Giant skeleton from ancient Rome discovered
The first complete ancient skeleton of an individual with gigantism has been unearthed near Rome. At a time when the average height for a man was arou…
Cocaine is in the Air
Photo: Shutterstock
Drugs. It’s not only found
on money anymore. Turns out all you have to do to inhale some cocaine
in Rome is to go outdoors and take a breath:
A study of psychotropic [...]
11 of the Richest People in History
Coming up with a definitive list of the richest people of all time is almost impossible, thanks to the difficulties that arise with comparing different currencies and adjusting for inflation over thousands of years. But these 11 men were up there in the 0.001 percent of their time—and they were all just a little bit [...]
Did Jesus Have a Wife?
These six little words reignited the debate of whether Jesus was married
and whether he had a female disciple: "Jesus said to them, ‘My
wife …’ "
Laurie Goodstein of The New York Times reports:
The faded papyrus fragment is smaller than a [...]
The Politically Incorrect Etymologies of 11 Words and Phrases
At various moments in its life, a word will hop languages, change meanings, travel through sinister moments and land in pleasant ones. But no matter how many times it’s superimposed, and how far it gets from its original source, a word doesn’t let go of its memories easily. Here are 11 modern English words with [...]
World’s Most Complex Borders
Image: Jan S. Krogh
National borders are often a touchy subject involving a combustible mix
of politics, patriotism and geography. Some borders are complex because
of they’re based on natural rivers that change course [...]
Scenes From the 1908 London Olympic Marathon
In honor of today’s Olympic marathon, here’s a look back at the origin of the race, plus an explanation of the whole “.2″ business.
Olympic Marathon, 1908 London Games/Getty Images
In 490 BC, a soldier named Pheidippides supposedly ran from the battlefield at Marathon to the city of Athens to alert the troops of a Greek victory. [...]
The leaning Colosseum of Rome ?
The world famous Colosseum in Rome could be going the same way as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The ancient gladiator arena appears to be slanting about …
From 1912 to 1948, Art Competitions Were Part of the Olympics
Over the next two weeks, we’ll take a look back at the fine art competitions that originated in ancient Greece and were revived as part of the modern Olympics from 1912-1948.
International Olympic Committee, 1896/Getty Images
French aristocrat and educationalist Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (seated, at left) was the man primarily responsible for reviving [...]
What Else Happened on the Fourth of July?
The adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 is the moment recognized as the birth of the United States, and is the reason why we celebrate the date as Independence Day. The fact that it is so well known as just July the Fourth is why we never move it to the [...]
