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Some film crews hire pigeon wranglers
For scenes that need a flock to take off on cue, film crews hire specialists to release trained pigeons at just the right moment.
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Why Reindeer Are Hard to Train for Sleds
Reindeer are herd animals, not eager little engines: they respond to social cues and their own instincts, so a handler must teach each animal to accept a…
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Single pills often contain twenty different excipients
A tablet needs more than its active medicine to hold together and work as a tablet. Binders keep it intact, disintegrants help it break apart, and glidants…
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Entering through back entrances confuses local luck
The superstition says to leave by the same door you entered; taking another exit supposedly confuses the good luck accompanying you.
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Effervescent tablets rely on sodium bicarbonate to fizz
Drop an effervescent tablet into water and its citric acid meets sodium bicarbonate. Their reaction releases carbon dioxide, and the escaping gas makes the…
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Sourcing thousands of vintage uniforms for war films
For a large historical film, buying authentic uniforms from overseas surplus stores can cost less than having convincing replicas made by hand.
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How severe dieting can make reality-show contestants lose hair
A severe calorie deficit can cause hair loss as the body conserves energy by reducing functions it considers nonessential.
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Nevada taxes complimentary hotel guest meals
The guest sees a free breakfast; Nevada can see taxable food. Hotels may owe tax based on the meal’s cost, despite collecting zero from the diner.
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The surprising link between crayons and tofu
A soybean can have a second life as a crayon: its oil can be turned into smooth, nontoxic coloring material. The same crop also supplies the base for tofu.
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The anxious hum of a stressed alpaca
Alpacas hum to communicate, and stress brings the sound out as they keep tabs on the herd. Think of it as a tiny woolly status update: everything is not, in…
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Carrying coffins backward confuses returning ghosts
The custom held that carrying a body out feet first kept the deceased from looking back and beckoning another household member to follow.
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Movie chainmail can be made from plastic pipes
Costume departments cut PVC plumbing pipes into thousands of small rings and paint them silver, creating lightweight chain mail for actors.
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Kiribati reaches into all four hemispheres
Its scattered Pacific islands lie on both sides of the equator and the 180th meridian. Those two geographic divisions place the country in the Northern,…
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South Pole stubbornly sits upon heavy continental ice
Unlike the North Pole, which lies on Arctic sea ice, the South Pole is on Antarctica beneath nearly two miles of ice.
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Corrugated pulp pricing dictates cardboard costs
A corrugated box needs fluted paper inside its walls. When that pulp gets more expensive, the box costs more to make, and shipping goods in boxes can cost…
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Ectoplasmic manifestations left perfect wax molds
The rigid wax shells were presented as spirit handprints, but skeptics argued a real hand could not be withdrawn without breaking them.
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Jeopardy hides height-adjustable platforms behind the contestants' podiums
The risers make contestants of different heights appear at a similar level. The show says this reduces repeated camera adjustments and keeps the shot…
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Finding face-up pennies guarantees extreme luck
The face mattered: an upward-facing coin was treated as an open channel for good fortune, while a face-down one was thought to pass someone else’s bad luck to…
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Triton orbits Neptune the wrong way
Triton’s backward orbit is slowly carrying it inward. Neptune’s gravity raises tides on the moon, and the interaction drains energy from its orbit. Far in the…
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Why generic drugs aren't exact copies
A generic is more like a carefully matched recipe than a photocopy: its active ingredient is the same, while some inactive ingredients can differ. Regulators…
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Windshield wipers use articulated frames for pressure
The brackets divide the blade into sections, letting each part follow the windshield’s curve so the rubber stays in contact instead of leaving streaks.
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Rubber band grading standardizes physical thickness
A size 33 rubber band is meant to have predictable dimensions and stretch, so someone bundling mail can choose a band that fits without guessing. The number…
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Why different cultures invented xylophones
Separate cultures independently developed xylophones, instruments built on the simple idea of striking wooden bars of different sizes to make different notes.
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Texas taxes window washing services heavily
Texas draws an odd line for window washing: clean the exterior and the service is taxable; wash inside and it may not be. A pane of glass separates two tax…
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