2026-10-13 -- control

#1 · curiosity Feb 4, 2026

Historians believe the first modern restaurant was opened in 1765

A Parisian soup salesman named Boulanger is often credited with opening the first modern restaurant and was renowned for serving meat in poulette sauce.

lead Historic Food Market Fire any_band · sim 0.47 · keep 0.51 · score -1

#2 · explainers Mar 31, 2026

Behind the Ryder Cup, the tournament that features golfers playing for their home countries

Established in 1927, the Ryder Cup is unlike any other tournament. The scoring includes a mix of fourball, foursomes, and singles, with half-points for ties. Explore the rich history of the Ryder Cup in this detailed interactive. Each era of history includes detailed accounts of the match, historic photos, and the final score for each team.

itk LIV golfers will not be allowed on the European-based DP World Tour in 2027, barring them sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.44 · score -3

#3 · curiosity Mar 31, 2026

Greg Norman, before LIV Golf

In 1994, Greg Norman was enjoying success as a pro golfer. But the Australian wanted to see more opportunities for global players like himself, leading him to found the World Golf Tour. Read this Sports Illustrated deep dive on Norman's failed golf league and the lesson he learned that would help him launch and become CEO of LIV Golf in 2021.

itk LIV golfers will not be allowed on the European-based DP World Tour in 2027, barring them sibling · sim 0.46 · keep 0.24 · score -4

#4 · curiosity Oct 2, 2026

Axelle Berthoumieu bit Ireland's Aoife Wafer during the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter‑final in 2025

Biting, waxing pool balls, and modifying ski suits are just a few of the various instances of bad sportsmanship in 2025. It appears that cheating is much harder to get away with in the era of smartphones.

itk LIV golfers will not be allowed on the European-based DP World Tour in 2027, barring them sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.13 · score -7

#5 · experiences Sep 5, 2025

As of 2025, humans have only dug 0.2% the way to Earth's center

The Kola Superdeep Borehole revealed two billion-year-old fossils and underground water, but the immense temperature and pressure prevented further tunneling. Beyond those depths, scientists know of Earth's interior by analyzing how seismic waves move.

etc The lake on Earth no humans have ever seen. sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.86 · score -1

#6 · curiosity Jan 2, 2026

In 1911, a solo thief stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, propelling the painting to a new level of celebrity.

Thanks to the minimal museum security at the time, a former Louvre employee carried out the crime with relative ease. He hid in a storage closet and swiped the painting the following morning.

The disappearance caused a national stir, with people paying just to come see the empty spot on the wall. The Leonardo Da Vinci painting was eventually returned in 1914, and hundreds of thousands of people went to see it in the first two days of its retrieval.
The thief, an Italian immigrant, claimed to have stolen the "Mona Lisa" due to national pride and the belief that the work had been looted from his home country. In reality, Da Vinci brought the painting to France in 1516, and it was later legally purchased by King Francois I.

etc Stolen Renoir paintings discovered behind cinder-block wall. sibling · sim 0.52 · keep 0.65 · score -2

#7 · curiosity Jul 1, 2025

Picasso was on trial for the theft of the 'Mona Lisa'

On August 22, 1911, the world was stunned by the theft of the "Mona Lisa" from the Louvre in Paris. As an international investigation searched for the culprit, a young Picasso was suspected to be part of a group of its thieves. While innocent in the disappearance of the Mona Lisa, he found himself on trial with reasonable suspicion: He was in possession of two Iberian statues that were the property of the same museum.

etc Stolen Renoir paintings discovered behind cinder-block wall. sibling · sim 0.50 · keep 0.58 · score -4

#8 · curiosity Jun 30, 2026

What was the Great Fire of Rome?

In the hours between July 18 and 19 in 64 CE, the glittering capital of ancient Rome became engulfed in flames. This 46-minute podcast details the Great Fire of Rome that destroyed much of the city, according to historical literary sources. The fire burned for nine days after starting at market stalls near the Palatine Hill and the Circus Maximus, one of the city's largest chariot racing stadiums. The fire's cause remains unknown.

lead Historic Food Market Fire any_band · sim 0.45 · keep 0.42 · score -2

#9 · explainers Mar 31, 2026

Examining golf's problems with race

In 1961, the PGA removed the "Caucasian-only" membership clause, marking the last major professional sports organization to desegregate. But unlike other sports, golf didn't see an influx of Black players following the change. This article from The Ringer's Lex Pryor examines golf's complicated history with race and gender, showing both the progress made and the challenges that remain.

