The Astonishing Story Of Nicholas Alkemade, The Rear Gunner Who Fell 18000 Feet
And was almost shot as a spy… Nicholas Stephen Alkemade was born in Norfolk, in the United Kingdom, in 1922. When World War Two began, he enlisted as a rear … Read More
Can durian really kill you? The strange truth about the world’s smelliest fruit
The ‘King of Fruits’ is pungent, healthy, and potentially deadly. The legendary durian fruit hails from Southeast Asia and is famous for a couple of things – but most notably, … Read More
Do Writers Really Work Better Drunk? Should you ‘Write Drunk, Edit Sober’?
Hemingway was actually against it… The aphorism ‘Write drunk, edit sober’ is often incorrectly attributed to Ernest Hemingway. After all, he was famous for writing and drinking, so it makes … Read More
The Loudest Man in the World, a Duck at a Presidential Briefing, and Pigeons with a Liver Compass
As the world is a grim place, I thought I would share some good/interesting news about the loudest man, a duck that got famous in Mexico (and is cute), and … Read More
Surviving Antarctica: The Fascinating Reason Residents Of Villa Las Estrellas Remove Their Appendixes
The small settlement of Villa Las Estrellas is one of the few settlements in Antarctica where people live for more than a couple of months. However, to live there long-term, … Read More
Medium and Substack – the Strange, Lonely Business of Finding Readers
Medium and Substack are great in their own ways, but after months of earning almost nothing on Medium while my ‘weird history’ Substack grew, I changed my posting routine and … Read More
This Is Why Japan Is Now Infested with Raccoons
Raccoons are undeniably cute, with a reputation for rascal-like behaviour. And it was precisely these qualities that led to their huge popularity in Japan, prompted by a 1970s TV show. … Read More
Did a Pope’s Hatred Of Cats Lead To The Plague?
Fewer cats resulted in more plague-bearing rats, or so the story goes People have different attitudes toward cats. Some people love them while others – not so much. But historically, … Read More
The Man Who Accidentally Took Control of 7,000 Robot Vacuums
The true story of a robot vacuum hack that was more successful than planned Controlling a robot vacuum cleaner with a PlayStation 5 controller sounds like the sort of thing … Read More
The Fascinating Story Of Africa’s Fake Mountains Of Kong
The mountain range stretched across the continent and was on maps for over a century. The Scottish explorer Mungo Park first mentioned the magnificently named ‘Mountains of Kong’ in his … Read More
The Real Reason Photos Are Banned in the Sistine Chapel
It is not about flash photography In 1512, Pope Julius II held a special vespers service. It was an evening event that was held to inaugurate the Sistine Chapel after … Read More
The Greatest Heist In Canada’s History Wasn’t What You’d Think
Maple syrup is worth a lot of money – and Canada has a lot of it The aptly named Great Maple Syrup Heist was the greatest theft in Canada’s history. … Read More
I was interviewed by an AI recruiter for the first time and it was weird
Apparently, interviews with an AI recruiter are becoming more common. I just had one, and the experience was a bit weird, but actually more normal than I would have thought. … Read More
The Man Who Faked A Volcano Eruption – One Of The Greatest April Fools’ Hoaxes Ever
It is April Fool’s Day, so I thought it apt to share one of the greatest April Fool’s pranks ever. This is from my Intriguing Times Substack. It really happened. … Read More
The Forgotten Story of the King of the Amazon
The forgotten true story of Alfonso Graña, the outsider who entered one of the most dangerous regions on Earth and emerged as a ruler In the early twentieth century, a … Read More
Why Modern Novels Are Getting Longer (And Why Readers Love It)
There is a noticeable trend in modern publishing. Many of today’s most popular novels are getting longer Over the past few decades, data suggests that novels (particularly bestsellers and literary … Read More
The Unbelievable True Story Of The Only Person To Be Hit By A Meteorite
Ann Hodges was planning on a nap when a meteorite came through the roof I don’t want to be an alarmist, but meteorites hit the planet with terrifying regularity. For … Read More
The Dark History of Okunoshima, Japan’s Famous Rabbit Island
Cute Tourism Built on a Chemical Weapons Secret Okunoshima looks like the setting for a children’s story. A small island in Japan’s Inland Sea where hundreds of tame rabbits wander … Read More
Alan Partridge From The Oasthouse goes full career circle
From the Oasthouse: The Alan Partridge Podcast is a must-listen for all Partridge fans. Of which I count myself a huge member. (I’m not sure I want to refer to … Read More
Thailand’s most famous ghost still has a shrine in Bangkok
Bangkok is a city of glass towers, traffic jams, rooftop bars, shining malls, mad backstreets, and endless construction. I should know, as I’ve lived there for 12 years. I also … Read More