The world is more interesting than you think.
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A little more wonder
An Olympic marathon winner was given strychnine and brandy.
An Olympic marathon winner was given strychnine and brandy. At the 1904 St. Louis Games, Thomas Hicks struggled through heat and dust while his handlers gave…
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Some airliners have a horn, but it is for the ground crew, not the plane ahead.
Some airliners have a horn, but it is for the ground crew, not the plane ahead. A cockpit button sounds an external alert to get a mechanic's attention while…
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Vin Diesel traded a Tokyo Drift cameo for Riddick.
Vin Diesel traded a Tokyo Drift cameo for Riddick. Instead of a conventional acting fee, he obtained rights to the Riddick character from Universal. That…
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Director James Cameron wrote the character of Jack Dawson entirely from his own imagination, completely unaware that a real man named J.
Director James Cameron wrote the character of Jack Dawson entirely from his own imagination, completely unaware that a real man named J. Dawson was actually…
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Minecraft's first public version took shape in six days.
Minecraft's first public version took shape in six days. Markus Persson built the early version released in May 2009 in less than a week; the enormous game it…
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Squid Game’s creator said the stress of making its first season cost him teeth.
Squid Game’s creator said the stress of making its first season cost him teeth. Hwang Dong-hyuk described dental problems during production after spending…
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Japan's Seiryu Miharashi Station was built for looking at the river, not for reaching a town.
Japan's Seiryu Miharashi Station was built for looking at the river, not for reaching a town. Its platform has no road entrance or pedestrian exit; visitors…
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Wright brothers' very first successful airplane flight in 1903 covered a distance of one hundred and twenty feet, which is actually shorter than the wingspan of a modern Boeing 747.
Wright brothers' very first successful airplane flight in 1903 covered a distance of one hundred and twenty feet, which is actually shorter than the wingspan…
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Swiss apartment quiet hours can turn an ordinary evening into a negotiation with the neighbors.
Swiss apartment quiet hours can turn an ordinary evening into a negotiation with the neighbors. Building rules set limits on avoidable noise, and residents…
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Liechtenstein once offered a “rent the country” event package for about $70,000 a night.
Liechtenstein once offered a “rent the country” event package for about $70,000 a night. It promised an organized visit with ceremonial touches such as…
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Early Honda CR-Vs hid a picnic table in the cargo floor.
Early Honda CR-Vs hid a picnic table in the cargo floor. The removable panel could be lifted out and unfolded into outdoor furniture, giving the car's storage…
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Your French train farewell has an earlier deadline than the departure time.
Your French train farewell has an earlier deadline than the departure time. SNCF advises passengers on TGV INOUI, Intercités and TER services that access to…
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Costa Rican addresses can preserve landmarks that are no longer there.
Costa Rican addresses can preserve landmarks that are no longer there. Directions traditionally use distances and bearings from familiar buildings, shops, or…
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A sloth's fur can house a tiny ecosystem.
A sloth's fur can house a tiny ecosystem. Moths live in the fur, and algae grow among the hairs. A 2014 study proposed that the moths help supply nutrients…
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Women brewed much of medieval England's everyday ale.
Women brewed much of medieval England's everyday ale. Brewing was often domestic work, and women could sell surplus ale to neighbors. Later commercial changes…
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A year of aerobic exercise changed a memory region in older adults.
A year of aerobic exercise changed a memory region in older adults. In a randomized trial of 120 older people, the exercise group increased hippocampal volume…
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Music can change your pulse—and the pause can change it too.
Music can change your pulse—and the pause can change it too. In a small study of musicians and non-musicians, faster music increased measures such as heart…
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Sticky rice helped ancient Chinese mortar hold together.
Sticky rice helped ancient Chinese mortar hold together. Researchers analyzing historic lime mortar found amylopectin, a starch component associated with…
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In 2018, only about one person in nine took a flight.
In 2018, only about one person in nine took a flight. A global study estimated that roughly 11% of people flew during that year. Airline passenger totals look…
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Longyearbyen's frozen ground changes the rules of burial.
Longyearbyen's frozen ground changes the rules of burial. Permafrost makes an ordinary coffin burial a very different proposition in this Arctic town.…
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Tom Selleck was originally cast to play the iconic, whip-cracking archaeologist Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but CBS refused to release him from his contract for the detective show Magnum P.I.
Tom Selleck was originally cast to play the iconic, whip-cracking archaeologist Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but CBS refused to release him from…
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King James VI of Scotland became so terrified of dark mysticism after a severe storm delayed his wife's sea voyage that he personally attended witch trials and wrote a massive…
King James VI of Scotland became so terrified of dark mysticism after a severe storm delayed his wife's sea voyage that he personally attended witch trials…
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Radio stations looped the Friends theme before it was a full song.
Radio stations looped the Friends theme before it was a full song. The Rembrandts initially recorded less than a minute of verse and chorus for the sitcom.…
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Trevi Fountain's wish coins help pay for real groceries.
Trevi Fountain's wish coins help pay for real groceries. Visitors toss coins into the Rome fountain as part of a tradition about returning to the city. The…
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