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John Travolta famously mispronounced Idina Menzel's name as Adele Dazeem at the Oscars
At the 2014 Oscars, his mangled introduction went viral, and “Adele Dazeem” quickly became a catchphrase.
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Why human lungs can float
Alveoli—the lungs’ millions of tiny air sacs—can trap air, making lung tissue buoyant. That air is why lungs can float even after death.
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Billiard cue tips rely entirely on hardened leather
Layered pigskin or cowhide gives the tip enough grip and cushion to transfer spin to the cue ball.
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In craps, seven can switch from your best roll to your worst
For a pass-line bet, seven wins on the opening come-out roll. Once a point is established, rolling seven before repeating that point loses the bet. The dice…
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Why first names can be too familiar in Germany
In Germany, switching to first names often follows an explicit invitation to use the informal “du”; until then, a handshake doesn’t necessarily signal…
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Cyberpunk's yellow announcements became a warning color
CD Projekt delayed Cyberpunk 2077 three times during 2020 before its December release. The bright yellow statement format became recognizable enough to…
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JSON lost comments because people started making them instructions
Douglas Crockford removed comments after seeing them used to carry parsing directives. That risked turning a supposedly interchangeable data format into…
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Risk originally featured completely different wooden cubes
The original game used small wooden blocks as its armies, rather than the familiar plastic soldiers.
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The real distress behind Left 4 Dead’s Witch cries
The Witch’s wail was made using recordings of people in genuine emotional distress, giving the enemy a sound that feels heartbreakingly sorrowful.
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Why foil cards curl when they get damp
The cardboard backing absorbs moisture and expands while the metal layer cannot, making the card curl.
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Caller ID spoofing manipulates network origin data
Caller ID information travels with a call, and poorly secured routing systems can let the caller supply a false number that appears on the recipient’s screen.
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Digital cameras absolutely obliterated the entire film sector
Digital cameras let people take pictures without buying film or paying to have each roll developed and printed. That cut into the businesses built around both…
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Why falling in love can resemble OCD
When you’re falling for someone, your mind may keep returning to the same person and the same unanswered questions. A message brings relief; then you start…
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Rod Stewart played inside a New Year's crowd of millions
His free 1994 Copacabana performance shared the beach with Rio's New Year's celebrations. Guinness reports a crowd of at least 3.5 million, including people…
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Even chewing has an energy bill
Moving the jaw takes muscular work, so chewing gum raises energy expenditure a little. The harder and longer the jaw works, the more energy it uses. It is a…
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Venus returns dictate your yearly romantic catastrophes
Astrologers cast a chart when Venus returns to its position at a person’s birth and use it to interpret themes in their love life over the coming year.
Discover moreMadonna recruited Chic's producer for her second album
Nile Rodgers helped shape Like a Virgin into pop aimed beyond the dance floor, bringing experience from Chic and productions for other major stars. Madonna…
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Tantra technically translates strictly to loom or weave
The Sanskrit word is linked to weaving and a loom, and it can also refer to a system of teachings; it isn’t inherently an intimate practice.
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Measuring wealth inequality requires heavy mathematics
Imagine all a country's wealth lined up between two extremes: shared perfectly by everyone at 0, or held by one person at 1. The Gini coefficient places the…
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Space station solar arrays lack atmospheric protection
Micrometeoroid impacts and solar radiation gradually wear the arrays down, since there’s no atmosphere to shield them.
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Anthony the Great moved to a fort and refused to speak
Anthony the Great withdrew to an abandoned fort and lived in seclusion for 20 years, refusing visitors’ attempts to draw him into conversation.
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The famous Leeroy Jenkins raid was staged
The 2005 Leeroy Jenkins video was scripted by the World of Warcraft guild PALS FOR LIFE as a satire of players' overplanning. Its popularity eventually led…
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Narrowboats are built to plug British canals
British canals have narrow locks, so narrowboats are built to fit inside them with room to spare. Their slim hulls turn a tight waterway into a route instead…
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How alarms silence the background music
Audio ducking automatically lowers the volume of background tracks when a high-priority sound, such as an alarm, plays, so the alert isn’t drowned out.
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