Times of Suffering and Times of Joy — I was always intrigued by the human soul and life as it is. And amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I started to read and write about historical figures who suffered like any of us. It’s amazing that the most distinguished people in history had heroic personal struggles. Also, many of them…

No toilet paper, just arts and crafts — As the COVID-19 pandemic proved, people can’t imagine their lives without toilet paper. No wonder some individuals hoarded it until the last roll — it is the essence of safety and comfort. But this is a relatively new invention in the Western world. The first time Joseph Gayetty introduced bathroom…

Fascism defends big money — In Holywood movies, fascism is a group of bad guys in dark uniforms screaming and killing around. Usually, they are Hitler’s boys who hate Jews but get what they deserve in the end. Therefore, we can conclude that fascism was a thing of the past that finished with the Nuremberg…

Alone and scared, Laika went down in history — In 1957 a stray dog from the streets of Moscow went on a space mission. After death, she was awarded the greatest medals for courage — the same ones Yuri Gagarin received as the first man in space (1961). …

Peter loved Margaret till the end — Dolphins are extremely smart: They can recognize themselves in a mirror and understand abstract concepts. But can they talk to people in human language? In the 1960s, scientists were toying with this idea. Thanks to researchers’ curiosity, we have electricity, planes, vaccines, and AI. …

Infatuated Lenka Dundjerski didn’t want even Nikola Tesla — Jelena Dundjerski knew she was special. Beautiful and rich, she was the pride and joy of her wealthy family. The girl would turn people’s heads in Vienna, Venice, and Budapest. …

The Lepenski Vir culture lasted 2,000 years — Until 60 years ago we thought prehistoric Europeans were cavemen. But then we discovered an ancient culture on the banks of the Danube in southeastern Europe and the civilization of Lepenski Vir rewrote history. In August 1960 farmer Manojlo Milošević found strange pieces of ceramics on his land by the…

Ötzi has the same DNA as 19 Austrian men — Most of us can trace our ancestors back to a great-grandparent, not further. But what if the whole world knew about your predecessor from over 5,000 years ago? What if you could find out how he looked, what he ate, and even his disease risk factors? History is made of…

Old Japanese erotica is hedonistic, obscene, and exceptional — We’ve all seen a penis or two in classical art. But shunga? Oversized genitals, pink, brown, and hairy pulsate from the paintings. Drawn with incredible detail, they look almost real… Except they are sometimes as big as the characters’ heads. Portrayed people are in unnatural positions. …