Family

Ans van Dijk was one of the Nazis’ most notorious collaborators during World War II. A Dutch Jewish woman, she posed as a member of the resistance and offered to help Jews find hiding places and obtain false papers — only to betray them.

Her actions led to the capture of at least 145 people. Approximately 80 of these people died in concentration camps, though some estimate that the number is much higher — as high as 700 people.

When she was arrested in 1945, van Dijk initially claimed that she...
All That's Interesting •

Amateur Diver In England Purchases World War I Shipwreck On Facebook Marketplace For Just $400

Amateur diver Dom Robinson has been exploring shipwrecks for more than three decades, and now he is the owner of one.

Robinson was browsing Facebook Marketplace when he came across a listing for the wreck of a World War I-era British merchant ship called the SS Almond Branch. The wreck, which sits at the bottom of the English Channel just off the Cornish coast, was originally purchased from the government in the 1970s by a private owner who had hoped to find something valuable among the remains...
All That's Interesting •

Study Finds That Eating Four Servings Of Chicken Per Week Can Double Your Risk Of Gastrointestinal Cancer

A multi-year Italian study suggests there is a link between regularly consuming large amounts of poultry and an increased risk of gastrointestinal cancers and cardiovascular disease.

The study, which followed nearly 5,000 participants over the course of two decades, found that those who ate more than 10.5 ounces (300 grams) of poultry each week had a 27 percent higher overall mortality risk and double the risk of developing gastrointestinal cancers compared to those who consumed less than 3.5...
All That's Interesting •

A New Study Suggests That The Earliest Known Domestic Cats In North America Died In A Shipwreck In 1559

Countless studies have examined the historical link between mankind and dogs, given their status as “man’s best friend.” Cats, however, haven’t received the same archaeological attention despite also living alongside humans for thousands of years, largely because they are more independent and offer less insight into society.

That said, a new study published in American Antiquity claims to have found the earliest evidence of domestic cats in what’s now the United States. The felines perished in...
All That's Interesting •

The Real History Of The Ancient Roman Acronym SPQR — And How It Became A Symbol For White Supremacy

“The Senate and Roman People” or “The Senate and People of Rome” was a phrase that once represented the essence of the Roman Republic’s political system. In Latin, the phrase was “Senatus Populusque Romanus,” which was often abbreviated simply as “SPQR.” It was meant to define the republic’s constitution, emphasizing a balance of power between the Senate and the Roman people.

Over time, however, the meaning of SPQR has changed. It was infamously repurposed in the early 20th century, thanks to B...
All That's Interesting •

Egyptomania: 33 Vintage Photos That Show How The World Has Always Been Obsessed With Ancient Egypt

For more than 2,000 years, people around the world have been fascinated by ancient Egypt. This interest, known as Egyptomania, has peaked several times throughout history, most notably following Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign in the late 18th century and the rediscovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, those who were able to afford it flocked to places like Giza and Luxor to see the past for themselves. Everyone else experienced ancient Egypt t...
All That's Interesting •

One Of The ‘Most Haunted’ Homes In Massachusetts Is Up For Sale — And Could Be Yours For $1.2 Million

The infamous S.K. Pierce Mansion, dubbed one of the “most haunted” homes in Massachusetts, is currently on the market for $1.2 million for any potential buyers who don’t mind having permanent, undead roommates.

The house, which was built in the Second Empire style in 1875, is located at 4 West Broadway in Gardner, Massachusetts, and features nine bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms. Although the mansion itself is beautiful, its dark history and alleged paranormal happenings are what draw at...
All That's Interesting •

How Dave Shaw Dove 800 Feet To Recover The Body Of A Fellow Diver — And Lost His Own Life In The Process

On October 28, 2004, Dave Shaw attempted a record-breaking dive in Bushman’s Hole, a formidable underwater cave in South Africa.

Shaw wasn’t the first person to reach the bottom of Bushman’s Hole, also known as Boesmansgat. South African diver Nuno Gomes had set a world record for reaching the bottom back in 1996, but Gomes had simply touched the bottom, turned around, and returned to the surface. Shaw planned to explore the cave’s depths.

But at the bottom of the cave, he found something unex...
All That's Interesting •

Archaeologists In Peru Uncover The 5,000-Year-Old Grave Of An Elite Woman Buried With A Toucan’s Beak

In the ruins of the ancient town of Áspero in Peru, archaeologists have uncovered the 5,000-year-old grave of a woman from the Caral civilization. Her body was in a state of remarkable preservation, with most of her skin, hair, and nails still intact.

The grave goods buried with the woman are even more extraordinary, however. They include a panel embroidered with macaw feathers, an Amazonian snail shell, and a toucan’s beak inlaid with green and brown beads. Based on the nature of the burial an...
All That's Interesting •

From Langston Hughes To Billie Holiday, See 33 Stunning Colorized Photos From The Harlem Renaissance

When reflecting on early 20th-century America, some may remember tragic periods like the Great Depression and the rise of organized crime due to Prohibition. But this era was also richly transformative for Black American culture. This was largely thanks to the Harlem Renaissance, a movement that helped redefine Black identity in the United States.

