The Famously Narrow ‘Pie House’ of Deerfield
A suburban Chicago home has become known locally as the “Pie House” because of its resemblance to a wedge-shaped slice of pie. Built in 2003, on an oblong plot of land in Deerfield, Illinois, the Pie House has become somewhat of a local tourist attraction, with people stopping by regularly just to take pictures of […]
Daisugi – Ancient Forestry Technique Produces Plenty of Lumber From a Single Tree
Daisugi is a centuries-old forestry technique developed in Japan as a way of cultivating the highly-prized Kitayama Cedar without actually using any land. Today, the visually-striking technique can be witnessed in ornamental gardens. Dating back to the 14th century, daisugi allowed for the cultivation of Kitayama cedar, a species of tree known for growing exceptionally […]
The Twisted Trees of Slope Point – A Natural Wonder Shaped by the Wind
Slope Point is known for being the southernmost tip on New Zealand’s South Island, but also for hosting some of the strangest-looking trees in the world. They are shaped by the relentless winds that constantly pummel this place. Trees don’t usually grow in the Slope Point area. It’s not that the soil isn’t fertile enough, […]
Politician Locks People in “Haunted House” for Breaking Covid-19 Quarantine Rules
Fed up with people constantly neglecting self-isolation and quarantine rules, a local politician on Indonesia’s Java Island decided to lock rule breakers in a haunted house to set an example for others. Kusdinar Untung Yuni Sukowati, the head of Sragen regency came up with the idea of taping into the locals’ fear of ghosts as […]
Houseplant Enthusiast Turns Apartment into Urban Jungle with Over 1,400 Potted Plants
Joe Bagley, a 20-year-old self-confessed “jungle boy”, has turned his one-bedroom apartment in Loughborough, UK, into an indoor jungle with over 1,400 potted plants. From cacti and succulents to tropical flowers and vines, you can find all sorts of plants growing in Joe Bagley’s home. They are everywhere, on the dining table, on bookshelves, even […]
From Rags to Riches: How a Viral Photo Turned a Street Beggar Into an Online Celebrity
Four years ago, Rita Gaviola was a 13-year-old street beggar in the Filipino town of Lucban. Since then she has worked with some of the world’s hottest brands as a fashion model, starred on hit reality TV shows and gained over 100,000 Instagram followers. And it was all thanks to a random photo… Rita Gaviola’s […]
Street Artist Creates Mind-Blowing Graffiti Optical Illusions
Portuguese street artist Vile has a gift that some would consider similar to a superpower – he can make concrete walls look transparent to the naked eye, using only cans of graffiti paint. Rodrigo Miguel Sepulveda Nunes, aka Vile, started doing graffiti when he was 14 years old. In college he studied Cartoon and Animation […]
Homeless by Choice: Hong Kong Man Gives Up Middle-Class Life to Live on the Street
52-year-old Simon Lee has been sleeping rough on the streets of Hong Kong for the last seven years, but unlike most homeless people, he didn’t just wind up there after some tragic, life-altering event. He actually chose to be homeless, giving up on his material possessions and a comfortable office job for a carefree, stress-free […]
Chinese Street Cleaner Donates Most of His Money to Impoverished Children
A 58-year-old street cleaner in China has been hailed as a hero after it was reported that he has donated over 180,000 yuan ($27,000) to dozens of poor children in the last 30 years, despite earning a monthly salary of just 2,000 yuan ($300). Mr. Zhao, a street cleaner from Shenyang, in China’s northeast Liaoning Province, […]
Volunteer Firefighter Accused of Setting Houses on Fire Because He Was Bored
A 19-year-old volunteer firefighter from western Pennsylvania was recently charged with arson, criminal mischief and risking catastrophe after allegedly setting two houses on fire out of boredom. Last month, police in Munhall, a community located about 8 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, arrested Ryan Laubham, a local volunteer firefighter, for allegedly setting fire to a pair […]
Louisiana Retiree Dedicates His Life to Rescuing Cats from Trees
Cats get stuck high up in trees all the time, and there’s often no one to call for help, but if you live within an hour’s drive of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, you can rely on Randall Kolb, a 64-year-old retiree who has dedicated the last four years of his life to rescuing felines from trees. Kolb, […]
Tiny Birds Build Communal Nests So Large They Can Pull Down Trees
While most songbirds build small, discreet nests designed to shelter one clutch of eggs, the Social Weavers (Philetairus socius) of southern Africa build communal nests so large that they can pull down mature trees. Each structure can weigh over a ton, and range upwards of 20 feet wide and 10 feet tall, with over a […]
Filipino Man Rescued After Spending Three Years Atop 60-Foot-Tall Coconut Tree
A 47-year-old man from La Paz, in the Agusan del Sur province of the Philippines, had last felt solid ground under his feet in 2014, before climbing a 60-foot-tall coconut tree near his house. He had never come down since, and would have probably stayed atop the tree till the end of his days, had […]
Dutch Startup Wants to Train Crows to Clean Streets of Cigarette Butts
Alarmed by how many cigarette butts littered the parks of Amsterdam, two Dutch designers came up with an unusual plan to train crows to pick up the butts and trade them for tasty rewards. Industrial designers Ruben van der Vleuten and Bob Spikman originally considered using robots to clean the streets of cigarette butts, but […]
Toronto Family Sue Neighbors for Copying the Look of Their House
A family in Forest Hill, Toronto, has taken their neighbors to court for copying the design of their multi-million dollar house when renovating their property, thus decreasing the value of their own home. They are asking for $2.5 million in damages. It turns out you can’t just copy design elements of a house you like […]