Browse a database of every 'Simpsons' chalkboard gag

Browse millions of 'Simpsons' screencaps

"The Simpsons" has become an integral part of internet meme culture, with jokes and images from decades ago still finding their way into online discourse. This searchable database allows you to search for your favorite lines and instantly turn them into memes.

Watch every 'Simpsons' couch gag

One of the most recognizable elements of "The Simpsons" opening sequence is the "couch gag," a visual joke (featuring the family sitting on their living room couch) that often changes. This collection compiles every one of them through Season 34.

The sophisticated math jokes of 'The Simpsons'

"The Simpsons" has always been a slyly sophisticated show and has featured more than a few references to complex mathematical concepts. That's largely due to its writers' room, which has featured more than one writer who studied math before transitioning to comedy.

Watch every 'Simpsons' short from 'The Tracey Ullman Show'

Before it was a standalone sitcom, "The Simpsons" began in 1987 as a series of interstitials on "The Tracey Ullman Show," a short-lived sketch comedy show. You'll notice some slight differences—off-kilter voices, oddly drawn characters—but the series' premise was there, leading Fox to spin it off into its own show in 1989.

A comprehensive history of 'The Simpsons'

This documentary explores the wild trajectory of the show, from Matt Groening's early underground cartoons to its status as a groundbreaking pop culture phenomenon.

'The Simpsons' show-within-a-show was based on a real cartoon

Most "Simpsons" fans assume "The Itchy and Scratchy Show," the violent cartoon Bart Simpson loves, is a disturbing inversion of "Tom and Jerry." In reality, it's based on "Herman and Katnip," a "Tom and Jerry" knockoff that was similarly grotesque.

One man provides temporary vocals for nearly every character on 'The Simpsons'

Early in the production process, voice actor Chris Edgerly voices hundreds of characters so animators can create preliminary sketches. In this interview, he explains how he learned to mimic the characters' unique voice and tics.

A smooth, scrollable timeline of every 'SNL' cast member

Starting from season 1 in 1975, scroll through the years of the show's comic actors in this well-designed visual record and get a sense of their relative endurance on the show. Stop to click and read more on that season's highlights or the specific career arc of the actor.

The best celebrity cameos on 'The Simpsons'

As the show became a pop culture sensation in the late '80s, it began attracting celebrities eager to get in on the fun. This list ranks some of the best of those appearances, including Meryl Streep, Paul McCartney, and Dustin Hoffman.

Watch an orchestra perform Danny Elfman's theme for 'The Simpsons'

The composer (and former member of new wave band Oingo Boingo) said that the show's main theme, one of the most recognizable in TV history, came to him while driving. It's become a widely performed orchestral piece, including by the all-volunteer Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra, which you can watch below.

Explore a database of ancient graffiti

Take a look at thousands of pieces of graffiti from the walls of Herculaneum and Pompeii, including name tags, crude jokes, and crude drawings. The database, maintained by classical scholars, allows you to explore maps of the cities and images of the original inscriptions.

A database of clever insults from Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster maintains a database of lists of some of the best ways to insult people in a clever way. Check out their various lists here, from some of the better Shakespeare jabs to a noun and verb insult generator.

Every Halloween, one Texas bar transforms into Moe's Tavern

Nickel City, a bar in Austin, Texas, dons a costume once a year, turning itself into Moe's Tavern, the watering hole that figures prominently in "The Simpsons." The menu features themed drinks, including "The Bart vs. Australia" and "The Spicy Marge."

A catalog of every film with a post-credits scene

A crowd-maintained database spanning film, TV, and games, the site flags whether any given title has a "stinger"—hidden sequel teasers, outtakes, or jokes. "Stinger" is the fan shorthand; you'll also hear "credit cookie" or "post-credits scene."

Browse over a century of Billboard issues

For a music nerd, there's nothing more fascinating than poring over the Billboard charts from past decades to see how music—and the way it's categorized—has evolved. This digital archive allows you to click through almost every issue of the magazine and, in the process, watch the gradual emergence of nearly every American musical trend of the past century.

The story behind one infamous World Series moment

“The Bartman Incident” during Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS forever changed the life of Cubs fan Steve Bartman, who quickly descended into anonymity. This 2005 ESPN story attempts to find answers behind the notorious Bartman.

Explore an archive of Budweiser’s past Super Bowl ads

With about 47 of them airing over the past few decades, Budweiser’s Clydesdale ads have basically become synonymous with the Super Bowl—but how many have you actually seen? From 1991 to 2024, this website includes many of Budweiser’s most famous Super Bowl ads.

A life measured on the backs of coffee receipts

Years ago, a storyteller doodled on the back of a receipt. Hundreds of doodles later, Odding Wang has created a digital diary with a tactile feel. Click through the project's website to peruse the portals into Wang's life and mind. Hovering over a comic will reveal the receipt on the other side.

