With little more than a website and some nerve, a prankster did the unthinkable: turned his home into the top-rated restaurant listing in London. By Eli Rosenberg.

Not a lot concerning the artist, erotic publisher, explorer, and general enigma Count de Waldeck can be taken at face value, and this certainly includes his fanciful representations of ancient Mesoamerican culture which — despite the exquisite brilliance of their execution — run wild with anatopistic lions, elephants, and suspicious architecture. Rhys Griffiths looks at the life and work of one of the 19th century's most mysterious and eccentric figures.

The countdown to launch creeps closer and there's still plenty for self-taught rocket scientist “Mad” Mike Hughes to do... By Pat Graham.

To those worried that the Trump Era represents a unique low point in human rationality, take comfort: we’ve always been like this. By Brianna Rennix and Nathan J. Robinson.

Documents released by the National Archives say that Jack Ruby asked an FBI informant if he would “watch the fireworks” with him on the day of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. By Josh Magness.

The man's brain was wired with 188 electrodes from a previous medical procedure, allowing researchers to pinpoint areas responsible for face recognition. By Joseph Frankel. (Nov. 7, 2017) [Autoplay]

Police said the boy lost his balance while sitting on a railing so his mother could take a picture.

As electricity revolutionized the Western world, some began to admire it for more than just its scientific prospects. By Addison Nugent.

Does insurance cover hagfish slime? By Rachel Becker.

Residents of La Unión, Honduras, say that after a fierce storm, the ground is covered with small fish. “A blessing from God,” one farmer said. By Kirk Semple.

Wild mallard ducks have been spotted hunting and eating migratory birds to the surprise of scientists. By Helen Briggs. (June 30, 2017)

The calf in this video was separated from the rest of its herd and tries to keep up with nearby vehicles instead. By Heather Brady.

The U.S. Army even recruited “psychic soldiers” from within its own ranks. By James Clark.

Secretary birds in the Carolinas? Crazier things have happened. By Sarah Emerson.

On the trail of the trade in human body parts. By Azad Essa.

The foundation nursing the primate back to health says they have never taken care of an albino orangutan and cannot find others like it in the wild. By Heather Brady. (May 18, 2017)

Sometimes, the most unexpected guest shows up. By Simon Brew.

A small fraction of the 17-year cicadas — the ones we’re supposed to see in 2021 — are creeping out of their zombie caskets this week. By Kevin Ambrose. (May 17, 2017)

The Zimmerman Boulevard submarine sandwich standoff could end after this week. By Stephen T. Watson. (May 16, 2017)