May 12 was the birthday of Victorian poet and artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti — here’s a brief bio, some art and poetry, and a bit on his obsession with wombats.

Ancient Chinese Buildings Are Held Together With Sticky Rice.

This Plane Accidentally Flew Around the World — After Pearl Harbor, the crew of Pan Am flight 18602 was forced to do the impossible.


Five medieval toothpaste recipes, plus more medieval dental advice.

Why Do Cats — and So Many Other Animals — Look Like They’re Wearing Socks?


Why You Feel the Urge to Jump — The science and philosophy of looking down from a high place.

ICYMI, Friday’s links are here, and include a roundup of Mother’s Day links, the 1970s flying Winnebago, an explanation of why we forget what we’re doing when we enter a room, and, for Fred Astaire’s birthday, clips of some of his best dancing.