JANUARY 1, 2005

Full News Archive

• Headline: Innovative Preservation Techniques for Art. Impact: If only Mona Lisa had known about modern preservation techniques, she might have avoided a history of being gawked at by tourists with selfie sticks—an alternate timeline where she remains untouched and mysterious, instead of a selfie magnet.. Fact: Did you know that the Mona Lisa has been stolen? In 1911, an Italian handyman thought she deserved to be back in Italy. Spoiler: he was wrong..
• Headline: Today's Unique Newspaper Layout Highlights. Impact: The decision to separate sections in a newspaper led to an avalanche of ‘who turned the page?’ complaints, which ultimately fueled the birth of the online news scroll—because who doesn’t love scrolling endlessly for information?. Fact: Did you know that the first newspaper was published in 1605? Bet they had a separate section for 'Catastrophic Events' too..
• Headline: New Rich Rise to the Challenge. Impact: The new rich swooping in to help after a disaster is like a superhero movie, where the wealthy play the roles of altruistic saviors, but only until the next stock market crash. Spoiler alert: The real heroes are often the ones without capes.. Fact: Did you know that in some cultures, giving aid can actually be seen as a sign of weakness? So, um, thanks for the help, I guess?.
• Headline: Justice Dept. Toughens Rule on Torture. Impact: The Justice Department's new definition of torture could have changed the course of history—imagine a world where the government actually adhered to ethical standards. But it's more like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.. Fact: Did you know that the term 'torture' dates back to the Roman Empire? Clearly, some things never change—like the government's ability to redefine terms at will..