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Hand of Glory was a gruesome staple of European folk magic that involved severing the hand of a hanged murderer, pickling it in salt, and drying it out to use as a morbid, supernatural candlestick.
Hand of Glory was a gruesome staple of European folk magic that involved severing the hand of a hanged murderer, pickling it in salt, and drying it out to use…
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Dubai's police supercars are also tourist attractions.
Dubai's police supercars are also tourist attractions. The luxury fleet appears in prominent visitor areas and at public events, making the police vehicles…
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Cerebellar activity actively predicts your own movements and dampens the sensory response, making it completely impossible for you to genuinely tickle yourself no matter how hard you try.
Cerebellar activity actively predicts your own movements and dampens the sensory response, making it completely impossible for you to genuinely tickle…
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A Typhoon submarine had room for a pool and sauna.
A Typhoon submarine had room for a pool and sauna. Its enormous outer shape enclosed two main pressure hulls side by side, plus smaller pressure compartments.…
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Twilight's effortless apple trick took thirteen tries.
Twilight's effortless apple trick took thirteen tries. Director Catherine Hardwicke recalls repeatedly attempting the shot in which Edward kicks up and…
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Cold air can change the nose's defenses against viruses.
Cold air can change the nose's defenses against viruses. Researchers studying human nasal cells and tissue found that cooler conditions weakened an antiviral…
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A practiced movement can run without a spoken instruction for every step.
A practiced movement can run without a spoken instruction for every step. Learning a skill changes how networks in the nervous system coordinate its actions.…
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Fulgurites are hollow glass tubes that form instantly when lightning strikes a sandy beach or desert, generating localized temperatures of up to fifty thousand degrees Fahrenheit to melt the silica in the ground.
Fulgurites are hollow glass tubes that form instantly when lightning strikes a sandy beach or desert, generating localized temperatures of up to fifty…
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The Beatles considered their own Lord of the Rings movie.
The Beatles considered their own Lord of the Rings movie. Peter Jackson said Paul McCartney confirmed the plan to him: McCartney as Frodo, Lennon as Gollum,…
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Tom Cruise said he was not close to becoming Iron Man.
Tom Cruise said he was not close to becoming Iron Man. Asked about the long-running casting story in 2018, Cruise described the possibility as 'not close' and…
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A fist bump passed fewer bacteria than a handshake in a lab test.
A fist bump passed fewer bacteria than a handshake in a lab test. Researchers compared greetings using a controlled bacterial-transfer experiment. Fist bumps…
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The Kettering Bug was a World War I attempt at a pilotless flying bomb.
The Kettering Bug was a World War I attempt at a pilotless flying bomb. A gyroscope helped keep it on course, while an engine-revolution counter estimated…
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London Heathrow and many other major international airports employ dedicated wildlife control teams whose sole, full-time job is to aggressively scare birds away from the runways to prevent catastrophic engine strikes.
London Heathrow and many other major international airports employ dedicated wildlife control teams whose sole, full-time job is to aggressively scare birds…
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Nicolas Cage's Superman movie vanished, but its giant spider survived.
Nicolas Cage's Superman movie vanished, but its giant spider survived. Tim Burton's Superman Lives was canceled before filming, leaving costume tests and…
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A 'mishandled' suitcase is often delayed, not gone forever.
A 'mishandled' suitcase is often delayed, not gone forever. Baggage statistics group together different failures, including delay, damage, pilferage, and…
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Humans lose roughly ninety percent of newly learned information within a matter of days unless they actively and aggressively review it, as demonstrated by the Ebbinghaus…
Humans lose roughly ninety percent of newly learned information within a matter of days unless they actively and aggressively review it, as demonstrated by…
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Puritans in colonial Massachusetts didn't actually burn any witches at the stake during the infamous Salem trials, they exclusively hanged them or in one case pressed a guy to death with heavy rocks.
Puritans in colonial Massachusetts didn't actually burn any witches at the stake during the infamous Salem trials, they exclusively hanged them or in one case…
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Mundane astrology is a niche branch dedicated entirely to casting horoscopes for geographical locations, meaning cities and entire countries technically have their own zodiac signs.
Mundane astrology is a niche branch dedicated entirely to casting horoscopes for geographical locations, meaning cities and entire countries technically have…
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Fifty Shades began as a Twilight fan story.
Fifty Shades began as a Twilight fan story. E. L. James first published Master of the Universe using Twilight's characters, then reworked it into the novel…
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David Bowie turned future royalties into $55 million upfront.
David Bowie turned future royalties into $55 million upfront. The 1997 Bowie Bonds were backed by revenue from 25 albums recorded before 1990. Investors…
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Travel insurance policies are notorious for containing endless pages of dense legal loopholes specifically written to ensure the company almost never has to pay out a claim when your trip is ruined.
Travel insurance policies are notorious for containing endless pages of dense legal loopholes specifically written to ensure the company almost never has to…
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A white Honda Civic quietly connects three Tarantino films.
A white Honda Civic quietly connects three Tarantino films. Butch drives it in Pulp Fiction, Jackie drives it in Jackie Brown, and it appears in a parking lot…
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The marathon turned a messenger legend into a real race.
The marathon turned a messenger legend into a real race. The story tells of a runner reaching Athens with news of victory at Marathon and dying after…
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James Cameron's multi-billion dollar sci-fi epic Avatar controversially used a slightly modified version of the infamous Papyrus font for its official logo and subtitles.
James Cameron's multi-billion dollar sci-fi epic Avatar controversially used a slightly modified version of the infamous Papyrus font for its official logo…
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