Topic

History

A collection of 428 issues

The Devil in the Bread: Mass Hysteria in Pont-Saint-Esprit and the CIA's Shadow

In 1951, a French village descended into madness, officially blamed on 'cursed bread' tainted with a psychedelic fungus. Decades later, declassified documents suggest a more sinister cause: a secret CIA experiment testing LSD on an unsuspecting population.

Mysteries & Unsolved Cases History Politics & Power

The Lethal Bath: A Cautionary Tale of Misinformation During the SARS Outbreak

During the 2004 SARS outbreak, a Taiwanese woman died after bathing in a 40.5% ethanol solution, believing it would prevent infection. She suffered fatal ethanol poisoning via transdermal absorption, a stark reminder of the lethal danger of unverified health advice.

Medicine, Psychology & Health History Oddities & Curiosities

More Than a Meal: The Political and Culinary History of Tête de Veau

The practice of eating calf's head, known as Tête de Veau, is a culinary tradition with deep roots in European history. The nose-to-tail dish evolved from peasant fare to a classic in France, Italy, and Germany, holding a surprising place in political history.

Food & Lifestyle History Oddities & Curiosities

Project Chariot: The Atomic Plan to Remake Alaska and the People Who Stopped It

In 1958, the U.S. government's Operation Plowshare proposed Project Chariot: a plan to detonate thermonuclear bombs to create a harbor in Alaska. The project faced fierce opposition from scientists and local Iñupiat communities who exposed its devastating risks.

History Military Technology & Strategy Environment & Climate

Beyond the Hole in the Head: The Complex Case of Phineas Gage

Phineas Gage, a 19th-century railroad foreman, survived a horrific accident where an iron rod passed through his skull. The resulting personality change from responsible worker to an impulsive man offered the first major proof that the brain's frontal lobes govern personality and social behavior.

Biography & Personal Stories Medicine, Psychology & Health History

The Carbon-14 Clock: How Atomic Decay Rewrote Human History

Radiocarbon dating provides a window into the past by reading a natural atomic clock. It relies on carbon-14, a radioactive isotope absorbed by all living things. After death, this isotope decays at a predictable rate, allowing scientists to date ancient artifacts.

Science & Nature History Inventions & Discoveries

From War Gas to Wonder Drug: The Unlikely Origin of Chemotherapy

Modern chemotherapy began with a grim observation from the World Wars. Noting how mustard gas decimated soldiers' white blood cells, researchers theorized a similar agent could target fast-growing cancer cells. This led to the first successful cancer drug in the 1940s.

Medicine History Wars, Conflict & Heroes

The Unwanted Convenience: How Hired Actors and a Folding Chair Sold the World on the Shopping Cart

The now-ubiquitous shopping cart was initially a flop. Invented by grocer Sylvan Goldman in 1937 from a folding chair design, it was rejected by men as effeminate and by women as an insult to their strength. He hired actors to popularize its use.

Inventions & Discoveries Business & Economics History

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