Laughing Squid

Linguist Patrick Foote of Name Explain looked at common and lesser-known foods that were named after real people.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Foods That Were Historically Named After Real People was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Lord Vinheteiro performed a complex piano composition that featured the evolution of classical music from 1680 through 1935.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Evolution of Classical Music From 1689 to 1935 was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Broken Peach performed a Halloween mashup pairing Metallica's "Enter Sandman" with "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads while dressed as ghouls.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Ghoulish Halloween Mashup of Metallica's Enter Sandman' With Talking Heads Psycho Killer' was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Jetson ONE was showcased in the new "Jetson Air Games" during the UP Summit 2025 in Bentonville, Arkansas. subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Jetson Personal Electric Aerial Vehicles Race Against Each Other in an Air Games' Showcase was originally published on Laughing Squid.

When a woman moved to Maine, she found that she inherited a porcupine in her backyard who needed fresh fruit to help cure what ailed him.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Woman Feeds Fresh Fruit to an Apple-Loving Porcupine Who Lives in Her Backyard was originally published on Laughing Squid.

The GBoard team at Google Japan created a novel dial keyboard that works like an old school rotary telephone.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Novel Dial Keyboard by Google Japan That Works Like an Old School Rotary Telephone was originally published on Laughing Squid.

X-Control System created the Janus-I, an ultra-light VTOL modular helicopter that can be fully folded and easily stored in small spaces.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post An Ultra-Light Personal VTOL Modular Helicopter That Can Be Folded to Store in Small Spaces was originally published on Laughing Squid.

A stubborn lamb is so possessive of her favorite rock that she repeatedly headbutts an equally stubborn tabby cat off it.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Adorably Stubborn Lamb Repeatedly Headbutts an Equally Stubborn Cat Off Her Favorite Rock was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Weird History Foodexplored the age-old question of why Pringles decided to be the first brand to put their bespoke potato chips into a can. subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Why Pringles Originally Decided to Put Their Bespoke Potato Chips Into Cans was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Four talented drummers, Tony Succar, Matt Flynn, Matt Tong, and Matt Johnson, shared helpful advice for improving percussion skills.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Professional Drummers Offer Helpful Advice on Improving Percussion Skills was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Jack Coyne of Public Opinion spoke with experts to determine whether it was safe to swim in New York City's East River.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Is It Safe to Swim in New York City's East River? was originally published on Laughing Squid.

David of Prusa Research in Prague 3D printed a crumpled McDonald's bag that looks just like the real thing. subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Realistic 3D Printed Crumpled McDonald's Bag was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Rob WattsofRobWords recounted the etymological evolution of what is now known to be the NATO phonetic alphabet.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Etymological Evolution of the International NATO Phonetic Alphabet was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Three finalists competed in the World Championships of Shoe Shining, where they had 20 minutes to buff a mirror shine on an Oxford shoe.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The World Championships of Shoe Shining was originally published on Laughing Squid.

WDR Funkhausorchester performed a playful orchestral medley of Koji Kondo's music from the "Super Mario" franchise.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post German Orchestra Performs a Super Mario' Medley was originally published on Laughing Squid.

A maternal lynx rescued from a fur farm as a kitten has defied her killer instincts to gently raise kittens, puppies, and bear cubs. subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Maternal Lynx Who Was Rescued From a Fur Farm Helps to Raise Kittens, Puppies, and Bear Cubs was originally published on Laughing Squid.

aqurate used 3D animation to explain how the catenary curve formed by the chain of a ship's anchor is really what keeps a ship in place.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How the Curve Formed by the Massive Chain of an Anchor Allows a Ship to Safely Remain in Place was originally published on Laughing Squid.

"The Pigeon Hustle" on PBS explores how pigeons have adapted to the incredibly busy urban landscapes of New York City and London.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Pigeons Have Adapted to the Busy Urban Landscapes of New York City and London was originally published on Laughing Squid.

A cat who had been returned to the shelter twice keeps hugging her new humans to seemingly reassure herself that she's home.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Cat Returned to Shelter Twice Hugs Her New Humans To Reassure Herself That She's Found a Loving Home was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Tom BetGeorge ofMagical Light Showscreated a mind-blowing Halloween light show at his home featuring three pumpkins "lip-synching" songs.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Mind Blowing Halloween Light Show Featuring Three Singing Pumpkins was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Name Explain talked about common words in English that have surprising onomatopoeic roots and the sounds from which they came.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Words That Are Surprisingly Named After Sounds was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Todd Vaziri of ILM spoke with Vanity Fair about the hidden yet innovative visual effects of "Star Wars" and other science fiction movies.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post VFX Artist Reveals the Hidden Yet Innovative Visual Effects in Star Wars' and Other SciFi Movies was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Matt Berry, with the help of narrator Jemaine Clement, learned how to play the Orchid, a digital chord-generating synthesizer.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Jemaine Clement Helps Matt Berry Learn How to Play the Orchid Chord-Generating Synthesizer was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Rhetty for Historytook a look at the 12 most popular horror films of the 1980s, giving a short synopsis of each movie.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Most Popular Horror Films of the 1980s was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Zielonka utilized hisexceptional pasta-making skillsto create ravioli in the shape of the classic dark blue Le Creuset casserole dish.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Pasta Chef Creates Ravioli in the Perfect Shape of a Classic Le Creuset Casserole Dish was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Weird History Food cautioned viewers about the world's most deadly foods that are only safe for consumption if prepared properly.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The World's Deadliest Foods was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Boston Dynamics explained how the gripper "hand" has evolved between different generations of their Atlas humanoid robot.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How the Gripper Hand' on the Boston Dynamics Atlas Humanoid Robot Has Evolved Over Time was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Mike Estrin of List 25 shared several fascinating facts about maps, noting that no map can be perfectly accurate for various reasons. subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Fascinating Facts About Maps was originally published on Laughing Squid.

