Few creatures are surrounded by as much myth and mystery as the owl. Identified as ominous predictors of death and hardship, they’re also steadfast symbols of wisdom and prudence. These fascinating animals are capable of some amazing physical feats, such as the ability to fly through the air in virtual silence. It can be scary …

Thanks to Emily Bob for completely corrupting the institution that is the Harry Potter. Full story at Popped Culture. Here, there, Harry Potter is everywhere.

Here’s a look at every incarnation of the winged crusader’s wheels from 1941 to the present. Enjoy! Full story at Carinsurance.org. At the corner of Comics and Infographics.

Photography Peter Viksten documented the messy journey from sober to drunk in a photo series that closely resembles countless Facebook photo albums from Saturday nights. Jonas Rönnmark downed a beer every 20 minutes for five hours until he reached the stumbling, squinty-eyed state of inebriation. Via Recovering Lazyholic. Cheers to beer, wine and cocktails.

Eduardo San Gil takes a look at the geology of superpowers in his piece, “Rocks and Minerals.” Full story at Laughing Squid. Comics and deep thoughts.

Jeff Bridges and Kurt Russell might be the same person. Well, probably not, but they could pass for twins—like Mary-Kate and Ashley, only with less fur coats and more Dude. Via TDW. Get your celebrity gossip fix in one place.

HubSpot pits state against state in a Twitter usage battle royale to determine tweet-premacy. It was a fierce 140 character competition, but Massachusetts, Washington, and Oregon came out the big winners. The big loser? The “always 50th, never 49th” state of Mississippi. Full story at HubSpot. All the top Twitter tidbits.

Battles between students and school administrators over Constitutional rights have gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Do students lose their rights once they’re on school property? What separates students from adults or even other children? Do their rights as citizens end at the school doors? The Supreme Court has pondered the same …

When confronted with a stack of old books from the library, students from the Architecture Department at Delft University of Technology never even looked as far as the recycling bin in the hall. Instead, they built a new information desk packed to the brim with knowledge. Full story at Inventor Spot. Old materials, new design.

Researchers at the University of Colorado have found that the metabolic cost of an adult missing one night of sleep is the equivalent of walking slightly less than two miles. “We found that people do expend more energy when they are awake in bed than when they are asleep,” says Kenneth Wright, the lead researcher …

A gifted teacher gives students the ability to look at the world and themselves in a whole new way. When physics teacher Suren Manvelyan turned the camera on the pupils of his friends, colleagues, and, yes, his pupils, the focus was on their view of that with which they view: their eyes. As Manvelyan described …

It can be a sign of love, grief or respect worldwide. Kissing is a natural act that gives millions of people physical and psychological satisfaction. Where did it originate? Why does it make us feel good? And are there cultures who view it as a bad thing? Show what you know at HowStuffWorks.com. Total aggregation …