It’s common knowledge that the platypus is a definite oddball in the animal kingdom, but what characteristics really puzzle scientists? Because the platypus has fur and the female nurses its young, the animal is classified as a mammal. But that’s where the mammalian similarities stop. The male platypus has a spur on either hind foot …

‘Tis the season for hot cocoa, ice skating, and lost mittens. Most folks have a pile of single mittens sitting in the closet, but rather than walk around with a mismatched pair, take those lonely gloves and create an adorable stuffed squirrel. Glue five bucks to the paw and you have the perfect stocking stuffer. …

Well, it was actually an arthritic part of his hand, but that arthritis just happens to affect his middle finger. Photographer Mark Rogers caught the shot when one father was making ape noises at Jackson the Mandrill trying to get him to respond. His answer had the crowd roaring. A monkey flipping the bird is …

Time to brush up on your U.S. Presidents trivia! You’ll thank us when you make it on to Jeopardy! or the final round of bar trivia. Whether Republican, Democrat, or Whig, all POTUS have a birthday and this installment of presidential trivia tidbits covers the interesting facts about those dates. So grab that red, white, …

Web cartoonist Dan Meth used some of the world’s most recognized logos to create a lovely, eye-catching rainbow. So what’s at the end of the logo rainbow? Probably all your hard earned money…and maybe a dancing leprechaun. Via Dan Meth. Tons of cool design stuff.

B is for birthday. As in Cookie Monster’s birthday! The blue-haired, googlie-eyed Muppet is one of Sesame Street’s most beloved characters, but how much do you really know about the cookie fiend that celebrates a birthday today? Grab a box of cookies and check out five fun facts about Cookie Monster: Cookie’s real name is …

Gadget geek home decor goes beyond iPad kitchen wall mounts with the Table Connect, a 58-inch touch-sensitive table that plugs into your iPhone. Browse photos while noshing on breakfast or check email without having to squint while sipping on a cup of joe. The techie furniture piece uses a 30-pin dock connecter to hook into …

Fonts and text don’t have to be limited to language. You can use words and letters to create some of the most unique, stunning, eye-popping works of art. Case in point: these brilliant text art beauties. All forty-five at Noupe. More on typography.

When you take into account baggage fees, lost luggage and spending your hard-earned drink money on a lousy snack pack, ya gotta wonder what happened to “flying the friendly skies.” With some air carriers even considering standing room options, it might be worthwhile to take a look at which carriers made the top five worst …

John Lennon liked his whites white and when laundry workers supposedly yellowed his brand new white shirt, he penned an angry letter to share his discontent. Lennon made a special point to ensure Yoko Ono bore no blame for the stained shirt, noting that his wife doesn’t dye her hair or sweat. The 1970s era …

Big spiders may frighten haunted house visitors this week, but spiders themselves would do well to fear assassin bugs. A new study has just revealed the bugs’ devious and deadly tactics. Like nightmarish bass players, assassin bugs pluck spider silk in webs, mimicking the movements of exhausted, stuck prey. When the hungry spider eases in …

The discovery of a trove of insects and arachnids preserved for millions of years in amber raises new questions about how long India was isolated before it joined the Asian continent, researchers said in a new study. The insects — bees, termites and flies — had been entombed in the vast Cambay deposit in western …