A rescued cockatoo named Charlie Junior is so protective that he will not allow his human's wife to go anywhere near her husband.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Protective Cockatoo Refuses to Let Wife Get Close to Her Husband was originally published on Laughing Squid.

12Tone dove deep into the Ozzy Osbourne song "Crazy Train", noting how the structure of the opening creates a sense of impending doom.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Pedal Points and Eighth Notes Build a Sense of Impending Doom in the Opening Riff of Crazy Train' was originally published on Laughing Squid.

An adorable doodle with narcolepsy that strikes whenever he is happy or excited doesn't let it stop him from enjoying life.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Adorable Dog Doesn't Let His Excitement-Induced Narcolepsy Keep Him From Enjoying Life was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Santacon is an immersive documentary film about the creative origins behind the world's most infamous annual Christmas event.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Santacon' - An Immersive Documentary Exploring the Origins of the Infamous Annual Christmas Event was originally published on Laughing Squid.

The baker at Laugarvatn Fontana in Iceland showed how he makes a loaf of rye bread using volcanic geothermal sands as his oven.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Beautiful Geothermal Dark Rye Bread Baked in the Volcanic Sands of Iceland's Golden Circle was originally published on Laughing Squid.

LEGO has announced the release of a holiday-themed decorative Gingerbread AT-AT Walker, which includes a gingerbread Darth Vader.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Holiday-Themed LEGO Gingerbread AT-AT Walker was originally published on Laughing Squid.

The Mechanical Music Man programmed his ornate Dutch street organ to play an old-timey cover of the Oasis song "Wonderwall". subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post An Old Timey Cover of the Oasis Song Wonderwall' Played on an Ornate Mechanical Dutch Street Organ was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Maggie Vail shared her strong feelings about much maligned, misunderstood pigeon, noting how these birds are actually very intelligent.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Exalted History Behind the Misunderstood Pigeon was originally published on Laughing Squid.

MinuteFood explains why stale bread gets hard but stale cookies go soft, which is due to the retrogradation of starch during baking.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Why Freshly Baked Bread Gets Hard When It Goes Stale While Cookies Get Soft was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Rolf Lislevand, Krishnasol Jimenez, and Ugo Nastrucci separately performed on the last playable 1679 Stradivarius guitar in the world. subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Musicians Perform Beautiful Instrumentals on the Last Playable 1679 Stradivarius Guitar in the World was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Steve Mould explained how taste receptors work, noting that some people have additional bitterness receptors, making them "super tasters".subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Super Tasters' Have an Additional Bitterness Receptor That Others Don't Have was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Animalogic explained how we domesticated wild cats by providing them with food, and how they, in turn, domesticated us with their cuteness.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Wild Cats Turned Into House Cats was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush announced that they are reuniting for a new "50 Something Tour" in 2026 with Anika Nilles on drums.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush Announce Their New '50 Something Tour' in 2026 With a New Drummer was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Postmodern Jukeboxjoined up with vocalist Olivia Jones to perform a 1960s "girl group" cover of the REO Speedwagon song "Take It On the Run".subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A 1960s Girl Group' Cover of the Classic REO Speedwagon Song Take It On the Run' was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Picard Looking hilariously reimagined the senior staff of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" engaging in a rather dysfunctional Zoom call.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Hilariously Dysfunctional Star Trek: The Next Generation' Zoom Calls Aboard the USS Enterprise was originally published on Laughing Squid.

The Drew Social showed how to make a DIY Halloween costume of an insane asylum escapee who was caught and drugged into submission.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Clever DIY Insane Asylum Escapee Costume was originally published on Laughing Squid.

A gentle Great Pyrenees named Ritchie walks himself to the CVS drugstore across the street from where he lives to say hello to the staff.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A Giant Gentle Dog Walks Himself to the Drugstore To Say Hello to the Staff was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Satisfying Tech shared a wonderful ASMR video of steel balls being forged at Iraeta Forgings in Shandong, China.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post An ASMR Video Showing How Steel Balls Are Forged was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Name Explain looked at the etymology behind popular patterns, noting the historical context and cultural influences behind them.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post How Popular Patterns Originally Got Their Names was originally published on Laughing Squid.

In the 1974 BBC Series "Industrial Grand Tour" met up with David Clarke, the owner of a traditional English brewery where they brew by hand.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post A 1974 Tour Inside a Traditional English Brewery Where the Beer Is Brewed by Hand was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Laurence Brown shared words that are the same but have different meanings in the US, where he lives, and the UK, where he's from.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post Words That Are the Same But Have Different Meanings in the United States and the United Kingdom was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Dr. Emily Zarkatakes a look at the Boo Hag, a skinless witch who steals the life force of the sleeping, according to Gullah Geechee folklore.subscribe to the Laughing Squid NewsletterThe post The Gullah Geechee Origins Behind the Energy Sucking Skinless Witch Known As the Boo Hag was originally published on Laughing Squid.