It turns out that our planet has been through some rough times more than once. Ice ages froze it over, followed by cataclysms that overheated it instead. But still, life clings on, and here we are, at the top of our shape. It all happened over a span of millions of years. The Earth would freeze over, then thaw, and then cover with frost again, only to emerge warm and welcoming once more.  So, it seems this process is quite natural: it’s a cycle of life on Earth. But scientists have recently noticed that Earth has been warming up too fast. Measures are already being taken to slow down the warming process. But it can’t be stopped altogether. Is it a bad omen for us? Let’s explore!

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The biggest log cabin in the world was known as the Forestry Building and was built in 1905 in Portland, Oregon. The interior of the cabin held 54 giant, unpeeled logs, and some of them were 6 feet across. And then, one night, almost 60 years later, is burnt down in only 15 minutes. Luckily, there are other constructions made of timber around the world that you can still visit today. For example, check out The Great Eastern Temple in Japan from the early 8th century or the world’s tallest wooden building, located in Norway.

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Approaching the shores of Sicily, you're enjoying the views. The wind brings pleasant coolness, and you anticipate your vacation. But suddenly, the boat shakes, and you lose balance. You look up and see a huge plume of black smoke rising above the Etna volcano... And then … all volcanoes on Earth start erupting at once. Almost immediately they bring disaster to their surrounding areas with hot lava and rockfall. As soon as that stops, smoke rises into the atmosphere, and ash starts falling to the ground. It looks like snow, only black. What will happen next?

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Do you use toothpicks after every meal? Your loyal helpers have been around for ages! Clever researchers have found hints that Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens were hardcore toothpick enthusiasts. During the Medieval period, when life was all castles and chivalry, folks flaunted their upper-class status with gold or silver toothpicks elegantly tucked away in snazzy cases. What is the most modern and safest version of this smart accessory?

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In 1851, in a German village, Frankfurt an der Oder, a lost man came out to the locals asking for help. He introduced himself as Jophar Vorin and spoke very poor German. The man himself claimed that he speaks “Laxar” and “Abram” — languages that don’t actually exist on our Earth. He also claimed to be from “Laxaria” — a country on the mainland called “Sakria”, separated from Europe by a huge ocean. Where did he really come from, and are there others like him?

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There was a man back in 1964 who was able to predict the future accurately as if he saw it with his own eyes. The man’s name was Arthur C. Clarke. He spoke about how we would be able to contact our friends anywhere on Earth. He told a tale of how a person would be able to conduct business from Haiti or Bali as if they were in London. What other predictions did he make, and did all of them come true?

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You got your fingertips when you were still growing in the womb. That unique pattern stays with you for your entire life. If you’re a construction worker, especially a bricklayer, or have to wash dishes by hand, you might lose some details in your beautiful natural pattern. Otherwise, fingerprints never change. Sounds like they were made to prove your identity, and that's why bad guys do it.

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Did someone put a rubber band on your doorknob? If this ever happens to you, you should call the cops immediately. Someone in your neighborhood might be trying to rob your house! This technique became frequent back in 2016, but some burglars might still be trying to use it. And that's not the only use for rubber you didn't know of.

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If you use taxi services often enough, you might know that taxi drivers have secrets they don't tell their passengers about. For example, if an airport taxi driver assumes that you're a tourist, they may decide to give you a sightseeing tour you haven't asked for. Some taxi drivers can start the meter not when you climb into their car, but as soon as they arrive to pick you up.  So let's figure out what things you should pay attention to while getting into a car, why you should check your valuables before leaving a taxi, and why it often takes taxi drivers so long to pick you up.

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Airplanes may be a marvel of modern engineering, but unless you're flying first-class it isn't what most people would call glamorous. For many, the biggest problem is how crowded airliners can get. But believe it or not, there was a time when flights rarely left more than half full. How was this possible? It might be hard to believe in a world where you must book your flight months in advance, but there was a time when you could simply drive to the airport on a whim and go almost anywhere you wanted. If you were lucky, you might even get the whole row to yourself! 

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