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Greg Sullivan
January 28, 2026
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"Rote memorization is a better way to learn things like math facts and vocabulary words than whatever the latest trendy method is at the moment."
By Heather Wake
School really only serves one purpose: provide a nurturing environment for students to learn. But that singular task seems to grow more herculean for educators every year. Though many parents are generally aware of the challenges teachers face today, it’s still alarming to hear firsthand the full scope of what’s happening.
On the Reddit subforum r/Teachers, teachers were asked to name “something in education no one wants to admit, but we all know is true" and, well…there was no shortage of insight.
"Nobody reads anymore…kids have unlimited use of devices."
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"These are not normal ants."
By Heather Wake
We often think of war as a strictly human phenomenon, but there are plenty of structured territorial battles that go on within the animal kingdom. Ants, in particular, engage in highly complex warfare, including "slave-making" (raiding other species' nests to steal young) and large-scale territorial conflicts between colonies.
In fact, there is one ant battle that’s gone on for so long that experts think it might be the longest non-human conflict in the world.
As explained by a video posted by Michael McBride, creator of the “edutainment” social media channel @IdeaSoup, this ongoing conflict spans a whopping 600 miles of the California coast. The main antagonist, if you will, is a "super colony" of Argentine ants, which have a unique set of superpowers.
The way he fixes her crown. 🥹
The eyes can't lie.
By Tod Perry
Have you ever been talking to someone at a party and noticed that, instead of looking you in the eyes while you're speaking, they keep peering over your shoulder? It can feel insulting, because it sends a clear signal: I'm not paying attention to you.
That's an obvious sign someone isn't listening. But what if you're talking to someone and want to know whether they're actually taking in the information and enjoying what you have to say, rather than just smiling and nodding along? Researchers at Concordia University recently conducted a study suggesting you can tell when someone is truly listening by paying close attention to their eyes.
"That poison ivy not only exists, but it's so ubiquitous."
By Tod Perry
There are obvious things people from overseas expect to find when they come to America on vacation. They'll see big, yellow school buses. They'll go out to dinner, be blown away by the portion sizes, and get excited about taking leftovers home. Of course, they'll also enjoy most Americans' happy-go-lucky attitude.
However, there are also things many people don't expect to find in America when they arrive. Some can be fun and exciting, others downright perplexing. Visitors might enjoy the pleasant surprise of seeing a garbage disposal in action, or feel overwhelmed by the countless massive billboards lining America's highways and byways.
A Redditor asked non-Americans who have visited the United States to share some of the "weirdest" things they noticed that most Americans might not. The responses turned into a fun list of everyday experiences many Americans don't realize are uniquely tied to life in the States. Who knew that seeing squirrels everywhere is a particularly American experience, or that people in other countries don't have to deal with poison ivy on a regular basis?