Militaries names their operations some pretty weird names — would you have guessed that Operation Viking Snatch was intended to stop weapon smuggling? The idea of naming military operations has been around for less than a hundred years. It began with Germany in World War I, and the idea of giving secretive names to operations…
Author: Chris Flynn
People have fallen for some crazy things but why do they do that? What makes us fall for scams that are obvious frauds? First, people make quick, irrational decisions sometimes and that can have consequences. We make these decisions because we don’t use our heads; instead we use our emotions, which can get the best…
With the creation of YouTube in 2005, viral videos have taken over the Internet; in order for a video to become ‘viral’ over a million people have to view it. Not surprisingly, this leads to videos being staged and fake, which makes the watcher feel betrayed. There are a lot of videos that you can…
When it comes to defining the world around us, we humans tend to think we’ve figured it all (well, most of it) out. Since the Enlightenment, the Scientific Method has reigned supreme in our quest for knowledge. Despite humanity’s social problems (murder rate and poverty anyone?), 21st century people think they’ve got the universe’s mysteries…
Everybody wants to make a positive impact on the world, right? (Just nod and shake your head yes.) Some of us are passionate about the welfare of children, others have lost someone dear to them due to disease. We all have our favorite causes, and my cause is the most important, gosh darn it! Some…
The ocean is a place of ceaseless wonder, and what is just as magical is the replication of such beauty on land. There are amazing aquariums that have been designed to showcase the beauty of the ocean all over the world. Some of them are so impressive that they rival Mother Nature in beauty and…
Every year, we hear about the White House Correspondents Dinner and what politically incorrect comedian made headlines, not to mention what celebrities attended and what press-worthy soundbites were uttered. It’s exhausting to read, although probably not as exhausting as having to sit on the front row of the event, laughing hard at every single joke…
Even the most preliminary studies of the Mayans will tell you they were a very remarkable people. Their building block-styled pyramids date back at least as late as those of ancient Egypt, they were advanced in mathematics, had a more sophisticated handle on astronomy than nineteenth-century European scientists, and were the first indigenous tribe on…
Unless you are fascinated by mummies, the beauty of their well-preserved bodies may be lost on you. But surely you can appreciate the shapely leg of a woman from the Bronze Age, the supple skin of a wife from the Western Han Dynasty, and the enigmatic smile on the face of King Tutankhamun’s grandmother. The…