History 18th-century Brits installed real hermits in their gardens as ornamental features Ellsworth Toohey

History The 1718 gun with square bullets to "convince the Turks of Christian civilization" Ellsworth Toohey

History This 18th century satirist mocked the absurdities of human behavior Mark Frauenfelder

piracy Understanding matelotage, same-sex civil unions during the golden age of piracy Gareth Branwyn

History 18th century women wore secret, removable pockets Caroline Siede

History The turnspit dog was bred to run on a wheel and roast meat, then went extinct Ellsworth Toohey

History The spy who ate live animals, documents, and possibly a toddler Ellsworth Toohey

History How a raunchy love charm became an innocent nursery rhyme Ellsworth Toohey

art Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration opens this week in London Rob Beschizza

Technology A hobbyist mounted a cesium atomic clock on his Raspberry Pi Ellsworth Toohey

History The caganer: Catalonia's defecating nativity figure Ellsworth Toohey

art The world's most traveled religious artifact has her own boarding pass Popkin

crime Shipment of 412,793 Kit Kat chocolate bars heisted in Europe Rob Beschizza

art The Met put 140 objects online as 3D models you can rotate Ellsworth Toohey

law Supreme Court will decide if pot smokers can own guns Ellsworth Toohey

books Largest dictionary of English-language slang now free online Rob Beschizza

Space Dying star lights up the Helix Nebula Rob Beschizza

Earth Earth-bathing: the 18th-century doctor who believed burying yourself in dirt could heal the body Popkin

seashells Shell Grotto: England's mysterious underground seashell chamber Popkin

literature 10,000 historical children's books free to explore in digital archive Ellsworth Toohey