Laughing Squid

Film and TV essayist Rocket Riley examined the origins of Mandalore in "Star Wars" lore, noting key battles, losses, and victories over a span of 10,000 years.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Complete History of Mandalore in Star Wars was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Simon Whistler of Today I Found Out explained that Area 51, the secretive U.S. Air Force facility, likely got its name from the numbering used at the Nevada Test Site.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Area 51 Likely Got Its Name From the Nevada Test Site's Numbering System was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Found Footage Festival shared a clip from a humorously dated 1998 Spencer Gifts training video on displaying new Halloween masks, from "Scream" to "South Park".subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Humorously Dated 1998 Spencer Gifts Employee Training Video for Halloween was originally published on Laughing Squid.

In a 1988 BBC interview with Sir Terry Wogan, the late, great Sir Patrick Stewart explained how a chance encounter at UCLA led to his role as Captain Picard.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Patrick Stewart Tells BBC's Terry Wogan How He Became Captain Jean-Luc Picard in a 1988 Interview was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Your Process shared a look at artists from Kelly Party in Tay Ninh Province, Vietnam, carving a giant block of foam into a stunning white dragon.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Artists in Vietnam Carve a Giant White Dragon From a Block of Foam was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Wirecutter visited Minnesota State Fair butter sculptor Gerry Kulzer, who carves portraits from 90-pound blocks of butter inside a rotating refrigerator.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Artist Carves Portraits From Giant Blocks of Butter Inside a Rotating Fridge at the Minnesota State Fair was originally published on Laughing Squid.

The Bell Brothers wove together Frank Capra's 1946 Christmas film "It's a Wonderful Life" with George Romero's 1968 horror film "Night of the Living Dead".subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post It's a Wonderful Life' Meets Night of the Living Dead' in a Merry Yet Spooky Movie Mashup was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Robert E. Fuller captured a tender moment in Panama between a brown-throated sloth and her pup, who licked her mouth to learn what's safe to eat.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Baby Sloth Licks Mother's Mouth to Learn What's Safe to Eat was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Peter Austin investigated the origins of the "Vampire Rabbit", a peculiar, fanged rabbit carving perched above an ornate doorway in Newcastle upon Tyne.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Mysterious Origins of the Peculiar Fanged Vampire Rabbit Above an Ornate Doorway in Newcastle was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Christian Ivan of City 3D Timelapse told London's long history as a 3D animated story, from its Roman founding through to the present day.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A 3D Animated History of London From Founding to Present Day was originally published on Laughing Squid.

PBS Eons explored how pumpkins nearly went extinct with the mastodons and other megafauna that spread their seeds, until humans domesticated them.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Pumpkins Outlived the Mastodons Through Domestication was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Talented musicians from nine Commonwealth nations performed a Playing For Change rendition of the upbeat Beatles song "With a Little Help From My Friends".subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Musicians From Nine Commonwealth Nations Perform With a Little Help From My Friends' by The Beatles was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Dr. Erica Brozovsky of the PBS series "Otherwords" explained how Thursday, June, volcano, and many other common words were inspired by the names of gods and goddesses.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Common Words That Were Inspired by Mythological Gods and Goddesses was originally published on Laughing Squid.

A young mini donkey named Rodney at the Sunflower Farm Creamery in Cumberland, Maine, enjoyed some snuggling with his favorite human as part of his training.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Miniature Donkey Enjoys Snuggling With His Favorite Human as an Integral Part of His Training was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Natalie Sideserf of Sideserf Cake Studio created a hyperrealistic, life-sized octopus cake, using a hidden structural skeleton that wraps around her arm.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Cake Artist Creates a Hyperrealistic Life-Sized Octopus Cake With Tentacles That Grip Her Arm was originally published on Laughing Squid.

