Topic

History

A collection of 364 issues

Weaponizing the Mind: The CIA's Secret Quest for Control with Project MKULTRA

From the 1950s onward, the CIA's top-secret MKULTRA program used drugs, hypnosis, and torture on unwitting subjects to explore mind control. Surviving documents reveal a chilling, real-world quest to create programmable assassins and weaponize the human mind.

The Soviet Colonel Who Averted Armageddon With a Gut Feeling

In 1983, a Soviet early-warning system reported an incoming US nuclear attack. The officer on duty, Stanislav Petrov, faced a protocol demanding immediate retaliation. He trusted his gut, reasoned a real attack would be larger, and reported a false alarm, averting war.

Funazushi and the Pungent, Fermented Origins of Sushi

Before today's raw fish rolls, sushi was a preservation method. Funazushi from Shiga Prefecture is a prime example, pickling carp in salt and fermented rice for years. This creates a pungent, cheese-like delicacy with a sour, umami flavor, offering a direct taste of sushi's funky, fermented origins.

Project Stargate and the CIA's Psychic Quest to View Ancient Mars

For two decades, the U.S. government's Project Stargate explored psychic "remote viewing" for intelligence. While results were mixed, declassified documents reveal bizarre sessions, including a 1984 viewing of a dying race and ancient structures on Mars.

How Soviet Probes Captured the Only Photos from Venus's Surface

The Soviet Union's Venera program captured the only surface photos of Venus in the 1970s and 80s. Landers survived apocalyptic conditions—crushing pressure and lead-melting heat—for mere hours, transmitting stunning panoramic images of a rocky, orange-lit world.

Tragedy at May Island: The Royal Navy's Secret WWI Submarine Disaster

In 1918, a Royal Navy exercise off Scotland's May Island turned into a self-inflicted disaster. A series of collisions among friendly submarines in foggy conditions resulted in two subs sunk, several damaged, and over 100 lives lost without enemy contact.

The Girl Who Named Pluto and Lived to See Its Reclassification

In 1930, 11-year-old Venetia Burney suggested the name "Pluto" for a newly discovered planet. Her life uniquely spanned its entire history as the ninth planet, as she was still alive in 2006 to witness its controversial reclassification as a dwarf planet.

The Deadly Dangers of 19th-Century Ice Cream

Before modern food safety, 19th-century ice cream was a deadly gamble. Unpasteurized milk carried diseases like typhoid, ice was cut from polluted rivers, and vendors used toxic chemicals like lead and arsenic for color, turning a popular treat into a poison.

The Endearing Legacy of Sweden's Laughing Lion

In 18th-century Sweden, a taxidermist who had never seen a lion was tasked with preserving one. Working only from its skeleton and stylized heraldic art, he created the Gripsholm Lion—a famously inaccurate and comical creature now cherished as a historical oddity.

The Notorious Cheating Scandal of the Coughing Major

In 2001, Army Major Charles Ingram won £1 million on 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' but his victory was voided due to suspicion. An investigation uncovered a scheme where accomplice Tecwen Whittock coughed from the audience to signal correct answers.