South African psychiatrist Derek Summerfield was in Cambodia when he heard a curious story. He was explaining to the local doctors about antidepressants. His Cambodian counterparts told him they did not need chemical antidepressants. They told Summerfield about a rice … [Read more...]
Ron and Diana Watson are creatures of habit. For six days a week, they take their seats in the same Texas Roadhouse at the same time of day and order the same meal. Over the last 15 years, the Watsons have been chowing down on barbecue chicken and “Road Kill” steak. It may sound … [Read more...]
In the 1920s, a circus clown and a scientist conducted a series of psychic experiments on telepathy. The results were intriguing. Vladimir Durov was Russia’s most famous animal trainer. He was also a popular circus clown who claimed he could communicate with dogs via “mental … [Read more...]
The war on drugs costs the United States 47 billion dollars a year. In 2016, the U.S. jailed two million people for drug offenses. And in 2017, 72,000 people died from accidental drug overdoses. It’s safe to say the conflict has been a costly failure. In 2014, journalist … [Read more...]
James Hart Stern recently upset the apple cart by becoming the leader of a neo-Nazi group. His appointment is unusual because Stern is also a black civil rights activist. The National Socialist Movement, or NSM, is a racist organization. Its members idolize Adolf Hitler and … [Read more...]
Thirty-six-year-old Nick Vujicic has hit a home run in the game of life. He's happily married with four beautiful children. He's a motivational speaker who travels the world, an international bestselling author, and an award-winning actor. He even finds time to paint, swim, … [Read more...]
Born into slavery in 1839, Robert Smalls grew up working on a South Carolina plantation. When he was old enough, the plantation owner sent him to work at the docks in Charleston Harbor. It was there that he learned everything about ships. By the time the Civil War came around, … [Read more...]
Ever had one of those days when you wish you’d never been born? Mumbai businessman, Raphael Samuel, has them all the time. The 27-year-old Indian man is so fed up with life, he plans to sue his parents for allowing him to be born. There are only two cast-iron certainties in … [Read more...]
In 1944, world famous psychologist Carl Gustav Jung slipped on some ice and broke his foot. While in the hospital he suffered a heart attack. Jung hung on the edge of death as the doctors battled to save him. A nurse described Jung’s unconscious body as being surrounded by a … [Read more...]
They thought Jeremy would always be a loner and would never find love. But after a worldwide search, Jeremy the snail did find someone. Unless you’re a snail aficionado, you might not know that snail shells almost always twist to the right. But there are outliers who have … [Read more...]
Donald Trump was elected president of the United States on Nov. 8th, 2016. This was earth-shattering news to half the country. For former Nike executive Erik Hagerman, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Not liking the direction the country was going, he turned his back … [Read more...]
Great art can move us to tears, inspire us, and its beauty can take our breath away. For some people though, a trip to the art gallery is like experiencing a physical attack. This condition even has a name: Stendhal Syndrome. Sufferers cannot view art they perceive as … [Read more...]
Bill Gates has been named the world's richest man 16 times. While he owes much of his success to perseverance, he probably owes just as much to his willingness to quit. It turns out that the old saying, “quitters never win and winners never quit” isn't exactly true. Many of … [Read more...]
The gods of Greek mythology could be brutal when angered. Of all the punishments given by the gods, the one given to Sisyphus stands out above the rest. Sisyphus was a king and a trickster. He was so clever that he actually cheated death – twice! As punishment for his hubris, he … [Read more...]
In 1948, 13 years before a human had ever even been to space, James Mangan did something audacious. He tried to create a new nation – a nation in space! The Nation of Celestial Space may have started as a publicity stunt, but Mangan made sure it became more than that. He created … [Read more...]
During one week in 1946, 14,000 babies were born in Britain. From their first breath to old age, scientists have tracked and recorded the lives of each one. New cohorts of babies have been added multiple times over the decades. At this point, there are five generations … [Read more...]
Mother Teresa was one of the 20th century's greatest humanitarians. But she wasn't perfect. Just like anyone else, she had her struggles, including depression and spiritual doubt. Before she became Mother Teresa, she was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. At 18, she became a nun and took … [Read more...]
According to one survey, a whopping 80% of millennials say that one of their greatest desires is to have a lot of money. And 50% want to be famous. Are they on to something or is this desire misguided? According to a Harvard University study on human health and happiness, they … [Read more...]
If you are blind you still have the window of your ears, and if you are deaf you can listen through your eyes. Helen Keller could neither see nor hear. Yet miraculously she found her salvation through language. Keller was the first deaf and blind person to earn a bachelor of … [Read more...]
The story of Icarus is one of the most famous Greek myths. Young Icarus is imprisoned alongside his father Daedalus, a genius inventor. They are locked in a tower or a labyrinth in some versions of the story, with no way out. Daedalus creates two sets of wings and gives one to … [Read more...]