The New Yorker conducted a "Talk of the Town" interview with a donkey named Wanda who plays a pivotal role in Puccini's "La Boheme".subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post An Interview' with a Donkey Named Wanda Who Performs in La Boheme' at the Metropolitan Opera was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Mulberry Acres Parrot Rescue shared the remarkable story of Auggie, a lovable elder African Gray who is paralyzed.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Paralyzed Elder African Gray Parrot Finds Loving New Home Where He Gets All the Care He Wants was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Abby Jardine shared how Pidge, her "snobby" purse pigeon, doesn't care to socialize with the regular pigeons who live on New York City streets.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post New Yorker Shares How She Ended Up With a Snobby Pet Purse Pigeon was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Two talented sea otters at the Oregon Zoo playfully slam-dunked miniature pumpkins through their hoop like basketballs.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Playful Oregon Zoo Sea Otters Dunk Mini-Pumpkins Like Basketballs was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Brooklyn artist Olivia Springberg created a giant Halloween sculpture of the "Pizza Rat" crawling down the side of a West Village townhouse.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Giant Memorial Pizza Rat' Crawls Down the Side of a West Village Townhouse for Halloween was originally published on Laughing Squid.

"Come Back to Firefox" is a clever ad for Firefox that reunites some of the most viral content creators of the 2000s and 2010s.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Come Back to Firefox' Ad Reunites Some of the Most Viral YouTube Creators of the 2000s and 2010s was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Time Out New York visited Sharon Hershkowitz, the joyful founder of Balloon Saloon, a historic Tribeca novelty shop that opened in 1981.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Joyful Tour Inside Balloon Saloon, A Historic Novelty Shop in Tribeca was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Wisconsin costume designer Brandon Johnson built the "Spirit Walker", a 9-foot four-legged creature with a humanlike face, from thrift-store finds and trash.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Costume Designer Turns Recycled Items Into Spirit Walker', A Four-Legged Creature With a Human Face was originally published on Laughing Squid.

In the spirit of Halloween, Captain Pikant used his Hapax sequencer to recreate the complex drum beat behind Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" theme.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Musician Recreates the Complex Drum Track Behind Ray Parker Jr.'s Ghostbusters' Theme was originally published on Laughing Squid.

California resident Susan Burgos set the Guinness World Record for the "largest collection of frog-related items" in January 2026, with 13,201 pieces.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post California Woman Sets Guinness World Record for the Largest Collection of Frog Memorabilia was originally published on Laughing Squid.

There I Ruined It remixed the Linkin Park song "In the End" with corporate jargon from LinkedIn to create a catchy workplace anthem.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post LinkedIn Park' Turns Linkin Park's In the End' Into a Corporate Jargon Anthem was originally published on Laughing Squid.

HD1080ide captured great footage of 70 road-legal amphibious vehicles driving into the water at Amphib 2026 in Berlin, the world's largest meeting of amphibious cars.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post 70 Road-Legal Amphibious Cars Drive Into the Water at a Gathering in Berlin was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Someone at Meep Meepleton's World of Fun in Madison, Wisconsin, played a vintage Big Mouth Singers toy keyboard in time with the classic Beastie Boys track "Brass Monkey".subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Vintage Big Mouth Singers Toy Keyboard Performs the Beastie Boys Song Brass Monkey' was originally published on Laughing Squid.

David Bennett analyzed the specific chords and key changes that made Queen's classic song "We Are the Champions" sound so triumphant.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Distinctive Key Changes That Made Queen's We Are the Champions' Sound So Triumphant was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Jelle's Marble Runs presented a Halloween-themed competition in which marbles had to navigate a perilous, haunted-castle course. subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Eight Marbles Race Through a Haunted Castle Marble Run to Escape Giant Hungry Spiders was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Illona Bolou performed a gorgeous percussive fingerstyle cover of Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box" on her acoustic guitar.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post French Guitarist Plays a Gorgeous Fingerstyle Cover of Nirvana's Heart-Shaped Box' was originally published on Laughing Squid.

In an informative episode of his "True Facts" series, narratorZe Frank examined the unusual ways different cephalopods procreate.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Bizarre Ways Cephalopods Reproduce was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Ben Cuevas of Aesthetic All Over explored how Halloween aesthetics, including witches, pumpkins, black cats, and skeletons, have evolved over the last century.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Halloween Aesthetics Evolved Over the Last Century was originally published on Laughing Squid.

