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
Cinderella Castle has no real bricks
Cinderella Castle uses a steel-and-concrete structure with materials including plaster and fiberglass, rather than traditional brick castle walls. The visible…
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A smart parking sensor can tell when a space changes hands
Some systems detect a vehicle through changes in a magnetic field; others use radar, ultrasound, or cameras. The arrival and departure data can feed meters or…
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Makeup stains becoming a religious relic
After Tammy Faye’s makeup transferred to a towel, the stain was treated as a religious relic.
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Desert ascetics suffered from severe vitamin C deficiency
Paleopathologists found evidence of scurvy and severe dental damage in the remains of religious hermits who subsisted on dry lentils and dates.
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Ecstasy literally means standing outside of yourself
The term evokes “standing outside oneself” and once described practitioners so overwhelmed by divine joy that they felt separated from their bodies.
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Why 123456 is still the world’s favorite password
Many people still choose “123456” rather than put up with more complicated security, even though that leaves their accounts vulnerable.
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Why solar panels waste most of the sunlight they receive
Standard photovoltaic cells use only part of the sunlight that reaches them: some light is reflected, while much of the rest becomes heat rather than…
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Golden blood can be precious—and difficult to replace
Rh-null blood lacks the Rh antigens normally found on red cells. It can help certain patients with exceptionally rare compatibility needs, but its donors face…
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A Canadian town built a landing pad before any UFO booked it
St. Paul, Alberta, opened the pad in 1967 as a Canadian centennial project. It turned a concrete structure into a memorable statement of welcome and a tourist…
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Chinese fleets sailed massive ships across the ocean
Ming treasure ships carried thousands of people and cargo on diplomatic voyages, making each fleet a display of imperial power. Compared with the small…
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Suddenly speaking fluent foreign languages
Xenoglossy is the claimed ability to speak a language never learned, but accounts often amount to vague syllables rather than fluent, grammatical speech.
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Connect Four was solved decades ago
In 1988, researchers proved that Connect Four is a win for the first player if they start in the middle column and play perfectly.
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Naked and Afraid turns packing into a one-item decision
The show's classic challenge sends two strangers into the wild for 21 days with no supplied food, water, or clothes and a survival item each. Choosing…
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Fermenting cabbage exclusively in the dark
Some old recipes warn that cabbage fermented during a bright moon will turn mushy.
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Kingdom Hearts gives its villain someone else's name
The antagonist called Ansem in the first game is later revealed as Xehanort's Heartless, using the name of Ansem the Wise. The apparent identity is part of…
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The sandwich lawsuit that put Subway’s ruler on trial
An Australian teenager measured a Subway sandwich at 11 inches, helping spark a class-action lawsuit over the chain’s “Footlong” name. The measurement turned…
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Sonic's shoes mixed pop-star style with Santa colors
Designer Naoto Ohshima linked their design to Michael Jackson's Bad and the contrasting red and white associated with Santa Claus. The bright footwear helped…
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Why you can't pause an online match
A live match keeps going while you step away; the other players can’t pause the game just because it’s dinner time.
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A housekeeping knock is supposed to give you time to answer
Hotel training procedures describe knocking, identifying housekeeping and waiting before entering, then announcing again as the door opens. The pause serves a…
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Why tree kangaroos sometimes fall from trees
A tree kangaroo can escape danger in the canopy by leaping down to the forest floor. Its sturdy limbs help it handle the rough landing, so dropping from a…
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Why collagen cream can't reach deep into your skin
The outer layer of skin is a barrier, and collagen molecules are too large to get through it. So a cream containing collagen mainly sits on the surface, where…
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The lights overhead may flicker faster than you can see
Fluorescent lights can flicker as alternating current repeatedly ignites and extinguishes the gas inside them—dozens of times per second. The changes happen…
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Why Mark Hamill’s face changed the Star Wars shoot
While holding his breath during an underwater struggle, Hamill burst a blood vessel on his face. Lucas filmed the rest of the scene from one side to hide the…
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Exhausted night shift workers rising after the Sun
The stars emerge once the Sun’s glare fades, like a night shift clocking in after the day crew leaves.
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