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A little more wonder
Netflix promised two seasons of House of Cards without a pilot.
Netflix promised two seasons of House of Cards without a pilot. That commitment offered the creators room to develop a long story instead of first making a…
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Most people are completely unaware that the natural resting position for the human tongue is actually pressed against the roof of the mouth, not laying flat at the bottom.
Most people are completely unaware that the natural resting position for the human tongue is actually pressed against the roof of the mouth, not laying flat…
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Oracle bones were the ultimate mystical consulting firm in ancient China, where kings would ask totally mundane questions about the weather or their toothaches, and priests would…
Oracle bones were the ultimate mystical consulting firm in ancient China, where kings would ask totally mundane questions about the weather or their…
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Wikipedia began as the side project.
Wikipedia began as the side project. Nupedia planned an encyclopedia built through a formal expert-review process. Wikipedia opened in 2001 as a faster,…
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Fight Club's marketing team struggled to decide who wanted it.
Fight Club's marketing team struggled to decide who wanted it. David Fincher recalled tension with Fox over selling the film, including doubts that its…
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Couples' breathing and heart rhythms aligned in a lab study.
Couples' breathing and heart rhythms aligned in a lab study. Researchers monitored 32 couples during quiet exercises, including looking at one another.…
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Vince Gilligan originally wrote the pilot for Breaking Bad to take place in Riverside, California, but the studio essentially forced him to move the entire production to…
Vince Gilligan originally wrote the pilot for Breaking Bad to take place in Riverside, California, but the studio essentially forced him to move the entire…
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Literal translation of the word zodiac comes from the ancient Greek phrase zodiakos kyklos, which hilariously means the circle of little animals.
Literal translation of the word zodiac comes from the ancient Greek phrase zodiakos kyklos, which hilariously means the circle of little animals. Libra was an…
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Business.com sold for $7.5 million before it had the business to match.
Business.com sold for $7.5 million before it had the business to match. The domain attracted that price in 1999, when investors were paying heavily for…
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Benidorm’s beach sculptures come with a permit system.
Benidorm’s beach sculptures come with a permit system. The city’s beach ordinance regulates sand sculptors, specifying authorized locations and a maximum area…
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Commercial zero-gravity flights operating out of several American airports offer tourists the chance to experience true weightlessness by flying a modified Boeing plane in aggressive, stomach-churning parabolic arcs.
Commercial zero-gravity flights operating out of several American airports offer tourists the chance to experience true weightlessness by flying a modified…
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Cardrona Valley in New Zealand features a controversial wire fence entirely covered in thousands of colorful brassieres left behind by female travelers driving along the remote highway.
Cardrona Valley in New Zealand features a controversial wire fence entirely covered in thousands of colorful brassieres left behind by female travelers…
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Inventors in the nineteenth century actively tried to create steam-powered airplanes by strapping incredibly heavy, coal-burning train engines onto fragile wooden wings with…
Inventors in the nineteenth century actively tried to create steam-powered airplanes by strapping incredibly heavy, coal-burning train engines onto fragile…
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Apollo astronauts found that the Moon needed a different walk.
Apollo astronauts found that the Moon needed a different walk. Low gravity let them push off and float forward between steps. Several favored a loping gait,…
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Ants can leave chemical footprints that slow their aphid herds.
Ants can leave chemical footprints that slow their aphid herds. Researchers found aphids moved more slowly on surfaces ants had walked over. Keeping the…
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Iceland allowed spirits while keeping strong beer illegal.
Iceland allowed spirits while keeping strong beer illegal. Beer above 2.25% alcohol remained banned until March 1, 1989, long after wine and spirits had…
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Cape Town's penguin beach began with just two breeding pairs.
Cape Town's penguin beach began with just two breeding pairs. African penguins settled at Boulders in 1982, establishing a mainland colony beside a…
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Caldari di Ortona in the Abruzzo region of Italy features a fully operational, twenty-four-hour public fountain that dispenses locally produced red wine completely free of charge.
Caldari di Ortona in the Abruzzo region of Italy features a fully operational, twenty-four-hour public fountain that dispenses locally produced red wine…
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Cocaine traces turned up on most bills in one U.S.
Cocaine traces turned up on most bills in one U.S. money study. Research presented at a 2009 American Chemical Society meeting reported traces on up to 90…
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The post office taught machines to read envelopes.
The post office taught machines to read envelopes. Early postal optical readers tackled printed and typed addresses, converting written characters into…
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An abandoned car in Dubai can get a removal warning.
An abandoned car in Dubai can get a removal warning. Dubai Municipality identifies neglected vehicles left in public places and gives owners a deadline to act…
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Peruvian authorities had to drastically increase security at Machu Picchu after a massive surge of tourists decided it would be wildly spiritual to take completely naked photos at the sacred Incan citadel.
Peruvian authorities had to drastically increase security at Machu Picchu after a massive surge of tourists decided it would be wildly spiritual to take…
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Chewbacca's original iconic costume from the first Star Wars film was constructed by meticulously weaving together a mixture of real yak fur and actual human hair.
Chewbacca's original iconic costume from the first Star Wars film was constructed by meticulously weaving together a mixture of real yak fur and actual human…
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Downtown Hotel in Dawson City, Yukon, serves a legendary alcoholic beverage known as the Sourtoe Cocktail, which famously features a genuine, dehydrated human toe floating directly in the liquor.
Downtown Hotel in Dawson City, Yukon, serves a legendary alcoholic beverage known as the Sourtoe Cocktail, which famously features a genuine, dehydrated human…
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