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 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

Entertainment Footage from Eddie Murphy's scrapped "Hong Kong Phooey" movie Ruben Bolling

Funny This dog getting a fake haircut is the funniest and sweetest thing Jennifer Sandlin

racism Texas judge rules that school can punish Black student for having long natural hair David Pescovitz

Deep in the heart Texas judge grants schools the right to demand Black students cut their hair Jason Weisberger

boeing Boeing withdraws application for safety exemption for 737 MAX 7 Rob Beschizza

thrift stores "Charley Varrick"— like a Steve McQueen movie but with a grumpy high school principal starring in his own fantasy Lee Keeler