Psychology

A One Man Orchestra of Rare Folk

Steven R. Smith uses the project Hala Strana to master obscure Eastern European folk music. He plays bizarre antique instruments like the hurdy-gurdy and optiga

Why Iconic Detectives Eclipse Their Stories

We often remember the detectives themselves far more vividly than the books they appear in. These characters have become independent cultural icons, frequently

How A Stock Crash Bankrupted The World

The 1929 market crash triggered a decade of global ruin. As American businesses failed, the economic shockwave caused mass unemployment and poverty that paralyz

The Bizarre Pop Album By Smurfs

In 1996, the Smurfs released a pop album featuring covers of famous hits with their own lyrical twists. Some tracks were playful sing-alongs, but others carried

Why the Sky Plays Tricks on You

Atmospheric optics explains how the air turns the sky into a giant natural light show. Even without a telescope, you can see complex phenomena like mirages and

The Mysterious Disappearing Act of Side Effect

The R&B group Side Effect released their seventh album, Portraits, in 1981, but it remains one of the most obscure relics of the era. Despite being signed to a

The City Center With Two Identities

In Poznan, the term Old Town refers to both a tiny medieval district and a sprawling modern administrative zone. This naming overlap often confuses visitors sea

The Colorado Cannery That Transformed Food

Built in 1901, the Empson Cannery revolutionized how families ate by mastering mass food preservation. It turned local crops into long-lasting staples, changing

A National Airline Born from War

Vietnam Airlines began as a small aviation department in 1956, just two years after the Geneva Accords divided the country. It evolved from a modest military su

The Last Ship Apocalypse Saga

The hit television drama The Last Ship survived for five seasons despite its grim premise of a global pandemic. Based on William Brinkley’s novel, the show char

The Screen Adaptation of Allelujah

This 2022 medical drama was adapted from a stage play written by Alan Bennett. It explores the emotional complexities of caring for the elderly within the Briti

The Hammer Film About Stone Gaze

A legendary monster movie brought Greek mythology to the Victorian era. While Hammer Films is famous for vampires, this production turned a terrifying Gorgon in

The Philosopher Who Never Left Oxford

Peter Strawson was such a fixture of Oxford University that he spent his entire adult life there. After retiring in 1987, he simply returned to his old college