The adorable lemurs at the Oregon Zoo enjoyed Halloween jack-o'-lanterns with tasty grapes hidden at the bottom.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Adorable Lemurs at the Oregon Zoo Enjoy Halloween Jack-o'-Lanterns With Grapes Hidden Inside was originally published on Laughing Squid.

The Spanish band Broken Peach performed a spooky Halloween mashup of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" with Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me" and Rammstein's "Du hast".subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Spooky Halloween Mashup That Blends Thriller' With Somebody's Watching Me' and Du Hast' was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Bill McClintock's "Ghostmashers" layers Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" theme with 11 other 1980s hits in a massive Halloween mashup.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Ghostmashers' - A Massive Halloween Mashup That Layers the Ghostbusters' Theme With Other 1980s Hits was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Lord Vinheteiro performed a very active cover of the classic Van Halen song "Jump" on a strategic array of rubber chickens.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Tuxedoed Musician Plays Van Halen's Jump' on Rubber Chickens was originally published on Laughing Squid.

An Asian elephant named Samudra was given a giant pumpkin to squash during the Oregon Zoo's 28th annual Squishing of the Squash.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Elephant Squishes a 500-Pound Pumpkin During Oregon Zoo's Annual Squishing of the Squash' was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Honkology explained why doomscrolling is so addictive through a very tired animated goose with a constant need to be online.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Why Doomscrolling Is So Addictive was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Alona, the girlfromjerseycity, captured an adorable Angine de Poitrine tribute costume named "Angine de Pawtrine" that featured a tiny dog on drums at the 36th Annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Tiny Dog Drums in Angine de Pawtrine' Tribute at the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Matthew Inman of The Oatmeal created "Grimothy", a giant, evil version of Jimothy, the viral Seattle raccoon with an unusually short, round body, in his brother's front yard on Bainbridge Island.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Oatmeal Builds Grimothy', a Giant Evil Jimothy the Raccoon for Halloween was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Diego Poncelet set the Guinness World Record for the fastest downhill skateboard speed at an incredible 151.83 km/h (94 mph).subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Diego Poncelet Sets Downhill Skateboarding World Record at 94 MPH on a Steep Quebec Road was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Dr. Emily Zarka of "Monstrum" explains how centuries-old burial shrouds inspired the classic white-sheet ghost and how pop culture made it less frightening.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Why Ghosts Are Historically Depicted in White Sheets was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Urban field musician Benjamin Mjones creates catchy beats by remixing the calls of various birds into hip-hop and dubstep.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Musician Creates Catchy Hip-Hop Beats by Remixing Bird Calls was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Foster mom Tricia sent a video of a visibly overweight beagle named Autumn to her husband Dave, who thought she was AI-enhanced.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Foster Dad Thought a Visibly Overfed 72-Pound Beagle Was AI-Enhanced was originally published on Laughing Squid.

"Hyperland" is a prescient 1990 BBC documentary written by and starring Douglas Adams that foreshadows the World Wide Web and modern AI assistants.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Hyperland' - A Prescient 1990 BBC Documentary by Douglas Adams That Kind of Predicts the Web was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Graham Dot Zip sends his own AI agent to an interview with an AI recruiter, only to watch the two bots hilariously screw up his salary negotiations.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Job Candidate Sends His Own AI Agent to an Interview With an AI Recruiter was originally published on Laughing Squid.

A clever little red panda named Enoki at the Oregon Zoo pounced on a colorful puzzle filled with yummy apple treats.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Clever Red Panda Solves a Colorful Puzzle With Yummy Treats Hidden Inside was originally published on Laughing Squid.

E/V Nautilus' ROV Hercules encountered a playful octopus who adorably chased its green scaling lasers like a cat.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Playful Octopus Chases a Green Laser Light Like a Cat was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Physicist Gabriel Mindlin searched handwritten field notes from the 1960s for bird melodies and used robots to teach young birds these songs.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Physicist Deploys Robotic Tutors to Teach Young Birds the Forgotten Songs of Their Forebears was originally published on Laughing Squid.