The world is more interesting than you think.
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Umami taste receptors intensely detect savory amino acids
For decades, scientists aggressively ignored umami, insisting we could only detect sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. It turns out your tongue has specialized…
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How ancient builders hollowed out giant canoes
Chopping out the middle of a massive tree is utterly exhausting, so ancient builders just set the inside on fire. By carefully controlling the blaze and…
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The hockey game that lasted more than ten days
In an incredible display of stubborn endurance, a charity match in Alberta kept the puck moving for over ten consecutive days. Players basically lived on the…
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George Orwell borrowed his pen name from a local river
Eric Arthur Blair didn't want to embarrass his family when he published his first book about living in extreme poverty, so he needed an alias. He chose the…
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Fridge magnets began as children's lessons
Your collection of tacky metallic rectangles from every state you have visited started as an educational tool. Patented in the 1950s to help kids spell, these…
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Venom began as a fan's $220 idea
One of Marvel's most iconic anti-heroes was essentially outsourced. In 1982, a fan named Randy Schueller submitted an idea for a black stealth suit for…
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Dubai turned a hotel helipad into a tennis court
Just to remind everyone of their unlimited budget, the Burj Al Arab casually converted its dizzyingly high helipad into a temporary tennis court. Athletes…
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Why singing in the shower may ease anxiety
Screeching pop songs while covered in soap is scientifically proven to chill you out. The acoustics make you sound slightly less terrible, while the deep…
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Why antique glassware sets off Geiger counters
In the early twentieth century, people thought it was incredibly stylish to aggressively infuse their serving dishes with literal radioactive isotopes just to…
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The coffee substitute made from chicory root
Fake coffee has an incredibly successful market share. During past blockades, people realized that roasting and grinding the root of the chicory weed produced…
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Hyundai began by building bridges
The massive automotive giant began entirely as an engineering and construction company in 1947. They were much more concerned with pouring concrete and…
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Why thermal paste eventually turns to chalk
The absolutely only thing standing between a processor and oblivion is a rapidly drying puddle of thick grease. Over years of enduring extreme temperature…
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Scientists put windows into living cows' stomachs
Dairy scientists literally install windows into livestock. Rumen fistulas are surgically placed plastic portholes that allow farmers to reach directly into a…
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Stage directions originated from the performer's perspective
If you've ever wondered why moving to the right side of the stage is called 'Stage Left', it's because theater revolves entirely around the ego of the actor.…
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In Lucha Libre, losing your mask means losing honor
In Lucha Libre, losing your mask is treated as the ultimate professional disgrace. Competitors will go to absolute extremes to conceal their facial features,…
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Mealworms can eat Styrofoam without dying
Insects might actually save us from our own garbage. Certain mealworms contain gut bacteria capable of breaking down polystyrene foam without dying. While…
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Why Brazil nuts still come from the rainforest
Some trees absolutely refuse to be tamed by agriculture. Brazil nut trees require a specific jungle orchid, which attracts a specific bee, to pollinate their…
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Floating light orbs are just ghosts with zero shape
Flashes of spherical illumination casually drifting across the hallway are treated as absolute proof of the beyond. Of course, most airborne dust particles…
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Hearts forces players to actively avoid winning
Unlike almost every other competitive activity, Hearts is entirely about not taking points. You win by meticulously dumping your garbage cards onto your…
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Grand Tour finished a 17th-century aristocrat education
If you were a young, wealthy male hundreds of years ago, you were forcefully shipped off for months of cultural exposure. This mandatory roaming was designed…
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The bean that thickens ice cream and cosmetics
A single dusty bean holds modern processed goods together. Extracted from the seeds of a drought-resistant legume, guar gum is a terrifyingly powerful…
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This sport combines trampolines with volleyball
Combining volleyball, soccer, and gymnastics, this sport is played on a giant inflatable court equipped with trampolines. It looks incredibly fun until you…
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Sylvia Plath hid poems under the floorboards
Nothing screams 'my marriage is going great' like burying your art. Toward the end of her life, while dealing with extreme depression and a collapsing…
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Two metals and electricity can make one side cold
You don't need a bulky compressor to make ice, just two distinct metals and some raw electricity. Thermoelectric coolers exploit the Peltier effect, where…
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