itk LIV golfers will not be allowed on the European-based DP World Tour in 2027, barring them sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.23 · score -5

#10 · curiosity Sep 28, 2026

Watch Mark Zuckerberg explain Meta's Tamagotchi-like Muse charm.

itk Meta debuts advanced AI models, Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, claiming they outperform sibling · sim 0.46 · keep 0.26 · score -7

#11 · curiosity Mar 17, 2026

Breaking down Anthropic's products and why their models are named after literary forms

Since March 2024, the Claude series of large language models includes three varieties—Haiku, Sonnet, and Opus—named to metaphorically illustrate increasing complexity and computing power. Claude Code can perform software engineering tasks for developers and, as of January 2026, writes nearly all of Anthropic's code alongside Opus 4.5.

itk Meta debuts advanced AI models, Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, claiming they outperform own · sim 0.45 · keep 0.33 · score -8

#12 · experiences Apr 4, 2026

Check out an interactive map of 250 American places worth visiting before you die.

etc A map that lets you include more stops than Google Maps. sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.79 · score -1

#13 · curiosity Jun 30, 2026

Glow sticks feed energy released in chemical reactions to fluorescent dyes

When bent, the glass tube inside the stick breaks, releasing hydrogen peroxide into the surrounding solution. The ensuing reaction creates unstable molecules that decompose and release energy, which is then absorbed by molecular dyes that emit light when their excited electrons return to lower energy states.

etc Why do electrified pickles glow orange? sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.59 · score -1

#14 · curiosity Apr 1, 2026

Why pickles became a thing

Pickles began in Mesopotamia around 2400 BCE as a way to preserve vegetables amid heat (and spoilage). They spread through Egypt, Greece, and Rome, where Julius Caesar reportedly fed pickles to his soldiers, and brining was treated as a culinary art. The technique is broadly useful, as salt and water can extend the shelf life and deepen flavor for almost anything.

etc Why do electrified pickles glow orange? own · sim 0.44 · keep 0.53 · score -2

#15 · curiosity Dec 22, 2025

The deadliest fireworks accident in history was Marie-Antoinette's wedding

In 1770, a fireworks display in Paris celebrating the marriage of Marie-Antoinette to the Dauphin, later known as Louis XVI, resulted in as many as 3,000 deaths. Most casualties were caused by trampling from a panicked crowd of thousands rushing away after some fireworks were blown into the spectators.

lead Historic Food Market Fire any_band · sim 0.42 · keep 0.69 · score -3

#16 · explainers Sep 22, 2023

Doctors weigh in: Are wearable fitness devices useful or just entertainment?

In an age where technology is intertwined with our daily routines, there is an evolving relationship between healthcare professionals and the data gained from our wearable devices. This piece, published on The Verge, explores how doctors view and...

itk Google unveils Fitbit Edge, a lower-profile wearable fitness monitor that tracks movement own · sim 0.51 · keep 0.34 · score -1

#17 · curiosity Sep 28, 2026

As of 2025, only five people have won two Nobel Prizes, with Marie Curie the only person to do so in two different sciences.

Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, first for her work on radioactivity alongside her husband and then for her discovery of radium and polonium.

Linus Pauling is the only other person to win two prizes in different fields—in chemistry for research into chemical bonds and peace for advocating against nuclear arms.
Fred Sanger won the Nobel Prize in chemistry twice, first for determining the structure of proteins, including insulin, and then, alongside Walter Gilbert, for developing a method to sequence DNA.
John Bardeen shared two Nobel Prizes in physics for the invention of transistors—electronic switches that can amplify electrical signals—and for developing the theory of superconductivity.
Karl Barry Sharpless was also awarded two shared Nobel Prizes in chemistry for developing processes to synthesize molecules with a particular handedness and to reliably snap them together into larger compounds.

itk Nobel Prize in economics is awarded to American-born economists Robert E. Hall and Michael sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.56 · score -10

#18 · curiosity Jun 3, 2026

Watch writer John Steinbeck's Nobel Prize acceptance speech.

Rather than focusing on the writing craft, he used his speech to discuss the social responsibility of artists.

