When Germany Sacrificed Sausage For War
World War I was a devastating catastrophe, the likes of which the world had never before encountered. The chaos swept across Europe, and whether on the battlefield or at home no one was left untouched...
20 Mars 201826min
Arsenic: The Assassin's Dream Weapon
For centuries people from all walks of life sought to eliminate friends, strangers and enemies using the devious, subtle poison known as arsenic. Arsenic poisoning became such a well-known method of m...
15 Mars 201836min
The Killer Marketing Campaign Behind Guy Fawkes
Nowadays people across the planet are familiar with the story of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. People even celebrate the anniversary of the event, often interpreting it as a protest against overa...
13 Mars 201844min
When Ancient India Beat Machiavelli to the Punch
Commonly regarded as one of humanity's premiere works on the art of pursuing and securing power, Niccolò Machiavelli's book ''The Prince'' has become so popular that the name of its author is synonymo...
8 Mars 201827min
The Rise of Harvey Wiley's Poison Squad
Nowadays U.S. grocery shoppers can be reasonably certain that the foods they purchase are safe (if not healthy). But this wasn't always the case. In fact, if it wasn't for one extremely driven, imperf...
6 Mars 201833min
Step Aside, James Bond: The Strange Stories of Espionage Animals
It's no secret that espionage and spycraft are common tools in the murky realm of geopolitics -- but not every spy is some sort of James Bond type character in a bespoke suit with a penchant for marti...
1 Mars 201853min
How MLK influenced Star Trek
Star Trek is one of the world's most well-known sci-fi franchises, spanning decades in film, TV, books, games and more. While it's had its fair share of lighthearted moments (hello, Tribbles!), its vi...
27 Feb 201829min
What was the 'Great Stink' of London?
Every city has its drawbacks -- parking, for example, or crime, or the price of a decent pizza slice -- but in the 1800s London faced a particularly unusual and disgusting problem: the city literally ...
22 Feb 201838min
