When The Going Gets Weird
Links and thoughts about media, technology and culture

Latest

Sep
20
William Sidis was a child prodigy but later chose obscurity

William Sidis was a child prodigy but later chose obscurity

From NPR's All Things Considered: "Born in Boston in 1898, William James Sidis made the headlines in the early 20th
5 min read
Sep
19
The strange but true saga of a mutiny by Carmelite nuns

The strange but true saga of a mutiny by Carmelite nuns

From Molly Olmstead at Slate: "There’s a strange saga unfolding in Texas. It involves allegations and accusations of illicit
5 min read
Sep
18
The secret life of the world's best war-crimes investigator

The secret life of the world's best war-crimes investigator

From Ben Taub for The New Yorker: "For more than decade, a man named Mustafa quietly served as the deputy
5 min read
Sep
15
In 1859, a massive solar flare took out the global telegraph network

In 1859, a massive solar flare took out the global telegraph network

From Jasna Hodžić for JSTOR Daily: "A little after midnight in the late summer of 1859, campers dozing beneath the
5 min read
Sep
14
Everything we know about the origins of barbecue is wrong

Everything we know about the origins of barbecue is wrong

From Daniel Vaughn for Texas Monthly: "The origins of barbecue are murky. Both the transformation from the word “barbacoa” and
5 min read
Sep
13
Bach loved puzzles so much he worked them into his music

Bach loved puzzles so much he worked them into his music

From Milton Mermikides for Aeon magazine: "Bach was crafty both in his music and life, and he adored puzzles, games
5 min read
Sep
12
Some helpful tips if you plan to fake your own death

Some helpful tips if you plan to fake your own death

From Elizabeth Greenwood at LinkedIn: "The biggest challenge of faking your death is that teensy problem of your body. So
5 min read
Sep
11
Why do some birds glow under fluorescent light?

Why do some birds glow under fluorescent light?

From Cara Giaimo for Atlas Obscura: "Tony Diamond can’t remember exactly why he first shone a blacklight on a
5 min read
Sep
08
She discovered how to split the atom but was denied a Nobel Prize

She discovered how to split the atom but was denied a Nobel Prize

From Katie Hafner and Ashraya Gupta for Scientific American: "Meitner's realization drew upon recent work that Niels Bohr and other
5 min read
Sep
07
Scientists try to figure out why German wild boars are radioactive

Scientists try to figure out why German wild boars are radioactive

From Molly Rains for Science.org: "What has tusks, bristly hair, and is contaminated with dangerous levels of radiation? Visit
5 min read