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
The cute e-card that could infect your computer
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, hackers disguised malicious executable files as cute e-cards, counting on people to open them. A teddy bear animation could…
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Why Monopoly takes forever under house rules
Under official rules, an unbought property goes to auction. House rules that put taxes and fees on Free Parking add cash to the game, delaying bankruptcy and…
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Steve Jobs wouldn’t let his kids use an iPad
In a 2010 interview, Jobs said his children hadn’t used the newly released iPad, despite his public promotion of it as an educational tool.
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The camping fight that inspired Fight Club
When Palahniuk returned to work with a smashed face, none of his coworkers asked what had happened. He took their silence as a sign that polite society…
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A traffic jam can form with no obstacle ahead
In a circular-track experiment, 22 drivers tried to maintain steady movement, yet a stop-and-go wave emerged. Small changes in spacing and speed grew as…
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Babylonian debtors could surrender wives or children
A debtor who couldn’t pay could surrender his wife or children to the creditor. Under Hammurabi’s code, they had to work as indentured servants for three…
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The gas station's real prize may be what you buy inside
A station can sell fuel on a thin margin while earning a larger percentage on drinks, snacks, and other convenience items. Fuel brings customers to the…
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Canada's 'longest street' claim had a catch
The 1,178-mile figure combined Yonge Street with a long rural highway.
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Most car trips are shorter than three miles
Short drives often end before the engine warms up. A cold engine burns fuel less efficiently, and stop-start streets add more work, so a quick errand can be…
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Randomness lets a text model take a different next step
A language model assigns probabilities to possible continuations. Sampling can choose among them instead of always selecting the highest-ranked option, while…
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Byron brought a bear to Cambridge when college rules barred dogs.
Byron brought a bear to Cambridge when college rules barred dogs. In an 1807 letter, he described his new bear and joked about it seeking a fellowship. The…
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Brazil's Snake Island has a snake found nowhere else in the wild.
Brazil's Snake Island has a snake found nowhere else in the wild. The golden lancehead lives on Queimada Grande, a protected island off São Paulo. Adult…
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Saudi Arabia literally imports camels and millions of tons of sand from Australia because the local desert resources are unsuitable for construction and their native camel populations are dwindling.
Saudi Arabia literally imports camels and millions of tons of sand from Australia because the local desert resources are unsuitable for construction and their…
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A Chinese housing development borrowed Paris's most recognizable skyline.
A Chinese housing development borrowed Paris's most recognizable skyline. Tianducheng, near Hangzhou, includes a roughly 108-meter Eiffel Tower replica and…
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A domestic French flight can cross the Indian Ocean.
A domestic French flight can cross the Indian Ocean. Réunion is an overseas department of France, thousands of miles from mainland Europe. Flying there from…
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Ralph Teetor invented modern automotive cruise control in 1948 despite being completely blind since the age of five.
Ralph Teetor invented modern automotive cruise control in 1948 despite being completely blind since the age of five. Teetor’s mechanism linked the car’s speed…
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Cotard syndrome can make a living person believe they are dead.
Cotard syndrome can make a living person believe they are dead. The rare delusion can include a conviction that the body or its organs no longer exist. It has…
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Australia's wintering Antarctic doctors must arrive without an appendix.
Australia's wintering Antarctic doctors must arrive without an appendix. The Australian Antarctic Program requires the operation because a winter station…
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MTV opened with a song announcing radio's death.
MTV opened with a song announcing radio's death. At the network's August 1981 launch, The Buggles' Video Killed the Radio Star supplied the first music video.…
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Survivor rewards surviving the vote, not just surviving the island.
Survivor rewards surviving the vote, not just surviving the island. The format first reached television in Sweden as Expedition Robinson in 1997, before the…
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A Vatican ATM has offered banking instructions in Latin.
A Vatican ATM has offered banking instructions in Latin. The language appears as a selectable interface option rather than only in ceremonies or old…
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Final Fantasy's initials came before its full name.
Final Fantasy's initials came before its full name. Hironobu Sakaguchi said the team wanted the Roman-letter abbreviation FF. 'Fighting Fantasy' was difficult…
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A clockmaker built an alarm that rang only at 4 a.m.
A clockmaker built an alarm that rang only at 4 a.m. Levi Hutchins made the clock in 1787 for his own early start. Its alarm was fixed to the time he needed,…
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Internal Revenue Service guidelines explicitly require US taxpayers to declare income generated from bribes, theft, and illegal drug sales on their annual tax returns.
Internal Revenue Service guidelines explicitly require US taxpayers to declare income generated from bribes, theft, and illegal drug sales on their annual tax…
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