Here's why people are afraid of clowns
AdultsMental HealthPsychologyHumor...Lots of people are creeped out at the site of clown, whether it's at the circus or creeping around in the woods at night. Movies like Stephen King's "It" and the new season of "American Horror Story" featuring some terrifying clowns that take prey on the fears of the viewer.
The science of smog - Kim Preshoff
AdultsCitiesGlobal WarmingNature...On July 26, 1943, Los Angeles was blanketed by a thick gas that stung people's eyes and blocked out the Sun. Panicked residents believed their city had been attacked using chemical warfare. But the cloud wasn't an act of war. It was smog. So what is this thick gray haze actually made of? And why does it affect some cities and not others? Kim Preshoff details the science behind smog.
Why men and women take selfies differently
AdultsMasculinityPhotographyWomen...How you take selfies is all to do with evolution, according to a study by an evolutionary psychologist.
Kids Try 100 Years of Sandwiches from 1900 to 2000 | Bon Appetit
AdultsCreativityCultureFood...We had a panel of kids prepare and taste test 100 years of sandwiches from 1900 to today. Here's what they thought about PBJs, po' boys, paninis, and everything in between.
The myth of Cupid and Psyche - Brendan Pelsue
AdultsHistoryRelationshipsReligion...Psyche was born so beautiful that she was worshipped as a new incarnation of Venus, the goddess of love. But human lovers were too intimidated to approach her, and Apollo recommended her father abandon her on a crag where she would marry "a cruel and savage, serpent-like winged evil." But Psyche's story ended up being much more interesting. Brendan Pelsue shares the myth of Cupid and Psyche.
How To Be A Genius
AdultsCultureHumanSociety..."We hear a lot about genius. We are taught to admire the minds of those infinite, baffling but astonishing geniuses like Einstein, Tolstoy or Picasso. Quite what genius might actually be is left a little vague. It's a codeword for 'brilliant but perhaps too other-worldly ever really to fathom.' We are invited to stand in awe at the achievements of geniuses but also to feel that their thought processes might be quasi-magical and that it is ultimately simply mysterious how they were ever able to come up with the ideas they have had..."
Best of Sideshow Collectibles at Comic-Con 2017
AdultsArtCreativityEntertainment...Visiting Sideshow Collectiblers's massive booth at Comic-Con is always a treat, because the collectibles company puts stunning prototypes of figures and statues on display. We pick our favorite things at this year's booth, including a sixth-scale Hulkbuster and a life-size K-2SO from Star Wars!
The Clowns Helping Refugee Children To Laugh Through Play | Amazing Humans
AdultsCreativityHumorSociety...Ash and his team of clowns, musicians and dancers are 'play specialists' who work with children in refugee camps across Europe. The aim is to allow the kids "to feel good, feel daft, and feel playful".
100 Years of Family Dinners ? Mode.com
AdultsCreativityFoodHistory...Foodie fans, this one's for you! Whether you lean toward 1915-style roast beef and franconia potatoes, or if 2015's kale craze suits your taste, this look at food over the past century will satiate your palate.
Why We Hate Cheap Things
AdultsFoodPersonal FinanceEconomy...In assessing what material things are important and worth paying attention to, we're oddly prejudiced against cheapness - and frustratingly drawn to the expensive, for reasons that don't necessarily stand up to examination.
Why people never smiled in old photos
AdultsHistoryPhotographyCultureEarly portraits looked pretty grim. A lot of old photos from the 19th and early 20th century are fraught with doom and gloom-and on the occasion the literal dead face. That led to the popular belief that people just did not smile in old photographs. The common explanation is due to the limited technology at the time to capture a smile. Exposure times were long and the thinking was it's easier to hold a serious expression over a long period. Another theory included early photography being heavily influenced by painting (which meant no smiling).
LITERATURE - Goethe
AdultsBooksCreativityCultureGoethe is one of the great minds of European civilisation, though his work is largely unknown outside of the German speaking countries. He deserves our renewed attention.
The real secret to sushi isn't fish
AdultsCreativityFoodCultureHere's how it rolled from rice paddies into your burrito.
Vincent van Gogh's long, miserable road to fame
AdultsArtCreativityHistory...Van Gogh's travels informed the works we revere today.