Home Articles Contact Podcasts

All Articles

All That's Interesting •

An Amateur Fossil Hunter In Australia Has Discovered A Previously Unknown Insect Species

A lifetime of amateur fossil hunting has led to the discovery of a new species of non-biting midge — a small type of fly — that lived roughly 151 million years ago.

Robert Beattie, an 82-year-old retired teacher, has had a fascination with fossils ever since he was a child. Over the years, he’s donated numerous specimens to the Australian Museum, including prehistoric fish and insects found in fossil beds across the country.

But one particular set of fossils from the Talbragar Fish Beds site i...
All That's Interesting •

How History's Largest Volcanic Eruption Led To The 'Year Without A Summer' In 1816

On April 10, 1815, Mount Tambora erupted in what would become the most powerful volcanic blast in recorded human history. In the immediate aftermath of the eruption, the volcano shot massive amounts of gas, dust, and rock into the atmosphere. All of that debris ultimately led to the globally devastating “Year Without a Summer.”

The particles lingering in the stratosphere blocked solar radiation and absorbed heat, creating extreme weather conditions, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. So,...
All That's Interesting •

The James Webb Space Telescope May Have Just Located Some Of The First Stars In The Universe

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope believe they have discovered Population III stars — the universe’s first generation of stars that formed shortly after the Big Bang — according to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on Oct. 27, 2025.

The discovery centers on a distant star cluster called LAP1-B, located about 13 billion light-years from Earth. Researchers argue that this is the first cluster to satisfy all the major theoretical predictions about the earliest s...
All That's Interesting •

Inside The Tragic And Mysterious Death Of Singer-Songwriter Elliot Smith At Just 34

Singer-songwriter Elliott Smith wasn’t known for writing uplifting songs. Starting with the release of his debut album Roman Candle in 1994, Smith established a style that blended moody acoustic guitars, whispery vocal melodies, and philosophical lyrics. His work resonated with a generation of disillusioned young adults — and made him a star.

Smith’s songs connected with people, in part, because he was experiencing those same feelings. His music was honest, raw, and deeply personal. As an artis...
All That's Interesting •

Inside The Sinking Of The Wilhelm Gustloff, The Worst Maritime Disaster In History

As the tides of World War II began to turn against Nazi Germany, its people began to worry. Stories of Soviet revenge had spread among the populace, and as the Red Army encroached upon German territory, some Nazi officials began to share their people’s fears.

In January 1945, they launched Operation Hannibal, a mass naval evacuation of German military personnel and civilians from the ports of East Prussia, which were in the direct path of the approaching Soviets.

Every available ship was calle...
All That's Interesting •

33 Veterans Who Went On To Become World-Famous Celebrities

Before they commanded the silver screen, the world stage, or the baseball diamond, many of America’s most iconic figures commanded troops, flew combat missions, or served in the quiet, crucial roles that support a nation at war. Some of these famous veterans are household names — and you may not have even known that they served their countries.

Military service helped shape the future careers of these celebrities, artists, and leaders. Bob Ross developed the quiet, calm demeanor he was known fo...
All That's Interesting •

The Assassination Of Yitzhak Rabin, The Israeli Prime Minister Who Was Killed For His Peace Policies

The rally was ending. More than 100,000 people had gathered in Tel Aviv’s Kings of Israel Square on the evening of Nov. 4, 1995, their voices joining together as they sang songs of peace. The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin would soon shatter that sense of harmony.

Prime Minister Rabin, a man who had spent his youth as a warrior, stood on stage swaying to the melody of “Shir LaShalom” — “A Song for Peace.” In his pocket, he carried the lyrics on a piece of paper that would soon become one of the...
All That's Interesting •

55 Photos Of Brooklyn In The 1980s, Before The Hipsters And Luxury Condos

Nostalgia for the 1980s has been widespread in recent years. Perhaps those who grew up during that decade are looking back fondly on their childhood, or maybe there really was something magical about that time. Regardless, it’s hard not to think of things like big hair, neon leg warmers, and shoulder pads when the 1980s are brought up.

But for New York City, and especially its most populous borough, those things didn’t paint the full picture. While Wall Street boomed and a new wave of artists c...
All That's Interesting •

Construction Workers In India Just Uncovered A Hoard Of Gold Coins Beneath An 800-Year-Old Temple

Workers restoring a 13th-century Shiva temple in southern India discovered 103 gold coins hidden in a clay pot that was buried beneath the structure, officials from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department announced.

