Unusual News
If You’re Betting on Supreme Court Cases, Count the Number of Questions Asked
A new study by political scientists has confirmed the idea that in a Supreme Court case, the party that gets the most questions is most likely to lose. The idea was first introduced by Sarah Levien Shullman when she was a second-year law student a... read more
Scientists Forget How to Build Nuclear Bomb
After spending billions of dollars to create the nation’s stockpile of nuclear weapons, the government’s top scientific minds apparently forgot one very important task: Write down the instructions for how to make a nuclear weapon explode. Such is ... read more
4 States Ban Smiling from Driver License Photos
Mona Lisa would be right at home in the DMV these days. In an effort to combat identity theft, some motor vehicle departments are banning smiles from driver license photos. It’s all part of new technology being employed that allows officials to co... read more
Hugo Chávez Begins 4-Day TV Marathon; Castro Envious
Today marks Day 3 of a four-day television marathon hosted by President Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, surpassing anything the loquacious leader has ever done before. Chávez first went on the air this week on Thursday to commemorate the 10th anniversar... read more
Family Sues Sperm Bank for Bad Sperm
“Buyer beware” may become the new catchphrase for the sperm bank industry in the wake of a potentially landmark legal case now moving ahead in federal court. The lawsuit was brought by a 13-year-old Pennsylvania girl, Brittany Donovan, against the... read more
FBI Releases Bonnie and Clyde Files Online
With the Great Depression having resurfaced in so many accounts during the current economic distress, it comes as no surprise that the FBI would choose now to release documents about the 1930s’ most infamous couple: Bonnie and Clyde. The decision ... read more
Internet Community Spies on North Korea
“Democratized intelligence” is helping uncover the secretive world of North Korea, one of the world’s most hidden societies, thanks to economist Curtis Melvin. Through his blog, North Korean Economy Watch, Melvin has used the power of Google Earth... read more
Worst Government Agency Defends Title
When it comes to finishing in last place in the U.S. government’s “The Best Places to Work” survey, the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) is a repeat champion. Once again, the independent federal agency responsible for handling labor issues... read more
Gambian Dictator Cracks Down on Witches
Life in The Gambia, which has been quite oppressive since dictator Alhaji Yahya Jammeh first seized power in 1994, took a turn for the truly strange in recent months when people were rounded up as part of a campaign to rid the country of sorcery. ... read more
Humans Help Robots on City Streets
Perhaps the future for human-robot coexistence is a lot friendlier than portrayals like I, Robot. Kacie Kinzer, a graduate student at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, conducted an experiment with small, disposable robots to see if New Yorkers would... read more
153 Newly-Elected Legislators in India Face Criminal Charges
The next time American voters shake their heads in disgust over criminal allegations against a politician, they can take solace in the fact that the U.S. political system has a long way to go before it sinks to the problems India has. Following re... read more
The End of Textbooks?
Lawmakers in California are considering whether to allow school districts to do away with printed textbooks in favor of e-books that would be read using school computers. Current law requires school districts to first buy plenty of textbooks befor... read more
Dictators without Testicles
A new book by historian José Maria Zavala claims that former dictator Francisco Franco of Spain was a monorchid, meaning he had only one testicle. Zavala bases his assertion on an account by physician Ana Puigvert, whose grandfather Antonio Puigve... read more
Twitterer Bailed Out by Online Community in Sensational Murder Case
Police in Guatemala have freed a Twitter user accused of inciting financial panic. Jean Anleu Fernández, 37, who was arrested on May 14 for posting a 96-character tweet, was released on Q50,000 (roughly $6,500) bail. Most of the money was collecte... read more
Smart Toilets
For a mere $6,100 Americans can have the ultimate toilet in their bathrooms, one that can help everyone from diabetics to women trying (and not trying) to get pregnant. The Intelligence Toilet II, built in Japan, can record data that includes weig... read more
End of the Road for Cul-de-Sacs
Concerns over safety made the cul-de-sac popular among suburbanites in the 20th century, but these days a different kind of safety issue is leading communities to do away with dead-end neighborhood streets.
Cul-de-sacs were first built in New ... read more