The Delft Tower Experiment

In 1654, twelve years after the death of the brilliant Italian astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei, Prince Leopold de' Medici, brother of the Tuscan grand duke and a key patron of Tuscan science, requested that Galileo's student, Vincenzo Viviani, write a biography of his late mentor. Viviani, who had assisted Galileo in his later years, responded to Prince Leopold with an account of Galileo's achievements, which he claimed to document "with historical integrity and complete honesty." This letter remained unpublished for over sixty years before finally being printed in 1717 as the book Racconto istorico della vita di Galileo Galilei (Historical Account of the Life of Galileo Galilei).

A mid-19th century sketch of the Leaning Tower of Pisa by an unknown artist.

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Le Pétomane: The Man Who Could Fart Melodies

In the vibrant world of Parisian cabaret, where extravagant performances captivated audiences every night, few acts were as peculiar or as unforgettable as that of Le Pétomane. Joseph Pujol, the man behind the stage name, astounded crowds not with song or dance, but with a surprising and highly skilled talent—controlled flatulence. His act, blending humour with an unexpected form of artistry, made him a sensation at the legendary Moulin Rouge, leaving audiences both amused and bewildered by the man who could play melodies with his rear.

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The Battle of Palmdale: How a Pilotless Drone Embarrassed The US Air Force

On the afternoon of August 16, 1956, 17-year-old Larry Kempton of Leona Valley was driving with his mother, Bernice, along Palmdale Boulevard, just west of 10th Street West, when a rocket suddenly exploded in front of their car. Though both Larry and Bernice escaped unharmed, the blast shredded the car's front tire and severely damaged the radiator, hood, and windshield. Elsewhere in Palmdale, a city in northern Los Angeles, residents were being startled by similar rocket attacks.

Edna Carlson, a resident of Third Street East, recalled how a piece of shrapnel burst through her front window, ricocheted off the ceiling, passed through a wall, and finally came to rest inside her kitchen cupboard. On Fourth Street East, debris from another explosion tore into the home and garage of Mr. Hingle, narrowly missing a guest named Lilly Willingham.

A Grumman F6F Hellcat drone. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

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Ernest Duchesne: The Forgotten Inventor of Penicillin

In 1897, a young French medical student named Ernest Duchesne submitted a ground-breaking doctoral thesis titled Contribution to the Study of Vital Competition Between Microorganisms: Antagonism Between Moulds and Microbes. In this work, Duchesne introduced a revolutionary idea that bacteria and moulds are locked in a constant struggle for survival, and this antagonism could be exploited for therapeutic use.

Although the therapeutic properties of fungi and plants in treating infections was known since ancient times, it was Duchesne who showed experimentally that certain moulds destroyed pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella typhi (which causes typhoid fever) and Escherichia coli in laboratory cultures and when injected into guinea pigs. What Duchesne had discovered was the natural antibiotic penicillin—an achievement typically credited to Scottish physician Alexander Fleming. Duchesne’s work remained largely forgotten until it was rediscovered more than 50 years later, in 1949, four years after Fleming was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize for his discovery.

Culture of penicillium mould. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

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Paris Gun: World War One’s Greatest Weapon

At quarter past seven on the morning of March 23, 1918, the people of Paris were jolted by a powerful explosion near the Quai de la Seine. Fifteen minutes later, another blast echoed from Rue Charles V, followed by a third on Boulevard de Strasbourg near Gare de l'Est. The explosions continued throughout the day bringing life in the city to a standstill. Stores closed down and the Metro system stopped running. A great number of people came out into the streets with their eyes towards the sky as they tried to locate the planes that were supposedly dropping bombs on them.

The gun that bombed Paris from 120 km away. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

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José Meiffret’s 200km/h Bike Ride

This strange looking bike with an enormous chain wheel was designed for speed, and speed it did achieve. On July 19, 1962, French cyclist José Meiffret blazed down the Autobahn near Friedburg Germany on this very bike at an incredible speed of 204 km/h (127 mph), thus becoming the first cyclist to breach the 200 km/h barrier.

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Makaiko Kheti: Why a Book on Maize Cultivation Provoked The Nepalese Govt.

Nobody knows the true motive behind Krishna Lal Adhikari's writing of Makaiko Kheti ("The Cultivation of Maize"). Was it merely an agricultural guide, or was it a veiled political satire aimed at mocking the then ruler of Nepal, Chandra Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana? The Rana regime was convinced it was the latter, and ordered the book destroyed and sent Adhikari to prison, where he died three years later. Although no one had the chance to read the book, Makaiko Kheti became infamous, with only a few surviving quotes. To this day, its true content remains unknown.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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The Nuclear Flask Train Crash Test

Nuclear reactors in power stations use fissile radioactive isotopes to produce heat, which powers turbines to generate electricity. When the nuclear fuel is depleted and can no longer sustain significant fission, it becomes waste, though it remains highly radioactive. The disposal of spent nuclear fuel is a critical concern for all nations utilizing nuclear power. The standard method involves sealing the waste in large, airtight casks and burying them underground. Notable disposal sites include one in New Mexico, USA, and another in the Bartensleben rock salt mine in Morsleben, Germany. There have also been attempts to bury nuclear waste on the seabed.

