Pierre Brassau burst upon the art world at a Swedish art show in 1964. The critics were nearly unanimous in their glowing reviews. Newspaper art critic Rolf Anderberg gushed over the paintings of the unknown French artist. He wrote, “Pierre Brassau paints with powerful … [Read more...]
Throw caution to the wind. With great risks come great rewards. Fortune favors the bold. English expressions like these have always celebrated men and women of action. But perhaps we should be celebrating cooler heads. Perhaps we should be studying the cautious, the careful, and … [Read more...]
English idioms often don’t make sense at first glance, but they provide a unique window into culture and sometimes have historical origins as well. The story of Peeping Tom and Lady Godiva is a prime example. If you’re a lover of chocolate, you’ve heard of Godiva chocolates. … [Read more...]
Alone, in the middle of a silent street, Frau Troffea began to dance. It was July of 1518 in Strasbourg, France, when for no reason, Troffea started to dance. Not long after, bewildered neighbors came to watch. Even stranger, Troffea’s silent dancing was joined by first one … [Read more...]
In 1914, Richard Platz, a 20-year-old son of a baker, was hiking when he threw a message in a bottle into the Baltic Sea. Little did he know that it would take over a century before anyone would read his message. Earlier this year, a fisherman named Konrad Fischer pulled the beer … [Read more...]
At some point in our lives, most of us have dreamt about leaving everything behind and escaping to an island where no one can find us. After all, sometimes, you just need a break from the world. Most of us snap out of these daydreams. But not everyone… In 1978, a group of … [Read more...]
The Apollo program was a series of space flights with the goal of landing a man on the moon. This was finally accomplished in 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon’s surface. As he did so, he famously said, “That’s one small step for man, one … [Read more...]
We may not like thinking about it, but we are all on a limited journey on this earth. Regardless of what you believe happens after death, you will leave a body behind. While burial beneath the ground and cremation are the most popular ways to go, some people are literally and … [Read more...]
James Harrison has saved the lives of over 2,000,000 babies. His blood contains a very rare antibody called Anti-D, which has been used to create a vaccine for Rhesus Disease. This condition causes the antibodies in the mother’s blood to attack the red blood cells in the unborn … [Read more...]
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, is most famous for his leadership during the American Civil war, his decision to free the slaves in 1863, and his eventual assassination. What gets less attention is his hat. Lincoln was already a giant at 193 cm. … [Read more...]
We all know someone who has benefitted from the advances of modern medicine: a child who has received a life saving vaccine; a cancer patient who has received chemotherapy; a baby born through in vitro fertilization. But what most of us don't know is that all of these medical … [Read more...]
On Jan 6, 1995, McArthur Wheeler boldly robbed two banks in broad daylight with no disguise. According to an article in a local newspaper, “At 5 feet 6 inches and about 270 pounds, bank robbery suspect McArthur Wheeler isn’t the type of person who fades into the woodwork.” He … [Read more...]
Imagine crossing thousands of miles of wild seas without a single map or compass, destined for a tiny island you’ve never been to before. Courageous people called Wayfinders navigated the seas in their canoes, using little more than the stars and songs shared by elders. … [Read more...]
In heavy boots and a big winter coat, 56-year-old factory worker James Robertson doesn’t look like much of an athlete. But looks can be deceiving. This Detroit factory worker walks more than 20 miles a day to and from work, a round trip that takes him 8 hours or more. He then has … [Read more...]
When we think of the animal kingdom, some of us imagine ferocious beasts hunting their prey. Wild animals constantly at odds with each other in a survival of the fittest may be the norm, but it’s not always a dog eat dog world. Sometimes unlikely friendships form between … [Read more...]
The English expression ‘to fall in love’ suggests that love is something that you can’t control. Love consumes us, overcomes us, and renders us powerless. Like gravity, we can’t resist it. And sometimes, we even ‘fall head over heels in love’ when we meet that special … [Read more...]
If you ever thought that you were too old to learn a language or some other skill, you probably never heard the remarkable story of Kimani Maruge. Some people say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but Kimani first entered elementary school when he was 84-years-old. In … [Read more...]
The very mention of the gang’s name, The Forty Elephants, sent shivers down the spines of shop owners all over London. A mere glimpse of a member sent chaos exploding through a store as cashiers and shoppers ran. But this fearsome gang wasn’t your run-of-the-mill pack of … [Read more...]
Birds aren’t usually the first animal that people think about when they think about smart animals. In English, calling someone birdbrained means that they are stupid. And saying something is ‘for the birds’ means that it’s trivial or worthless. However, these expressions … [Read more...]
Sleep is not optional. After a long enough period of being awake, our brain starts to produce signals that we are tired. As these signals increase in strength, our brain becomes impaired. We all know what it’s like to feel tired to the point of exhaustion. We are less aware, … [Read more...]
