The Ouija board might seem like a simple game that sparks spooky childhood memories, but have you ever pondered its mysterious history? Even more importantly, does it actually…work? Uncover the fascinating truth behind the game and its unusual origins. ___ A little more information: In the late 19th century, Americans were captivated by Spiritualism, the belief that the dead could communicate with the living. Charles Kennard saw the commercial potential in this trend, leading to the creation of the Ouija board. Yet, the backstory behind its invention, its rules, and even its name are all wrapped up in uncertainty. One thing is certain: the more turbulent the times, the more popular the game became – particularly during World War II and the social upheaval of the late 1960s. Ultimately, the allure of the Ouija board lies in its ability to tap into human imagination and curiosity. Whether regarded as a nostalgic artifact or a mystical tool, the Ouija board is here to stay. #OuijaBoard #Ouija #history #Smithsonianmagazine Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@SmithsonianMagazine Read more about the history of the Ouija Board here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-strange-and-mysterious-history-of-the-ouija-board-5860627/ Did you know that US Navy Officers rely on a system called the “ouija board” to track the movement of airplanes on a carrier? Learn more here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/how-things-work-the-ouija-board-10048217/ For more videos from Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/ Get More Smithsonian Magazine: Official Site: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smithsonianmagazine/ X: https://x.com/smithsonianmag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SmithsonianMagazine/ Digital Editorial Director: Brian Wolly Director of Programming: Nicki Marko Manager of Programming: Michelle Mehrtens Scriptwriter: Dan Wolf Video Editor: Adam Benavides

The Orkneys, an archipelago of islands off the northern coast of Scotland, are home to some of the greatest neolithic treasures in western Europe: from the settlement of Skara Brae to the Ness of Brodgar.

Clues into the disappearance of the ancient Picts lie in the tiny Scottish village of Aberlemno: 1,700-year-old Pictish stones, marked with some very unusual carvings.

A melting glacier caused a mountain in Greenland to collapse into a narrow fjord, setting off an oscillating wave that rattled seismic detectors around the world

Experts have confirmed that the image of "Knight, Death and the Devil" is a real master engraving by the renowned German artist Albrecht Dürer

An acoustic survey in 2018 and new analysis with A.I. suggest the sounds are vocalizations from the elusive Bryde’s whale

The recent excavation beneath the Treasury has revealed 12 complete human skeletons and a trove of grave goods dating back 2,000 years

Scientists aren't sure how the circular indentations some 450 feet below the surface formed, but they hope to investigate further

Identified as an Arctic fox, the animal is believed to have been kept in captivity far from its native habitat in the tundra. Now, it's receiving care from wildlife officials

Hundreds of artifacts have been unearthed at a burial mound in the city of Chifeng, but researchers are particularly intrigued by the six-inch-long object

Authorities have not yet identified the cause of death for the 12.5-foot-long shark, which was named Koala

The giant salmon carp was formally identified in 1991, and since then, fewer than 30 individuals had been documented

A "staggering array" of markings have been hiding in plain sight carved into the walls of Gainsborough Old Hall, a 500-year-old home in Lincolnshire, England

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has unveiled mysterious "knots" in the jet of a supermassive black hole in Centaurus A, a nearby galaxy. These bright, fast-moving features exhibit a higher speed in X-rays than in radio wavelengths, hinting at unexplored physics in black hole jets. Despite financial uncertainties surrounding Chandra's operations, scientists continue to uncover new phenomena in deep space, underscoring the telescope’s enduring value to astrophysics.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) received reports over the weekend from several Delawareans who received unsolicited packages of seeds in shipments from China. Based on information provided by constituents, the packages were sent by mail and may have Chinese writing on them. Anyone who has received such a package is asked to report the shipment to the Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance Program (SITC) by calling the Smuggling Hotline at 1-800-877-3835. Recipients are asked to leave everything inside the package to help investigators trace the origin. No one should ever plant seeds they did not order because they could be an invasive species.