The nuclear flask train collision test at Old Dalby Station in 1984. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

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4 Odd Events That Appeared At The Olympics

Since the inception of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, this global sporting event has continuously evolved, introducing fresh and dynamic sports to its lineup. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, for example, saw the debut of skateboarding and climbing, while breaking (breakdancing) made its first appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, breaking’s Olympic journey will be short-lived, as the International Olympic Committee has announced it will not return for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Throughout Olympic history, numerous sports have been added, removed, and occasionally reinstated. Events like polo, golf, karate, tandem cycling, tug-of-war, tumbling, and rope climbing have all had their moment in the Olympic spotlight. Similarly, several unconventional events have made appearances at the Games, either as part of the official program or as demonstration sports. Here are some of the most unusual ones.

Australian B-girl Rachael Gunn takes part in breaking at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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5 Airline Crashes Resulting from Tomfoolery

Aviation is an industry that thrives on precision, discipline, and adherence to strict protocols. However, there have been tragic instances where gross misconduct, recklessness, and outright tomfoolery by those in the cockpit have led to catastrophic outcomes. These rare but devastating events highlight the critical importance of professionalism in the skies and how a moment of folly can result in irreversible tragedy. This article digs into some of the most notorious airline crashes where irresponsible behavior played a pivotal role, shedding light on the dire consequences of such actions.

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Inês de Castro: Portugal’s Posthumous Queen

In European history, few love stories are as poignant and politically charged as that of Inês de Castro and King Pedro I of Portugal. Their tale, marked by passion, betrayal, and vengeance, blends legend and reality, creating a captivating story of medieval intrigue and lasting love.

In the heart of 14th-century Portugal, where alliances were often sealed with strategic marriages, the romance between Pedro, the heir to the throne, and Inês, a lady-in-waiting of Galician nobility, blossomed against the backdrop of courtly expectations and dynastic ambitions. What began as a forbidden affair would culminate in a dramatic series of events that saw Inês brutally murdered on royal orders and Pedro, upon ascending the throne, exacting a chilling retribution that would etch their love story into the annals of history.

The Coronation of Inês de Castro in 1361. Painting by Pierre Charles Comte (1823–1895)

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Prokop Diviš And The Lightning Rod

In 1754, Prokop Diviš, a Czech priest, attempted to control the weather but ended up inventing the lightning rod instead.

Diviš was a pastor in Přímětice, a neighborhood in Znojmo near the Austrian border. In addition to preparing weekly sermons, preaching, and conducting worship services, he managed farmland belonging to the abbey. Diviš developed an interest in electricity, a little-understood subject in his time. He began experimenting with small electric voltages, achieving notable success in promoting plant growth and therapy. He published his findings and even demonstrated them at the Imperial Court in Vienna.

Photo credit: Chuck Lee

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A Short History of Supernova Observations

The Betelgeuse in the constellation of Orion is a fascinating star. It’s a red supergiant more than six hundred times the diameter of the Sun, making it one of the largest stars known to astronomers and one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Despite being only 10 million years old, Betelgeuse has already exhausted the hydrogen fuel in its core and is now in the final stage of its life. Eventually, gravity will cause the core to collapse, resulting in a spectacular supernova explosion. This explosion will be so massive and violent that, even though Betelgeuse is 650 light-years away from Earth, it will illuminate the night sky as brightly as the full moon for up to three months. However, we will not witness this dramatic event, as astronomers predict it won’t occur for another 100,000 years.

A mesmerizing supernova remnant called G299 located 16,000 light years from Earth in the Milky Way galaxy.

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The Largest Man-Made, Non-Nuclear Explosion in History

After the end of World War II in 1945, until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, there was intense geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union—a period known as the Cold War. This era was marked by a pervasive fear of nuclear warfare, which cast a long shadow over global politics and daily life. The development and stockpiling of nuclear weapons by both superpowers led to a precarious balance of power, where any direct conflict risked annihilating much of the world's population and environment. This constant threat of nuclear catastrophe influenced international relations, domestic policies, and even popular culture, embedding a sense of existential dread and uncertainty in the global consciousness.

The detonation of 4 kiloton of conventional explosives, constituting the Minor Scale test, at White Sands Missile Range.

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Narcisse Pelletier: The French Boy Who Lived 17 Years With The Aboriginals

On April 11, 1875, a pearling schooner named John Bell anchored off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The captain, Joseph Frazer, sent some of his men ashore to find water. Upon landing, they encountered a group of Aborigines and noticed a white man among them. Believing the man was being held against his will, they reported the situation to the captain.

