Everyone Was Supposed to Own a Yacht By Now, According to Futurists of the 1950s
According to futurists of the 1950s, people of the 21st century were all supposed to be zipping around in solar-powered cars, watching wall-sized TVs, and enjoying vacations on the moon. We were even supposed to all have our own yachts. Well, half a yacht at least.
Is This a Time Traveler at a Mike Tyson Fight in 1995?

Does this 1995 video of a Mike Tyson fight show a time traveler with a cameraphone? The simple answer is no. And the complex answer is also no. But it’s a perfect example of how the past can play tricks on us.
Recently Declassified Photos Show the Birth of the Soviet Space Program
Kapustin Yar (known today as Znamensk) is one of the Soviet Union’s first rocket launch and missile development sites. The test ground was established on May 13, 1946, and to mark its 70th anniversary Russia’s Defense Ministry has declassified revealing photographs of the site that offer a peak inside the top secret…
Disney Will Stop Printing Disney Dollars This Week
When I was a kid I loved Disney Dollars. For those unfamiliar, they’re Disney’s paper notes that look like real money and feature cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Dumbo on the front. They’re only good at Disney Parks and stores, making them essentially like gift certificates. But Disney will stop printing…
Ayn Rand Wrote a Guide for Hollywood on How to Make Pro-Capitalist Movies
Today, Ayn Rand is perhaps best known as your virgin cousin’s favorite author to fawn over during Thanksgiving dinner. But back in the 1940s, Rand was better known for helping root out Communists in Hollywood. She testified to Congress and even wrote an entire pamphlet about how to make their movies as pro-America as…
That Time Republicans Smashed a Boombox With Sledgehammers on Capitol Hill
Don’t think Republicans can be punk rock? Well, in 1987, they staged one of the most punk rock protests that Capitol Hill has ever seen. They smashed a boombox to pieces with some sledgehammers. The part that was slightly less punk rock? They smashed it because they were mad at Toshiba for making electronics sold in…
The 19th Century Hyperloop Was Going to Travel From NY to SF in 24 Hours
In 1894 the Wright Brothers’ first flight was still nearly a decade away. But people were obsessed with figuring out how to use powered flight for any number of applications. The May 5, 1894 issue of Scientific American featured one such idea—an aero-train that could zip across the country at 150 miles per hour.
I Accidentally Found a New JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theory
I’ve never been one for JFK assassination conspiracy theories. But I do love studying what movies the presidents watched. So while compiling the list of films that President Kennedy viewed while in the White House I was surprised to stumble on what seems like fuel for a new conspiracy theory. How did President Kennedy…
The White House Screening of The Hunt For Red October Had Celebrities, Spies and (Maybe) a Sex Scandal
President George H. W. Bush hosted a star-studded screening of The Hunt for Red October at the White House on February 19, 1990. The guests included everyone from Tom Clancy and James Earl Jones to the CEO of Paramount and Colin Powell. Robert Gates was there, as was the director of the CIA, and men from the highest…
That Time Australia Threatened to Hold Frank Sinatra Hostage
This weekend Johnny Depp and his wife Amber Heard posted a bizarre apology video to Australia for not declaring their dogs when they brought them into the country. They were in violation of biosecurity laws and faced prison time. But this isn’t the first time that the land down under has been hostile to American…
The Untold Story of the Teen Hackers Who Transformed the Early Internet
On October 12th, 1983, Bill Landreth called his friend Chris in Detroit to chat. Chris frantically explained that the FBI had raided his house. “Don’t call me anymore,” Chris said in what would be a very short conversation. Bill didn’t know exactly what was happening, but he did know this: If the FBI had come for…

