The Great Clock of Westminster
Big Ben and beyond
The clock tower that rises from the British Houses of Parliament is often mistakenly called Big Ben, but that's actually the nickname of one of the bells inside. That's just one of several surprising facts about this well-known clock.
The Handshake
Coming to grips with gestures of greeting
Of all the ways we might have chosen to greet each other, we decided upon handshakes as the norm. This gesture has an uncertain history, and getting it just right may be harder than you think.
Esperanto
Artificial language for the masses
In the late 1800s, a Russian ophthalmologist invented an artificial language that was intended to be culturally neutral and thereby help to unite the world. Its success should be self-evident.
Body-Based Units of Measurement
Size matters in more ways than one
Many units of measurement (both historical and modern) derive from the typical size of body parts such as hands, feet, and arms.
Voodoo
The spirit(s) of a misunderstood religion
Never mind the sensationalized stories you see in movies. This major religion may seem unfamiliar to practitioners of religions that began in the Middle East, but it's not as wacky as you may think.
Tsunami Warning Systems
Looking for the next big wave
Scientists understand what causes tsunamis, but detecting them, figuring out where they're headed, and warning the affected areas in time turns out to be massively complicated.
Alcatraz
Fact and fiction on The Rock
For a small, rocky, and inhospitable island in San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz has certainly attracted a lot of attention over the years. Even in decay, it has become a source of pride for city residents.
The Pont d’Avignon
Miracle bridge to nowhere
In the medieval French city of Avignon, once the home of the pope, a bridge stops abruptly halfway across the Rhône river. Once important for spiritual reasons, its fame lives on in a nursery rhyme.
The Invention of the Wheel
The best thing until sliced bread
The wheel, as everyone knows, was invented thousands of years ago to make it easier to move heavy things. But everyone may be wrong: it turns out the wheel may have been invented for much different reasons.
Neuschwanstein Castle
King Ludwig II’s tribute to Wagner
Of the several castles built by the eccentric king Ludwig II of Bavaria, none is more recognizable than Neuschwanstein, which inspired Cinderella’s Castle at the Disney theme parks.