Economy
Discover facts about economy. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Economy
A Roman charioteer’s winnings ran into the tens of millions
An inscription records more than 35 million sesterces in career winnings for Gaius Appuleius Diocles. It also lists races and victories, preserving an ancient…
Discover more
When gold dust became Depression-era pocket change
When cash ran short during the Depression, tiny flecks of gold could still buy bread. People sifted jewelers’ floorboards for dust valuable enough to trade…
Discover more
Australia made a one-tonne gold coin
In 2011, the Perth Mint made it from 99.99% pure gold. The coin weighs one metric tonne, is nearly a meter wide, and has a face value of one million…
Discover more
Sunflower seeds are sorted by size, with the smallest ones sold as birdseed
Sifters turn one harvest into two products: the plump seeds go to snackers, and the smaller ones go to bird feeders. What looks like a leftover size has its…
Discover more
Why dollar bills use secret ink
The ink on a dollar bill has a job beyond making it readable: it must resist fading and help foil unauthorized copies. The exact formula stays under wraps so…
Discover more
In Wisconsin, the shape of ice changes its tax treatment
Wisconsin’s grocery guidance treats ice cubes as food and ice blocks as taxable items. The distinction follows intended use: ice for a drink versus ice…
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 nut's shell can change its British VAT treatment
HMRC generally puts roasted or salted nuts in the standard-rated category, but makes an exception for those supplied in their shells, along with specified…
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
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
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
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.
Discover more
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.
Discover more
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…
Discover more
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…
Discover more
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…
Discover more
The eraser that swallows graphite whole
A kneaded eraser doesn’t scrape graphite away; it lifts the pigment by sticking to it. Fold the putty, and the graphite gets trapped inside until the eraser…
Discover more
Jam rules can treat a carrot as fruit
European jam legislation includes carrots within its special definition of fruit. That lets carrot-based preserves fit the product rules without changing the…
Discover more
New York can tax the same food differently depending on how it is sold
Many groceries are exempt, while hot food, sandwiches, and meals sold for eating on the premises are generally taxable. The tax follows the sale's…
Discover more
Why saffron farmers race the calendar
Saffron farmers get only a couple of weeks each autumn to harvest the flowers. Miss that brief bloom, and the crop can be ruined.
Discover more
Every US bill weighs one gram
A stack of U.S. bills can be counted on a scale because each weighs about one gram, whether it's a $1 or a $100. The catch: worn paper can throw off the count.
Discover more
Bubble wrap production seals air between plastic
Bubble wrap looks like a sheet of air, but making it takes two layers of polyethylene and machinery to line up and seal each pocket. The packaging can be…
Discover more
Polystyrene windows double envelope production costs
The paper envelope needs a hole, a plastic window, and an extra assembly step. The little see-through patch costs more to make than an envelope with no window.
Discover more
Growing truffles starts with growing the right tree roots
Truffle fungi live in partnership with tree roots, trading soil nutrients for sugars from the tree. Growers plant inoculated trees and manage the conditions…
Discover more