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From super glue to the Slinky: the odd stories behind 15 accidental inventions Necessity is the mother of invention, but this list proves that sometimes the best inventions are created by accident …or maybe fate?
Looking for something often results in nothing, but stumbling on to something while looking for nothing can change the world forever. Consider the following products and how your life might have been different without them coming about by sheer coincidence. Post-It Notes Dr. Spencer Silver, a chemist working for 3M, was trying to develop a super adhesive when, in 1968, he instead ended up developing an adhesive that would barely hold paper onto another paper. Silver considered the super weak glue a useless failure and abandoned it. In 1974, Arthur Fry, another 3M scientist, heard about Silver’s weak adhesive and thought it might be useful for a new type of…
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It’s not gym or nothing: 10 scientific reasons you should just get outdoors, now Just because you don't need to go outside doesn't mean you shouldn't.
The Christmas party that stopped a world war They defied the orders of their superiors, laid down their rifles, and celebrated Christmas with the enemy in No Man's Land.
The most badass Latin phrases Latin's utility has long since faded, but there's still something inherently awesome about it.
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The world’s oldest jokes reveal we’ve always laughed at the same things The world's oldest known joke is from 1900 BC Sumeria and it's a fart joke.
The delivery and format of jokes may be subject to fashion, but the ancients laughed at the same things we do today. Don’t believe me? Just check out this list of the world’s oldest jokes. Credit for some of it goes to Wolverhampton University, who in 2008 had a team of researchers scour old manuscripts and even stone tablets for the world’s oldest jokes. “Jokes have varied over the years, with some taking the question and answer format while others are witty proverbs or riddles,” said Dr Paul McDonald, senior lecturer at the university. “What they all share however, is a willingness to deal with taboos and a degree of…
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‘Doop Doop’ and other theories that explain music hits Computers may soon write our hits from scratch. One algorithm can predict with 60% accuracy whether a song will be a Top 5 hit.
The best of the worst public access TV shows Production values may be limited, but that's a small price to pay for complete artistic freedom.
The case against over-involved fatherhood Replace helicopter parenting with a healthy amount of fear and respect.
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How to write the killer speech that puts you on the map Knowing how to write and present a good speech is a teachable skill that can make a crucial difference in your professional and personal life. Let's learn from the masters.
Whether it’s for work, a youtube video, or a personal event, chances are that at some point in your life you will be expected to stand in front of others and deliver prepared lines – a speech. And, not helped by all those awkward public speaking scenes in the movies, you’re probably also dreading the thought. But knowing how to write and present a good speech is a teachable skill that can make a crucial difference in your life; a memorable speech gives you the opportunity to influence others, make positive changes, and have people in your circles respect you and help open those doors. These days you can hire…
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True story: how I blew a 500k settlement on booze and prostitutes The story of how I got hit by a Dodge minivan and pissed away 500k on booze, whores, and designer furniture in an epic adventure.
46 things I learned from being gulaged Varlam Shalamov spent much of the period from 1937 to 1951 gulaged in the arctic cold of Kolyma. This is what he learned from the experience.
The Christmas party that stopped a world war They defied the orders of their superiors, laid down their rifles, and celebrated Christmas with the enemy in No Man's Land.
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Going back to work? Top 5 job sectors to consider in 2021 Who says you have to stick to your old line of work?
Whether or not you believe the great rehiring is upon us, it is always worrying to be out of work in times of economic uncertainty. Here are some fresh and practical ideas and insights as to where you could be looking, why you should consider these sectors, and which specific jobs may have your name all over them. Health The health sector is trending as a source of jobs because people now live longer than ever before and are more proactively involved in their own healthcare and wellbeing. As a result of these changes in behavior, the healthcare sector as a whole is indeed of more staff, and professionals at…
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Bar etiquette: the ultimate guide to ordering drinks I have spent more hours in a bar than any non-employee should, and I've learned that bartenders hate almost all of us.
12 conspiracy theories about the Columbine High School massacre From the ridiculous to the thought-provoking: a roundup of Columbine conspiracy theories and weird odds 'n ends.
15 video games that are still damn near impossible to beat Challenge is what makes video games fun, but everybody has a different barometer for what's hard and what's complete bullshit. Let's explore the BS part of the spectrum.
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The power of 9s—and other marketing tricks that make you spend more We like to think we're smart about estimating value, but the reality isn't so pretty.
Most of us are senseless lemmings at the mercy of marketers and psychologists who are far, far smarter than we will ever be. It’s hard to think otherwise after reading William Poundstone‘s Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It) – a delightful dissection of the tricks, tools and tactics behind the way we haggle over salaries, buy houses, and eat out at posh restaurants. (The same concepts can apply to how we value illegal goods and services, from prostitutes to purple haze.) “We don’t have an inner sense telling us what things are really worth,” Poundstone told us. “Instead, we rely on advertised prices…
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11 short story collections that need to be in every bookshelf Ah, short stories — the lazy man’s novel. But so much harder to pull off.
8 real-life Ron Burgundys of local TV news Burgundy’s coiffed mane, bright red blazer, and on-air fuckups aren’t so far from reality.
Not worth it: the absolute worst foods at the dollar store It's already a given that you're sacrificing quality for convenience and a low price point. But these abominations aren't worth it.
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Love and sex in Georgian England, according to this vulgar 1785 dictionary Grose's dirty dictionary published in 1785 gives us a peek into sex and the seedy underworld of England's Georgian age.
