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Disney executives originally pitched The Lion King as an original animated feature about African wildlife, but storywriters quickly realized they were basically just adapting…
Disney executives originally pitched The Lion King as an original animated feature about African wildlife, but storywriters quickly realized they were…
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Wombat poop is not the only weird animal waste, as penguins shoot their feces out at incredibly high pressures to avoid soiling their nests, creating a spectacular projectile effect.
Wombat poop is not the only weird animal waste, as penguins shoot their feces out at incredibly high pressures to avoid soiling their nests, creating a…
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This restaurant lets the ground heat the grill.
This restaurant lets the ground heat the grill. At El Diablo in Lanzarote, geothermal heat rises beneath a cooking grill in the volcanic landscape. The menu…
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Russell's viper venom became a tool for testing blood clotting.
Russell's viper venom became a tool for testing blood clotting. The dilute Russell's viper venom test uses a controlled reagent to trigger part of the…
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People live in a Peruvian town more than 16,000 feet up.
People live in a Peruvian town more than 16,000 feet up. La Rinconada sits around 5,100 meters above sea level, where atmospheric pressure is barely over half…
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A hippo's wide-open mouth can be a warning, not a yawn.
A hippo's wide-open mouth can be a warning, not a yawn. The display exposes large teeth and can signal that the animal feels threatened. Its apparently placid…
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King Saul of Israel famously banned all necromancers and magicians from his kingdom, but when he found himself utterly terrified before a massive battle against the Philistines, he immediately became a massive hypocrite.
King Saul of Israel famously banned all necromancers and magicians from his kingdom, but when he found himself utterly terrified before a massive battle…
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Pierre Bernard introduced yoga and Tantric mysticism to the United States in the early twentieth century, earning the hilariously grandiose moniker Oom the Omnipotent from sensationalist newspapers.
Pierre Bernard introduced yoga and Tantric mysticism to the United States in the early twentieth century, earning the hilariously grandiose moniker Oom the…
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A dating-app swipe became part of a patent lawsuit.
A dating-app swipe became part of a patent lawsuit. Match sued Bumble in 2018 over claims that included patents, trademarks, and trade secrets. The companies…
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A Norwegian town redirects winter sunshine with mirrors.
A Norwegian town redirects winter sunshine with mirrors. Mountains block direct winter sunlight from Rjukan's town center. Since 2013, computer-controlled…
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Priests of the ancient Zoroastrian religion in Persia were known as the magi, and their reputation for esoteric wisdom and astrology was so widespread that they literally gave us the modern word for magic.
Priests of the ancient Zoroastrian religion in Persia were known as the magi, and their reputation for esoteric wisdom and astrology was so widespread that…
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Sweden's cash debate asks who gets left out of convenience.
Sweden's cash debate asks who gets left out of convenience. When shops and services favor digital payments, a phone or payment card becomes part of ordinary…
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Followers of the ancient Greek mystical sect known as Orphism believed that humanity contained a spark of the divine trapped in a brutal, endless cycle of reincarnation caused by the crimes of the Titans.
Followers of the ancient Greek mystical sect known as Orphism believed that humanity contained a spark of the divine trapped in a brutal, endless cycle of…
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A mouse double-click is partly a timing agreement with the computer.
A mouse double-click is partly a timing agreement with the computer. The software must decide whether two presses are one command or two separate clicks,…
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Siri was an app before it became an iPhone feature.
Siri was an app before it became an iPhone feature. Apple acquired its developer in 2010, after the assistant had already launched as a standalone app…
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Hildegard of Bingen was a twelfth-century German abbess who became legendary for her profound religious visions, which she claimed were direct, dazzling messages sent straight from God.
Hildegard of Bingen was a twelfth-century German abbess who became legendary for her profound religious visions, which she claimed were direct, dazzling…
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Benjamin Franklin invented a rudimentary odometer in the eighteenth century simply because he wanted to figure out the most efficient routes for delivering the mail across the…
Benjamin Franklin invented a rudimentary odometer in the eighteenth century simply because he wanted to figure out the most efficient routes for delivering…
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People of Irish descent living in the United States currently outnumber the actual population of Ireland by roughly six to one.
People of Irish descent living in the United States currently outnumber the actual population of Ireland by roughly six to one. More than 30 million Americans…
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Ursula Southeil, known popularly as Mother Shipton, is widely regarded as one of England's greatest mystical prophetesses, supposedly predicting the Great Fire of London and the invention of iron ships.
Ursula Southeil, known popularly as Mother Shipton, is widely regarded as one of England's greatest mystical prophetesses, supposedly predicting the Great…
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Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is a tiny Spanish military fortress connected to the coast of Morocco by a narrow strip of sand, creating the shortest international land border in the world at just eighty-five meters long.
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is a tiny Spanish military fortress connected to the coast of Morocco by a narrow strip of sand, creating the shortest…
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Pre-colonial Mesoamerican cultures like the Maya developed incredibly sophisticated astrological systems based almost entirely on the complex movements of the planet Venus rather than the sun.
Pre-colonial Mesoamerican cultures like the Maya developed incredibly sophisticated astrological systems based almost entirely on the complex movements of the…
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Earth may have several trees for every star in the Milky Way.
Earth may have several trees for every star in the Milky Way. A global study estimated about three trillion trees, while estimates of our galaxy's stars run…
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Twilight made its world recognizable with a blue cast.
Twilight made its world recognizable with a blue cast. The first film's cool palette gives skin, forests, and overcast settings a shared visual atmosphere.…
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South African inventor Charl Fourie won an Ig Nobel Peace Prize for inventing the Blaster, a literal car-mounted flamethrower designed to deter violent carjackings in the late nineties.
South African inventor Charl Fourie won an Ig Nobel Peace Prize for inventing the Blaster, a literal car-mounted flamethrower designed to deter violent…
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