Captain Frazer quickly organized a rescue. He sent his men back to barter with the natives, offering valuable goods in exchange for the white man. The natives accepted the trade and released the man. Frazer took him aboard and transported him to the Government outpost at Somerset, located at the tip of Cape York. Although the man did not understand English, he spoke some broken French, and the sailors learned his name was Narcisse Pelletier.

Portrait of Narcisse Pelletier published in L'Univers illustré, 14 August 1875.

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Panjandrum: A Wacky WW2-Era Failed Weapon

In 1941, the Government of the United Kingdom established a temporary wartime body called the Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development (DMWD) to find new and unconventional ways to kill the enemy. Efforts from this department led to such useful inventions such as the Hedgehog anti-submarine weapon and Squid anti-submarine mortar, as well as the Holman Projector—an anti-aircraft rocket battery—and a system of degaussing used to protect ships against magnetic mines. It also led to the invention of the bouncing bomb that could skip across water to avoid torpedo nets and was used in the very successful Dambusters Raid of 1943. Above all, it played an important role in developing parts of the Mulberry harbour used in the D-Day landings.

The Great Panjandrum at Westward Ho!

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The Jews of Verteba Cave

In the early 1940s, when the Nazi government began systematically hunting down Jewish people, many Jews across Europe sought refuge to avoid deportation and death. Some found shelter in the homes of non-Jewish friends, neighbors, or even strangers who were sympathetic to their plight. These hosts risked their lives to hide Jews in attics, basements, closets, or other concealed spaces within their homes. One of the most famous examples is Anne Frank, who, along with her family, hid in a secret annex above her father's business premises in Amsterdam for over two years before being discovered.

The inconspicuous entrance to the Verteba Cave. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

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Robert Cocking’s Fatal Parachute Jump

On October 22, 1797, a sizeable crowd gathered at Parc Monceau in Paris to witness a daring spectacle. Frenchman André-Jacques Garnerin was set to perform a parachute jump from a hot air balloon, using a new parachute design he had created. Unlike previous designs that used a fixed wooden frame, Garnerin's parachute was made of silk and folded down like an umbrella. The umbrella-like parachute was closed before Garnerin ascended skywards riding on a basket attached to the bottom of the parachute. Once he reached a height of approximately 3,000 feet, he unfurled the parachute and severed the rope that connected his parachute to the balloon.

Garnerin parachute

André-Jacques Garnerin releases the balloon and descends with the help of a parachute, 1797.

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How The Soviets Stole And Copied The American Sidewinder Missile

After the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, which saw the establishment of the People's Republic of China and the banishment of the Nationalist government to the island of Taiwan (also called the Republic of China), there has been intense enmity between the two republics. In 1958, just three years after the First Taiwan Strait Crisis, the PRC once again made an attempt to seize control of Taiwan from the Chinese Nationalist Party.

In August 1958, the communist forces of PRC tried to land on Dongding Island. When that failed, they began shelling the islands of Kinmen (Quemoy) and the Matsu Islands. In response, the United States dispatched several Super Sabres, Voodoos, Starfighters, and Canberras to Taiwan to demonstrate support for the island nation. Among those dispatched were several modified F-86 Sabre fighters equipped with newly developed and still secret AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

An F-15 Eagle aircraft armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-7 Sparrow missiles. Photo credit: The U.S. National Archives

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The Bizarre Death of a Keeper at The Eddystone Lighthouse

Off the coast of Cornwall, on the English Channel, about 14 km south of Rame Head, lies a group of rocks, half submerged and half exposed, known as the Eddystone Rocks. These seaswept and eroded formations have been a hazard for ships for centuries. Mariners entering the English Channel feared them so much that they often hugged the coast of France to avoid the danger. This avoidance led to shipwrecks not only locally but also on the rocks of the north coast of France and the Channel Islands. Consequently, it was decided that a lighthouse was needed directly upon the treacherous rocks.

Painting by Charles Henry Seaforth depicting HMS Forte sailing past the Eddystone Lighthouse.

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The Dozen Times Humans Have Tried to Communicate With Extraterrestrials

The question of whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe has intrigued humanity for centuries. As our technological capabilities advance, our quest to find an answer to this profound question intensifies. While we have not yet discovered definitive evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence, several scientific, philosophical, and technological considerations suggest that the possibility is worth serious contemplation.

Since the 1960s, there has been an ongoing scientific effort to detect signals from advanced civilizations. Under the “Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence” (SETI), researchers use radio telescopes to scan the sky for unusual signals that could indicate intelligent origin. In addition to radio signals, scientists are also considering the search for technosignatures—indicators of advanced technology such as megastructures (e.g., Dyson spheres), atmospheric pollutants, or unusual energy emissions. The discovery of such signatures would provide compelling evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life.

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