People who visit the WUNC website tend to like science and education. You click on stories that give context to the news and you also like the occasional quirky story. Three of the year's top 10 stories have featured video, something we're doing more of.
Here are the top 10 most viewed stories in 2014:
1. What's Inside This House On Wade Avenue? (January 16, 2014)
There's a house at 3215 Wade Avenue in Raleigh. It looks just like the rest of the houses in that neighborhood. But there's no driveway out front. And there's no walkway to the front door. (Spoiler alert: Turns out, the "house" isn't a house at all.) Eric Mennel's video about the building went viral.
2. Teacher Email To Legislators Draws Harsh Reply (May 12, 2014)
Sarah Wiles, a science teacher in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg Schools. She sent an email to every member of the North Carolina General Assembly with the subject line: “I am embarrassed to confess: I am a teacher.” Sen. David Curtis, a Republican from Denver, NC, responded. Dave DeWitt wrote the story.
3. Duke Mathematicians Investigate 2012 Election Results In North Carolina (November 25, 2014)
Jessica Jones reported that in 2012, more North Carolinians voted for Democrats than Republicans in North Carolina’s Congressional elections. But Republicans ended up winning nine out of the state’s 13 seats that year. Duke researchers decided to seek a mathematical explanation for the discrepancy.
4. NC State Student Uncovered Neck Bone of Biggest Dinosaur Ever (September 11, 2014)
Dreadnoughtus was two stories tall, and as big as a jumbo jet. Experts believe it was not yet fully grown when it died. Phoebe Judge interviewed Alison Moyer, who spent several months on her knees using picks, dust brushes, and tweezers to uncover parts of Dreadnoughtus' skeleton.
5. Take A Virtual Ride On The World's Tallest, Fastest Giga Rollercoaster (December 4, 2014)
Carol Jackson's story laid out out the specs of the Fury-325 rollercoaster. Parts of it stand 20-feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. When the coaster opens it will be the tallest and fastest of its kind in the world, reaching speeds of an astonishing 95 mph.
6. Political Flyer With Photo Of Lynching Distributed At North Carolina Church (October 21, 2014)
A controversial flyer was placed under windshields at a predominantly black church in Fayetteville. The flyer featured the photo of a lynch mob.
7. Here's What A Rip Current Looks Like From The Beach (June 2, 2014)
Most rip currents are 50 to 100 feet wide. Eric Hodge's story showed what such a current looks like to someone standing on the beach.
8. 'Masses' Of Sharks Near Shore On Carolina Coast (October 14, 2014)
A series of videos and photos show masses of sharks on the North Carolina shoreline. Two videos show what appear to be blacktip and/or spinner sharks in a feeding frenzy near Cape Lookout.
9. Map Shows Where And When Fall Colors Peak In North Carolina (September 19, 2014)
What weekend should you go to Grandfather Mountain in western North Carolina to see the fall colors at the peak of perfection? Carol Jackson posted a map that was created by scientists at Appalachian State that attempts to answer that very question.
10. A North Carolina Pie Elicits An 'Oh My God' Response (originally published April 11, 2013)
Every now and then, you crave a different kind of finish to a satisfying meal. Cookbook author Katie Workman says the Atlantic Beach Pie from Crook's Corner restaurant in Chapel Hill, N.C., is the best pie she's ever had.
