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Pickle cravings don’t necessarily mean low sodium
Pickles deliver a very particular combination of salty, sour, tangy flavor and crunch. Wanting that combination doesn’t tell you your sodium is low; a craving…
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Microchips transport positive charge via missing electrons
A “hole” is just a spot where an electron is missing. A neighboring electron hops in, leaving a new hole behind, so the empty spot travels through the chip…
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Why false contractions still matter
Practice contractions happen when the uterine muscle tightens, but a tightening alone doesn’t mean the cervix is opening. Unlike labor, these contractions…
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Urdhava Bahus permanently hold an arm upright
Their vow can cause the raised limb to wither and lock in place, leaving the ascetic unable to lower it.
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A parasol made shade something you could carry
Before sun umbrellas became associated with beach holidays, pale skin could signal that a person didn't work outdoors. A parasol protected that appearance…
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Why liquid calories leave you hungry
Drinks can deliver calories without giving your stomach the same fullness cues as solid food. You swallow them quickly, with little chewing and often less…
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IQ tests had to adjust as scores rose across generations
The Flynn effect describes large twentieth-century gains on many intelligence tests. Proposed contributors include changes in education, nutrition, and…
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Why explosions throw people backward in movies
Movies often show blasts sending people flying while leaving them intact, but real explosions can cause severe injuries. A shock wave is not a harmless shove.
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Chronic calorie restriction lowers basal metabolic rate
After severe calorie restriction lasts a while, the body can reduce the energy it spends at rest. That means the same everyday functions may use fewer…
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Surround sound now treats audio as objects
Object-based audio stores each sound effect as a 3D position rather than assigning it to a particular speaker. The receiver uses those coordinates to route…
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Catherine of Genoa consumed scabs for humility
Catherine of Genoa reportedly ate scabs from the sick to overcome her revulsion and demonstrate self-effacement.
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Digital advertisers forcibly interrupt web browsing sessions
Pop-up ads interrupt reading by covering the page with a sales pitch that users have to close before they can return to the article.
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Most people with Tourette syndrome do not have the famous swearing tic
Tics can include blinking, movements, sniffing or repeated sounds. Coprolalia—involuntary obscene words—affects only a minority of people with the condition.…
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A Victorian morning visit could begin at 4 p.m.
Etiquette used “morning” to mean the social hours before dinner. One visiting guide placed these short calls between 2 and 4 p.m. in winter, extending to 5 in…
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Why mourning once dictated your wardrobe
Mourning clothes made grief visible, and the slow shift from dark to gray and purple marked the passage back toward ordinary life. Even getting dressed came…
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Why dropped objects spin forever in video games
In some games, an unwanted item becomes a hovering, spinning beacon, still waiting for you to reconsider that bronze helmet.
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Your favorite chewing side can hide a dental problem
Chewing mainly on one side can reflect habit, but it can also mean a tooth hurts or the bite feels more comfortable there. Studies have examined links with…
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Why eating in front of a screen makes you eat more
When you watch a screen while eating, your attention has less room for the meal’s sights, tastes, and fullness signals. The fork can keep moving after your…
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Legacy file transport sends passwords in absolute plain text
FTP treats a password like ordinary text, sending it over the network where a snooper can read it. The file gets delivered, and so does the key to the front…
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Indiana once had a time zone problem
Parts of the state rejected daylight saving time while some counties followed different time zones. In some places, crossing a county line could mean changing…
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Refined carbohydrates spike glucose almost instantly
With little fiber to slow digestion, the carbohydrates in white bread can be broken down and absorbed quickly. Blood glucose can rise soon after eating—not…
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Why aristocrats wore red heels
At Louis XIV’s court, red heels were a visible badge of noble rank, and wearing them without the status to back it up could ruin a person socially. The color…
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Consumer video transports include strict piracy protection
Consumer video is encrypted, and a licensed device checks for the right key before it decrypts the film. The picture plays normally, while the file stays…
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Display interfaces transport packetized video like a network
Instead of sending one uninterrupted stream, packet-based display links break video into small chunks and label where each belongs. That lets the link carry…
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