Interesting Reads

A Salute to the Weird World Records Set in 2011. The biggest Afro, the most piercings, the longest tongue, the longest kiss ...wait, those last two are not related.

The top 8 parenting controversies of 2011. Everyone makes mistakes, but throwing common sense out the window will get you on the news.

I only learned today that Alfred Hitchcock's 1961 film The Birds was inspired by a real incident. And they've only now figured out what caused it.

The 7 Creepiest Abandoned Brothels on Earth. Urban exploration takes a turn for the world's oldest profession in this photo gallery.

The Year in Weird: The 10 Most Insane News Stories of 2011. Including the prurient and tragic stories not found in our roundup.

The worst political gaffes of 2011. Everyone makes mistakes; it's how you own up to it that reveals a lot more.

Celebrity Gossip Is Making Us Stupid. While the news outlets cover Charlie Sheen and the Kardashians, news that affects our lives gets swept to the side.

One of the few things that separate humans from apes is the habit of cooking our food. But Kanzi the bonobo learned to cook his own food, from lighting the match to toasting marshmallows on a stick.

So far, orangutans don't cook, but they love their iPads. The Milwaukee Zoo is trying to get them wifi so they can network with each other.

An Interview with George Musser, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to String Theory. You can finally find out what the Large Hadron Collider is supposed to do.

Buff Your Brain! A few shortcuts to increasing your IQ make it simpler than you thought.

Bob Anderson, who choreographed all the major movie sword fights of the past few decades, passed away at age 89. In a video interview, Anderson and Viggo Mortensen talk about the art of film swordplay.