Laughing Squid

"Simple Things - Surprising Histories" explains why some tape measures use black diamonds to mark 19.2-inch intervals for framing layouts.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Why Some Tape Measures Have Black Diamonds was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Dr. Helen Czerski spoke with Professor Ron Douglas about how different animals, including starlings and birds of prey, perceive ultraviolet light.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Different Birds Perceive Ultraviolet Light was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Dr. Erica Brozovsky of the PBS series Otherwords" explains how the meanings of common words shift over time and across generations.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Word Meanings Change Across Generations was originally published on Laughing Squid.

James Dundon, the Mechanical Music Man, played a wonderfully buoyant cover of Cher's Believe" on his restored Dutch street organ, Blauwtje.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Buoyant Cover of Cher's Believe' Played on a Restored Dutch Street Organ was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Ryan Socash of It's History explains why the Liberty Building in Buffalo, New York, has two 36-foot replicas of the Statue of Liberty perched on its roof. subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Why Buffalo's Liberty Building Has Two 36-Foot Statues of Liberty on Its Roof was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Ross Fearnley of The Unusual Suspect edited together lines from 144 movies to recreate the lyrics of "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Mr. Brightside' by The Killers Recreated With Lines From 144 Movies was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Rob Watts explores the origins of English surnames, including the spread of hereditary names after the Norman Conquest and their hidden meanings.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Hidden Origins of English Surnames was originally published on Laughing Squid.

"Picard Looking" reimagines Star Trek: Insurrection" as a food-obsessed Italian-dubbed parody using deliberately bogus English subtitles.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Star Trek: Insurrection' Reimagined as an Unhinged Italian-Dubbed Food Comedy was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Professional street trials rider Danny MacAskill rides the granite slabs of Narvik, Norway, on an e-bike beneath the midnight sun.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Danny MacAskill Rides Norway's Rugged Granite Slabs Beneath the Midnight Sun on an E-Bike was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Polish artist Agata Iwaszkiewicz of Ceramika Matylda creates cartoonish ceramic animals that function as dishes, vases, candle holders, and more.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Cartoonish Ceramic Animals With Distorted Features That Function as Household Accessories was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Ryan Socash of "It's History" explored Camp Hero, the former Long Island military base tied to the Montauk Project conspiracy behind "Stranger Things".subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How the Montauk Project Conspiracy at Camp Hero Inspired Stranger Things' was originally published on Laughing Squid.

The Morander Brothers, a Finnish accordion duo, perform a badass distortion-heavy cover of Van Halen's Eruption" on accordions.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Finnish Accordion Duo Performs Badass Cover of Van Halen's Eruption' was originally published on Laughing Squid.

SiestaOrigami meticulously crafted a manual typewriter from a single uncut sheet of paper measuring 124 cm across during a 24-hour folding process.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post An Intricate Origami Typewriter Meticulously Folded From a Single Sheet of Paper was originally published on Laughing Squid.

SmokyMountains.com released their annual Fall Foliage Prediction Map for 2026, showing when leaves are expected to peak across the contiguous United States.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post An Interactive Map That Predicts Fall Foliage Timing Across the Contiguous United States was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Rida Ali of "Rozana With Rida" explored the history of the New York City subway system and learned why trains use letters and numbers and share route colors.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Why New York City Subway Trains Use Letters and Numbers But Share the Same Colors was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Patrick Foote of Name Explain finds a New York City place for every letter of the alphabet, explaining each selection along the way.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A New York City Place for Every Letter of the Alphabet was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Claudia Araceli Reichard, whose allergies made it difficult to keep cats and dogs, creates incredibly detailed tiny rooms for her beloved pet jumping spiders.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Woman Builds Incredibly Detailed Tiny Rooms For Her Pet Jumping Spiders was originally published on Laughing Squid.

A music-loving horse named Yupia uses his mouth and teeth to pluck harp strings alongside musician Mikayla Khramov, who is featuring him on an album.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Musical Horse Plays the Harp With His Human was originally published on Laughing Squid.

A dignified count demonstrates how to properly wear a monocle in restored footage of a 1930 Fox Movietone News short.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Dignified Count Demonstrates How to Properly Wear a Monocle in a 1930 Newsreel was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Rita Moreno sings "Fever" with Animal on drums in a memorable 1976 episode of "The Muppet Show", which later earned her an Emmy.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Rita Moreno Puts a Wildly Drumming Animal in His Place While Singing Fever' on The Muppet Show' in 1976 was originally published on Laughing Squid.

"Simple Things - Surprising Histories" explains why brightly colored spheres are strung across power lines to make the wires more visible to pilots.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Why Brightly Colored Spheres Are Strung Across Power Lines was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Adam of North of the Border sculpted a creepy miniature bathroom from scratch, then transformed its fixtures into frightful mimics.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Creepy Miniature Bathroom With Frightful Fixtures was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Sasha Medin of Data Is Beautiful visualized how adults aged 25 to 35 in the US spent time outside work and sleep from 1920 through 2026.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Adults Aged 25 to 35 in the United States Spent Time Outside Work and Sleep From 1920 to 2026 was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Musician Joshua Woo performs INXS' "Need You Tonight" in the upbeat style of David Bowie's "Let's Dance", creating a seamless blend of the two.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Sultry INXS Song Need You Tonight' Performed in the Upbeat Style of David Bowie's Let's Dance' was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Director Zack Grant explores Garfield phones washing up on the shores of Brittany, France, for 40 years in "Silly Little Plastic Cat".subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Charming Documentary About Garfield Phones Washing Up on the Coast of France for 40 Years was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Space Explainer lists ways physics suggests time travel could work, from verified time dilation to theoretical wormholes and closed timelike curves.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Every Scientific Theory for How Time Travel Could Work was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Attractions Atlas explored the world's first permanent Godzilla Museum at Nijigen no Mori Theme Park on Awaji Island, Japan.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Inside the World's First Permanent Godzilla Museum was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Red Bull Racing's Heritage Team and Andtonic adapted the championship-winning RB8 Formula 1 car to run on Madrid Metro tracks using custom metal wheels.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Engineers Adapt Red Bull's Championship-Winning Formula 1 Car to Run on Madrid Metro Tracks was originally published on Laughing Squid.

