The world is more interesting than you think.
Unexpected facts, big ideas, and little discoveries. Find something that sparks your curiosity today.
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Why strict rules can strengthen a group
A group can make membership costly on purpose: members who accept uncomfortable clothes or strict food rules show they’re willing to put up with the same…
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Earth elements enthusiastically hoard practical dry goods
The stereotype imagines an earth element stocking a pantry with 47 cans of beans in case grocery stores collapse.
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Bathroom coffee makers brew terrible beverages
Their small plastic reservoirs can be difficult to clean, and the coffee often comes out bitter.
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Airplanes rotate around three invisible intersecting lines
An airplane pitches nose-up or down, rolls from wingtip to wingtip, and yaws left or right around three axes through its center. Elevators, ailerons, and the…
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A face can influence trust before its owner has earned any
People make rapid judgments from appearance, and research examines how attractiveness and expression affect those impressions. Such judgments are impressions,…
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Chinese money words still carry traces of shell currency
The cowrie-shell symbol appears within characters connected with buying, loans, taxes, and wealth. Shells served as valuables long before modern banknotes,…
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Buquebus passenger ferries race from Argentina to Uruguay
Fast Buquebus ferries cross the broad Río de la Plata with powerful engines and hulls designed to move quickly through water. The river is wide enough to make…
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Where pool balls go after they disappear
A sloped gutter beneath the felt carries the balls by gravity to a collection box.
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Chopsticks require severe friction to grip slippery foods
The slightly rough surface of wooden chopsticks creates friction that helps them grip slippery foods like dumplings.
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Why the Apple logo has a bite
Designer Rob Janoff added the bite to make the apple's scale unmistakable; without it, he worried people might mistake the shape for a cherry.
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The game that made launching birds seem like engineering
Angry Birds made players feel like amateur engineers as they launched birds at beams and watched structures collapse—though success often came down to a…
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Dr. Seuss also made wartime instruction films
Theodor Geisel already had children's books in print when he joined the US Army during World War II. He worked on training and propaganda films, including…
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Balsamic Moon demands hiding under heavy blankets
In this astrological description, the Moon's final drop of energy is said to make people withdraw and ignore the doorbell.
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Cacao cultivation requires a specific equatorial climate
The trees behind chocolate need a particular equatorial climate. Because cacao grows in a narrow zone, changing weather there can put production at risk.
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When Venezuelan banknotes became handbags
Venezuelan artisans turned stacks of devalued bolivars into handbags and paper swans. As inflation ate away the notes’ buying power, tourists could buy them…
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The passenger who rebooked one flight 300 times for free meals
In 2013, a passenger in China bought a refundable first-class ticket, ate in the VIP lounge, then rebooked the flight for the next day—more than 300 times…
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Universal Studios mounted a massive fire-breathing dragon
The dragon atop the wizarding bank at Universal Studios Florida is an engineered prop that sends bursts of flame over the crowded area below.
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Uneven back panels make devices wobble
The protruding camera section keeps the back from lying flat, so each tap can make the phone rock on a desk.
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Luxury hotels once shared bathrooms
Even a luxury stay could mean sharing a washroom down the hall with as many as 30 other guests.
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Last items seen are recalled with absolute clarity
The last few words of a list are still sitting in working memory when you’re asked to repeat them. That makes them feel unusually crisp and easy to pull back…
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Turning in reverse to ghost everyone right at climax
When a celestial body appears to reverse course, the image is of a big promised moment that never arrives—like being ghosted by the universe.
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Why non-alcoholic beer can still make you act drunk
Alcohol is not the only cue in a drinking scene. The taste, ritual, and expectation of getting drunk can shape behavior, so non-alcoholic beer may still bring…
Discover moreAnnie Besant lost child custody over controversial books
In the 1870s, a British judge took custody of Besant's daughter because her birth-control pamphlets were considered unfit for a mother.
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How investors can profit from a collapse they don't own
You can buy a contract that pays if a financial asset collapses, even if you never owned that asset. If it goes down, the contract can pay out—so the buyer…
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