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 bowling bumpers make every throw count
The bumpers keep the ball out of the gutters, bouncing a wayward roll back toward the pins instead.
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Talc officially sits at the absolute bottom of Mohs scale
Talc sits at the softest end of the Mohs scale: a fingernail can scratch it, and it can be ground into powder. The scale ranks minerals by which can scratch…
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Surgery once meant staying awake through the pain
Before chemical anesthetics, patients were strapped to tables, and a surgeon’s speed was one of the few ways to shorten the ordeal. A reputation for fast…
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Overwatch turned an aimbot into a character ability
Soldier: 76's Tactical Visor automatically targets enemies in view, turning a feature associated with aimbots into an official character ability.
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Bluetooth devices are banned during takeoff phases
During takeoff and landing, crews need passengers alert and able to hear instructions. Rules that restrict wireless devices keep the cabin focused during the…
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Potassium sparks electrical signals in your nerves
Nerve cells use differences in potassium levels across their membranes to help create and reset electrical signals. If potassium balance is badly disrupted,…
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Why giving to charity can feel rewarding
A donation can help a cause and reward the giver at the same time. Economists call that “warm-glow giving”: the good feeling is part of what people get from…
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A bed bug changes shape when it feeds
An unfed adult is relatively flat and oval. After a blood meal it becomes more elongated, swollen and reddish-brown. That changing silhouette is one reason a…
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Pong began as an assignment for a new Atari engineer
Nolan Bushnell asked Al Alcorn to build a simple electronic table-tennis game. Alcorn turned the exercise into a playable machine, adding details that made a…
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Six small meals won't boost your metabolism
Eating six small meals doesn't boost metabolism by itself; total daily food intake matters more than how you divide it among meals.
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Daylight saving ruins chart accuracy
A chart calculated without the correct daylight-saving time offset can end up inaccurate.
Discover moreSephiroth's name has a Kabbalistic origin
Sephiroth’s name comes from the Kabbalistic Sefirot, the ten attributes through which the infinite is said to reveal itself.
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Why movie characters look at family photos before disaster
In movies, a character's tender glance at a family photo often signals that danger is coming: the scene reminds viewers what they stand to lose just before…
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A ninja's disguise could be ordinary work clothes
Iga ninja used farmers' clothes and disguises such as merchants or traveling performers to move without attracting attention. Familiar clothing let a spy…
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Conan Doyle killed Holmes—and still could not escape him
The detective went over Reichenbach Falls in The Final Problem, giving his creator a way to end the series. Readers wanted him back, and Doyle eventually…
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Spyro glides across gaps but cannot actually freely fly
His wings let him glide over gaps, but he can't launch into flight from the ground.
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Hamstrings notably cross over two completely separate joints
Your hamstrings cross both the hip and the knee. Bend forward at the hip while straightening the knee and you pull the same muscles from both ends, which is…
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The Australian drinking game played on a clothesline
Players hang bags of wine from a rotary clothesline and spin it; whoever the line stops in front of has to drink.
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Super Mario Galaxy was recorded with a live orchestra
A live orchestra recorded soaring strings and brass, giving the platforming an unusually cinematic sound.
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Morin Khuur honors the Mongolian horse spirit
The morin khuur’s horsehair strings were meant to evoke a horse galloping across the steppe. The instrument didn’t just honor the horse spirit; its materials…
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Russia's Empress Elizabeth feared sleeping at night
Biographer Robert K. Massie describes attendants rubbing and tickling her feet to keep her awake until daylight. She had seized power in a nighttime coup and…
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A Buddha tattoo led to deportation—and then compensation
Sri Lanka deported a British visitor in 2014 after officials objected to a Buddha tattoo on her arm. In 2017, the Supreme Court found violations of her…
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Schrödinger housed his wife and mistress together
Erwin Schrödinger moved his mistress into the same house as his wife. Oxford University objected to the arrangement, and he eventually left the country.
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Price is Right losers forfeit giant checks
Contestants who don't win the prize can't take home the oversized cardboard check they held onstage.
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