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An ouroboros on a grave marker in West Highgate Cemetery, London.

Ouroboros: The Origins and Meaning of the Snake Eating its Tail

The serpentine symbol has represented the eternal cycle of life for thousands of years.

Simone Biles has five gymnastics skills named for her.

11 Female Gymnasts With Skills Named After Them

At the Olympics, some athletes will be performing tried and true moves. Others might be throwing new skills that will one day bear their names.

Why Do Grooms Break a Glass at Jewish Weddings?

There’s a lot of cultural and religious significance attached to this enduring Jewish wedding tradition. Plus, it’s just plain fun.

Just a few punctuation marks that don’t get nearly enough usage.

13 Little-Known Punctuation Marks We Should Be Using

Because sometimes, periods, commas, colons, semi-colons, dashes, hyphens, apostrophes, question marks, exclamation points, quotation marks, brackets, parentheses, braces, and ellipses won't do.

Don't miss the Southern Delta Aquarid and Alpha Capricornid meteor showers in late July.

Don't Miss the Rare Double Meteor Shower at the End of July

Astronomy enthusiasts are in for an amazing treat this month.

The 30 Most Popular Botanic Baby Names

If you’re hoping to pass on your love of nature to the next generation, you may be inclined to choose a name rooted in the natural world. Oliver, Olivia, Violet, and Rowan are all top contenders.

Rosemary Fowler (seated) receives her doctorate from Sir Paul Nurse, chancellor of the University of Bristol, at a ceremony at Darwin College, Cambridge, UK.

A 98-Year-Old Physicist Finally Got Her Ph.D., 75 Years After Her Major Discovery

Rosemary Fowler discovered a type of subatomic particle, the kaon—but left the university before earning her doctorate.

Knotts's turn in "The Incredible Mr. Limpet" caught the eye of Universal Studios head Lew Wasserman, which also helped.

Scared Silly: How ‘The Ghost and Mr. Chicken’ Turned Don Knotts into a Movie Star

‘The Andy Griffith Show’ star didn’t seem cut out to be a movie star. But thanks to some enduring connections to Mayberry, Knotts would have the last laugh.

Veeps with jobs: John C. Breckinridge (left), John Nance Gardner (center), and Schuyler Colfax (right)

How 8 Vice Presidents Made a Living After Leaving Office

Fifteen sitting vice presidents have become president. That leaves a lot of other ex-veeps in need of gainful employment. Here's what a few of them did after leaving office.

Impress your crafty friends by actually knowing how their sewing equipment works.

What's the Purpose of the Little Strawberry Attached to Pincushions?

The fabric strawberry is more than just a cute accessory to an already cute accessory. It also serves as an important tool.

7 Tips for Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh

Unfortunately, those blooms you clipped from your home garden or snagged from a local farmer’s market won’t last forever.

Everyone here is someone's late someone.

Why Does ‘Late’ Mean “Dead”?

There’s a historical reason, but there may be a social one as well.

22 Animals You Really Don’t Want to Mess With

Most of the animals we’re covering in the latest episode of The List Show aren’t out to hurt you on purpose—but you still don’t want to face off with them.

Olympic gold medals are the zenith of athletic achievement.

The 20 Countries With the Most Olympic Gold Medals

Whoever said winning isn't everything didn't have 1175 gold medals.

This smoked salmon mille-feuille recipe works just as well at a dinner party as it does at brunch.

Show Off Your Culinary Skills With This Smoked Salmon Mille-Feuille Recipe

This smoked salmon mille-feuille from the Institute of Culinary Education is sure to impress.

7 Impressive Facts About Marlene Dietrich

The German-born actress rebuffed Nazi attempts to recruit her to make propaganda and declared Hitler “an idiot.” Here’s what else you need to know about her.

Transorbital lobotomies have now entered the chat.

10 Riveting Nonfiction Books on History’s Greatest Medical Mysteries

These gory yet fascinating reads delve into the weirdest chapters of medical history, from the dancing plague of 1518 to the bizarre saga of Typhoid Mary.

The first edition of ‘Black Beauty,’ published 1877.

How ‘Black Beauty’ Changed the World For Horses

Anna Sewell’s 19th-century novel about a horse named Black Beauty put the spotlight on animal welfare.

8 Freakin’ Adorable Facts About Baby Foxes

The cute canids start out life needing a lot of help from their parents, but they soon find their footing.

The Nintendo World Championship Cartridge

An Ultra-Rare Gold Nintendo Cartridge From 1990 Is Up for Auction

The game, which is the same shade as the famous 'Legend of Zelda' gold cartridge, was produced for the 1990 Nintendo World Championships.

The Pattersons left everything behind in 1957.

The El Paso Enigma: The Disappearance of William and Margaret Patterson

The Pattersons said they were merely going on vacation. That was nearly 70 years ago.

Crockett Johnson’s ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon.’

7 Things You Might Not Know About ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’

The 1955 children's book by Crockett Johnson has some interesting ties to Sharon Stone, Spike Jonze, and Communism.

George R.R. Martin Excluded From Sci-Fi Convention for Failing to Fill out the Right Form

The ‘Fire & Blood’ author isn’t part of any formal programming for Worldcon 2024 in August, and go figure, it’s all because he didn’t fill out the correct application form in time.

This American icon has become a rare sight.

Why Are Convertible Cars Disappearing From American Roads?

Consumer tastes have shifted over the past 20 years.

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