A Map of Sin and the Death of the Dumpling King!

New archaeological evidence from China for the first time documents a chain of events that forged the relationship between human and feline.

#Srirachapocalypse: the ongoing Huy Fong saga. This time it’s personal! Should I start shopping my “Srirachanado!” script yet?

Ohsho Dumpling King Dead after Suspected Shooting! Last year, Japan’s National Police Agency reported 17 gun murders. In the U.S., where population is about 2.5 times greater than Japan, the number of homicides involving firearms hovers around 10,000 per year.

Two-Headed Pig Underscores China’s Need For Quality Semen!

Some naughty crinimals hacked Target’s credit card data over Black Friday. Easier to carry than gold bars, I guess.

Meet Valkyrie, NASA’s new “superhero” robot.  Okay fine, it was designed to be able to access disaster areas and help rescue survivors. Let’s all hope for very slow disaster scenarios and that the bots can play Wagner.

The Only Thing Weirder Than a Telemarketing Robot… a Telemarketing Cyborg!!!?

Sun will ‘flip upside down’ within weeks, says NASA. It does that. The SyFy original is bound to write itself.

It’s the end of the world for radio evangelist Harold Camping. Same goes for legendary country singer Ray Price.

How Benign Bacteria Evolve to Virulent Pathogens: it’s just a shout away!

A Map of the Weirdest Sex Laws in the United States. Oklahoma bar owners: you MUST NOT ALLOW simulated sex with animals (not even them fancy animatronic ones)  on your premises! IT’S THE LAW!!!

‘Calvin and Hobbes’ with a side of Sriracha

Mental Floss scores a rare interview with Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Waterson. Here’s an abbreviated excerpt.

Ray Bradbury’s thoughts on creativity and how list-making can nurture it.

What are the consequences of growing up in space? Well, if you’re a jellyfish, once you find yourself subject to Earth’s gravity, you may have more trouble swimming than your Earth-born counterparts.

Creating “ghetto” districts for minority parties has hurt our democracy. Here’s one way to fight back: A modest proposal to neutralize gerrymandering.

3,000 bottles every hour, 24 hours a day and six days a week: the back-story of Huy Fong Sriracha.

A group of Boy Scout leaders is facing potential felony charges for destroying a rock formation nearly 200 million years old. Nope, you can’t fix stupid.

Pearls before Swine Department: Kentucky museum that tells a Bible-based history of the world says it has acquired Allosaurus fossil that offers evidence of the Old Testament worldwide flood. Yep, it’s the usual (taxpayer-supported) suspects.

The “Men In Black” don’t want you to believe. A short history of encounters with them.

How conspiracy theories explain the Far Right: stories of cabals and secret plots provide comfort as its power wanes.

Does Alex Jones even sound marginally sane or healthy? You’d think Obama had seized all his guns several times, to listen to the apocalyptic rhetoric.