He referenced both William Faulkner, who received the same prize in 1949, and the prize's namesake, Alfred Nobel, highlighting both of their commitments to moral decision-making.

itk Nobel Prize in economics is awarded to American-born economists Robert E. Hall and Michael sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.48 · score -13

#19 · experiences Sep 25, 2024

Explore Pompeii with an interactive map packed with 60+ key sites

This tool provides detailed information on major landmarks—from the Villa of Mysteries to the House of the Tragic Poet—and suggests themed walking routes based on visit length. A companion app adds virtual reconstructions and a full audioguide.

etc A map that lets you include more stops than Google Maps. sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.71 · score -2

#20 · curiosity Jan 29, 2026

Nike made $126M in the first year of Air Jordan sales

The first pair of Air Jordans hit shelves in 1985 for $65. The company expected to sell $3M worth of shoes in the first three years, but ultimately blew past that goal in the first year of sales.

etc Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals jersey sells for record $14M. own · sim 0.52 · keep 0.52 · score -1

#21 · curiosity Sep 3, 2025

The fish can climb walls

Scientists in Brazil captured rare footage of bumblebee catfish climbing waterfalls. How they do it is clear, but why remains a mystery.

etc It's raining fish, hallelujah. own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.85 · score -1

#22 · curiosity Oct 25, 2024

The fast food shops of ancient Pompeii

Researchers have unearthed a frescoed thermopolium (a sort of hot food and drink shop) in Pompeii, the ancient Roman city frozen in time after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. This fascinating discovery provides a glimpse into Roman culinary practices and the daily life of Pompeii's citizens.

lead Historic Food Market Fire any_band · sim 0.42 · keep 0.35 · score -4

#23 · explainers Oct 6, 2026

Joel Mokyr won the 2025 Economics Nobel as a historian of scientific ideas

Many Nobel Prizes for Economics go to economists for their sophisticated quantification and large-scale studies and surveys. And while Northwestern's Mokyr has conducted such studies, his published works are more traditional history, where he argues for the significance of ideas to the development of material economics.

itk Nobel Prize in economics is awarded to American-born economists Robert E. Hall and Michael own · sim 0.58 · keep 0.13 · score -1

#24 · curiosity Sep 9, 2025

Hooters filed for bankruptcy in March 2025 after being operated by two very distinct operations

For years before that filing, the restaurant group had been operated by two different companies: one owned by private equity, and the other that includes the original founders.

itk Getty Images to file for bankruptcy and go private sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.15 · score -4

#25 · curiosity Feb 20, 2026

A private equity firm led the leveraged buyout of Toys 'R' Us before the company's bankruptcy

After being acquired by two private equity firms and a real estate company for more than $6B in 2005, Toys 'R' Us filed for bankruptcy in 2017. Many point to the $400M a year the company had to pay to service its debt, as well as increased competition from online retailers like Amazon, for draining its profits and ultimately dragging it under.

itk Getty Images to file for bankruptcy and go private own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.20 · score -5

#26 · experiences Jul 27, 2026

Give your memories a place to live and explore the personal stories left by strangers, tied to specific locations, in this interactive map of the world.

A Map of Us is a living, interactive space where users can pin a short personal memory in a specific location for others to read.

etc A map that lets you include more stops than Google Maps. sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.75 · score -3

#27 · curiosity Jan 14, 2026

In 2025, thieves stole roughly $100M of jewels from the Louvre

The robbery of the world's most visited museum took less than ten minutes and resulted in worldwide shock. The thieves used a ladder to break into the building and steal eight pieces of French crown jewels, and then escaped on motorbikes.

etc Stolen Renoir paintings discovered behind cinder-block wall. sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.06 · score -8

#28 · curiosity Feb 11, 2025

Picasso’s early masterpiece conceals a long-lost secret

Art historians have studied Picasso's Blue Period throughout the last century, but researchers have now uncovered something previously unknown: an underpainting of a woman under one of the artist's portraits.

etc Stolen Renoir paintings discovered behind cinder-block wall. sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.20 · score -9

#29 · explainers Mar 5, 2026

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is independent of Iran's regular army and is one of the most powerful and influential military-political organizations in the Middle East.

It was created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution as a military force loyal to Iran's clerical leadership rather than the state.

