In the early 1900s, American towns had both celebrated “pure” wives and tolerated brothels. Here’s how that double standard worked and why it mattered.
Why Was a Viking Woman Buried With Shells on Her Mouth?
A Viking Age woman was buried with scallop shells on her mouth. What could it mean? Three grounded what-if scenarios, from pilgrimage to fear of the dead.
The Deep Underground Command Center: America’s Canceled Super Bunker
In the early 1960s the US planned a 3–4,000 ft deep presidential bunker called the Deep Underground Command Center. Here’s what it was, why LBJ killed it, and why it matters.
‘Wife Beater Sentenced’: 5 Things That Headline Hides
In April 1925, a ‘Wife Beater Sentenced’ headline hid a bigger story about domestic violence, law, and gender. Here are 5 things that were really going on.
Irma Grese: The “Hyena of Auschwitz” Explained
Who was Irma Grese, the ‘Hyena of Auschwitz’? A deep look at her rise as a Nazi guard, her brutality in camps, the Belsen Trial, and why her story still matters.
Flat Earth vs Science: What Antarctica Changed
In 2024, flat Earth YouTubers went to Antarctica to film the 24-hour sun. The “Final Experiment” forced a public rethink. Here’s how belief met method.
Prohibition America: The Notorious Bootleggers Who Went Against The Law
Despite its name, prohibition America might have been a time in which the most amount of … Prohibition America: The Notorious Bootleggers Who Went Against The LawRead more
What If Europe Had Banned Lead Makeup Early?
What if early modern Europe had rejected deadly white lead makeup? Three grounded scenarios on beauty, medicine, and power if poison had gone out of fashion.
Harry Truman’s ‘Morning Medicine’: Bourbon, Myths & Reality
Did Harry Truman really start each day with a shot of bourbon? How much did he drink, and was he an alcoholic? The story, the context, and what it tells us.
What 1973 Words About the Opposite Sex Reveal
In 1973, a conceptual art project asked men and women to describe the opposite sex in a single word. Here are 5 big things those answers reveal about gender.