ESCAPING AL QAEDA
My Captivity
Theo Padnos, an American journalist, on being kidnapped, tortured and released in Syria.
BIGGEST APPLE WAR SINCE THE TROJAN ONE?
The Horrible No Good Apple Pay War No One Signed Up For
Big corporate entities fighting! Boring, right? But here's where you come in.
THEY GOT ACCESS TO... UNCLASSIFIED INFO
Hackers Breach Some White House Computers
Hackers thought to be working for the Russian government breached the unclassified White House computer networks in recent weeks, sources said, resulting in temporary disruptions to some services while cybersecurity teams worked to contain the intrusion.
TRANS FAT IS A REAL MONSTER
Which Halloween Candy Is Worst For You?
Not all Halloween candy is created equal. This year, before you indiscriminately devour your entire candy haul, watch this short video that compares candy nutrition facts. Your waistline will thank you.
WONT BE DEALING WITH MUCH CURRENTC NOW
Wal-Mart's Answer To Apple Pay Has Already Been Hacked
CurrentC is sending emails to people warning them "that unauthorized third parties obtained the e-mail addresses of some of you."
HELLO THERE ULTRON
A Sneak Peek From 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron'
Glad to see that a typical night off for 'The Avengers' consists of Chinese food and beer. Maybe we're not so different from superheroes after all.
THERE WAS A HUGE HOLE IN THIS THEORY
The Real-Life Journey To The Center Of The Earth That Almost Was
Back in 1818, some 500 heads of state, scientific societies, and universities got what could generously be called one of the more singular letters they’d ever received. The immediate giveaway, perhaps, was the attached document proving the sanity of the sender, an American eccentric named John Symmes.
AN UNEXPECTED TURN
Driver Turns Out To Be James Bond
Usually these types of videos turn out quite badly, but this goes to show you that you can never really tell who's driving in front of you.
DIGG VIDEOS
All The Best Videos That We Couldn't Fit On This Page
If you're looking for something great to watch but don't want to sift through a bunch of garbage, may we humbly suggest Digg Video? We think you'll like what you see.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF FEAR
How To Design A Truly Terrifying Haunted House
Scaring people is no amateur game: haunted houses make up a $300 million industry in the U.S. But there are only so many times you can startle someone effectively. So how do big-name haunted houses keep scaring customers year after year?
READING THE COMMENTS IS TERRIFYING
The Woman Who Made The Video About Catcalling Is Already Getting Rape Threats
Shoshana B. Roberts — who walked around New York City for 10 hours while being filmed by a hidden camera so that she could record the harassment she received from men on the street — is already getting rape threats.
'HATCHET USED TO ATTACK ROCK AND ROLL'
Ballad Of The 13-Year-Old Bride
Myra Lewis Williams — eternally known as the young wife of Jerry Lee Lewis — speaks candidly about their notorious rock and roll romance.
LOOKING FOR SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT
Quantum Weirdness Is Everywhere In Life
Weird quantum effects are so delicate it seems they could only happen in a lab. How can life on earth depend on them?
IN THE GAME OF TRIVIA, YOU EITHER WIN OR DIE
George R.R. Martin And Amy Poehler Play 'Game Of Thrones' Trivia
We're thinking George might have the upper hand on this one. But Westeros is big enough that even he might have trouble remembering exactly who said what.
WIDOW BACH WAS THE MOTHER OF HARMONY
Documentary Claims Some Of Bach’s Great Masterpieces Were Composed By His Wife
Anna Magdalena led a strenuous and stressful life. A gifted singer and musician, she married an egotistical and obstinate genius who believed the world should revolve around him, and complained when it didn’t; she worked constantly and loyally to advance the family’s business, which was music; she was pregnant every year from 1723 to 1737, bearing 13 children, seven of whom died in youth. She may have also done some of her husband's best work.
HIS TOUGHEST OPPONENT...IS HIMSELF
Mike Tyson Tries To Beat Himself In 'Punch-Out!!'
Beating Mike Tyson in "Punch-Out" is just as difficult as beating Mike Tyson in real life. He never stood a chance.
CHARITY FAILS AT HOME
The Red Cross’ Secret Disaster
After Superstorm Sandy, Americans opened their wallets to the Red Cross. They trusted the charity and believed it was up to the job. They were wrong.
PARSELTONGUE HELPS HIS FLOW
Daniel Radcliffe Raps Blackalicious' 'Alphabet Aerobics'
And he does it with an unsettling calmness. Almost like he's been doing this in secret every day for the past few years.
'SPORTS XANADU'
The NBA's New High-Tech Control Center Is A Hoops Fan's Dream
This is the brand-new NBA Replay Center, mission control for the NBA’s ambitiously revamped video-review system. After more than two years and $15 million in development, it’ll make its operational debut when the 2014-2015 NBA season tips off tonight.