LEGO enthusiast Bill Ward built a model of Quebecois experimental math rock duo Angine de Poitrine, inspired by their 2025 KEXP performance.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Fantastic LEGO Model of Experimental Math Rock Duo Angine de Poitrine was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Frugit, an illustrated black cat with bright yellow eyes, performs catchy electro-jazz and hip-hop songs about his spoiled life, full of double entendres.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Illustrated Black Cat Sings Double-Entendre Songs About His Spoiled Life was originally published on Laughing Squid.

"Simple Things - Surprising Histories" explored why many coins have ridged edges and how the centuries-old design helped combat coin clipping.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Why Many Coins Have Ridged Edges was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Seungmoon Lee, the krstrangepiper, performs amazing bagpipe covers of rock songs by Pixies, the Stone Roses, David Bowie, Queens of the Stone Age, and others.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Amazing Bagpipe Covers of Rock Songs was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Postmodern Jukebox collaborated with singer Tatum Langley on a theatrical cover of Barry Manilow's Copacabana (At the Copa)", with Demi Remick portraying Lola.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Theatrical Song-and-Dance Cover of Barry Manilow's Copacabana (At the Copa)' was originally published on Laughing Squid.

A playful three-banded armadillo named Roswell at Conservation Ambassadors' Zoo to You rolls into a ball while chasing an apple across the floor.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Three-Banded Armadillo Rolls Into an Adorable Ball While Chasing an Apple was originally published on Laughing Squid.

David Loop of Sierra Pacific Furbabies rescued a feral cat who survived five days with his head stuck in a jar before a veterinarian removed it.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Man Rescues Feral Cat Who Miraculously Survived Five Days With His Head Stuck in a Jar was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Artist Grace Baldwin is building an enormous functional junk drawer filled with giant handmade replicas of earbuds, batteries, scissors, keys, and more.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Artist Builds Enormous Junk Drawer Filled With Oversized Everyday Objects was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Max Miller of Tasting History traces the evolution of the pina colada, comparing the modern, creamy Puerto Rican version with earlier Cuban predecessors.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Evolution of the Pina Colada was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Matt Bates explained the physical and metaphorical properties of dimensions from 0D to 7D, including spacetime and speculative models of reality.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Physical and Metaphorical Properties of Dimensions From 0D to 7D was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Award-winning puppet designer Oliver Hymans explains how he brings marionettes to life while helping preserve the endangered craft of marionette making.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Puppet Designer Seeks to Breathe New Life Into the Endangered Craft of Marionette Making was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Blackwing showcased how its iconic pencils are made, from graphite formulation in Kofu and assembly in Tokyo to final tipping in Stockton, California.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Iconic Blackwing Pencils Are Made was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Pianni founder Jordan Daniels built the Orphea, a pocket-sized piano with 13 keys spanning C to C and octave controls that extend its range.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Playable Pocket-Sized Thirteen-Key Piano was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Researchers at Universite de Sherbrooke equipped their Ice Dart drone with retractable "cat claws" that let it land on steep icebergs in Iceland.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Nimble Drone With Retractable Cat Claws' Repeatedly Lands on Steep Icelandic Icebergs was originally published on Laughing Squid.

The Crafsman Steady Craftin demonstrated how to make a puppet from cardboard tubes and fabric scraps with a simple moving mouth.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How to Make a Puppet From Cardboard Tubes was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Brian Yu of Dovetail developed a modular, 3D-printed piano keyboard that uses compliant mechanisms to mimic the weighted feel of an acoustic piano.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A 3D-Printed Piano Keyboard That Mimics the Feel of an Acoustic Piano was originally published on Laughing Squid.

SciShow examines the weird ways various species use urine beyond waste removal, including communication, mating rituals, and even exaggerating body size.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Weird Ways Animals Use Their Urine was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Simon Whistler explains why moldy bread should be discarded and when certain hard cheeses can still be safe to eat after the mold is cut away.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post When Moldy Cheese Is Safe to Eat and Bread Is Not was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Music essayist Noah Lefevre of Polyphonic lists several classic songs that get simple geographical and historical facts wrong.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Classic Songs That Get Simple Geographical and Historical Facts Wrong was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Engineer Jens of Strange Inventions Lab built a custom digital camera that turns removable four-color e-paper cartridges into reusable physical photographs.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post An Ingenious Camera That Turns Color E-Paper Cartridges Into Reusable Photos was originally published on Laughing Squid.

The Thought Vortex examines how animals respond to death, including grief-like behaviors observed in elephants, chimpanzees, dogs, and orcas.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Animals Grieve was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Tod Maffin explored how a clever campaign marketed unchanged Shreddies as "Diamond Shreddies" and turned the stunt into a Canadian inside joke.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How a Brilliantly Absurd Marketing Campaign for Cereal Became One of Canada's Greatest Inside Jokes was originally published on Laughing Squid.