Why a Japanese WWII soldier refused to surrender for 29 years

For the Japanese in World War II, surrender was unthinkable. So unthinkable that many soldiers continued to fight even after the island nation eventually did surrender.

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  • Japan may have surrendered to the Allies on August 15, 1945, but many Japanese soldiers did not get word until much later.
  • The culture of death before surrender that permeated the Japanese military caused many to continue to fight even after Japan's formal surrender.
  • Hiroo Onada was one such holdout. He engaged in a guerrilla war in the jungles of the Philippines for nearly 30 years.
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Politics & Current Affairs

Top 5 KGB operations on U.S. soil

Russia's famed intelligence agency was often successful in getting American secrets.

KGB logo and NYC in 1970. Credit: Getty Images
  • The KGB recruited spies and carried out numerous operations in the United States.
  • The spies compromised U.S. intelligence and military.
  • Some practices of the KGB continue in modern intelligence.
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Culture & Religion

10 science photos that made history and changed minds

These photos of scientific heroes and accomplishments inspire awe and curiosity.

  • Science has given humanity an incalculable boost over the recent centuries, changing our lives in ways both awe-inspiring and humbling.
  • Fortunately, photography, a scientific feat in and of itself, has recorded some of the most important events, people and discoveries in science, allowing us unprecedented insight and expanding our view of the world.
  • Here are some of the most important scientific photos of history:
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Surprising Science

At least 340,000 Americans died from radioactive fallout between 1951 and 1973

Domestic nuclear testing wreaked havoc on thousands of families.

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  • Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands. But new research shows that domestic U.S. nuclear tests likely killed more.
  • The new research tracked an unlikely vector for radioactive transmission: dairy cows.
  • The study serves as a reminder of the insidious and deadly nature of nuclear weapons.
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Politics & Current Affairs

Did Russia just launch a secret space weapon into orbit?

Russia has launched several so-called "inspector satellites" that could potentially be weaponized.

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  • U.S. intelligence recorded a Russian rocket deploying a mysterious object during a recent mission.
  • It's possibly an inspector satellite, a spacecraft designed to repair, monitor and, potentially, destroy other satellites.
  • Weaponized satellites would likely be used in the early stages of a large-scale conflict, U.S. intelligence reports.
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Politics & Current Affairs