The world is more interesting than you think.
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The Pringles mascot has a first name
The Pringles mascot is named Julius.
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Gliding forward three feet for every foot dropped
A glider’s wings turn falling through the air into forward motion: airflow over the wings creates lift while gravity supplies the descent. A three-to-one…
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What lurks beneath a ball pit
Small objects and dropped snacks can disappear beneath the balls, where they're hard to spot and clean.
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Early surgical masks tried to stop the surgeon's breath reaching the wound
Late-19th-century research showed that droplets from the mouth could carry microbes. Covering the surgeon's mouth addressed a source of contamination that…
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Blue lotus flowers contain very mild psychoactive agents
Its aporphine is described as a mild sedative that relaxes muscles and can slightly alter visual perception; the petals were steeped in wine.
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Burning incense fills your lungs with toxic fine particulates
Incense smoke releases fine particles and other combustion byproducts, which can build up in a small, unventilated room.
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Manila's colorful jeepneys began as troop transports
After World War II, surplus troop transports were modified into colorful jeepneys that became a mainstay of local commuting in Manila.
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Strict vegetarian commune diets rely heavily on cheap carbs
Communal meals may rely on inexpensive staples like rice, bread, and potatoes rather than costly superfoods.
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Neuschwanstein hides modern engineering inside a medieval fantasy
Ludwig II's castle was designed to evoke legendary kingship, but its construction included modern technology. The ornate Throne Hall used a steel structure…
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Why hospital privacy curtains resemble theater curtains
Hospital curtains borrow the heavy, sliding look of theater curtains, but the fabric is not a soundproof wall. It blocks the view across a bed; voices and…
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Why musical statues can leave you cramping
Holding a deep lunge or balancing on one leg while waiting for the music to restart can leave you cramping. In musical statues, an awkward frozen pose can be…
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A noisy knee is not automatically a damaged knee
A knee contains moving tendons, joint surfaces, and fluid, so it can click or pop without pain or injury. The important difference is what accompanies the…
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Nineteenth-century men heavily waxed their mustaches
Men used heavy wax to hold their mustaches in rigid horizontal shapes, so close conversation could mean getting jabbed by a stiff tip.
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Why too much sleep can leave you exhausted
Sleeping longer does not guarantee more refreshing sleep. A late wake-up can push against your usual body clock, and waking from deep sleep can leave you…
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Your favorite makeup shade has to earn its shelf space
A cosmetics line has limited room for shades, packaging, and inventory. Keeping one product means committing space and money that could go to a replacement.…
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Chuck E. Cheese has a surprisingly formal full name
The chain gave its animatronic rat the full name Charles Entertainment Cheese.
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Potato sack races result in severe ankle sprains
The sack limits balance corrections, so a misstep on uneven ground can twist an ankle and send a racer tumbling.
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Victorian men wore padded calves under their stockings
Tight stockings made slim legs hard to hide, so some Victorian men padded their calves to create the muscular shape fashion demanded. The look came with a…
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Riding ocean waves on a small floating block
A bodyboard floats under the rider and lets a breaking wave push it forward. Lying low keeps the board close to the water, where the wave’s energy is…
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Why mechanical bulls are especially bad for your groin
A fall from the bucking bull can slam riders into the hard plastic saddle, putting their groin at risk.
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Band-Aids were invented for one accident-prone wife
Earle Dickson wanted his wife, Josephine, to be able to cover a kitchen cut without assembling a tiny first-aid project from scratch. He fixed gauze to…
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Never Have I Ever is a game of confession or deception
Players can drink to admit they’ve done something—or deny it, even if they’re lying.
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The Empire State Building has its own ZIP code
ZIP code 10118 is reserved for the building's tenants, giving the skyscraper its own postal code.
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Old golf balls squeezed a hatful of feathers into leather
A featherie was stuffed with wet feathers inside a stitched leather shell. As it dried, the materials tightened into a surprisingly hard ball. Skilled makers…
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