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
Why magazines keep the same cover font for decades
A familiar masthead helps shoppers recognize a magazine at a glance on a crowded newsstand. Some publications have kept custom fonts for decades.
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How cholera drains the body of fluid
The cholera toxin disrupts the gut’s normal handling of salt, sending water pouring into the intestines and out of the body. The danger is rapid dehydration,…
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Why some people never get wisdom teeth
Wisdom teeth are third molars, and some people simply never develop one or more of them. If a tooth never forms, it can’t become impacted or crowd the teeth…
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Einstein's brain spent decades in jars
The pathologist who performed Einstein's autopsy removed his brain without his family's permission, then kept it in jars for decades and sometimes mailed…
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Tom Cruise divorced all three wives at 33
The three were Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, and Katie Holmes; the proposed link to Scientology numerology is speculation.
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Why losing 100 hairs a day can be perfectly normal
Scalp hairs aren’t all on the same schedule: some follicles are growing while others release a strand. That everyday turnover can add up to as many as 100…
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A Japanese town specializes in food you cannot eat
Gujo Hachiman produces many of Japan's realistic restaurant food models, known as sampuru. The replicas show diners the portion and presentation before they…
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The Moon is shrinking—and causing moonquakes
As the Moon’s inside cools, it contracts and squeezes the crust. Along a thrust fault, one slab of crust can ride up over another, jolting the ground; on a…
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A Boeing 747 carries hundreds of pounds of paint
A 747 has so much skin that even a thin coat adds up to a hefty load. Paint also shields the aircraft’s metal from weather and corrosion, but every extra…
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How rubber tubes counted passing cars
The tube worked like a giant pneumatic button: a tire pressed it, and the air pulse triggered a counter. Traffic statistics arrived one axle at a time,…
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Why arguing can make political opinions stronger
A challenge to a political belief often prompts people to build counterarguments rather than weigh the challenge neutrally. Each rebuttal makes the original…
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Why turbulence usually can't bring down a modern jet
Modern commercial jets are designed to withstand the turbulence encountered in normal flight, so ordinary rough air won’t snap their wings off. Severe…
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Western mysticism blatantly hijacked the concept of the third eye from ancient Hindu beliefs about chakras
The third eye comes from the ajna chakra, a subtle energy center linked to perception in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Western esotericists adopted the idea…
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Klingon began as grunts and became a real language
James Doohan improvised the original throat sounds in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. For Star Trek III, producers hired linguist Marc Okrand to turn them into…
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The Bond clause that banned Brosnan from wearing tuxedos
Brosnan’s 1995–2002 contract barred him from wearing a tuxedo in other movies. For The Thomas Crown Affair, he wore his collar open and bow tie undone at a…
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Only female mosquitoes bite you
For many mosquito species, a female’s bite is an egg-building supply run: she uses nutrients in blood to help develop her eggs. Males don’t bite; both sexes…
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Your skin is your largest organ
Your skin also makes up about 15% of your body weight and constantly sheds dead cells. Its surface is a moving border: cells are replaced from below while…
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The zipline that crosses from Spain to Portugal
The Limite Zero zipline links Sanlúcar de Guadiana, Spain, with Alcoutim, Portugal, across the Guadiana River. The ride lasts about 60 seconds at 50 miles per…
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Why Minecraft's creator sold it to Microsoft
An update to Minecraft’s user agreement sparked backlash, and Markus “Notch” Persson was hit with angry messages on Twitter. He publicly asked whether anyone…
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Disney replaced a fireworks launch explosion with compressed air
An aerial firework normally needs a charge to send it skyward before the main display opens. Disney developed launchers that use air pressure for that first…
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Marvel once trademarked the word zombie
Marvel’s trademark covered “zombie” in comic-book titles, not the word itself. The company held it from 1973 until it lapsed in 1996.
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Why venting your anger can make it worse
When you yell, punch a pillow, or rehearse what you should have said, your body is still doing the work of anger: revving up for a confrontation. That arousal…
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Roller-coaster tracks get checked daily for tiny cracks
A roller coaster’s track gets checked daily for tiny cracks, while its heavily stressed wheel bearings are replaced. The parts that keep the cars rolling are…
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Mobsters dial rotary phones fast to land dates
In the game, mobsters have to dial a rotary phone quickly to land a date—a comic break from the family-honor drama.
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