Lasting from about the 1910s to the mid-1930s, the Harlem Renaissance saw the emergence of countless pieces of art, music, and literature that foreve...
All That's Interesting •

Kim Jong-Nam, The One-Time Heir Apparent Of North Korea Who Was Assassinated In 2017

As the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-nam was widely believed to be his father’s heir to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). However, his path to power was derailed as he got older. And, in February 2017, Kim Jong-nam was brazenly assassinated as he walked through an airport in Malaysia.

Kim Jong-nam’s fall from grace seemingly began in 2001, after a highly publicized debacle in which he was caught attempting to enter Japan with a Dominican Republic passpo...
All That's Interesting •

A Medieval Expert Believes He Just Found A 'Missing Penis' In The 11th-Century Bayeux Tapestry

Scholars are currently locked in a heated debate over the number of penises depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry. In 2018, University of Oxford’s Professor George Garnett counted 93 individual genitalia on the 11th-century embroidery, with 88 belonging to horses and five to human men.

Now, Bayeux Tapestry expert Dr. Christopher Monk claims he’s found a 94th penis. Garrett disagrees with Monk’s assessment, however, and insists that the alleged genitalia is nothing more than the scabbard of a sword or...
All That's Interesting •

Scientists Just Captured Footage Of A Colossal Squid In Its Natural Habitat For The Very First Time

For the first time since the species was discovered a century ago, a live colossal squid has been caught on video in its natural habitat.

The footage was captured by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dubbed SuBastian near the South Sandwich Islands on March 9, 2025 — and the discovery came as quite a shock to the researchers monitoring the live feed. The ROV was 1,968 feet below the surface of the water when a young squid swam across its path, a sight that researchers called “beautiful and unus...
All That's Interesting •

Construction Work At A New Golf Course In The Scottish Highlands Just Revealed A Trove Of Ancient Artifacts

A trove of archaeological artifacts was discovered at the site of a new golf course in the Scottish Highlands, including the remains of an Iron Age chariot and a 3,500-year-old Bronze Age cremation urn.

The Old Petty Championship Golf Course is currently under development near Inverness, but archaeologists have now learned that the site is rich with history. In addition to the chariot wheel and urn, they also found flint tools and evidence of at least 25 Neolithic wooden buildings, offering a g...
All That's Interesting •

Angler In Texas Catches 153-Pound Alligator Gar On A 2-Pound Test Line, Shattering The World Record

Setting world records is nothing new to Art Weston, but his most recent catch — a 153-pound alligator gar — might be one of his most impressive. The seasoned angler holds 80 world records with the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), and that number will soon jump up to 81 once this latest catch is approved.

Weston set out with fishing guide Captain Kirk Kirkland on April 8, 2025, to see if he could reel in an alligator gar weighing more than 110 pounds on a two-pound test line. After a...
All That's Interesting •

Tent Cities, Abandoned Ships, And Red-Light Districts: 33 Photos Of The Gold Rush In San Francisco

The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848 sparked one of the most significant events in United States history and transformed San Francisco from a sleepy port town of approximately 1,000 residents into a booming metropolis within just a few years. The California gold rush forever changed the American West, but San Francisco’s gold rush evolution was perhaps the most drastic.

In 1848, San Francisco was barely a blip on the map. The area that would become the state of California had only jus...
All That's Interesting •

Archaeologists In France Discover An Iron Age Necropolis Filled With Dozens Of Artifacts, Including Two Intact Swords

In 2022, an archaeological excavation in the small town of Creuzier-le-Neuf, just north of Vichy, France, revealed an ancient Celtic necropolis. After three years of meticulous conservation work, experts have now announced what they found at the site.

The necropolis comprised an area of roughly 7,000 square feet and contained more than 100 graves, though none of the bodies remained due to the acidic soil. The site itself was dated to around 2,300 years ago. Despite the lack of bodies, however,...
All That's Interesting •

The Disturbing Crimes Of Varg Vikernes, The Black Metal Musician Turned Murderer

“To live like we are supposed to, we need to listen to our blood, so to speak. Our paganism is in our blood, and to be able to create a positive and meaningful civilization in the future, on the ruins of the ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ we live in today, we need to live in accordance with our blood.”

Out of context, Varg Vikernes can sound almost philosophical. He would also be the first person to tell you that he’s not a philosopher, which is, ironically, something a philosopher might say. But Vikerne...
All That's Interesting •

Pneumonia, Dead Livestock, And 'Black Blizzards': The Heartbreak Of The Dust Bowl In 44 Colorized Images

In the 1930s, the area of land known as the Great Plains — a lush flatland spanning parts of 10 states — came to be known by a different name entirely: the “dust bowl.”

One of the most severe environmental catastrophes in American history, the Dust Bowl period saw the Great Plains ravaged by droughts and dust storms that devastated the region and caused significant economic and ecological damage. For nearly a decade, the Great Plains became a virtually uninhabitable wasteland. This disaster was...
Load More