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
Decaf coffee is made with pressurized carbon dioxide
Under pressure, carbon dioxide becomes a supercritical fluid that can extract caffeine while leaving much of coffee’s flavor intact.
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Why power lines hum
The electric field around high-voltage lines can ionize nearby air, producing a faint hum and sometimes a purple glow in the dark.
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Talking nicely to cabbages makes them massive
Findhorn pioneers credited verbal praise for their unusually large vegetables, though the account comes from the community’s own claims.
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Staring into someone's eyes for hours is spiritual
Some intimacy practices use sustained eye contact and synchronized breathing to encourage vulnerability, though the exercise can also leave people desperate…
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Egg-and-spoon races appeared in Queen Victoria's jubilee celebrations
Village events for the 1897 Diamond Jubilee included the balancing race alongside activities such as tug-of-war. It turns running into a conflict between…
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Shaking your body vigorously releases old trauma
Practitioners use deliberate muscular tremors to try to release physical tension they believe is held in the body. Sessions can resemble an improvised dance…
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Holy wood is currently suffering from overharvesting
Palo Santo is a fragrant South American wood burned in some spiritual practices for cleansing; concerns about overharvesting and global supply chains have…
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The jellyfish that follow the sun across a lake
Tiny algae living inside the jellyfish need sunlight to make food, and they share some of that food with their host. The jellyfish follows the sun across the…
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Contrasting dots explain the balance of everything
Its swirling black-and-white halves represent opposing forces brought together in a single image.
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Billboards generate higher yields than empty land
A building takes money and work to manage; a lit sign can keep earning without one. In some urban corridors, owners make more from a billboard than from…
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Homeowner associations control most new housing
Residents pay property taxes, then their HOA makes them maintain the sidewalks and parks. The city collects the revenue without taking on that upkeep.
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Why shampoo lathers so much
Those bubbles are there because people expect shampoo to foam. Foaming agents create the show, but the show doesn’t tell you how much grease the shampoo…
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Henry VIII treated games as competition for military training
The 1541 unlawful-games statute restricted numerous games for working people while promoting archery. The concern was not simply that entertainment was…
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Why solar panels work worse in extreme heat
Extreme heat increases resistance in photovoltaic cells and reduces their output, so a clear, cool day can be better for solar power than a blistering one.
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The earthquake that spawned tornadoes of fire
The 1923 Great Kanto earthquake set off fires that merged with high winds, creating towering vortexes of flame that swept through the region.
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Why wind turbines need electricity before making it
The motors that orient a turbine and adjust its blade pitch need electricity to get it started. Until the wind supplies enough power, the turbine can use more…
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Earth’s heat is partly powered by radioactive decay
Radioactive decay from uranium, thorium, and potassium isotopes in Earth's crust contributes to the heat that keeps the planet's interior hot and can power…
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Luggage gets misplaced mostly during terminal transfers
At a terminal transfer, luggage leaves one plane and gets routed to another while passengers rush through the airport above it. A short connection turns the…
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Wishing for a parking spot is a lifestyle choice
Believers imagine the universe as a cosmic concierge who can persuade a stranger to move a Honda Civic and free up a spot.
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Army ants move their entire homes
Instead of building a nest from twigs or soil, army ants make one out of workers linked together. The living shelter protects the queen and young, then comes…
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The kiwi lays an egg huge enough to crowd its organs
A kiwi egg can weigh about a fifth of its mother’s body weight. As it grows, it crowds her organs, making it hard to eat normally and sometimes leaving her…
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Preeclampsia turns pregnancy into a blood-vessel emergency
The condition involves high blood pressure and signs of organ problems during pregnancy or after delivery. Abnormal placental development and blood-vessel…
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Pickleball began as an answer to bored children
In 1965, Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum developed a backyard game on Bainbridge Island, Washington. They combined paddles, a perforated…
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How luggage handlers stop suitcases from shifting
Handlers pack bags into cargo containers and secure them with nets or straps, so a turn or bump doesn’t send the pile sliding across the hold. The luggage…
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