mysteries

A Bleak, Bat-less Future for Our Children

Caity Weaver · 04/10/12 08:45PM

Bats, America's most precious bat resource, have been dying like crazy over the past few years (a devastating 5.5 million in the Eastern U.S. since 2007) thanks to something called White-Nose Syndrome, which is not a euphemism for cocaine addiction but, oh boy, does it sound like it.

What Up With This 'Wall St. Jews' Flier?

Hamilton Nolan · 04/09/12 03:10PM

A bunch of us here at Gawker Media have received letters recently containing nothing but this single photocopied montage of magazine covers bearing the words, "WALL ST. JEWS."

The Most Famous Mistress in Tech Finally Explains Her Spectacular Revenge

Ryan Tate · 04/02/12 06:44PM

Two years ago, a series of odd billboards greeted passers-by in New York, Atlanta, and the San Francisco Bay Area. They showed a cuddling, smiling couple under the title "Charles & YaVaughnie" and listed a website documenting the couple's romance. Research only deepened the mystery: The man was an Oracle president and already married - and not to the woman on the outdoor ad.

When Do You Really 'Become a New Yorker?'

Hamilton Nolan · 03/22/12 10:56AM

The question has been asked ever since the first wet-behind-the-ears whelp fresh from Ireland stumbled off a boat at New York Harbor, dying from scurvy: When does someone become a real New Yorker?

Hillary Clinton Has a Girl Crush on Amelia Earhart

Caity Weaver · 03/22/12 12:22AM

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton totally geeked out at a State Department press conference Tuesday, at which researchers from The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) (rawr) announced their intention to return to Pacific waters in search of Amelia Earhart's downed airplane, which went missing 75 years ago.

Hi, Did You Recycle This Torpedo?

Louis Peitzman · 02/25/12 03:43PM


In weird and somewhat unsettling news, a military torpedo was dropped off at a recycling center in Puerto Rico. Authorities don't know where it came from — just that it's, you know, a 6-foot-long military torpedo. Anyway, it's all taken care of now, probably.

Answers to All of Life's Little Mysteries

Maureen O'Connor · 02/07/12 04:51PM

"What If All the Cats in the World Suddenly Died?" Yahoo News asked today. Intrigued by this mysterious world without cats (What would we put bread on?) I clicked the link and found myself at Life's Little Mysteries, a LiveScience sister site dedicated to answering search-engine optimized questions of childlike wonderment like "Why are there holes in 'Swiss' cheese?" and "Who Will Succeed Kim Jong-Il?" (Trick question. Can't be answered.)

Mysterious Casey Anthony Video Diary Surfaces

Maureen O'Connor · 01/05/12 10:52AM

For the first time since being found not guilty, most hated mother in America Casey Anthony has appeared in public! On, uh, YouTube. And perhaps unintentionally. Biggest revelation: Her much-discussed "disguise" is a Kate Gosselin hairdo.

The Mayor of San Juan Wishes You a Very Predatory Christmas

Seth Abramovitch · 12/14/11 01:14PM

If you're wondering why the Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, chose for his annual Christmas card to pose his family next to a leopard slaughtering a gazelle, you are not alone. There are several theories floating about: The official line is that Jorge Santini wanted to promote the San Juan Wildlife Museum and its breathtaking taxidermy displays to rival anything in the Caribbean. (There are two alternate cards, one involving penguins, the other a bear and wild turkey.) A second theory is that Santini is sending a not-so-veiled message to his political rivals in anticipation of this upcoming election year. But we're going to throw a third theory out there: The twisted little girl on the lower left is just into extreme Nativity Scenes. Run, Baby Jesus, run! [Daily Mail]

Don't Take a Drink From Roofie Santa

Hamilton Nolan · 12/12/11 10:15AM

Germany—and, more importantly, Germany's Christmas spirit—is under attack by a man who dresses like Santa, but is, in fact—you guessed it—a Grinch. Of roofies.

People Fondly Recall the Latest Virginia Tech Shooter

Lauri Apple · 12/11/11 01:07PM

Investigators are still trying to piece together why 22-year-old part-time student Ross Truett Ashley ran up to Virginia Tech police Officer Deriek Crouse during a routine traffic stop and shot him, then took his own life. After all, he was "nice."