The discovery occurred at the historic Sivan temple in the village of Kovilur, located near the Javvadu Hills in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai district. Laborers conducting authorized renovation work uncovered the sealed vessel buried beneath the temple floor...
All That's Interesting •

11 Incredible Stories Of Children Who Stumbled Upon Remarkable Archaeological Artifacts

Archaeology is a fascinating field of study that changes with each new discovery. Often, these discoveries involve teams of experts who have spent years studying history and digging through the dirt in order to unlock the secrets of the past. However, this is not always the case.

Here at All That’s Interesting, we often cover the discoveries made by amateur archaeologists, metal detectorists, and people who are just plain lucky. And while those stories are impressive, there is still one thing m...
All That's Interesting •

A Cave On The Greek-Albanian Border Hides A Creepy Secret: The World's Largest Spider Web

Arachnophobes beware: Scientists have discovered the world’s largest spider web in a pitch-black cave along the Albanian-Greek border.

This “extraordinary” — and frankly horrifying — web stretches a staggering 1,140 square feet and houses more than 110,000 arachnids of two different species.

In a study recently published in the journal Subterranean Biology, researchers noted that these particular spiders are not typically social creatures. As such, this discovery may also be the first example...
All That's Interesting •

Douglas Kelley, The U.S. Army Psychiatrist Who Took His Own Life After Interviewing Nazis At Nuremberg

In the fall of 1945, a 33-year-old American psychiatrist named Douglas Kelley walked into Nuremberg Prison carrying a leather briefcase filled with Rorschach inkblot cards for what he would describe as an “astounding” task: examining the minds of the most notorious war criminals the world had ever known.

It was an unprecedented assignment in the history of psychiatry, and though it laid the groundwork for how criminals would be evaluated in the future, Kelley’s work was full of missteps and eth...
All That's Interesting •

The Story Of Jane Wyman, The Golden Age Hollywood Actress Who Became The First Wife Of Ronald Reagan

Throughout her long life, Jane Wyman played many roles — literally. A respected Hollywood actress during the Golden Age and beyond, she was highly praised for her Oscar-winning role as a deaf rape victim in the 1948 movie Johnny Belinda. Of course, over several decades, Wyman depicted countless other pivotal characters as well.

Off screen, Wyman proved to be just as captivating. For as much as she is remembered for her career in film and television, Wyman also had the dubious honor of being the...
All That's Interesting •

Archaeologists In England Just Unearthed The Remains Of An Iron Age Teenager Who Was Likely Sacrificed By Their Celtic Tribe

While excavating an ancient Celtic site in Dorset, England, a team of archaeologists recently came upon a 2,000-year-old skeleton that had been buried in an unusual position: face down in a pit, hands likely having been tied, and without any grave goods.

Although the gender of this person has yet to be confirmed, researchers believe the deceased was likely female, based on previous similar discoveries in the area. The strange positioning of the body recalls the nearby ancient burials of a teena...
All That's Interesting •

See The Appalling Labor Conditions In Early 1900s Meatpacking Factories That Inspired Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle'

There were few better representations of the brutal efficiency of American industrialist capitalism at the start of the 20th century than Chicago’s sprawling meatpacking factories. The Union Stockyards alone covered more than a square mile on the city’s South Side, processing millions of animals and employing tens of thousands of workers — though their employment was far from comfortable at the factories.

Not only did these massive facilities turn countless animals into profits with ruthless sp...
All That's Interesting •

From The Real Annabelle Doll To A Ghostly Nun, Go Inside The True Stories That Inspired 'The Conjuring' Films

Ever since the first movie in The Conjuring film series premiered in 2013, the franchise has released many box office horror successes. Based on the accounts of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the films have chronicled some of their most high-profile cases — with many creative liberties taken by the screenwriters and directors at Warner Bros.

The films portray the Warrens as righteous do-gooders combatting the forces of evil and helping families impacted by paranormal phenomena...
All That's Interesting •

A Man In Germany Uncovered A Hoard Of 2,000-Year-Old Silver Treasure While Metal Detecting Illegally

Archaeologists have recovered a significant Roman treasure trove containing hundreds of silver coins and other ancient relics near the village of Borsum in Germany’s Hildesheim district, officials announced in a translated statement.

