Culture on ZME Science

Christmas myths: The Krampus, Santa's evil twin

Survive December 5, and you just might get some presents.

Real Vs Artificial Christmas Tree: What the science says

The Great Christmas Tree Debate: Real or Artificial — Which is Better for the Planet? The answer is not as clear-cut as you may think.

Saturnalia and Christmas -- how a Pagan Roman festival paved the way for modern Christmas

Wait, the Romans invented Christmas?

The Yule Cat: Forget Santa, Embrace the Dark Side of Icelandic Christmas

Not your average cat -- or your Christmas tradition.

The Bizarre History of Mad Honey: sweetener, psychedelic, weapon of war

Handle with care — this honey bites back!

The World’s Largest Musical Instrument Is a 3.5-Acre Stone Organ Hidden Inside This Virginia Cave

The Great Stalacpipe Organ transforms stalactites into a vast, natural musical instrument.

The Untold Story of An Ancient African Alphabet Born from a Dream

In the 19th century, a man living in present-day Liberia dreamed of the first script for his native Vai language. Today linguistic anthropologists are digging into the script’s evolution—and what the changes over the past two centuries reveal about human cognition and society.

What is the hardest language to learn as a native English speaker?

English speakers may find Mandarin, Arabic, and Japanese up to four times harder to master than Spanish or French.

Supernatural Japanese concepts: from telepathy and fate to memories of past lives

How many of these do you know?

The Different Names and Versions of Santa Claus

Exploring the evolution of Santa Claus through history, culture, and fairy tales.

How to celebrate Yule

Discover the magic of Yule with these festive, traditional practices.

Yule and the Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt is one of Europe's fiercest legends.

Yule Traditions: From Wreaths to the Yule Log

Discover the rich history and customs of Yule, the winter solstice celebration.

How Vikings Celebrated Christmas

Merry Viking Christmas!

Christmas celebrations that are actually pagan -- and why that makes them even cooler

Stay a while, and listen.

Yule Foods From Around The World

Some delicious Yuletide dishes to warm your home.

Winter solstice celebrations -- the pagan origins of a beloved time of the year

Before Christmas, people celebrated the Winter Solstice in surprisingly familiar ways.

Druidic Christmas Traditions: Evergreens, Yule Logs, and the Winter Solstice

Druid celebrations have more in common with Christmas than you'd think.

The Yule Goat: From Pagan Myth to Modern Tradition

Do you know the legend of the Yule goat?

Christmas Spiders: one of the most enchanting Christmas stories you'll ever hear

Discover the world of Christmas spiders and their very special festive folklore.

Christmas Fairy Tales: From Andersen to Modern Traditions

Discover the folklore behind the legendary tales of Christmas

Happy 30th, DOOM! From printers to pregnancy tests, here's what you can play this epic game on

People have modded old phones, printers, vapes, and even digital pregnancy tests to run this classic video game.

I asked ChatGPT to turn famous scientists into Simpsons characters -- and it's just gold

Who's your favorite?

Ghastly Gourmet: 7 unconventional Halloween dishes from around the globe

This year, besides pumpkin pie, you can try adding some international flavor to your Halloween dinner.

Halloween monsters: The myths and folklore behind Halloween's most infamous figures

From vampires to witches and werewolves, here's how they became Halloween monsters.

7 classic books to read for a haunting Halloween

If you want to indulge in some Halloween reading, we've got the perfect list for you.

Why do we carve pumpkins for Halloween? The history of a popular and ancient tradition

We love carving pumpkins... but why do we do it?

This Halloween, do the right thing -- fight food waste and eat your pumpkin

The scariest monster this Halloween is food waste.

Beyond vampires and ghouls: 8 lesser-known ghastly monsters that are perfect for Halloween

This Halloween, why stick to the familiar? These haunting entities from around the world offer fresh fodder for your nightmares.

The origin of Halloween

Halloween season is upon us, and this holiday has never been more popular.

There's a museum in Japan that honors rocks which resemble human faces

Among them, you'll find ET or even Jesus.

Best way to seal marijuana smell? Pack it in double vacuum-sealed bags

If done right, weed stored in a double vacuum-sealed bag won't smell at all.

Who invented ice cream? A sweet journey through history

Ice cream went through a wild journey that started more than 2,500 years ago.

The Science of Shiny: How Nail Polish is Made

Discover the secrets behind the colorful and shiny world of nail polish.

Vampire devices are stealing your electricity (and your money). You should unplug them

You may want to get in the habit of unplugging things you're not using.

7 potted plants that will remove indoor air pollution from your home, proven by science

Plants aren't just for show.

These are the fastest production cars of every decade

Here's a list of the fastest cars, decade by decade.

What is the fastest car in the world -- and why it's not so easy to tell

It's was a battle between Bugatti and Hennessy -- and then Koenigsegg came in.

Astrology doesn't work and never worked. Here's why

Here's what's in your horoscope for today: science.

Not too hot, not too cold. What’s the ideal room temperature?

The eternal struggle between family members and co-workers.

Bad Physics in Movies: When Hollywood gets science wrong

It's a bird. It's a plane. No... it's Hollywood's bad physics.

Feral Children: Mind-Blowing Cases of Children Raised by Animals

Feral children have been isolated from human contact from a very young age and grew up wild, sometimes raised by animals.

Celebrities that have secretly published scientific research

It's probably not who you think it is.

How on Earth did we start using "once in a blue moon"?

The moon does turn "blue" sometimes, but this idiom doesn't really refer to its color.

Could we really have a zombie apocalypse like in The Last of Us?

Are we prepared enough to survive a deadly fungal outbreak similar to what is shown in the TV show The Last of Us?

What causes hangovers? The science behind the dreadful morning after

There is no science-based cure for hangovers, but there are some helpful pointers.

Five ways to cure hangovers that anybody can apply

They all boil down to "treat yo' body right".

Meet the people who literally feel no fear

Fear is hundreds of millions of years old. But some people have the superhuman ability to laugh in its face.

Hikikomori, the Japanese phenomenon of extreme social isolation is going global

Loneliness is a big issue in Japanese society — and not only there. Especially among its older population, it has become a severe plight, and there are signs that even among the younger population, loneliness is on the rise. Among elderly men who live alone, over 15% regularly have days when they don’t speak to […]

Why getting a tattoo hurts -- the science behind inking

Humans have tattooed themselves since times immemorial to celebrate gods, show social standing, for medicinal purposes or just to look good. And since the dawn of this controversial form of art, people have endured excruciating pain to adorn their body with ink; but why does tattooing hurt so much?

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