DON'T EVEN TRY THE FISTBUMP
A Guide To End Awkward Handshakes
Why does something seemingly so simple feel so complex?
YOU FEED YOUR PETS, THEY DON'T FEED YOU
The NRA Vs. Pennsylvania's Pet-Eating Ban
So this is what the NRA is up to these days. To be honest, it's not that surprising.
WILL ISSUE KEYCHAINS, NOT SHARES
Fiat-Chrysler To Spin Off Ferrari
Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles announced this morning that it plans to spin off Ferrari in a public listing. The Italian manufacturing conglomerate has owned the smaller sports car company for 45 years, and now, they're parting ways.
UNHEALTHY POLITICS
Mississippi, Burned
How the poorest, sickest state got left behind by Obamacare.
DISRUPTING INDENTURED SERVITUDE
Job Brokers Are Systematically Stealing Wages And Entrapping Indian Tech Workers In The U.S.
Labor brokers providing Indian high-tech workers to American companies have hijacked a professional visa program, creating an underground system of financial bondage by stealing wages and benefits, even suing workers who quit.
FACTS DON'T DO WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO
You Are Probably Wrong About Almost Everything
Most people around the world are pretty bad when it comes to knowing the numbers behind the news. But how issues such as immigration are perceived can shape political opinion and promote misconceptions.
TUCK THOSE ELBOWS IN
Downhill Cycling Through A City Will Rattle Your Bones
We've seen plenty of cyclists ride through mountains, forests, and other grassy places that are exciting, but this seems a bit like trying to make a speed run through a labyrinth.
FAST TIMES
The Doctor Who Starved Her Patients To Death
Linda Hazzard killed as many as a dozen people in the early 20th century, and they paid willingly for it.
YOU WANT WHAT SHE'S HAVING AT ANY COST
How NYC's Most Beloved Deli Stays In Business Against The Odds
If you want to fully appreciate why a place like Katz’s is special, you have to appreciate its odd economics, which pretty much ensure there will never be another deli quite like it.
KILLING MORE THAN JUST BUGS
Pesticide Use Is Causing Farmers To Become Suicidally Depressed
New evidence compiled by the National Institutes of Health suggests that pesticides, which farmers both inhale and absorb through their skin as they apply them to their crops, can alter farmers’ brain chemistry, and increase their risk of depression by up to 90 percent.
SO MUCH CHICKENSHIT IN THIS ARTICLE
The Crisis In U.S.-Israel Relations Is Officially Here
Over the years, Obama administration officials have described Netanyahu to me as recalcitrant, myopic, reactionary, obtuse, blustering, pompous, and “Aspergery.” (These are verbatim descriptions; I keep a running list.) But I had not previously heard Netanyahu described as a “chickenshit.”
EDGY CONTENT
Ultimate Limits Of Nature And Humanity
Everything has a limit — or does it? Tour the BBC's infographic of the extremes of nature and human ability to find out.
ALWAYS GAMBLE ON AN EMPTY STOMACH
Hunger Is Associated With Advantageous Decision Making
Three experimental studies examined the counterintuitive hypothesis that hunger improves strategic decision making, arguing that people in a hot state are better able to make favorable decisions involving uncertain outcomes.
APPLE IS AN ENABLER
The New Health App On Apple's iOS 8 Is Literally Dangerous
In truth, I didn’t pay a tremendous amount of attention to iOS 8 until a post scrolled by on my Tumblr feed, which disturbed me a good deal: The new iteration of Apple’s OS included Health, an app that — among many other things — contains a weight tracker and a calorie counter. And it can’t be deleted.
STAY HYDRATED
A Modern History Of 'Thirst'
Let us move on from the discussion of "basic" to the discussion of "thirst."
SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN PAKISTAN
'Hamlet' In Kashmir
A recent Indian adaptation of Shakespeare's drama, "Haider," sparks issues of censorship and national identity.
NO RIOTS EXPECTED OVER THIS
Officials: Ferguson Police Chief Expected To Step Down
The police chief in Ferguson, Missouri, is expected to step down as part of the effort by city officials to reform the Police Department, according to government officials familiar with the discussions ongoing between local, state and federal officials.
THE BONES OF WHAT YOU BELIEVE
What's Up With That: People Feel The Weather In Their Bones
The answer has been tricky to nail down, but most of the research seems to indicate that bones and joints, weakened by age or injury, seem to be sensitive to subtle changes in barometric pressure.
SHAKE IT LIKE A POLAROID PICTURE
How To Get People To Look At You When Taking A Photo
Sure the picture might be a little blurry, but at least the people will be smiling.
FOUND FOOTAGE
The Emily Dickinson Of Photography Left Thousands Of Negatives Behind When She Died
She secretly took some of the most moving photos of the twentieth century.
