History A 14-year-old Japanese sailor drifted across the Pacific for 14 months and could never go home Ellsworth Toohey

History A stolen slice of watermelon sparked a deadly 1856 riot in Panama Ellsworth Toohey

antiques Why are these antique pipes shaped like human hands? Popkin

History A teenager kept sneaking into Buckingham Palace to "see how royals lived" Ellsworth Toohey

photography Hidden for 175 years: Photographer's mysterious "witch mirror" 3D self-portrait emerges Ellsworth Toohey

19th century These 19th century textile mill's "behavior blocks" were made to shame employees' "exceeding naughtiness" Mark Frauenfelder

devolution Arizona upholds grim abortion ban — punishable by up to 5 years — that dates back to 1864 Carla Sinclair

television 19th century dances make a comeback in the UK Carolyn Townsend

Technology How the introduction of the push-button in the late 19th century freaked people out Gareth Branwyn

19th century Is War and Peace worth reading? A review Mark Frauenfelder

19th century 1890s mechanical device sounds exactly like a bird singing Andrea James

books The magnificent early age of book covers Clive Thompson

History The cabinet card fad saw 19th-century women dressing in ridiculous costumes Andrea James

animals In a Honduran town, fish appear on the ground after every major rainstorm Ellsworth Toohey

History Hundreds of tiny medieval tunnels no one can explain Ellsworth Toohey

art Famous bull fresco's bollocks restored Rob Beschizza

art Which came first: the cat or the Art Deco sculpture? Popkin

Science Scientists found ice with a 304-molecule repeating pattern Ellsworth Toohey

Science Study finds infrasound the likely horror in hauntings Rob Beschizza