Cool Finds

A Tiny Scrap of Paper Offers a Glimpse Into Jane Austen's Inspiration

The small scrap of paper transcribes part of a sermon, the theme of which Austen later explored in "Mansfield Park"

The Hasselblad EDC, the custom camera designed for use on the Moon.

At Auction: One of the Only Cameras to Ever Make it Back From the Moon

James Irwin's custom Hasselblad was one of the only cameras to make it back from the Moon... or was it?

Welcome to South Korea, please turn around.

Korea Is Using a Kinect to Monitor Its Border

The Microsoft Kinect is at the center of a lively community that includes hackers, artists and, now, South Korea's border patrol

I can fall out now please?

Shopping Carts Are Way More Dangerous Than You Might Expect

There are a lot of things to fear in this world. Allow us to add another thing to that list: shopping carts

A nurse training program at the Central State Hospital.

Psychiatric Records for African American Patients Are Rare, And This Hospital Has a Century's Worth

Researchers are attempting to digitize and preserve the tens of thousands of patient records from the Central State Hospital

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It Takes Just Five Seconds to Find Out If You’re a Good Liar

But maybe don't read too much into this test

No One Knows Why Ancient Egyptians Built This 4,600-Year-Old Pyramid

The new pyramid joins the list of other mysterious step pyramids built before the Great Pyramid at Giza

The Grand Fleet, 1916. This sketch was made by Muirhead Bone, who, according to the U.K. Ministry of Defence "became the first official war artist in 1916"

The British Employed Official War Painters in Both World Wars

Between 1939 and 1945 the War Artists Advisory Committee purchased about 6,000 pieces of art from over 400 artists

The Great Debate Over Whether 1+2+3+4..+ ∞ = -1/12

Can the sum of all positive integers = -1/12? It can, sort of...

Making Paint Out of Goat’s Milk Is an Ancient Idea

And, actually, it works pretty well

Googling your symptoms is probably a bad idea.

Medical Students Are Fixing Wikipedia Entries

Wikipedia is still the leading source of information for patients and providers. Which is a problem, since Wikipedia entries have mistakes

Mr. Garrick and Miss Bellamy in the characters of Romeo and Juliet

Old Illustrations Tell the Secret of How They Were Made

Old books are full of beautiful, intricate engravings. But without expertise in printmaking, how can you tell how those images were made?

When Your Coffee Maker Is Also a Spectrometer

London-based designer Alex Duffner creates dual-purpose lab/kitchen gadgets

A scene from the whale shark processing factory, where the endangered species are turned into meat, medicinal supplements and cosmetics.

A Factory in China Is Slaughtering Endangered Whale Sharks

A Chinese non-profit wildlife organization exposed what they believe to be the largest whale shark-processing factory in the world

GM Purple Tomatoes Could Actually Be Good for You

These tomatoes are stuffed with anthocyanins (but they're not the only source of the healthy pigment)

Russia's Getting Strict About Doping at Sochi

There will almost certainly be those who get away with it, but you can’t say the Russians aren’t trying

Kitty wants a snack.

That Time Cats Attacked a NYC Butcher Shop

Cats are clearly untrustworthy creatures. Everybody knows that. But lest you forget, here’s a historical horror story.

The USS Pueblo.

The Time the U.S. Nearly Nuked North Korea Over a Highjacked Spy Ship

The Pueblo incident ended peacefully, but newly unclassified documents detail President Johnson's contingency plans

A curious, rare snow leopard checks out the researchers' camera trap.

The Elusive Snow Leopard, Caught in a Camera Trap

Researchers managed to capture images of notoriously elusive snow leopards in Pakistan

Pigeon paté most likely resembles the common chicken-based version

Amsterdam Is Feasting on Pigeon Paté

Street birds, not farm-raised squab, are rumored to be the meat of this tasty spread

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