balloon Barbers practice shaving a balloon in 1950 Popkin

Culture Barbershop offers cuts without the small talk Rusty Blazenhoff

fire This barber cuts hair with fire David Pescovitz

Science Caterpillars crack ants' rhythmic code to sneak into their colonies Ellsworth Toohey

music The sheer catharsis of beating someone up in your mind Grant St. Clair

documentary This 1978 documentary captured North Carolina's hollerin' tradition before it vanished Ellsworth Toohey

brownshirts ICE officer pulls gun on bystanders in Maryland as man pleads "I am American" (video) Jason Weisberger

sound This hypnotic website is a satisfying way to avoid your responsibilities today Popkin

crime Teacher admits to killing Arkansas couple hiking in woods Rob Beschizza

Science Plants can hear their pollinators and bribe them with sugar — new research Ellsworth Toohey

music Historic cat opera performance proves humans can out-meow actual cats (video) Jennifer Sandlin

music Song about trying to impress your barber is far too relatable Grant St. Clair

music Renaissance madrigal cover of "Birdhouse in Your Soul" is perfect Jennifer Sandlin

Science The Incredible Shrinking Man would need to eat his body weight daily just to survive Ellsworth Toohey

cats These cats didn't want to be shaved Rob Beschizza

art The Theme Park Preservation Society's fantastic and clever Disney theme park designs Ruben Bolling

bizarre competitions Wolfing down scalding hot biscuits and other weird contests from 1897 Mark Frauenfelder

politics Dreamcast aficionado Tim Walz added as playable character to Sega classic Crazy Taxi Rob Beschizza

taliban Taliban fires 281 officers because they can't or won't grow beards Rob Beschizza