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
Hertz paid $168 million to settle false-arrest claims
In December 2022, the rental company settled with 364 people over allegations that they had been wrongly detained or arrested after cars were reported stolen.…
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Albigensian Crusade deliberately slaughtered rival Christians
Rather than treat religious dissent as an internal dispute, the papacy called a crusade against people in southern France it branded heretics. The campaign…
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Expensive electronic deadbolts fail on misaligned doors
A small motor may not have enough force to turn a bolt against a swollen door frame; if the bolt and strike plate are misaligned, the lock can jam.
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Walnuts fall under Jupiter rulership
Astrologers linked walnuts to Jupiter because their rich, calorie-dense kernels and oversized shells suggested abundance and grandeur.
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The stranger who briefly bought Google.com
In 2015, Sanmay Ved spotted Google.com listed for $12 on Google Domains and managed to buy it. Google canceled the transaction about a minute later and paid…
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Reagan reportedly saved 77 swimmers as a teenager
At Lowell Park in Illinois, he worked seven summers as a lifeguard and cut a notch into a log for every rescue. The tally reached 77: a record book carved one…
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Why matter forms a ring around black holes
Gas near a black hole still has sideways motion, so it orbits instead of falling straight in. Collisions and friction drain that motion, heating the gas as it…
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Your genes can jump around the genome
Some stretches of DNA can move to new positions in the genome; these are called transposons. Their movement means DNA is not always a fixed line of…
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Why blast furnaces run for decades
The firebrick lining can crack as the furnace cools and contracts, so shutting one down risks costly damage. Some blast furnaces run continuously for more…
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High-grade frankincense costs more per ounce than silver
Some premium frankincense from specific Omani trees can cost more per ounce than silver, thanks to global demand.
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How croquet brought men and women onto the same field
Introduced in England in the 1850s, croquet was one of the first widely accepted outdoor lawn games where men and women could compete together in public.
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French court cards gave kings historical names
A traditional Parisian pattern associated the kings with figures such as David, Julius Caesar, Alexander, and Charlemagne. Those names belong to that design…
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Tao that can be spoken is not the true absolute Tao
The fundamental text of this philosophy starts by completely invalidating itself. It explicitly states that any concept capable of being articulated is…
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Aristocrats refused to share carriages with lower classes
Aristocrats used separate carriages to avoid sharing close quarters with poorer travelers. Even on the move, status needed its own seat—and apparently…
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Marginal propensity dictates your odds of spending more
When someone’s income rises, the marginal propensity to consume tells you how much of the increase they spend rather than save. That helps explain why extra…
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Sophia accidentally created the physical universe
Her error is said to have brought the material realm into being, a realm this account portrays as flawed.
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Why everyone confuses Tower Bridge with London Bridge
People mistake Tower Bridge for London Bridge because its neo-Gothic towers are so distinctive. Today’s London Bridge is a much plainer concrete span farther…
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Freight container corrugated walls maximize rigidity
Those wavy container walls aren’t decoration: each fold stiffens the thin steel against bending. The corrugations make a big box sturdier without making it a…
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Option selects automatically choose optimal attacks for you
By entering several commands in a specific rhythm, players can make the game select a counterattack based on the opponent’s situation, automating part of a…
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Why the same people keep winning radio contests
Frequent winners may belong to groups of dedicated contest callers who treat calling in like a full-time job, while most people can't stay on hold for an hour.
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Why your smart thermostat changes the temperature back
Learning thermostats can follow an energy-saving schedule based on your habits, so a manual adjustment may be temporary and the temperature can return to its…
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Why businesses pay for prestigious old area codes
Some businesses pay a premium just to put a prestigious city area code on their phone number. When the phone company can’t assign that code through normal…
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Platinum is viewed as a modern esoteric luxury
Traditional texts don't assign platinum a role, so modern astrologers created one, associating the costly metal with supreme, untouchable energy.
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Japanese folding screens block drafts with massive art
Byōbu could divide a room without building a wall, and their panels helped stop drafts. Painted as continuous scenes, the screens doubled as movable canvases.
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