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
Why gluten-free food costs so much more
The extra price isn’t always matched by extra manufacturing expense. Specialized gluten-free foods can cost much more, and people who need them may have…
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Source amnesia keeps the fact but loses the messenger
A fact can survive in your memory after its origin has vanished. Without the source attached, you may mistake something heard in passing for something you…
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Why lava lamps never stop floating and sinking
Because the wax and surrounding liquid have nearly the same density, a small temperature change makes the wax rise or sink. The bulb warms and expands it;…
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Why racing-style gaming chairs can hurt your back
Bucket seats are designed to hold racecar drivers in place through tight turns, not to support someone sitting still at a desk.
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Why Gone with the Wind still tops the box office
Its 1939 release sold hundreds of millions of tickets, and that enormous audience keeps it at the top when box-office totals are adjusted for inflation. Later…
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The sky in video games may be a painted box
Developers can create distant scenery by wrapping a panoramic image around the inside of a digital box surrounding the level.
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American Idol judges provide devastating vocal feedback
The early auditions turn bad singing into part of the entertainment, broadcasting contestants’ painful misses alongside the judges’ blunt reactions. The…
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Server tick rates dictate exact responsive precision
A low tick rate means the server checks the game state less often, so an attack may register even if it looked as though you dodged it.
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Why “escalator” stopped being a brand name
“Escalator” began as a trademark for a moving staircase. People used the brand name for the whole machine until it became an everyday word—a corporate logo…
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Wheel of Fortune players lose all cash on a bankrupt wedge
Landing on Bankrupt wipes out a player's winnings for the round, even after a string of correct guesses.
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This biogas motorcycle gave its rider a toilet seat
TOTO's Toilet Bike Neo ran on processed biogas and used a porcelain toilet as its seat. The gas came from waste processing, not from the person riding it. The…
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A candle wick curls so the flame can trim it
A specially braided wick curls away from the flame's center as it heats, where the tip burns to ash—so modern candles usually trim themselves.
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Patrick Star literally sleeps under a large brown rock
His home has a weather vane on top, and its furniture is made of packed sand.
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Tooth enamel consists of mostly inorganic minerals
Enamel is about 96% mineral, mostly crystals made from calcium phosphate. Unlike the living tissue beneath it, enamel has no cells to rebuild it, so a chip…
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Finland's coffee culture favors a surprisingly light roast
Finns are renowned for very high per-person coffee consumption, with light-roasted filter coffee a familiar everyday choice. Roasting lightly preserves a…
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The Italian fountains that pour free wine
One well-known free wine fountain sits near Ortona, where a winery supplies it along a pilgrimage route. Walkers can stop for a drink, but the fountain is a…
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Makeup testers aren’t really free
That free swatch had to come from somewhere: stores pay to supply testers, and absorb the cost into the prices of sealed makeup. The sample is free at the…
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Millions of Mexican free-tailed bats colonize Texas
A huge cloud-like patch on radar doesn’t always mean rain. When millions of Mexican free-tailed bats stream out of a roost, they bounce radar signals back and…
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In Bhutan, chili peppers are eaten like vegetables
Ema datshi puts peppers at the center of the dish, combining them with cheese sauce to make a meal. In Bhutan, the chili isn’t there to decorate dinner—it is…
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Why sound travels more slowly in cold air
Sound moves through air as a pressure nudge passed from molecule to molecule. Warm air’s molecules move faster, so they pass that nudge along faster; in cold…
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Jeopardy contestants must phrase their answers as questions
On Jeopardy!, a correct response still has to be phrased as a question—such as “What is Paris?” rather than simply “Paris.”
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Open-top buses began as a practical workaround
An open upper deck gave early double-decker buses extra seats without the expense and weight of enclosing them. It was an efficient way to move a…
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Retrocognition just forces you to witness past mistakes
Retrocognition is the claimed ability to perceive events that have already happened, rather than predict future ones; it offers no way to change the past.
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Why Chinese monks drank bitter tea
As you stay awake, adenosine builds up and nudges your brain toward sleepiness. Caffeine in tea blocks the places where adenosine acts, making that sleepy…
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