Following the scandals, CBS briefly banned canned laughter

The network was looking to correct the public perception that its programming was fraudulent, so it banned laugh tracks and fake applause from its broadcasts. The policy didn’t last long; within a few years, sitcoms were regularly “sweetened” with the sound effects.

Search a massive database of over 4 decades of clues from the TV quiz show 'Jeopardy!'

Search a massive database of over 4 decades of clues from the TV quiz show 'Jeopardy!'

What it means to call a bracket 'chalk'

If the tournament is rather boring, you might hear a curious word getting thrown around: "chalk." In short, it means that the favorites have been winning. The word's origins go back to horse racing and its sportsbooks, where bookies would post odds on chalkboards. Over time, the bookies came to be known as "chalk" and, years later, tournaments (and their brackets) that seemed to favor those bookies earned the name, too.

Find which comets are currently visible in the night sky

Incorporating sightings reported in the Comet Observation database and information from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this list provides a finder chart, star map, tracker, simulated orbit, and key properties for each comet, all viewable based on a user's input position on Earth.

A century of Billboard issues documenting the evolution of popular music.

Graffiti dates back to at least ancient Pompeii, where citizens scrawled messages to one another on public walls

A database of grape varieties

All wines are defined in part by the type of grapes used, whether a single grape or a blend. This encyclopedic archive of grape varieties and their respective attributes is an easy way to become acquainted with just about any wine grape out there—from Albariño to Zweigelt. It also includes brief introductions to non-wine alcoholic beverage categories like beer and hard seltzer.

The oldest recorded ghost drawing comes from ancient Babylon

An ancient Babylonian clay tablet in the British Museum presents a curious image of a ghost being led back to the afterlife. This artifact is believed to be the oldest known drawing of a spirit. According to Dr. Irving Finkel, this image is part of a guide to exorcise ghosts.

Explore scandals that got the "‑gate" treatment

Since the 1972 break-in at Washington's Watergate complex, the "-gate" suffix has become a global shorthand for scandal—ranging from major political crises to minor controversies—revealing how Watergate reshaped public discourse about misconduct and cover-ups.

Browse a detailed visual analysis of over 200,000 similes—comparisons that often use 'like' or 'as'—from popular fiction to see how frequently writers the same idiomatic expressions.

This site reaches millions of visitors who are tired of AI chatbots and seeking human connection. Pretend to be an AI chatbot and ask questions, provide answers, and draw for people in real time.

Comedy legend Catherine O'Hara, star of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'Home Alone,' quit 'Saturday Night Live' after just one week to return to her old job.

Explore the known asteroids, comets, and spacecraft involved in asteroid studies within our solar system with 'Eyes on Asteroids,' a 3D visualization from NASA.

Walt Disney's early film 'Alice's Wonderland' was a groundbreaking innovation in the silent film era

Netflix profits when you're not watching, and its movies are designed that way—read a detail-rich critical essay exposing lesser-known Netflix takes

See 33 images that became central to huge scandals, including a young Charles and Camilla, Michael Jackson's baby on a hotel balcony, and Hugh Grant's mugshot.

See how each of the more than two million known species relates to each other—and to common ancestors—in this zoomable tree of life.

Mid-century modern graphic designers, known for their bright colors and bold lines in advertising, also found success with children's books.

See how Budweiser's famous Clydesdales spend their days at Warm Springs Ranch, where roughly 70 to 80 of the beer brand's giant horses can be found at any given time.

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.

Elk Cloner, the first computer virus to spread in public, was written as a practical joke by Richard Skrenta, a Pittsburgh high school student.

The 1987 Nintendo video game 'Stadium Events' isn't known for being particularly fun, but its scarcity has made it a highly sought-after item that has sold for up to $35K at auction.

The Ramones' 'Pet Sematary,' the theme song for the Stephen King novel of the same name, was written while the band was admiring the writer's collection of horror memorabilia.

Meet the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence—most of whom didn't put pen to paper until August 2, 1776—and see their original signatures.

Against his wishes, Albert Einstein's brain was removed before his cremation, and the pathologist responsible stored it for decades in mason jars within a beer cooler.

Gerrymandering works through two techniques: cracking opposing voters across districts to dilute their power, and packing them into a few to waste their votes in lopsided majorities.

Fast-casual restaurant Chili's is experiencing a resurgence, with its parent company recently reporting a nearly 32% increase in sales, thanks to passionate Gen Z fans on TikTok.

Explore chaos in this simulation of two double pendulums, where small differences in the release angles produce wildly different outcomes.

See how fireworks are made and learn how metals like magnesium and copper are responsible for different colors.

See a ranking of the best (and worst) Federal Reserve Chairs since 1914 out of the 16 men and women who have held the office since.

An initial public offering or 'IPO' is the process of a private company becoming public by putting shares of the company on the stock market for purchase.