World’s Strangest

Sundara, an elephant who lives at the Chester Zoo in the UK, lay down to go to sleep one night. The patch of sand that she used as a bed preserved the impression of her body beautifully. Link -via TYWKIWDBI

Less than a month to go before the opening of the London Olympics, and we are halfway through the 70-day Olympic Torch Relay that takes the Olympic Flame through all four countries of the United Kingdom. The route covers 8,000 miles and involves 8,000 relay runners. Photograph of the Olympic torch passing through Dunfermline, Scotland, by [...]

Maple Leaf image via Shutterstock I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been complimented on the safe, peaceful oasis that is my homeland. I’ve been petted and cooed at in public; laughed at by airport security when my passport was presented; had my socks pilfered during a routine mugging in Baltimore after a red and [...]

The White House announced yesterday that they’re curtailing the Presidential $1 coin series, which means you won’t see that flood of Chester A. Arthur coins you were hoping for. (The U.S. Mint will continue producing $1 coins for collectors, though.) So, when we Photoshop out the names and years in office, how well do you [...]

Here are the stories of four young inventors who have already made their mark on the world, and one who hopes to in the years to come. 1. Chester Greenwood: Easy on the Ears All 15-year old Chester Greenwood wanted to do was ice skate. But the bitter cold of winter in Farmington, Maine, was hard [...]

Sunday is the 56th anniversary of Disneyland. To celebrate, here are some Disney secrets that originally appeared in mental_floss magazine. 1. There Are Human Remains in the Haunted Mansion The Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland is one of the scariest places in the park, but not for the reasons you’d expect. In his 1994 book Mouse [...]

If you are famous, people are always trying to get something out of you. From Frank Stallone to Jim Belushi, we’ve seen how even your own family will try to ride your coattails. Here are some of the infamous and almost famous that are following in their relatives more famous footsteps. Tom Hanks Son is a [...]

The following is an article from the science humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research. Note how the bottom of the Grand Canyon (in this rare view) is darker than at the top, giving an idea of how solar radiation attenuates the deeper one goes into the canyon. (Image credit: Wikipedia user chensiyuan) By Earle E. Spamer American Philosophical [...]

The future is not entirely unknowable. There are ways to predict what is coming using semi-scientific techniques such as scenario scripting and trend “trigger” analysis. Often, projections can be made by extrapolating from current trends. Indeed, trend trackers and futurists make a living describing what is coming. But there are also the psychics, village idiots, [...]

We all know the tired old legends and facts – George Washington ‘fessed up to chopping down a cherry tree; Abraham Lincoln lived in a log cabin; JFK had an affair with Marilyn Monroe; Bill Clinton had some laundering issues with a Gap dress. But there’s more than meets the eye with the Presidents – [...]