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Motorola helped carry the first words from the Moon.
Motorola helped carry the first words from the Moon. Apollo's unified S-band transponder combined a radio transmitter and receiver in a compact unit handling…
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French women in the 16th and 17th centuries could legally drag their husbands into court and demand a divorce on the singular grounds of male impotence.
French women in the 16th and 17th centuries could legally drag their husbands into court and demand a divorce on the singular grounds of male impotence. The…
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The Terminator's minigun also existed as a rubber stunt prop.
The Terminator's minigun also existed as a rubber stunt prop. A surviving Terminator 2 prop combines hard rubber, resin, and metal to reproduce the weapon's…
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Quantum tunneling lets a particle cross a barrier it could not climb.
Quantum tunneling lets a particle cross a barrier it could not climb. A quantum wave can extend into and beyond a finite energy barrier, leaving a probability…
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George Harrison turned a tax bill into a Beatles song.
George Harrison turned a tax bill into a Beatles song. Taxman channels his anger at Britain's steep top marginal rates. The crucial word is marginal: the rate…
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Muscle tissue cannot physically transform into body fat when you stop exercising because they are two fundamentally distinct biological structures operating completely…
Muscle tissue cannot physically transform into body fat when you stop exercising because they are two fundamentally distinct biological structures operating…
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Norse literature gave the gods their own insult battle.
Norse literature gave the gods their own insult battle. In Lokasenna, Loki confronts the gods with accusations and cutting replies at a gathering. The…
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Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart developed one of the most lucrative and genuine friendships in modern pop culture after bonding over mashed potatoes on her daytime cooking show back in two thousand and eight.
Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart developed one of the most lucrative and genuine friendships in modern pop culture after bonding over mashed potatoes on her…
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The 2010 flash crash showed how selling can feed on itself.
The 2010 flash crash showed how selling can feed on itself. On May 6, U.S. stock prices plunged and then recovered within minutes. Regulators described a…
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Bloodhound SSC is a British supersonic land vehicle designed to reach 1,000 miles per hour, but it currently just sits there as a monument to funding issues.
Bloodhound SSC is a British supersonic land vehicle designed to reach 1,000 miles per hour, but it currently just sits there as a monument to funding issues.…
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The mouse scroll wheel grew out of efforts to make navigating computer documents easier.
The mouse scroll wheel grew out of efforts to make navigating computer documents easier. At Microsoft, Eric Michelman explored better ways to move around…
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Cyberpunk 2077 was announced in 2012, eight full years before its disastrous launch, creating a hype cycle so massive that the developers physically could not deliver a functional product on older console hardware.
Cyberpunk 2077 was announced in 2012, eight full years before its disastrous launch, creating a hype cycle so massive that the developers physically could not…
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Japan features an entire remote island called Okunoshima that is completely overrun by thousands of feral but friendly rabbits roaming the streets and aggressively demanding snacks from tourists.
Japan features an entire remote island called Okunoshima that is completely overrun by thousands of feral but friendly rabbits roaming the streets and…
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Engineers made a drone from da Vinci's aerial-screw idea.
Engineers made a drone from da Vinci's aerial-screw idea. University of Maryland students built Crimson Spin with four spiral-shaped rotors inspired by…
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Supermassive black holes occasionally tear apart and consume wandering stars in a violent process called a tidal disruption event, but they do not always swallow their cosmic meals cleanly.
Supermassive black holes occasionally tear apart and consume wandering stars in a violent process called a tidal disruption event, but they do not always…
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Buñol turns a tomato delivery into an hour-long public battle.
Buñol turns a tomato delivery into an hour-long public battle. La Tomatina brings truckloads of tomatoes into the Spanish town for thousands of participants…
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Sonoluminescence occurs when high-frequency sound waves are directed into a liquid, creating microscopic bubbles that rapidly expand and collapse with such violent force that they emit brief flashes of light.
Sonoluminescence occurs when high-frequency sound waves are directed into a liquid, creating microscopic bubbles that rapidly expand and collapse with such…
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Ferdinand Porsche designed the original Volkswagen Beetle under the direct orders of Adolf Hitler, who wanted a cheap, mass-produced vehicle for the newly built autobahns.
Ferdinand Porsche designed the original Volkswagen Beetle under the direct orders of Adolf Hitler, who wanted a cheap, mass-produced vehicle for the newly…
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Amphibious DUKW vehicles, better known today as the ridiculously painted duck boats used for goofy tourist sightseeing tours, were originally designed to storm beaches while dodging bullets during World War II.
Amphibious DUKW vehicles, better known today as the ridiculously painted duck boats used for goofy tourist sightseeing tours, were originally designed to…
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Peru's famous desert oasis gets a modern refill.
Peru's famous desert oasis gets a modern refill. Huacachina's lagoon sits among dunes near Ica, but its water level is supported by artificial replenishment.…
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Colombia's red river gets its color from a living carpet.
Colombia's red river gets its color from a living carpet. At Caño Cristales, aquatic plants attached to the riverbed produce the striking reds visible under…
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We cannot recover a T.
We cannot recover a T. rex's exact voice from its skeleton. Researchers compare dinosaurs with living relatives such as birds and crocodilians, which make…
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Engineers at Netflix produced a bizarre short film featuring a man doing a monkey dance in a courtyard as the very first piece of original content uploaded to their streaming servers.
Engineers at Netflix produced a bizarre short film featuring a man doing a monkey dance in a courtyard as the very first piece of original content uploaded to…
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Egypt built a new government city in the desert.
Egypt built a new government city in the desert. The New Administrative Capital was planned east of Cairo to move ministries and create a new urban center.…
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