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
A flushable toilet can make a game world feel less like a backdrop
Players test ordinary objects because using one suggests the room responds beyond the main objective. The interaction can be as small as a sound and an…
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Charles Drew helped make blood donations travel
During the 1940 Blood for Britain project, Drew helped organize the collection, processing, and shipment of plasma on a large scale. Separating and preserving…
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Nintendo rumble paks drained batteries fast
The chunky gray add-on ran on AA batteries. When they died, your controller still worked—it just stopped rumbling when you took damage.
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Why film crews record silence
Sound engineers record the quiet hum of each space so the background noise doesn't suddenly vanish when characters stop talking.
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Secret societies in Victorian England actively encouraged their elite members to smoke excessive amounts of hashish
Some Victorian esoteric groups incorporated cannabis into mystical initiations, seeking experiences such as astral projection. Their interest was influenced…
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The Great Attractor hides behind our own galaxy
The motions of nearby galaxies reveal a large concentration of mass drawing them in a common direction. Much of the region is difficult to observe because the…
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The helpful stranger who may be picking your pocket
A stranger who spills mustard on your coat or points out bird droppings may be creating a distraction. While they wipe it off, an accomplice can lift your…
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Shrek was supposedly a punishment assignment
Animators who struggled with The Prince of Egypt were reportedly assigned to Shrek, which they thought would derail their careers. Instead, it won the first…
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Trivia teams invariably choose names containing terrible puns
At pub trivia, the team name can be a pun so painful that even the host groans while announcing it.
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Saving five lives feels different when you must push someone
The trolley problem changes when saving others means using your own hands to hurt someone. Direct physical action can trigger a stronger emotional aversion…
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Jigsaw puzzles lacking edge pieces frustrate solvers
Without straight-edged pieces to build a border, solvers have no frame to anchor the puzzle and must start with the interior.
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How solid-state batteries avoid flammable liquid
They replace the flammable liquid electrolyte in a conventional battery with a solid ceramic or glass compound. Lithium ions still move back and forth to…
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Eating only ash ensures massive intestinal blockages
Replacing bread with ash could cause severe intestinal blockages, turning digestion into an agonizing struggle.
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Do you really need a sports drink
A brisk 20-minute walk usually doesn’t make you lose enough fluid or salt to need a sports drink. Those drinks are designed for long, intense exertion, when…
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Ancient Egypt mummified millions of birds
Ibises were sacred to Thoth, so Egyptians mummified them as offerings to the god. The devotion left a vast archaeological record: catacombs containing…
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Why Among Us tasks leave you vulnerable
Some tasks, such as swiping a card or connecting wires, cover part of your screen. That reduced view can make it harder to notice what’s happening around you.
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Captain Kirk beat an unwinnable test by changing the test
In The Wrath of Khan, Kirk reveals that he reprogrammed the Kobayashi Maru simulation so its stranded ship could be rescued. The exercise was meant to…
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Why countries blamed each other for syphilis
No country wanted syphilis to be its problem, so nations blamed their neighbors: the English called it the “French disease,” the French the “Neapolitan…
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Apple's $9,995 computer arrived in 1983
The Lisa offered a mouse and a graphical desktop when typing commands was still normal. Its price bought an early glimpse of the interface that would become…
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Bilocation places a person in multiple locations
Historical accounts describe bilocation as someone appearing in two distant places at once, without leaving their original location.
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A British passport can hide a flower that appears under UV light
Some passport designs include ultraviolet-visible daffodils among their security features. Inspectors can check these alongside printing, perforations, and…
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How tonsils can grow back after removal
Tonsil surgery can leave a small island of tissue behind, and that tissue can slowly enlarge. If it does, it may once again become a place where infections…
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Judging candidates entirely on random shared hobbies
A candidate mentions a hobby you share, and suddenly they can feel more capable than the evidence says. Common interests may create rapport, but they don’t…
Discover moreDoug Jones encaged in a rubber fish man suit
For The Shape of Water, Jones wore the Amphibian Man suit for up to 14 hours a day. Inside it, he couldn’t sit, see clearly, or use the restroom.
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