The topic test
A WeirdWeek topic has to pass three questions before it becomes a page. First, does the object or system have a real job? Second, can a reader learn something beyond the novelty? Third, are there public references or durable facts that let the article be checked later?
A list of strange facts can be fun, but WeirdWeek articles go one step further: what constraint created the odd form, what tradeoff kept it useful, and what broader habit does it reveal?
How stories are structured
Most articles use a simple pattern: begin with the visible oddity, restore the working context, explain the design logic, and end with a useful lesson. For example, runway numbers are not just airport trivia; they are a compact navigation language. Round manhole covers are not just a puzzle answer; they are maintenance safety made visible.
Reading paths connect related stories so a reader can follow one question across several fields. A path about public risk, for example, links an industrial tank failure with urban air pollution and weather experiments.
Sources and corrections
Articles use public references such as museums, government agencies, encyclopedias, engineering explainers, and official documentation when available. Source boxes explain where the baseline facts came from and what the editorial angle adds.
Images are selected for explanatory value, not decoration. Captions identify what a reader is seeing and, for third-party material, link to the source and state the applicable public-domain status or Creative Commons license. Images may be resized or converted to a web format for delivery, but they are not presented as evidence for a claim they do not support.
If a reader spots an error, the contact page asks for the page URL, the specific claim, and a supporting reference. Corrections are prioritized over topic pitches because trust matters more than volume.
Advertising boundaries
Display advertising, when present, is kept separate from article selection, sourcing, and conclusions. Readers are never asked or encouraged to interact with ads.
The editorial test is simple: every page should remain useful when the advertising is hidden.