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
Why video games let you flush virtual toilets
True next-generation immersion isn't measured by complex character models, but by the ability to press a button and watch virtual water swirl down a porcelain…
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The blood-bank pioneer who died because of racism
In a display of horrifying irony, the man who developed large-scale plasma storage was left to bleed out. Charles Drew, an African American surgeon whose work…
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Nintendo rumble paks drained batteries fast
Before controllers had built-in vibration, you had to plug a chunky grey box into your gamepad and feed it constant AA batteries. If it died, your controller…
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Why film crews record silence
Paying someone to sit in a room and do absolutely nothing is peak audio production. Sound engineers must record the ambient 'room tone' of different physical…
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Secret societies in Victorian England actively encouraged their elite members to smoke excessive amounts of hashish
Upper-class British society loudly preached strict moral etiquette, but they absolutely loved getting utterly blasted in secret basements. Esoteric groups,…
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Our galaxy is being pulled toward something invisible
We are hurdling through the void toward something we cannot even see. Massive gravitational forces are pulling our entire local group of galaxies toward the…
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The helpful stranger who may be picking your pocket
If a pedestrian accidentally squirts mustard on your coat or points out bird droppings and vigorously attempts to wipe it off for you, secure your valuables.…
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Shrek was supposedly a punishment assignment
Nothing screams 'corporate discipline' quite like creating a billion-dollar franchise. Animators who failed at animating the prestige film The Prince of Egypt…
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Trivia teams invariably choose names containing terrible puns
Attempting to sound clever at a bar immediately devolves into exhausting wordplay. A deeply unspoken rule of pub trivia dictates that team names must feature…
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Why the trolley problem feels different in reality
In philosophy class, we all confidently claim we would pull the lever in the Trolley Problem to maximize utilitarian survival rates. But put humans in virtual…
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Jigsaw puzzles lacking edge pieces frustrate solvers
Cruel manufacturers intentionally release advanced variants that entirely omit the straight outer borders. Instead of calmly building a comforting frame to…
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How solid-state batteries avoid flammable liquid
Because carrying a pouch of highly flammable liquid electrolyte in your pocket was always a terrible idea, engineers finally invented a fix. Solid-state…
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Eating only ash ensures massive intestinal blockages
Charcoal is good for a grill, not a stomach lining. Those who completely substituted bread for burnt wood ash effectively cemented their own bowels shut,…
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Do you really need a sports drink
Downing a neon blue beverage after a brisk twenty-minute walk is utterly pointless. Unless you are engaging in hours of intense, continuous exertion, your…
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Ancient Egypt mummified millions of birds
Mummification wasn't just for rich humans with massive egos. The ibis bird was heavily associated with Thoth, the god of wisdom, leading to an absolute frenzy…
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Why Among Us tasks leave you vulnerable
Swiping a card or connecting wires doesn't actually fix the ship; it just covers half your screen to make you vulnerable. The tasks are purely designed to…
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Why Captain Kirk sometimes needed hidden cue cards
Exploring strange new worlds is a lot easier when someone is literally holding up the script off-camera. William Shatner, famous for his iconic, staggered…
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Why countries blamed each other for syphilis
National pride strictly dictates that embarrassing venereal diseases must always belong to your immediate neighbors. When massive outbreaks swept across the…
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The $10,000 computer Apple sold in 1983
If you think buying a modern iPhone requires a second mortgage, you clearly weren't around in 1983. Apple released the Lisa with a graphical user interface…
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Bilocation places a person in multiple locations
Commuting is awful, so why not just exist everywhere at once? Various historical accounts claim certain individuals physically manifested in entirely…
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The secret flowers hidden in British passports
Because when you think of high-level government security, you naturally think of decorative daisies. To stop master forgers, the UK embeds microscopic, highly…
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How tonsils can grow back after removal
If you thought you permanently evicted those useless lumps of lymphoid tissue when you were seven years old, check your throat again. Tonsils are incredibly…
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Judging candidates entirely on random shared hobbies
The similar-to-me effect means you probably got hired just because you and the interviewer both like golf. Evaluators massively inflate the competence of…
Discover moreDoug Jones encaged in a rubber fish man suit
Winning an Oscar for Best Picture sometimes requires encasing a grown man in foam latex for fourteen hours a day. Actor Doug Jones couldn't sit, see clearly,…
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