The approximately 2,000-year-old hoard from the early Roman Empire was originally discovered in 2017 by a man who was illegally using a metal detector. He only recently reported his find to officials, and now experts are trying to determine who left the treasure be...
All That's Interesting •

9 Historic Haunted Mansions, From Manhattan's Oldest Home To An Irish Manor That Hosted The Devil

Dealing with a spirit in your home isn’t reserved for the middle class, it turns out. While haunted houses get plenty of time in the spotlight, less attention has been paid to haunted mansions — and the stories behind them are far darker than any Disney film.

Some of the mansions on this list are medieval manors that have reportedly had ghosts roaming their halls for centuries. Others were built more recently, but that doesn’t make the spirits said to live there any less terrifying.

Hessian so...
All That's Interesting •

Prehistoric Spiderweb, Beetles, And Wasps Perfectly Preserved In Amber Have Been Unearthed In The Amazon

Scientists have discovered the first insect-bearing amber from the Mesozoic era ever found in South America, offering new insights into this region’s humid forest ecosystem that thrived near the equator 112 million years ago.

This remarkable discovery from Ecuador’s Napo region also represents the largest Mesozoic amber deposit yet found in South America. As described in new research published in Communications Earth & Environment, the find contains exceptionally-preserved arthropods, including...
All That's Interesting •

Robin Williams' Daughter Begs Fans To Stop Making AI Videos Of Her Dad

Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor and comedian Robin Williams, recently put out a message on her Instagram for fans who send her AI-generated videos of her father: “Stop.”

“Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad,” she wrote on her Instagram story.

“Stop believing I wanna see it or that I’ll understand, I don’t and I won’t,” Zelda stated. “If you’re just trying to troll me, I’ve seen way worse, I’ll restrict and move on. But please, if you’ve got any decency, just stop doing thi...
All That's Interesting •

Inside Trundle Manor, Pittsburgh's Bizarre Museum Of Oddities That Displays Everything From Jarred Animals To A 'Singing' Tumor

Just outside of Pittsburgh, nestled at the top of a hill among a series of otherwise standard homes, is a place called Trundle Manor. Its owners, Anton and Rachel Miriello — better known as Mr. Arm and Velda Von Minx — have filled their home with a variety of objects that the couple has collected over the years. But not the sorts of objects you might expect.

Their collection ranges from old antiques and unique thrift store finds, to taxidermied cryptids and medical oddities — including a belly...
All That's Interesting •

Police In Canada Just Identified The 'Woman In The Well' As A Murder Victim From The 1910s

Nearly 20 years ago, Canadian police discovered the remains of a woman — previously known only as the “Woman in the Well” — who died more than a century ago.

Now, thanks to DNA testing and genetic genealogy, investigators have identified the remains as Alice Spence (nee Burke), who is believed to have moved to Saskatoon around 1913. Finally, after more than 100 years, her family has gained some closure.

On June 29, 2006, construction workers were excavating the site of a former gas station in...
All That's Interesting •

Why The True Story Behind 'Hacksaw Ridge' Is Even More Incredible Than The Movie

The 2016 film Hacksaw Ridge tells the story of Desmond Doss, an unlikely war hero. A devout Christian and stringent member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, he wholeheartedly adhered to the commandment “thou shalt not kill,” which earned him status as a conscientious objector during World War II. But the true story behind Hacksaw Ridge is even more incredible than the movie.

Doss’ patriotism spurred him to enlist in the U.S. Army anyway, but he requested that he be allowed to join as a medic...
All That's Interesting •

The 1,900-Year-Old Gravestone Of A Roman Sailor Was Just Unearthed In The Backyard Of A New Orleans Home

Coming across ancient Roman artifacts or graves isn’t necessarily a rare thing. After all, the Roman Empire once ruled the Mediterranean, much of Europe, Western Asia, and parts of North Africa at its peak. Bits of its past are bound to turn up again and again in the world of archaeology.

What is rare, however, is unearthing an artifact from ancient Rome in America.

Needless to say, it was quite shocking when a couple in New Orleans was clearing brush from their yard and uncovered an ancient R...
Load More