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
A hole can make a round parachute steadier
A vent at the top lets trapped air leave more evenly instead of repeatedly spilling from alternate edges. That reduces swinging under the canopy. The opening…
Discover more
Oort cloud completely surrounds the solar system
Some comets swing around the Sun on such long, unusual paths that astronomers infer a distant storehouse of icy bodies sending them inward. Those comets are…
Discover more
Minecraft's map is bigger than Earth's surface
Its playable area spans more than four billion square kilometers of digital terrain.
Discover more
Why people hoard two-dollar bills
The Treasury still prints millions of two-dollar bills, but many owners tuck them away as collectibles instead of spending them. A bill meant to circulate…
Discover more
Iowa's candy definition leaves room for a refrigerator
The state's tax definition of candy excludes products that require refrigeration, as well as products containing flour. That means a sweet's legal category…
Discover more
The bizarre sport of being pulled by a horse
In skijoring, a horse pulls a skier along a course while the skier hangs on to a tow rope and steers with skis. The horse supplies the horsepower; the skier…
Discover more
STACKY FOR IPHONEA bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.
Keep discovering with Stacky. Interesting facts in an app that is always within reach.
A star on a dollar bill marks a printing replacement
When a defective sheet is caught after serial numbers have been printed, reproducing those exact numbers would be awkward. Replacement notes instead get their…
Discover more
Sourcing a massive catering tent solely for insects
Productions that need thousands of live insects may keep them in separate, temperature-controlled tents, along with the food needed to keep the swarm alive.
Discover more
Why someone would make a loved one sick
A caregiver who makes a loved one sick can gain something from being seen as the devoted person managing a crisis. In factitious disorder imposed on another,…
Discover more
Why bowling lanes help your ball find the pins
Oil in the middle lets the ball skid farther, while the drier edges create more friction and can steer it back toward the pins. The pattern gives bowlers some…
Discover more
Japan played a frog–slug–snake version of rock-paper-scissors
In mushi-ken, hand gestures stand for three animals in a circular contest: frog beats slug, slug beats snake, and snake beats frog. No choice wins against…
Discover more
Bell-ringing spirits terrorized Victorian households
In Victorian households, servants’ bells sometimes rang with no one pulling the wires, leaving residents to blame spirits.
Discover more
Orphan drugs are manufactured solely for rare diseases
A treatment for a rare disease may have only a small group of potential patients, making development harder to finance. Tax incentives and periods of market…
Discover more
Active pharmaceutical ingredients ship in cardboard drums
A drum’s rigid cardboard shell is only the outer layer of protection. Inside, two industrial plastic bags line the container and help shield the active…
Discover more
Solar eclipses require precise celestial alignment
A total solar eclipse depends on the Moon looking large enough to cover the Sun. As the Moon gradually recedes from Earth, its apparent size shrinks until it…
Discover more
Sinking a massive boat replica in a giant bathtub
Studios use enormous water tanks to sink and raise large set pieces repeatedly, without having to contend with ocean currents.
Discover more
Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! really puts two exclamation marks on the map
Both marks belong to the Quebec municipality's name, rather than a travel writer getting excited. The unusual punctuation earned it a Guinness listing and…
Discover more
Badwater Basin firmly defends the absolute lowest elevation
At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin’s blinding white salt flats mark the lowest elevation in North America.
Discover more
Medication guides are legally mandated prescription handouts
For certain prescriptions, federal rules require pharmacies to hand out a medication guide with key safety warnings and risks. It gives patients important…
Discover more
Why prescriptions start with Rx
The letters “Rx” trace back to recipe, Latin for “take.” Apothecaries saw it at the top of prescriptions as a direction to prepare or provide what followed.
Discover more
Hacky Sack's early filling could sprout when it got wet
John Stalberger and Mike Marshall developed their footbag game in Oregon in the 1970s, experimenting with different coverings and fillings. Seeds made a poor…
Discover more
Why pencils are painted yellow
Manufacturers used yellow paint to signal that a pencil’s graphite came from premium imports. The color turned a plain writing tool into a tiny status claim.
Discover more
Why pecan trees alternate between feast and famine
A pecan tree can deliver a bumper crop one year, then produce far fewer nuts the next. That feast-or-famine pattern makes it hard to predict how much pecan…
Discover more
An expensive rug does not have to live under your shoes
Woven carpets have served as floor coverings, wall hangings, and prestigious display objects in different settings. Hanging one makes its pattern visible and…
Discover more