“As writing goes, English is pretty straightforward. Sure, it has its weird parts: some of our letters combine to make new sounds, we have extra letters we don’t really need and there are spelling rules that only apply half the time. But on the whole, we have it easy. It’s not always like this. The Latin alphabet that English uses is alphabetic – in general, there’s one letter for every sound. In other writing systems, one character can signal a whole syllable. Or it might be like the Chinese system, in which characters signify whole objects or concepts. And sometimes, things can get even weirder… Here are the top 10 weirdest writing systems.” w/ photos + videos

“The Mogwai and Gremlins were initially conceived by Chris Walas (who later went on to do even more impressive special effects work on the 1986 remake of The Fly). When he proved unavailable when the sequel rolled around, legendary make-up man/all around genius Rick Baker was coerced into taking over the design work. Baker gave the Gremlins saga an injection of creativity that still continues to inspire over two decades later. At this point, it seems inevitable that there will be a remake or reboot of the franchise, most likely with CGI Gremlins that will almost certainly lack the charm and magic of the original creatures. Before that day arrives, let’s take a look back at the coolest monster creations from the existing two movies.” w/ videos

“People are always smiling, especially in groups, but it doesn’t just signal that they’re happy, far from it. We use smiles for specific social purposes because they can send out all sorts of signals that can be useful for us. Here are ten ways smiles can be used to our advantage by sending out messages about our trustworthiness, attractivity, sociability and more.” w/ photos

“Many locks are undeniably beautiful to look at, whether it be their flamboyantly intricate inner workings or decorative, ornate outer plates. Maybe not so much with modern locks, where the focus on function is seen as far more important than the need for touches of elaborate stylistic flair, but certainly with locks of old. Thankfully for us, and highlighted by the collection assembled below, many of these old works of art have been kept in pristine condition and continue to stand guard the world over.” w/ photos + video

“Many readers will recognize that most of the coins on my list are not currently in production, having been otherwise replaced with more contemporary (read boring) designs over the years. That’s not to say there may not be some degree of intrinsic aesthetics in some of today’s modern designs, only that the coins of the past — many of which were designed by some of the most famous and talented sculptors and engravers of their era — leave many of their modern compatriots in the dust. Of course, not all older coins were great works of art either, but some of them are so historically significant I felt compelled to include them in this list. And so, without further ado, here are my nominees for the best designed or most historically significant coins in American history.” w/ photos

“There are so many great Italian songs that a top 10 list is not enough… songs such as La cura, Il cielo in un stanza, La Bambola, Vivo per lei, La donna cannone, Miserere, Piccolo Uomo, Con te partirò and many other songs deserve to be on the list, too. Narrowing the greatest Italian songs down to a top 10 list was challenging, but here are some of the most beloved songs in Italy.” w/ photos

“Did you ever stop to wonder: ‘Hey, what was the manliest thing anyone ever said?’ Well, you need wonder no more. The quotes in this list are the rare real-life equivalents of the one-liners we’ve all seen Arnie and Bruce Willis spout in action movies. A quote of this type might not always be the safest thing to say, or the most realistic, or even the wisest. But it is indeed the manliest… Here are the top 10 manliest quotes.” w/ photos + video

“Today about 2.3 percent of the world’s population identifies themselves as atheist, and nearly 12 percent more (a number that is quickly growing) describe themselves as nontheist – non-believers in any deity. The ranks of scientists boast probably the largest concentration of atheists, and many of those have been recognized as among the most brilliant of human beings for their work. But there are atheists in all walks of life and throughout history as well. Here’s a look at 50 of the most prominent atheists of all time who also happen to be recognized as some of the most brilliant members of our species.” w/ photos

“A body hack is a usable technique that can make an improvement to improve a person’s life, health or mental state. These techniques are generally learned through real-life experience and are not necessarily medically recognized. Body hacks may work for some people and not for others and the only way to find out is to give them a try. Here are 24 body hacks we probably would be willing to try and one that we definitely wouldn’t.” w/ photos

“Each film developed more and more, making each Dracula more interesting than the last. Improving on each adaption seemed to be a goal for the filmmakers. This list counts down the films and portrayals that’s made Dracula more famous over the years. Well, not all these films made Dracula more famous.” w/ photos