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
Sahasrara represents the absolute apex of energetic states
In chakra traditions, it is depicted as a many-petaled bloom at the crown. Reaching it is said to dissolve ordinary boundaries and unite a person with the…
Discover more
At Versailles, a toilet could be a piece of furniture
Chamber pots and close stools provided indoor sanitation before modern bathrooms became standard. Servants had to empty and maintain them, so palace life…
Discover more
Melted wax dripping reveals hidden truths
In ceromancy, melted wax is dripped into cold water, and the resulting shapes are read as omens.
Discover more
Night of the Living Dead made gore from a bizarre menu
The production used chocolate syrup for blood and edible or butcher-supplied materials for the zombies' feast. In black and white, color mattered less than…
Discover more
Sinking pebbles in a fountain grant wishes
Pegomancy uses stones dropped into spring water; bubbles and ripples are read as signs, with more bubbles taken to mean better odds of a wish coming true.
Discover more
Tomb Raider features an aristocrat stealing old relics
Her adventures turn archaeology into action: she raids ancient tombs and carries priceless cultural artifacts away in an improbably deep backpack.
Discover more
STACKY FOR IPHONEA bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.
Keep discovering with Stacky. Interesting facts in an app that is always within reach.
Application caches regularly cause sites to display
A browser may keep an old stylesheet—a saved set of instructions for a page’s appearance—even after the website has changed. Then the new content arrives…
Discover more
Why a Sudoku puzzle needs at least 17 clues
A standard 9-by-9 Sudoku needs at least 17 clues to have a unique solution; no 16-clue puzzle can do so.
Discover more
Harvest Moon lets you marry the creature in the lake
In More Friends of Mineral Town, the kappa is a secret marriage candidate. Giving him cucumbers is only part of a demanding set of requirements. The game…
Discover more
Xbox 360 storage drives require proprietary enclosures
The drive itself was a standard laptop drive, but it sat inside a restrictive custom shell. Replacing it meant opening the casing, which could void the…
Discover more
Why your hands and feet hold over half your bones
Your hands need to shape a grip, and your feet need to flex and steady you as you move. Their many small bones form intricate, adjustable frameworks for those…
Discover more
Your fingers can detect texture far smaller than a fingerprint ridge
In an experiment, people distinguished surfaces with wrinkles only about 13 nanometers high. Sliding over the pattern changes friction and vibration, giving…
Discover more
Air signs overthink themselves into complete paralysis
Their stereotype is to run through dozens of hypothetical outcomes—even a sandwich order can become a 45-minute decision.
Discover more
First synthetic plastic was made from plant cellulose
Early plastics such as celluloid were made from plant cellulose rather than petroleum. Celluloid was moldable and transparent, but highly flammable.
Discover more
Where massive SUVs actually spend most of their time
Most giant SUVs spend their days on ordinary roads, making ordinary trips, then squeezing into parking spaces designed by someone with a sense of humor. Their…
Discover more
Why you spot everyone else's biases but your own
It’s easy to spot a rival’s blind spot because you can watch their choices from the outside. Your own bias comes wrapped in reasons that feel sincere, and you…
Discover more
Push notifications interrupt routines with trivial updates
Apps can interrupt you with alerts about mundane events, like someone you haven't spoken to in years going live.
Discover more
Dutch van der Linde lost his father in a brutal war
Dutch’s hatred of structured government is traced to his father’s death in the American Civil War. He went on to form an armed gang and preach loyalty and…
Discover more
How honeymoons began with abducted brides
The groom hid with his abducted bride until her family stopped searching, turning a forced disappearance into the ancestor of a romantic getaway. The original…
Discover more
How hedge funds use satellite images to predict sales
Before Walmart and Target report sales, some hedge funds count cars in their parking lots from satellite images. A busy lot gives investors an early clue…
Discover more
When travelers made luggage from old rugs
Thick carpet fabric made sturdy bags that handled rough travel better than flimsy cloth. Travelers turned old rugs into luggage, so the baggage carousel once…
Discover more
The Underground tried classical music as crowd control
London stations played classical recordings as part of efforts to discourage antisocial behavior. The idea was to change who wanted to linger, not merely…
Discover more
Luminous mind claims your default state is entirely glowing
The idea is that anger, ignorance, and suffering are temporary obscurations over an inherently clear, pure mind—like smudges on a bright windshield.
Discover more
Vegemite is a thin-spread food with a spoonful reputation
Its concentrated salty, yeasty flavor is usually balanced by a small amount on buttered toast. A thick serving changes that balance dramatically. For an…
Discover more