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In Honor of Banned Books Week, Here Are the Most Challenged Books of 2014

The American Library Association reported 311 formal, written challenges to books

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How Italian Police Finally Busted Thieves for Nabbing $875,000 in Cheese

Cheese is the most stolen food in the world

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Mold Is Threatening Boston Public Library’s Rare Books

As spores are found in the stacks, it’s time to battle a fuzzy foe

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Artisanal Pizza is Boosting the Coal Industry

Pizzerias are a new and growing market for coal companies

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Volunteers are Struggling to Maintain New Orleans’ Iconic Tombs

Many cemetery vaults are crumbling due to weather, vandalism and disrepair

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The “Happy Birthday” Song is Officially in the Public Domain

Sing without fear of being sued

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PETA Wants a Selfie-Snapping Monkey to be Granted Copyright to its Photo

PETA Wants a Selfie-Snapping Monkey to be Granted Copyright to its Photo

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Pope Francis: The World “Still Has Time” to Act on Climate Change

The pontiff spoke strongly about environmental action in an address to President Obama and the American people

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Edward Snowden Thinks Alien Transmissions Might Be Hidden by Encryption

To chat with aliens, scientists might have to crack codes

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Crimean Officials Are Suing Putin for Drinking a 240-Year-Old Bottle of Wine

Putin and Berlusconi opened up a world of trouble along with a vintage bottle of booze

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People are Leaving Secret Letters to Fellow Fans in Harry Potter Books

#PotterItForward was designd to warm the hearts of future readers

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A Brief History of Awareness Ribbons

Emmy Awards attendees sported green ribbons this year. But can ribbons really affect climate change?

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The World’s Largest Aircraft Might Lose its Title to a Blimp

This despite having a wingspan almost as long as a football field

Kapparot for penance and purification at Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem, Israel.

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It Is Officially Legal to Ritually Kill Chickens on the Streets of New York City

A judge ruled that there was not enough evidence that the practice was a public nuisance

Could the Los Angeles Police Department's squad cars be about to undergo a makeover?

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The LAPD Is Testing Teslas

As Los Angeles changes its vehicle procurement policies, visions of an all-electric fleet are dancing in Angelenos’ heads

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A One-of-a-Kind Museum Was Just Lost in California’s Wildfires

The JKL Museum of Telephony featured hundreds of old-fashioned phones

A mosaic of high-resolution images of Pluto shows the icy plane informally called Sputnik Planum.

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Detailed Pluto Photos Reveal Dunes, Melted Plains and More

“If an artist had painted this Pluto before our flyby, I probably would have called it over the top — but that’s what is actually there.”

Tree-covered islands in Miyagi Prefecture, which has been affected by widespread flooding.

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Japan Is in the Midst of Catastrophic Flooding

The floods are the worst seen in over 60 years

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Why Elon Musk’s Idea to Nuke Mars Won’t Happen

Terraforming the planet with thermonuclear weapons: Best idea ever or disaster waiting to happen?

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