Over the past week, Delawareans continued to receive unsolicited packages of mysterious seeds appearing to originate in China. Due to the increased volume of people reporting the receipt of illegally shipped seeds, USDA has requested the assistance of the state departments of agriculture in collecting seeds from residents. The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) has processed more than 40 packages of seeds to be tested by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

The symbols and mathematical operations used in the laws of physics follow a pattern that could reveal something fundamental about the universe

Several enormous craters left by explosions have been spotted in Siberia over the past 15 years, and a new explanation links them to hot gas – and climate change

For decades, planetary scientists have been trying to understand the origins of two colossal geological anomalies inside our planet. New insights suggest they could be leftovers from a cosmic collision

Intact human brains 12,000 years old or more have been found in unexpected places such as shipwrecks and waterlogged graves, but it is unclear what preserved them

A unique site in Brazil features rock carvings closely associated with dinosaur tracks, suggesting prehistoric people saw the footprints as meaningful

Pictograms and petroglyphs depicting abstract lines and shapes offer a rare glimpse into the culture of people who lived in South America thousands of years ago

Title: AHA News: Mysterious Stroke at 38 Changed How Popular Speaker Connects With a Crowd
Category: Health News
Created: 8/28/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/29/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: Michigan Officials Puzzled by Mysterious Deaths of 30 Dogs
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM

A radio signal detected in 1977, sometimes claimed as evidence for aliens, may have been caused by a laser-like beam of microwave radiation

An emperor penguin found malnourished far from its Antarctic home on the Australian south coast is being cared for by a wildlife expert, a government department said Monday.

A small asteroid, recently discovered by NASA-funded ground telescopes, is set to become a temporary satellite of Earth, providing a rare example of a celestial body being captured by the planet's gravity. Known as asteroid 2024 PT5, this space rock, measuring

Life and death are often seen as opposites, with one neatly concluding the other. But what if there is something in-between that challenges our understanding of existence? Recent scientific discoveries are revealing a mysterious 'third state' where cells can continue to

Spinning hydrogen-coated clusters of carbon atoms may be source of anomalous microwave emission spotted around our galaxy

Critically ill children have been ending up in intensive care units with shock-like symptoms in recent weeks, adding yet another mysterious layer to the coronavirus pandemic. New York health officials began issuing alerts on...

Corrective measures are finally in place. At least the repairs will be free, after users have struggled to get the repairs done over the past few months. And if you have already paid for a repair for this issue, you can get a reimbursement.

Amitabh Bachchan took to his Twitter handle to celebrate 12 years of his comedy horror film Bhoothnath. Remembering the movie, Amitabh also treated fans to a mysterious story which has left us scratching our heads! Celebrating 12 years since

Amitabh Bachchan took to his Twitter handle to celebrate 12 years of his comedy horror film Bhoothnath. Remembering the movie, Amitabh also treated fans to a mysterious story which has left us scratching our heads! Celebrating 12 years since

In southeastern Greenland, two rivers of ice named Helheim and Kangerdlugssuaq flow in spurts and starts toward the coast. They are much like any other […]

The post Astrophysical Observatory scientists are monitoring the mysterious movements of glaciers appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The only explanation for such symmetry across these vast distances, explains Smithsonian anthropologist Dennis Stanford, is that the method of creating the points was handed down from person to person.

The post 3-D imaging adds remarkable new understanding of North America’s mysterious Clovis people appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

A mysterious X-ray signal has been found in a detailed study of galaxy clusters using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM-Newton. One intriguing possibility […]

The post Mysterious X-ray signal from space appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Over the vast, empty reaches of interstellar space, countless small molecules tumble quietly though the cold vacuum. Forged in the fusion furnaces of ancient stars […]

The post Mysterious molecules in space appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

When fast radio bursts, or FRBs, were first detected in 2001, astronomers had never seen anything like them before. Since then, astronomers have found a […]

The post New study indicates mysterious fast radio bursts occur in universe every second appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Little to nothing is known about how and where a small European songbird called the bluethroat spends much of the year. Now, Smithsonian scientists have […]

The post Scientists track a mysterious songbird using tiny backpack locators appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

On crime scene investigation shows, forensic scientists use remnants of genetic material to solve mysteries in a matter of hours. Researchers at the Smithsonian Environmental […]

The post Environmental “Forensics” Pieces Together Mysterious Plant Invasion appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

As the lights went out in the Superdome, social media lit up like crazy.

The gaping 260-foot-wide hole was spotted in an area of Siberia known as "the end of the world."

Anjouan is an island between Africa and Madagascar littered with sedimentary rocks called quartzite that don't belong there. Are they a chunk of Gondwana?

These epidemics have hit full force, with scientists scrambling to unravel the causes and, more importantly, the solutions.

Chessboard-like grid patterns that cover sand dunes in China are explained as attempts at mining nickel in the deserts.

Coudersport Ice Mine is located in the Appalachian Mountains.