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
In Mongolia, some herders ride reindeer
In some nomadic communities, herders ride reindeer across harsh terrain instead of relying on sleds.
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Google Reader had loyal users—and still disappeared
Google announced the RSS reader's closure in 2013, citing declining use, and gave people a window to export their subscriptions. Readers could keep their list…
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How a stopwatch became Flavor Flav's signature
A friend dared him to wear a stopwatch on a big chain; he later upgraded to a wall clock and made it his signature look.
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The internet sent Pitbull to Alaska—and he showed up
A 2012 promotion promised a Pitbull visit to the Walmart with the most Facebook votes. Online pranksters backed remote Kodiak, Alaska, and it won. Pitbull…
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Blender gives away tools used to make entire films
The free, open-source program combines modeling, animation, rendering, and other production tools. Artists can build a scene and turn it into finished images…
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The Windows XP wallpaper is a real place
A former National Geographic photographer took the photo in California; it wasn’t digitally painted. Its ubiquity made it a familiar sight on office computers…
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Too many owners entirely prevent land from being utilized
If every co-owner can veto a land deal, one holdout can stop everyone else from using the property. With enough owners, getting all the permissions can become…
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Why college degrees can signal persistence, not just skill
A degree can tell an employer that you stuck with years of difficult work, not just that you learned a subject. Finishing the program becomes evidence of…
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When the Soviet Union gave everyone different weekends
In 1929, the Soviet Union replaced the conventional calendar with a five-day rotating workweek, so family members often had different days off. The schedule…
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A moving walkway gives your hand and feet different jobs
Your feet ride a moving surface while your balance system tracks movement against the stationary terminal. Holding the rail adds another moving contact point.…
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Why one vote almost never decides a major election
A single vote almost never decides a major election, but people still go to the polls. The voting paradox asks why; a sense of social duty helps explain why…
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Bicycles use a freewheel to let riders stop pedaling
Inside the rear hub, a ratchet lets the wheel keep turning while the pedals stand still. Its little pawls click past the gears, so coasting sounds like the…
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Astatine is rare partly because it keeps disappearing
Natural radioactive decay continually makes tiny amounts of astatine, which then decay again. Even its longest-lived known isotope has a half-life of only…
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Overcrowded public pools quickly destroy basic relaxation
A quiet public pool gives swimmers room to enjoy it together. Once it fills up, every new swimmer takes space from the others, and the water becomes harder to…
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Johnny Cash sang an inmate's own song at Folsom Prison
Before his 1968 concert, Cash learned Greystone Chapel, written by prisoner Glen Sherley. He then performed it inside the prison for the audience that…
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Venezuelan tabletop mountains feature sheer drops
Mount Roraima is ringed by vertical cliffs about 400 meters high, giving the tabletop mountain its abrupt, flat-sided appearance.
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The pope who quit after five months
The hermit pope Celestine V wrote a decree allowing himself to resign after just five months, then returned to his cave. His successor confined him in a…
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Woodstock '99 ended in fires and riots
Overpriced water and intense heat fueled anger at the festival, which ended with fires and rioting.
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The hills that look like giant chocolate drops
The Chocolate Hills are more than a thousand dome-shaped mounds. Their grass turns brown when it withers, making the hills look like giant drops of chocolate.
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Adults raced to get banned from Club Penguin
Some adults raced to get banned by making accounts and immediately typing profanities, then posting their times on video boards.
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Expensive parking forces daily commuters onto city buses
For some commuters, the daily parking bill gets high enough to change the route: they take the bus instead. The bus doesn't have to be their favorite ride; it…
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Why Yakuza pairs street fights with karaoke
The series pairs brutal brawls with an elaborate karaoke rhythm game for a jarring change of pace: you can go from smashing bicycles over thugs to singing…
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King John's baggage disappeared into the Wash
In 1216, the king's baggage train suffered a disaster while crossing the tidal waters around the Wash. The event became the foundation of a famous…
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How Need for Speed shaped a generation's music
The racing games’ soundtracks introduced a generation of players to industrial metal, Southern hip-hop, and electronica—often while they sped away from…
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