The Guard Corps functions as a fully parallel military to Iran's regular armed forces, with around 190,000 troops across its own ground, naval, air, cyber, and paramilitary branches, including control of Iran's ballistic missile program and the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC's Quds Force projects Iranian power abroad by arming and directing a network of regional proxies, including Hezbollah, Iraqi militias, and the Houthis.
Since the 2026 war began, experts believe that the IRGC has tightened its grip on power within Iran.

itk British government accuses Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps of directing suspected plot on own · sim 0.51 · keep 0.13 · score -1

#30 · curiosity Sep 15, 2026

A 1954 outbreak at a Boston boarding school allowed scientists to isolate the measles virus and formed the basis for the first measles vaccine.

While measles was described as early as the 9th century, humanity lacked the medical technology to fight the disease until the mid-20th century.

Vaccine development in the 1960s and 1970s that drew from the Boston outbreak data led to one of the most effective inoculation campaigns in history.
Swabs and blood samples were taken from students, and cultures from 11-year-old schoolboy David Edmonston ultimately led scientists to cultivate the virus and enabled the first vaccine against measles.
That first vaccine was approved for use in the United States in 1963.
The first internationally focused measles immunization campaign took place in Africa, beginning in 1966. The Gambia was the first country in the world to halt measles transmission the following year.
Subsequent versions of the vaccine were developed, including the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine (MMRV), which is commonly used in the United States. The varicella component was added in 2005.
Standalone measles vaccines are now difficult to obtain in many locations because manufacturers have discontinued individual formulations in favor of combination vaccines to improve cost-effectiveness, convenience, and safety.

itk Sixth measles-related death is reported in Pennsylvania, after state surpassed 1,000 recor own · sim 0.49 · keep 0.40 · score -11

#31 · curiosity Jul 31, 2026

In 2026, a pilot program introduced two AI-powered humanoid robots to a San Diego charter school to increase engagement and academic gains, though some criticized the $500k purchase.

Prior to interacting with it, students most commonly used the word "creepy" to describe the robot, which can imitate some famous individuals to help students learn about them.

During one classroom observation, the robot was reported to have repeatedly interrupted students and spoken too quickly, prompting it to be asked to repeat itself three times.
One of the robots, Ameca, can assume the role of a teacher, wellness coach, college and career planner, and translator, but school officials have stated there is no plan to replace staff and that all information provided should be fact-checked.
Altus Schools, which serves students who need to recover credits after falling behind and claims the program is the world's first to examine physical AI for education, has stated that the robot does not store any data, with its memory erased after each interaction.

itk Meta debuts advanced AI models, Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, claiming they outperform sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.17 · score -19

#32 · experiences Sep 24, 2025

Create digital maps of Earth with custom sketches and labels

In this interactive, users can apply layers to various base maps to display natural and human features, including geological activity, biomes, ocean currents, population densities, and light pollution. Custom legends, markers, and drawings can be used to highlight prominent features.

etc A map that lets you include more stops than Google Maps. sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.59 · score -4

#33 · curiosity Jun 29, 2026

Electrogenic animals generate their own electricity by changing the pattern of electrical charges in disc-shaped cells called electrocytes.

Electrocytes are typically positively charged on the outside and negatively charged on the inside, but when activated, opposite interior sides of these cells become oppositely charged, generating a voltage.

Most electrogenic organisms possess cells that detect changes in the electric fields in their environment, which help them communicate with one another.
Other organisms, including bees, spiders, and platypuses, are electroreceptive and can detect electric fields, but cannot generate electricity themselves.

etc Why do electrified pickles glow orange? sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.48 · score -3

#34 · curiosity May 25, 2026

Massive blooms of microscopic plankton called dinoflagellates produce the neon blue light seen in glowing tides.

These tiny, single-celled, bioluminescent organisms are thought to emit light when moved by waves, currents, or passersby, as a defense mechanism to expose predators to other hunters.

etc Why do electrified pickles glow orange? own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.86 · score -4

#35 · explainers Jan 2, 2025

Only 156 players secure a PGA Tour Card each year

Automatic eligibility is granted to past PGA Championship winners, while newcomers must win a PGA-approved tournament, rank in the top 70 of the FedEx Cup standings, or finish in the top 30 of the Korn Ferry Tour finals.

itk LIV golfers will not be allowed on the European-based DP World Tour in 2027, barring them sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.54 · score -6

#36 · curiosity Mar 28, 2024

Which AI chatbot is everyone's favorite?

