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An 1847 illustration of the HMS Terror and HMS Erebus during an earlier Arctic expedition, by James Wilson Carmichael.

Little Weesy Coppin, the Ghost That Foretold the Franklin Expedition’s Fate

The British ships HMS 'Terror' and HMS 'Erebus' had vanished while searching for the Northwest Passage. A young Irish ghost purportedly knew where they were.

In Scandinavia, there's always time for a cup of coffee.

The 25 Countries That Drink the Most Coffee in the World

Finland is the ultimate champion at staying caffeinated, but its Scandinavian neighbors put up some impressive numbers, too.

Amazing Interactive Map Shows You Which Dinosaurs Roamed Your Neighborhood Millions of Years Ago

From glaciers to dinosaurs, this globe gives you a snapshot of what life was like during Earth’s adolescence.

The Most Popular Songs Named After Each Country

This map shows the world's most popular songs with country names in the title, from "Russian Roulette" by Rihanna to "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles.

Earthquakes don't cause giant cartoonish chasms to open up, but they can tear up the landscape like this.

9 Rockin' Facts About Earthquakes

Fear not: the chances of “The Big One” hitting while you read this article are very, very slim. But that doesn't mean you should let your guard down.

It's not Schitt's Creek, but it could be.

Tiny Ghost Town of Cleator, Arizona (Pop. 8) Can Be Yours for $1.25 Million

Cleator, Arizona, a former gold mining town, is home to a fake yacht club, eight humans, five dogs, and two grumpy cats.

News anchors have mastered the art of being linguistically neutral.

Why Do So Many News Anchors Sound Alike?

No matter where you are in the country, local and national news anchors have the same vocal delivery. There's a good reason why they learn it.

James Cook's journeys took him to New Zealand, Australia, and Hawaii.

12 Adventurous Facts About James Cook

James Cook was the first European to sail around New Zealand, land on Australia's east coast, and set foot on the Hawaiian Islands.

Lítla Dímun: The Smallest of the Faroe Islands Has Its Very Own Cloud

Thanks to an interesting weather phenomenon, Lítla Dímun in Denmark's Faroe Islands is often capped by a flying-saucer-shaped cloud.

The Netherlands Is Asking the World Not to Call It “Holland” Anymore—Here’s Why

It’s part of a tourism campaign to take the heat off clogged vacation spots like Amsterdam and other popular cities.

7 Mysterious Geological Formations That Still Baffle Scientists

From a lake the color of Pepto-Bismol to mysterious rock rings in the Sahara Desert, these strange geological wonders continue to stump scientists.

11 Apps That Will Make You Feel Smarter

Your smartphone is the window to all the knowledge in the world—and these apps will help you unlock it.

The sign on the train station platform helps you pronounce this 58-letter-long Welsh town name.

11 Weird Place Names From Around the World

Is Eggs and Bacon Bay as delicious as it sounds? Will the Disappointment Islands disappoint you? Find out here.

The World’s Steepest Street Is in Harlech, Wales

Will New Zealand decide to repave Baldwin Street to steal back the honor from Wales? One resident hopes so.

11 Totally Redundant Place Names

Pendle Hill is really Hill Hill Hill. Here are 11 others like that.

Meet the Exclusive Travel Club for People Who Have Been to 100 or More Countries

It has about 1500 members.

8 Hand-Drawn Maps and Illustrations from a 16th-Century Navigational Guide

Les Premières Œuvres de Jacques Devaulx showed the way to the New World in 1583.

Inside the Coldest City in the World, Where It Snows 270 Days a Year

Norilsk is among Russia's coldest, richest, and most polluted places—and 175,000 people call it home.

The 10 Most Stressed-Out States in America

Take a deep breath and read on.

See How Metros in the World's Biggest Cities Intersect on Aerial Maps

See cities like London and New York as you've never seen them before.

The Florida Beach Town Where the Amish Go on Vacation

With the arrival of low temperatures and the slowdown of the farming season, thousands of Amish people in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania will pack their bags and head south to "The Amish Las Vegas."

Michael Swigart, Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

15 U.S. Town and City Names With Unusual Backstories

While many towns in the U.S. were named after historical figures or nearby topographical phenomena, some monikers have origin stories that are a little more unusual.

How Much Money You Need to Earn in Each State to Rent a House, Mapped

It's not in your head: Rent is really, really expensive.

The Mediterranean Sea Could Disappear in the Distant Future

The continents are going to look very different 50 million years from now.

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