Month: September 2024

Lists of famous musical instruments often focus on who played the instrument. This list is different. Here, we’ll highlight ten musical instruments that have sold for the highest prices or that are considered to be the most valuable instruments in the world. The value of a musical instrument is always tied to the compelling story

Our bodies and brains are capable of some pretty amazing things, but the how of much of it has become obscured over the years due to folklore, superstition, and old-timey science. With modern medical science and especially more knowledge of the brain, we have started to delve much deeper into our understanding of how we

No one likes getting sick. Debilitating illnesses drain your energy and cause all kinds of nasty fluids to come out of your body. If allowed to spread, these diseases can decimate an entire population. As bad as that sounds, fiction is arguably worse. Writers have fashioned countless crazy plagues across the storytelling realm. Their insane

The last few years have seen a rapid improvement in various types of artificial intelligence, many of which are now widely used by both businesses and the general public. However, like most disruptive new technologies, the potential benefits of AI must be balanced with the risks it poses. Some are unsure whether this can be

From the tragedy of Alec Baldwin’s prop gun firing to O.J. Simpson’s entire trial, plenty of famous people have cost others their lives. Sometimes, this happens decades before fame hits. Sometimes, it’s because of fame. And sometimes, it ruins careers. But sometimes, it all sort of gets swept under the rug. Here are some famous

Nowadays, it seems you can find a drive-thru almost anywhere you go: banks, fast food restaurants, pharmacies, and even drive-thru wedding chapels! As the hustle and bustle of life becomes even more demanding, these drive-thru options offer the convenience of grabbing some much-needed cash, a bite to eat, or a prescription at a moment’s notice

Audiences like when a work of fiction is on the bleeding edge of a new cultural era. Put the premise, genre devices, and storytelling techniques far enough ahead of their time, however, and the result can be uncanny, if not downright bewildering. After all, without other authors to influence their work, these storytellers are, in

In a democracy, politicians are expected to serve with integrity, putting public welfare ahead of personal gain. Americans should be able to trust that their elected officials will uphold the law, but recent scandals have made that trust difficult to maintain. High-profile cases like New York U.S. Representative George Santos, who has been charged with

Human potential is boundless and often exceeds our wildest imaginations. Throughout history, certain individuals have exhibited extraordinary abilities that defy conventional understanding. These real-life marvels possess skills so unique and powerful that they leave scientists, scholars, and everyday observers in awe. From perfect musical pitch to unparalleled physical feats, these abilities showcase the astonishing diversity

Being a president of the United States is a difficult enough job while you’re in the middle of it. For four long years (or eight, if you are lucky), you are asked to weigh in on every single major issue impacting the country and the world. You can never sleep easily because you never know

It seems that when anything happens—good or bad—people are ready with their smartphones to immediately capture the moment. From wedding proposals to funny animal videos to people going wild, there isn’t much that people aren’t willing to film and share online. Even user-generated content is commonly used on television newscasts. However, even before the first

Expanding your horizons is a natural part of life. That even goes for actors. Although their job is to simply perform the lines, these thespians spend hours surrounded by the creative process. Some brave souls might want to steer that ship, telling their own stories and bringing their visions to life. As such, many actors

There are millions of words in the English language—too many to know the definition of every single one. However, it’s fun to learn what specific, tiny things have their own name. Take the word petrichor, which is the smell after it rains. Or aglet, which is the plastic on the end of a shoelace. While

Modern forensic criminal investigation is indebted to a fictional character who lived more than a hundred years ago. Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is hailed as the world’s greatest detective for a reason. A case can be made that he is the pioneering spirit behind today’s CSI, having anticipated the methods modern

It’s easy to see how microbial art, or agar art, differs from all other art styles. After all, the medium used is living, breathing organisms, and the canvas is a petri dish. It’s likely no surprise that these extraordinary creations were initially grown by scientists in labs—only recently becoming available to the general public via