The world is more interesting than you think.
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A little more wonder
Chaplin built the Tramp from clothes that did not belong together.
Chaplin built the Tramp from clothes that did not belong together. The little mustache, small hat, baggy trousers, and oversized shoes produced a silhouette…
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The original Game Boy traded color for staying power.
The original Game Boy traded color for staying power. Its monochrome display looked modest beside later color rivals, but Nintendo lists up to 30 hours of…
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Volkswagen gave its currywurst a parts number.
Volkswagen gave its currywurst a parts number. The sausage began as food for factory employees and became a product in its own right, identified in…
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NASA's Shadow network boasts an internet connection speed of 91 gigabits per second, making it roughly 13,000 times faster than the average American home connection.
NASA's Shadow network boasts an internet connection speed of 91 gigabits per second, making it roughly 13,000 times faster than the average American home…
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Your liver regrows capacity, not a perfect copy of the missing piece.
Your liver regrows capacity, not a perfect copy of the missing piece. After a partial removal, remaining liver cells enlarge and multiply, rebuilding much of…
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Shrek found his Scottish voice after Mike Myers tried another one.
Shrek found his Scottish voice after Mike Myers tried another one. Myers rerecorded the role with a Scottish accent after hearing an earlier version of his…
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Michelin helped drivers find reasons to wear out their tires.
Michelin helped drivers find reasons to wear out their tires. The tire company's early guide supplied practical information for motorists: places to stay,…
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Astronauts can come home taller.
Astronauts can come home taller. On Earth, weight compresses the spine through the day. In microgravity, that loading is reduced and the spine lengthens; NASA…
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Friends filmed its New York-looking fountain credits in California.
Friends filmed its New York-looking fountain credits in California. The fountain stood at the Warner Bros. Ranch in Burbank, not in a Manhattan park. The…
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Pregnancy reshapes the brain as well as the body.
Pregnancy reshapes the brain as well as the body. Imaging studies have found changes in gray-matter volume and brain networks, including regions involved in…
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Burgernomics is an entirely real economic tool created by The Economist in 1986 to measure purchasing power parity using the price of a McDonald's Big Mac.
Burgernomics is an entirely real economic tool created by The Economist in 1986 to measure purchasing power parity using the price of a McDonald's Big Mac.…
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A donor heart can travel while still beating.
A donor heart can travel while still beating. Its own electrical pacemaker cells can start the rhythm without commands from the brain. To keep the muscle…
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Famed physicist Albert Einstein was officially offered the presidency of the State of Israel in 1952 following the death of its first president, Chaim Weizmann, but the renowned scientist politely declined the position.
Famed physicist Albert Einstein was officially offered the presidency of the State of Israel in 1952 following the death of its first president, Chaim…
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Unopened LEGO sets had a surprising run in an investment study.
Unopened LEGO sets had a surprising run in an investment study. Researchers studying sets from 1987–2015 estimated average annual returns of about 11% in…
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The trillion-dollar coin idea exploits an unusual wording.
The trillion-dollar coin idea exploits an unusual wording. U.S. law gives the Treasury unusual discretion over platinum-coin denominations. Advocates proposed…
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Emanuel Swedenborg was a brilliant eighteenth-century scientist who abruptly shifted gears at age fifty-six after claiming Jesus appeared to him and unlocked his ability to…
Emanuel Swedenborg was a brilliant eighteenth-century scientist who abruptly shifted gears at age fifty-six after claiming Jesus appeared to him and unlocked…
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A TV buzz helped give lightsabers their voice.
A TV buzz helped give lightsabers their voice. Ben Burtt combined a film projector's hum with interference his microphone picked up near a television. To make…
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Lobsters were once considered the ultimate garbage food of the American economy, deemed so worthless that they were frequently fed to prisoners, apprentices, and even used as crop fertilizer.
Lobsters were once considered the ultimate garbage food of the American economy, deemed so worthless that they were frequently fed to prisoners, apprentices,…
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HBO talked The Sopranos into keeping one theme song.
HBO talked The Sopranos into keeping one theme song. David Chase originally wanted a different opening song each week. An HBO executive argued for a tune…
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Ponzi's stamp story sold returns that new investors actually paid.
Ponzi's stamp story sold returns that new investors actually paid. In 1920, Charles Ponzi promised large, rapid profits through international postal reply…
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Henry Ford saw free time as part of the market for factory goods.
Henry Ford saw free time as part of the market for factory goods. When Ford adopted a five-day week in 1926, he argued that leisure helped workers consume…
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Large cruise ships make room for a morgue.
Large cruise ships make room for a morgue. A death at sea cannot always be followed by an immediate transfer ashore. Refrigerated storage allows remains to be…
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The PlayStation 2 had a second sales pitch: movie night.
The PlayStation 2 had a second sales pitch: movie night. Sony's console launched in Japan in 2000 with DVD-Video playback as well as games and compatibility…
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A placebo helped some patients who knew it was a placebo.
A placebo helped some patients who knew it was a placebo. In a small 2010 trial, patients with irritable bowel syndrome were openly given pills without an…
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