New research shows that the human survival instinct is more complicated and disturbing than we ever could have thought.
The world owes so much to Alan Turing. Without his quick and clever mind, the Allied Forces may never have been able to unravel the impossible messages produced by the German Enigma machine. WWII would have looked very different without that knowledge. Despite this, the British government detained Turing simply for being himself. Let’s shine a light on the true Alan Turing—and all he’s done for the world.
Ted Williams was one of the greatest hitters in baseball history even as he lost a large chunk of his career to military service as a fighter pilot.
We have a very specific image of an 18th-century noblewoman: Elegant, dressed in the most decadent of dresses, and…white. Yet although Dido Elizabeth Belle had the bearing, breeding, and money of the finest ladies of her day, she was also a mixed race woman. Her very existence flew in the face of her culture’s prejudices, but Belle didn’t mind that one bit. In fact, this feisty aristocrat had one dramatic life.
Throughout history, physical beauty has been a coveted ideal for women across cultures and eras. But for Yang Guifei—hailed as one of Ancient China’s greatest beauties—her breathtaking allure ultimately became her greatest curse, entwining her fate with the downfall of an entire dynasty.
Faced with a kingdom divided along political and religious lines, King James I of England authorized a new English Bible that is now famous as the King James Version.
Born on the eve of Europe’s first wave of Revolutions, Queen Victoria knew that her daughter Princess Louise was bound to be special. And special she was. Princess Louise was a precocious child who matured into a controversial, mysterious revolutionary. Grab a cup of tea and prepare to learn about the scandalous woman that the British royals have tried to hide.
One of the biggest celebrities of the 20th century, Harry Houdini wowed audiences with his daredevil escapes and mystifying illusions. However, he had a fraught relationship with the nature of failure, and sadly, it drove him straight to an end so agonizing—it's unforgettable.
Throughout the centuries, human beings have endured the evil atrocities of madmen, mass murderers, warlords, and fanatics. No one quite knows what exactly causes the minds of some to act with such cruelty or depravity. Humans are capable of creating so much good in the world but are equally equipped and proficient to carry out evil.
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