From OpenAI's ChatGPT to rivals like Elon Musk's Grok and Google Gemini, it feels like chatbots are everywhere now. Some of them, though, are newer and less-developed than others, and all of them have different proficiencies. This leaderboard has collected more than 400,000 votes to rank each chatbot in order of preference, and you can also add your own vote to the mix.

itk Meta debuts advanced AI models, Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, claiming they outperform sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.63 · score -40

#37 · curiosity May 3, 2024

Before ChatGPT, OpenAI Five beat esports world champions

The bot won two back-to-back Dota 2 matches and developed a new skill of working as a teammate with humans, even though it had only been trained to beat other bots.

itk Meta debuts advanced AI models, Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, claiming they outperform sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.62 · score -41

#38 · news-in-context Oct 9, 2023

Visualizing cause of death over time in America

As people age, their life expectancy decreases, but the timing and speed of this decline have evolved over the years. Check out this chart which shows the shift in various causes of death of Americans over the last few decades.

Data from the...

etc See chart on decline in Americans' social activities. any_band · sim 0.51 · keep 0.47 · score -1

#39 · curiosity Jan 29, 2026

The most expensive shoe ever sold is from Nike

A prototype of Kanye's Air Yeezy's from 2008 sold for $1.8M in 2021. Kanye West wore the shoes at a Grammys performance in 2008, and they became one of the most sought-after samples in sneaker history.

etc Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals jersey sells for record $14M. own · sim 0.49 · keep 0.73 · score -2

#40 · curiosity Feb 9, 2026

The average person celebrating Valentine's Day spends $189

That might include dinner, flowers, or something even more romantic. The most popular gift is candy, with 56% of people celebrating the holiday by purchasing sweets. That's about $2.5B in sales.

etc Which states spend the most money on Halloween candy. sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.36 · score -9

#41 · explainers Mar 31, 2026

The PGA Tour features over 30 tournaments per year, but the most important are its 4 majors: the Masters, the PGA Championship, the US Open, and the Open Championship.

The Masters—which features fewer than 100 competitors, making it the smallest of the majors—ends the second Sunday of April and is held annually at Augusta National Golf Club, in Augusta, Georgia.

The PGA Championship is played in May and features a mix of past PGA Championship winners, golfers who have won the other majors, and other qualifiers.
The US Open takes place in June and, because it's an "open" tournament, features a mix of professionals and amateurs.
The Open Championship takes place in July in the United Kingdom and is the oldest professional tournament in existence, a legacy it honors by maintaining some of the sport's earliest Scottish traditions, including the awarding of the Claret Jug, a large, sterling silver trophy.

itk LIV golfers will not be allowed on the European-based DP World Tour in 2027, barring them sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.26 · score -8

#42 · curiosity Feb 12, 2025

Why this artist staged a satirical romance with Mark Zuckerberg

Internet performance artist Harriet Richardson is using AI and Meta's social media tools to make it appear as though she's in a serious romantic relationship with Mark Zuckerberg. While the images generate laughs, Richardson also says they're part of a larger satirical project aiming to highlight the larger societal impact of Meta's decision to discontinue fact-checking content across its platforms.

itk Meta debuts advanced AI models, Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, claiming they outperform sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.25 · score -45

#43 · curiosity Jan 15, 2025

Watch a review of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses

Combining smartphone features with a luxury eyeglass brand, Meta's peripheral provides discreet recording, audio, and AI-powered functions. They represent an ongoing effort by the company to develop hardware for the augmented and mixed reality market.

itk Meta debuts advanced AI models, Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, claiming they outperform own · sim 0.41 · keep 0.71 · score -46

#44 · news-in-context Oct 18, 2024

Here's how much money Americans spend on Halloween

In 2024, Americans are expected to spend more than $11B on Halloween, which averages out to roughly $104 per person, according to the National Retail Federation's Halloween Spending Survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. That $11B number includes an anticipated almost $4B spent on costumes. See the full breakdown here.

etc Which states spend the most money on Halloween candy. any_band · sim 0.61 · keep 0.37 · score -1

#45 · curiosity Feb 11, 2026

The Mona Lisa's celebrity status and repeated restorations have obscured what made the painting so revolutionary for its time

Da Vinci's artistic technique, known as sfumato, or "gone up in smoke." The style lends his works a soft and atmospheric aesthetic