This article originally appeared in the Spring edition of the vintage EROS magazine, which was published in four 1962 issues and ceased to be when its editor Ralph Ginzburg was charged with three counts of obscenity (convicted in 1963). Browse our vintage tag to read more articles from times long past. A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue In the year 1785 there appeared in the bookstalls of London the first edition of a scholarly work that has come to be regarded as one of the most valuable studies ever made upon the English language. The book was entitled A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, and it defined the…
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Meet the Yugo: the worst car ever made How do you double a Yugo's value? Just fill the tank.
Enter the dominion of The Beast: the mysterious allure of Aleister Crowley Described by some as "the wickedest man in the world," this satanist led quite the colorful life.
Andrew Jackson’s 1400-pound block of cheese Jackson was a legend. And, at some point, he was gifted a humongous wheel of cheese. This is the story of that cheese,
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The bizarre science experiments that revolutionized sex From 17th century corpse fondling to the tragic experiment that created modern gender theory—and all kinds of weirdness in between.
Stoned out students usually get all the credit for sexual revolutions, but a lot of progress in the field of recreational whoopie-making has actually come thanks to the efforts of your boring old scientist. We have compiled key scientific developments in how we understand sex – none of which would make a decent porno. Physical exertion and fear transformed into sexual desire AKA “science discovers one of the most potent dating tips of all time.” In the 1970s, Dr. Arthur Aron set up an unusual experiment involving an attractive woman and the Capilano Suspension Bridge dangling over the Capilano river in British Columbia. He had the woman ask men who…
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8 sweet little grandmas who committed serious crimes Grannies gone wild.
Andrew Jackson’s 1400-pound block of cheese Jackson was a legend. And, at some point, he was gifted a humongous wheel of cheese. This is the story of that cheese,
10 reasons to believe alien life really exists The mindboggling scale of the universe represents gazillions of lottery tickets for alien life, but here's the evidence and arguments so far.
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The catchy genius of the ‘nonsense song’ It's easy to dismiss nonsense songs as silly and dumb, but they have a rich history and channel the very lifeblood of rock'n'roll.
In 1958, Frank Sinatra famously described rock’n’roll lyrics as “imbecilic reiteration… written for the most part by cretinous goons.” He didn’t name names, but you can bet that he was thinking about the rash of nonsensical hits that year, from Yakety Yak to Splish Splash to Bimbombey. Though nonsense songs had been around for centuries – from rum dum diddles in Renaissance ballads to scoodly-wops in the Swing Era – they really started sh-booming in the ’50s and ’60s. Even Sinatra gave in with his Rat Pack hit Ring-A-Ding-Ding. Watch this video on YouTube Sometimes the nonsense was code for sexual antics. Other times it described a new dance step.…
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The hottest nazi exploitation movies of the 70s (NSFW) In less easily offended days, combining nazism with hot babes on the big screen was a license to print money.
The 15 best of the worst attorney commercials What these attorneys lack in class, dignity, acting skills, and professionalism, they make up for with catchy nicknames and explosions.
16 best alcohol-related inventions Humanity's greatest minds continually invent bigger, bolder, and better ways to enjoy man's greatest invention.
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In a podcasting world, will we listen to porn? With podcasting taking over everything, is the fapper of tomorrow going to listen, rather than watch, porn?
Joe Rogan invites b-list celebrities for his episodes of light pseudointellectual banter – and famously talked his way into a $100 million deal with Spotify. People were shocked – it’s just a man talking into a mic! But it makes sense. Podcasting has become a hugely lucrative business because that’s the entertainment and education format we’ve settled on in a busy and hyperstimulated world. We’re still in the midst of this podcasting transformation, so it’s fun to speculate about what comes next. For instance, consider porn (the porn industry is now worth a whopping $97 billion globally). With podcasting taking over everything, will porn be next to submit? Is the…
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How to take the perfect Tinder photo, according to right-swipe science Science is once again helping you get laid. These Tinder profile photo hacks are scientifically proven to get more right swipes.
20 sex truths every guy needs to know, according to Stifler’s mom We sat down with Jennifer Coolidge to bash out a definitive list of things we wish all guys knew about sex.
Fun sounding techniques for measuring horrible things When things go horribly wrong, there are people paid to measure just how bad things actually are. And they're really funny.
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The joys of a celebrity meltdown caught on tape (top 15) The public spectacle feeds a schadenfreudian tulpa that will one day smash the beast 666 and release the pizza kids.
There is nothing like a good celebrity meltdown to remind us that Hollyweirdos are people just like us, and not much like the Disneyfied PC golems constructed by their teams of branding professionals. Every second of drain-circling mental derangement caught on tape nevertheless feeds our communal tulpa made of pure schadenfreude that will one day smash the beast 666 and release those poor pizza kids. South Park had different, but almost as satisfactory, ideas in their famous Hollywood sacrifice episode: Watch this video on YouTube So we have collected the best of celebrity meltdowns caught on tape and listed them here for your edification. If you’re at work wearing headphones,…
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10 freaky animals with real super powers Many superheroes are based on things found in nature—for a reason.
10 reasons Valentine’s Day is evil Just show this to your significant other and maybe you won’t have to buy them anything.
63 things you didn’t know about Arnold Schwarzenegger Did you know his Nazi father favored his older son because he believed his wife had cuckolded him?
