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A little more wonder
Guinness World Records is heavily stolen
The Guinness World Records book is reportedly among the most frequently stolen books from public libraries—an ironic distinction for a volume devoted to…
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Lavra monks lived alone but awkwardly met on Sundays
They spent six days living alone, then gathered once a week before returning to their caves.
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Pretending tap water tastes like pure light
Some mystics say meditation reveals subtle differences in plain water's energy, which they describe as a sweet, luminous taste; others notice only chlorine or…
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Hiding in bed because a printed schedule says so
When a printed schedule shows a tangle of red lines, some decide the safest move is to hide under the blankets until tomorrow.
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On a grading curve, your classmates affect your grade
On a strict curve, your grade depends on how everyone else performs. You can know the material and still rank lower if classmates do better.
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Element envy dictates roommate choices
Astrology-minded renters may reject a roommate whose dominant element is said to clash with theirs.
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Australia turned buttered bread into party confetti
Fairy bread is white bread spread with butter and covered in colorful sprinkles, often cut into triangles for children's parties. The trick is almost entirely…
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Why jet lag takes days to shake
After a long flight, the local clock may say morning while your body clock still thinks it is the middle of the night. The internal clock shifts only about 60…
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Antimony aggressively hardens lead into absolute rigid forms
In some lead batteries, antimony is mixed into the lead grid to make it sturdier. The grid has to withstand repeated chemical changes as the battery charges…
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How worthless party hats became RuneScape fortunes
The hats were given out during a 2001 holiday event and meant to be worthless. Once they were discontinued, scarcity made them status symbols traded for…
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John Wick spent thousands on fake puppy poop
The beagle puppy wouldn't relieve itself on cue, so filmmakers used CGI to add dog feces to the lawn in postproduction.
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Why London buses are tilted nearly 30 degrees
The steep tilt is part of a stability test, not a London bus’s daily commute. Engineers angle a double-decker to check that its high center of gravity does…
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Bond nearly returned for a third film with Timothy Dalton
Plans for another Dalton film stalled during the long gap after Licence to Kill. By the time the series returned with GoldenEye in 1995, Pierce Brosnan had…
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Why tournaments hide players' drink labels
Organizers remove unauthorized labels or pour drinks into plain cups so other brands don't appear alongside tournament sponsors.
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Escalator steps precisely flatten out at both ends
Each step rides a track that guides it from a tilted staircase position into a level platform at the top and bottom. The comb plate meets the step grooves,…
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Birch wood aggressively initiates esoteric cycles
In astrological lore, birch symbolizes new beginnings, so practitioners may keep a piece of its pale bark nearby as a prompt to start fresh.
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Why drawing games reveal how you think
In a drawing game, you have to turn a word into a few shapes that someone else can read back into an idea. Picking the right visual clues matters more than…
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Equine genetics boast over seven major blood groups
Seven blood-group systems do not mean horses come in only seven simple blood types. Each system has many variations, so two horses with a seemingly suitable…
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Why a touch-tone phone plays two notes
Each button combines a high and low frequency, corresponding to its row and column. The pair identifies which key was pressed, so the receiving system can…
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Debouncing stops you from clicking buttons too fast
A button press can register as several rapid signals, so debounce code filters out the extra inputs and keeps one press from triggering multiple actions.
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Unknown birth data ruins deeply held personal identities
Without an exact birth time, people seeking a detailed astrological chart may feel they’re missing a key piece of their cosmic blueprint.
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Golden spike connected opposite American coasts by rail
The spike marked the meeting of the railroads in Utah, linking routes across the country. A brief ceremony turned a coast-to-coast trip from a long, difficult…
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Komodo dragons stick to their home ranges
Though capable of traveling long distances, Komodo dragons often stay within familiar home ranges rather than roaming far afield.
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Insult someone, and listeners may see those traits in you
An insult tells listeners about its target, but it also gives them a trait to connect with the person saying it. If you keep calling someone cruel, that…
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