Boosting wartime morale by dropping pianos at the front lines — During World War Two, the Steinway and Sons piano company created specially built pianos for US military forces and these were called the victory vertical project. Sometimes they were air-dropped into conflicts, just to provide a bit of relaxation and, they were made in Queens, New York. In my mind…

When you think of war, you probably think of blood and guns — War drives a lot of medical and scientific innovation. It is a violent, ugly thing but it has become an inherent part of geopolitics and has been since ancient days. …

Have you ever been to the Olympics? I appreciate the history and the long tradition of Olympian athleticism. The old-school O G Olympics in Greece was the real stuff. It was like hand-to-hand combat with javelin throwing and the sorts. Today’s article takes us right back to that time in…

When you think of bedbugs, you automatically think of irritating rashes and bites but this wasn't always the case — Growing up, I did not have a ton of personal experiences with bedbugs. I ran into them when I lived in Central America. In a couple of the houses I stayed in, someone would take me to the side, and they would say, ‘when you sleep make sure you sleep…

Have you traveled on a train? Did you enjoy the experience? — Some people prefer to travel by train or by rail because it’s less stressful than going to the airport. That’s something people can agree with. And back in the olden days, you might see what’s called a signalman. …

When San Diego sought rain from a rainmaker, they got more than what they bargained for — Today’s article is about a Quaker-born named Charles Mallory who convinced the San Diego city council to allow him to deploy a machine that he claimed could make it rain because they were experiencing a serious drought. The question arises, did this guy really believe and practice what he was…

Take a look into the ‘white gold’ of guano and how it led to a deadly 19th-century war — Guano is a catch-all term for the excrement of avian creatures. It’s often the subject of intense debate as to what creatures qualify for guano and bloody wars over the stuff, because it’s good for lots of things, including making bombs. The word guano is obviously a South American word…

How John Snow figured out the cholera contagion — no relation to the tv show — One of the things that you notice about London and cholera is that you’ll run into several stories about it but today we’re returning to a period in time in 1854. There was an outbreak of cholera in London, specifically in the Soho district. In the space of just three…

Have you ever been to a weird-themed town? — Pointing out a few before we hop right into today’s theme town. There are lots of them. Pella, Iowa for example, is all about the Tulip Time Festival, and Mount Airy, North Carolina is basically a recreation of the Andy Griffith Show with a Mayberry courthouse you can visit. And…