World’s Strangest

Actually, this isn’t just one photograph — it’s a composite of 31 different images, taken in the shadow of the solar eclipse that passed over Asia and parts of the Pacific back in July for 6 minutes and 39 seconds. That’s the longest solar eclipse anyone on Earth will witness this century; a longer one [...]

Whether or not you believe that humans are causing the Earth to warm, it’s indisputable that sea levels are rising, and experts agree that at the end of this century they will be between three and six feet higher than they are today, and it may already be too late to do anything to stop [...]

Efforts are underway to revive damaged Pacific coral reefs by actively gardening them (propagating and transplanting the coral). This video was directed and produced by Jonathan Clay for the BBC’s Natural History Unit as part of their “South Pacific” documentary. The resolution is high enough to make the video enjoyable at full-screen magnification. Vimeo link.

Conventional wisdom tells us that a college degree will get you much further than only a high school diploma. But what about those who choose to cut out while pursuing their higher educations and go it alone, free from the constraints of academia? Do they ever prosper? Here are eight individuals who succeeded, and how. 1. Steven [...]

The Brady Bunch debuted 40 years ago this week. To celebrate, we’re re-running Kara’s excellent story about the series, which was originally posted last year. Here’s the story of how a show started as a typical formulaic sitcom, but grew into a syndicated monster. From the time Greg Brady got high to the reason Cindy Brady [...]

What did you do when you “became a man”? – No, I don’t mean losing your virginity, though in many cultures, coming of age is intricately linked to sexual maturity. Did you celebrate by buying a Lotto ticket? Drink a yard glass full of beer? Become a Bar Mitsvah? Well, weaklings, be thankful that you [...]

I thought it was a mirage the first time I saw it. I was driving through the wastes of the Mojave desert, two hours from anywhere, when off in the shimmering distance appeared the silhouettes of a hundred parked jetliners. I pulled off and tried to get closer to them, but a mean-looking perimeter fence [...]