HE SHOULD READ EVERY AUDIOBOOK
Listen To Patrick Stewart Read Haiku From Amy Poehler’s ‘Yes Please’
Uploaded to SoundCloud, Sir Patrick Stewart reads Poehler's plastic surgery haikus – we won’t spoil it for you, but just know that hearing Patrick Stewart utter the phrases “Fake boobs are weird, y’all.”
NOBODY WAS INJURED
Antares Rocket Explodes On Launch
The Antares rocket that was supposed to deliver cargo and supplies to the International Space Station crashed upon launch Tuesday night. Here's the sad footage of the incident from the Wallops Flight Facility.
AN 'ARRANGEMENT'
Government Admits British Intelligence Can View Data Without Warrants
British intelligence services can access raw material collected in bulk by the NSA and other foreign spy agencies without a warrant, the government has confirmed for the first time.
CATALYZED METHANOL
Antique Lighter Needs No Flint And Makes No Sparks
The problem with some antiquated technology isn't always that something else worked better: This vintage lighter works astonishingly well, it just wasn't all that cost-effective to produce.
LUCKILY HE TWEETS WITH HIS THUMBS
Jose Canseco Accidentally Shot Off His Own Middle Finger
Former major league slugger Jose Canseco blew his middle finger clear off his hand while cleaning his handgun at home in Las Vegas.
SMOOTH CRIMINALS
How Subway Dancing Became A NYC Art Form — And Then A Crime
Although the media often describes the performers as breakdancers, most of the kids who dance on the trains today are actually disciples of litefeet, a form that originated about a decade ago in some of the same playgrounds of the Bronx and Harlem where an older generation invented hip-hop itself. Now, they're being called criminals.
YOU CAN GET UP TO 8 'DAMN GIRLS' PER MINUTE
Two Minutes Of Walking On The Internet As A Woman
The overwhelming majority of men appear to have absolutely no idea what harassment is.
UNICORNS DON'T STRIKE
In Search Of Uber's Unicorn
The ride-sharing service says its median driver makes close to six figures. But the math just doesn’t add up.
OUT OF THE RED
The Obscure Salsas Of Mexico City
Pico de gallo and tomatillo salsa are great, but it's time to broaden your tongue-searing horizons.
SEX GAMES
Twitch Bans 'Sexually Suggestive' Streamers
Streaming site Twitch is taking a hard line against users whose feeds include "sexually suggestive" outfits, according to the rules of conduct changes that posted Monday. "Nerds are sexy, and you're all magnificent, beautiful creatures, but let's try and keep this about the games, shall we?" reads the update.
42,000 WERE SELFIES
Chris Hadfield Took 45,000 Photos In Space. Here Are Some Of His Best
When astronaut Chris Hadfield tried to narrow it down to his absolute favorites, he still had 3,000. With the help of some editing, he's now down to 192 fantastic photos from his time on the International Space Station.
3/4 OF ALL SURGERIES WERE AMPUTATIONS
Portraits Of Wounded Soldiers From The Civil War
With a death toll estimated somewhere between 600k and 750k, the American Civil War was without a doubt the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history. But even the soldiers who made it out alive, didn’t always do so without sustaining serious injuries.
WHERE TOBACCO CROPS UP
Where Americans Smoke, Dip And Die Tryin'
A state-by-state look at the popularity of tobacco in its various forms, from cigarettes to pipes — and the health consequences.
SHUT UP AND EAT
Enough About Food Already
The fad that’s eating our culture.
STREET CRED LEAVES YOU ON THE STREET
Charles Barkley And The Plague Of 'Unintelligent' Blacks
A history of respectability politics, from the postbellum period to today.
INSPIRED BY BOLLYWOOD
Thieves Dig 125-Foot Tunnel, Loot Bank In Daring Heist
Police in northern India are searching for thieves who robbed a bank by digging a 125-foot tunnel straight into the vault late at night.
HEROIC PROGRESS
Why Marvel Fans Are Losing Their Damn Minds
Progressive superhero nerds had almost lost faith. It seemed as though they'd never reach the promised land. But lo, the movie-studio gods smiled upon lovers of diversity this day: At long last, Marvel Studios has announced "Black Panther" and "Captain Marvel" movies, and today, geeks across the galaxy completely lost their minds.
SHAME ON ALL OF YOU
What It's Like To Walk In NYC As A Woman
A woman walking silently around Manhattan experienced 100+ instances of verbal street harassment within 10 hours.
YOU MAY NOT WANT TO KNOW
This Is How KFC Actually Makes Their Fried Chicken From Beginning To End
We've seen beyond the greasy curtain of fast food and discovered how KFC actually makes fried chicken from the raw animal to the final product that gets put into buckets and double downs at their stores.