Frequent restorations have contributed to the loss of fine details, but researchers and historians have used advanced imaging techniques like infrared and X-rays to reveal lost details
The painting was stolen in 1911—an event widely credited with amplifying its popularity with the general public and making it one of the most well-known artworks in the world
The thief was a Louvre handyman who simply took the painting and tucked it under his overcoat and walked out of the museum
The celebrity of the Mona Lisa has overshadowed how it exemplifies Da Vinci's mastery, including the positioning of her body and the design of her eyes. The style was revolutionary at the beginning of the 16th century
Finally, while it's estimated the painting would go for $1B at auction, the Mona Lisa is owned by the public via French law and is legally unsellable.

etc Stolen Renoir paintings discovered behind cinder-block wall. sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.71 · score -11

#46 · curiosity Dec 23, 2025

Lichtenberg figures capture lightning-like patterns within insulators

When high-energy electrons from particle accelerators are fired into materials like acrylic, they form a charged plane before discharging into scarred patterns within the material. By evenly charging a cylindrical bottle through rotation during the irradiation process, a 3D figure of lightning in a bottle can be created.

etc Why do electrified pickles glow orange? sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.82 · score -5

#47 · explainers Feb 27, 2026

Activity trackers promise to improve health by forcing us to examine the facts

Explore how modern fitness culture, rooted in capitalist ideals of productivity and control, shapes our perception of health and self-worth. The author blends cultural criticism with personal insight to examine the contradictions of the wellness industry, the rise of wearable tech, and what it means to "optimize" a body.

itk Google unveils Fitbit Edge, a lower-profile wearable fitness monitor that tracks movement own · sim 0.46 · keep 0.44 · score -3

#48 · curiosity Jun 15, 2026

Measles evolved from an ancient cattle disease, perhaps as recently as 3,000 years ago.

Genetic analysis suggests that the closest modern relative of measles is a livestock virus known as rinderpest, with the viral strains diverging between 2,000 and 3,000 years ago.

The timing coincided with the rise of major cities with populations exceeding 250,000, offering a novel transmission route for the newly mutated measles virus.

itk Sixth measles-related death is reported in Pennsylvania, after state surpassed 1,000 recor sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.59 · score -17

#49 · curiosity Mar 17, 2026

A malaria case in Maryland stumped doctors in 2023—leading to the wrong treatment and underscoring the challenge of physicians being mindful of tropical diseases in our interconnected world.

When the state had its first locally acquired malaria case in over 40 years, the patient was misdiagnosed with a more common tick-borne infection, leading to weeks-long treatment for the wrong infection.

The patient had symptoms that could occur with malaria or with babesiosis, a disease caused by Babesia parasites and transmitted by ticks in the US.
Malaria was considered eliminated from the US in 1951.

itk Sixth measles-related death is reported in Pennsylvania, after state surpassed 1,000 recor sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.13 · score -19

#50 · longform Mar 4, 2026

Two men dressed as cops stole artwork from a Boston museum valued at over $500M at the time

On March 18, 1990, the thieves entered Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum pretending to be police officers responding to a disturbance. After overpowering and handcuffing the guards on duty, they stole 13 precious items, including works by Rembrandt and Manet. The theft is the largest art heist in US history. The pieces are still missing, and the museum is offering a $10M reward to anyone who provides valuable information about their location.

etc Stolen Renoir paintings discovered behind cinder-block wall. any_band · sim 0.52 · keep 0.24 · score -1

#51 · curiosity Sep 1, 2026

Blacklights can illuminate certain biological materials, including blood, teeth, and fingernails, because they contain fluorophores—molecules that visibly glow immediately after exposure to higher-energy light.

Blacklights use fluorescent lamps with a coating or incandescent light bulbs with a filter designed to allow UV-A light to pass through while absorbing UV-B, UV-C, and most visible light, giving them their dark appearance.

Highlighter ink, neon paints, and other substances contain fluorescent dyes that quickly re-emit absorbed light, while objects with glow-in-the-dark coatings contain phosphores that slowly emit stored light.
Some modern detergents contain fluorescent chemicals that make clothing appear whiter than usual when exposed to sunlight.
The biofluorescence of fungus, bacteria, and other pathogens helps medical professionals diagnose patients by exposing them to ultraviolet lights, while this property in biological material can aid forensic investigators in finding evidence at a crime scene.

etc Why do electrified pickles glow orange? sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.65 · score -6

#52 · curiosity Apr 17, 2026

The craft beer industry has been in decline since 2024, due to changing demographics and a wider variety of alcoholic beverages.

Craft breweries were scarce during the 1980s, but began to build steam during the 1990s and became a hot trend during the 2000s and 2010s.

