The world is more interesting than you think.
Unexpected facts, big ideas, and little discoveries. Find something that sparks your curiosity today.
A little more wonder
South Korean singles eat black noodles on April 14
On April 14, some South Koreans who didn’t receive Valentine’s Day chocolates wear dark clothes and eat bowls of jajangmyeon, black-bean noodles.
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GeoGuessr turns random roads into detective work
GeoGuessr drops you onto a random road and asks you to identify the location from visual clues. Players scrutinize details like utility poles and soil before…
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Ear cartilage is completely elastic and forever flexible
Elastic fibers in the outer ear’s cartilage let it bend and then spring back toward its original shape. That built-in rebound is why the ear can flex without…
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Hubble telescope mirror flaw was repaired by tiny optics
Rather than replace Hubble’s flawed mirror, astronauts installed corrective optics: small mirrors that redirected the light to compensate for its shape. The…
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The robotic vocal effect comes from correcting pitch too quickly
Ordinary pitch correction can move a voice gently toward a target note. Turn the retuning speed up and the transition becomes abrupt, creating the…
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Why high-pitched music can make weights feel lighter
Your mind links high pitches with small, light things and low pitches with large, heavy ones. So a high-pitched soundtrack can bias how heavy a weight seems,…
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A food photo can need a steamer and hidden supports
Commercial food photographer Scott Choucino describes using toothpicks, glycerin and steamers on shoots. Small supports hold food in the desired position,…
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Why stage flames can singe performers' eyebrows
Stage flames can cause minor burns and singe eyebrows or hair extensions when performers stray beyond their safety marks.
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Naga are half human snake beings guarding treasures
In some Asian myths, these subterranean, snake-like beings guard precious gems and snap at anyone who tries to take them.
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Why telenovelas keep viewers watching for months
Daily episodes and melodramatic cliffhangers keep viewers coming back, sometimes for months at a time.
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How human hair can soak up oil
Hair repels water but can bind to oil, so strands of hair can soak up oily material while water runs off. Cleanup groups turn salon clippings into mats that…
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Water polo once involved riding painted barrels
Players straddled floating wooden barrels painted like horses and used oars to propel themselves and hit the ball—more aquatic jousting than modern water polo.
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First modern Olympic champion won the triple jump event
The triple jump was the first event on the schedule at the 1896 Games, and American James Connolly won it. The first modern Olympic champion was crowned…
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Marid are giant water entities granting wishes
In traditional lore, marids are powerful, arrogant sea beings—not friendly wish-granters. They had to be compelled with earthly power to grant favors.
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Do dreams really run in real time
A dream’s clock can move much like yours does while awake. In studies, people asked to signal during a dream and then awakened often showed that dream actions…
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Yara-ma-yha-who drops from fig trees to swallow people
The red, toothless creature naps after swallowing a traveler, then regurgitates them.
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Kappa are water dwellers obsessed with cucumbers
Offering a cucumber is said to pacify the creature.
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Astronaut literally makes space travelers 'star sailors'
“Astronaut” combines Greek roots for “star” and “sailor.” It makes space travel sound like a voyage across the heavens—even when the ride involves a rocket.
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Frustum culling hides everything outside your field of view
The game usually skips rendering objects outside the camera’s view, saving processing power for what you can see. Turn around, and those buildings or enemies…
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Concert encores are often planned in advance
Encores may already be printed on setlists and programmed into lighting rigs before the audience arrives.
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How free apps turn inconvenience into revenue
Some apps put pop-ups in your way, then offer a monthly payment to make them disappear. The interruption isn’t just an annoyance; it’s the sales pitch.
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Lasers can act as tweezers for tiny particles
Focused laser beams can trap tiny particles such as atoms and bacteria, acting like microscopic tweezers.
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Temple Run features terrifying demonic monkeys chasing you
After you steal an artifact, ape-like monsters chase you over crumbling ruins; a single stumble can end the run.
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Tlaloc is a rain deity demanding precious offerings
In Aztec belief, Tlaloc controlled storms, and people offered valuable sacrifices in hopes of protecting their crops from drought.
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