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Old window glass preserves manufacturing unevenness, not centuries of slow flow.
Old window glass preserves manufacturing unevenness, not centuries of slow flow. Traditional methods produced panes of varying thickness. Glass at room…
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Businesses can buy protection against disappointing weather.
Businesses can buy protection against disappointing weather. Weather derivatives link payments to measures such as temperature rather than to a company's…
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Maine is the U.S.
Maine is the U.S. state nearest to Africa. Northeastern North America reaches toward northwestern Africa, while Florida sits much farther west. The shortest…
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In Istanbul, a commuter ferry can take you to another continent.
In Istanbul, a commuter ferry can take you to another continent. The Bosphorus separates the city's European and Asian sides, so crossing a continental…
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A river in Peru's Amazon rainforest runs hot enough to scald, even far from an active volcano.
A river in Peru's Amazon rainforest runs hot enough to scald, even far from an active volcano. Geothermal researcher Andrés Ruzo measured water averaging…
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Period cramps come from a muscle doing real work: the uterus contracts to shed its lining.
Period cramps come from a muscle doing real work: the uterus contracts to shed its lining. Hormone-like chemicals called prostaglandins help drive those…
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Before computers filled offices, people were hired as computers.
Before computers filled offices, people were hired as computers. Human computers carried out calculations for astronomy, engineering, and military work. Women…
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Only one country lies between Finland and North Korea: Russia.
Only one country lies between Finland and North Korea: Russia. Both share a land border with it, despite being thousands of miles apart. That means crossing…
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Romanian government officials officially changed their labor laws in 2011 to classify witchcraft as a taxable profession in a desperate attempt to collect more revenue.
Romanian government officials officially changed their labor laws in 2011 to classify witchcraft as a taxable profession in a desperate attempt to collect…
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Bell Rocket Belt was a functional hydrogen peroxide jetpack developed in the 1960s that allowed humans to finally achieve the sci-fi dream of personal unassisted flight.
Bell Rocket Belt was a functional hydrogen peroxide jetpack developed in the 1960s that allowed humans to finally achieve the sci-fi dream of personal…
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Sony built an insurance business alongside its electronics empire.
Sony built an insurance business alongside its electronics empire. Financial services became a substantial part of a group better known to customers for…
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Unrelated cheetahs accepted one another's skin grafts.
Unrelated cheetahs accepted one another's skin grafts. A 1985 study reported acceptance of 14 reciprocal grafts, an unusual result for animals that were not…
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United States Navy submarine USS Nautilus achieved a legendary milestone in 1958 by becoming the very first watercraft to successfully transit directly across the North Pole…
United States Navy submarine USS Nautilus achieved a legendary milestone in 1958 by becoming the very first watercraft to successfully transit directly across…
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Donkey Kong grew out of a game Nintendo couldn't make with Popeye.
Donkey Kong grew out of a game Nintendo couldn't make with Popeye. Shigeru Miyamoto recalled sketching ideas around Popeye before learning those characters…
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Leaders of the Theosophical Society spent years grooming a young Indian boy named Jiddu Krishnamurti, fully believing they had discovered the mystical reincarnation of the World…
Leaders of the Theosophical Society spent years grooming a young Indian boy named Jiddu Krishnamurti, fully believing they had discovered the mystical…
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Capuchin monkeys learned to exchange tokens for treats in a Yale experiment.
Capuchin monkeys learned to exchange tokens for treats in a Yale experiment. They could compare food offers and choose where to spend their limited supply.…
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The ocean contains gold too scattered to collect profitably.
The ocean contains gold too scattered to collect profitably. NOAA describes dissolved gold at extremely low concentrations, with one study finding only about…
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Modern Warfare 2 let one player's killstreak end the whole match.
Modern Warfare 2 let one player's killstreak end the whole match. In the 2009 game, the Tactical Nuke normally required a 25-kill streak. Calling it in…
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Nintendo developers shaped the Arwing space fighters in the original Star Fox as simple flat triangles purely because the limited hardware chip could not render any actual…
Nintendo developers shaped the Arwing space fighters in the original Star Fox as simple flat triangles purely because the limited hardware chip could not…
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Video game cartridges in the 1980s did not actually benefit from being violently blown into when they failed to load, despite millions of kids treating human breath like a…
Video game cartridges in the 1980s did not actually benefit from being violently blown into when they failed to load, despite millions of kids treating human…
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Making a nonstick pan means making nonstick material stick.
Making a nonstick pan means making nonstick material stick. A coating system uses a prepared metal surface and a bonding primer beneath the slippery top…
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Internet Explorer retired, but some old websites still needed it.
Internet Explorer retired, but some old websites still needed it. Microsoft ended support for the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application on certain Windows…
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Gallium can turn a metal spoon into liquid in warm water.
Gallium can turn a metal spoon into liquid in warm water. It melts at about 30°C, just above a warm room's temperature. Heating a gallium object changes its…
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Yellowstone's underground heat powers a landscape of geysers.
Yellowstone's underground heat powers a landscape of geysers. Hot rock beneath the park heats circulating groundwater, feeding hot springs and geysers. The…
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