The downward trend began in 2024, when more American craft breweries closed than opened, and has continued since then.
Some blame the rise of canned cocktails, hard seltzers, and non-alcoholic beers, while others point to declining drinking rates for Gen Z.

etc See chart on decline in Americans' social activities. sibling · sim 0.40 · keep 0.10 · score -12

#53 · explainers Sep 28, 2026

Why some nations reach economic success and others don't

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics winners, Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson, were honored for their compelling research on the factors that influence a nation's prosperity. Spanning two decades, their work presents insights into how societal organization can explain the income discrepancies between different countries. In general, their research shows that economic success favors more free and open societies. Listen for more fascinating insights.

itk Nobel Prize in economics is awarded to American-born economists Robert E. Hall and Michael own · sim 0.56 · keep 0.22 · score -2

#54 · curiosity Oct 1, 2026

Measles reached global transmission during the 15th- and 16th-century Columbian exchange

Devastating diseases like smallpox, influenza, measles, and other viruses were largely introduced into the Western Hemisphere beginning with the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus and the ensuing age of exploration.

itk Sixth measles-related death is reported in Pennsylvania, after state surpassed 1,000 recor sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.30 · score -24

#55 · explainers Oct 6, 2026

Read what professors at Harvard Business School think led to General Motors' 2009 bankruptcy.

In 1931, General Motors became the world's largest automaker by sales volume.

In 2009, General Motors filed for bankruptcy, reporting $82B in assets and more than twice as many liabilities—making it the fourth-largest bankruptcy in the nation’s history.
General Motors has been on the Fortune 500 list every year since it began in 1955 and has ranked number one more than any other company.

itk Getty Images to file for bankruptcy and go private any_band · sim 0.45 · keep 0.28 · score -1

#56 · news-in-context May 20, 2026

Explore why Americans are drinking less alcohol

US alcohol consumption fell 5% in 2025, with beer and wine leading the decline. Economists point to tighter budgets and less face-to-face socializing overall, while younger Americans are increasingly choosing not to drink.

etc See chart on decline in Americans' social activities. any_band · sim 0.51 · keep 0.19 · score -2

#57 · curiosity Jan 29, 2026

Nike went public in 1980, and the first share sold at $22

Nike stock plummeted in the four years that followed the company's initial public offering (IPO). The company's deal with Michael Jordan in 1984 ultimately revived investor confidence.

etc Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals jersey sells for record $14M. own · sim 0.49 · keep 0.29 · score -3

#58 · curiosity Jan 29, 2026

The first shoes Jordan got from Nike were against NBA regulations

The initial mockups Nike gave Jordan were entirely black and red. The NBA had strict rules around shoe color at the time that these colors violated. The story goes that Nike paid the $5K fine for each game that Jordan wore the shoes in, but there's no photographic evidence that Jordan ever wore them in a game at all. Regardless, Nike created the "banned" ad, capitalizing on the controversy.

etc Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals jersey sells for record $14M. sibling · sim 0.46 · keep 0.58 · score -4

#59 · explainers Mar 5, 2026

Mohammad Mosaddegh was ousted in a CIA-backed coup in 1953

Iran's democratically elected prime minister, Mosaddegh, nationalized the country's oil industry in 1951, challenging British and American control of Iran's resources. The CIA and British intelligence orchestrated a coup that ousted him and reinstated the Shah, fueling decades of Iranian distrust of the West.

itk British government accuses Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps of directing suspected plot on own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.26 · score -3

#60 · explainers Sep 25, 2026

Amid a massive measles uptick in 2026, at least 6 babies in central Pennsylvania have been born with congenital measles.

Pennsylvania had more than 100 measles cases in just one week in late September 2026, and more than 800 cases overall, according to the state's health department.

A baby can be born with measles if a pregnant woman is infected within the final weeks of her pregnancy.
Many of Pennsylvania's measles patients are adults, not children, underscoring that there are swathes of people in the state that were never vaccinated as kids.
There's no specific treatment for measles geared toward newborns.
Pennsylvania is running out of airborne infection isolation rooms to help contain the virus in hospitals.
Pregnant women cannot receive the measles vaccine during pregnancy, so women would need to be vaccinated prior to pregnancy to help protect themselves and their fetuses.

itk Sixth measles-related death is reported in Pennsylvania, after state surpassed 1,000 recor any_band · sim 0.65 · keep 0.09 · score -1

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