A Japanese sunfish stopped eating when visitors disappeared during renovations. Staff fixed it with photos of human faces. What really happened and why it matters.
History
5 Funny Truths About Movie Sound Effects
From Hayden Christensen making lightsaber noises to coconuts for horse hooves, here are 5 surprising truths about how movie sound effects really get made.
Robin Williams, Suicide, and the Lifeline Surge
After Robin Williams’ suicide in 2014, the U.S. suicide hotline had its busiest day ever. How did one death double calls and change how we talk about suicide?
LaVena Johnson & Pat Tillman: Two Deaths, One Pattern
LaVena Johnson and Pat Tillman died in Iraq and Afghanistan under disputed circumstances. Both cases show how the U.S. military can distort the truth.
What If Canada Had Exposed Starlight Tours Sooner?
Counterfactual history of Canada’s “starlight tours.” What if police dumping Indigenous people in the cold had been exposed in the 1970s, 1988, or never at all?
5 Things Hidden in a 1950s Italian Family Photo
A simple 1950s photo of an Italian nonna and her sisters hides a whole world: postwar poverty, migration, fashion, faith, and changing roles for women.
From Crowns to Hoodies: How Leaders Look Changed
Why do world leaders no longer look like kings in portraits? A history of leadership aesthetics from crowns and uniforms to suits and rolled-up sleeves.
From Dirt Poor to Glam: 1930s Kentucky vs Instagram Beauty
A poor Kentucky girl born in 1937 looked movie-star glamorous in old photos. How did rural 1930s beauty compare to today’s Instagram-driven beauty culture?
What If Napoleon Had Lived at Villa Pisani?
Napoleon had a private apartment and recessed bathtub at Villa Pisani in Italy. What if he had truly settled there? Three grounded scenarios and why they matter.
Ken Allen: The Great Escaping Orangutan
Ken Allen, an orangutan at the San Diego Zoo in the 1980s, became famous for his repeated escapes, calm strolls through the zoo, and apparent grudge against a rival.