Culture & entertainment
Discover facts about culture & entertainment. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Culture & entertainment
Symphonic metal mixes orchestras with guitars
The genre pairs heavy metal’s distorted guitars with orchestral instruments such as violins and French horns.
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Fire breathing is just spitting fuel mist
Performers spray a fine mist of combustible liquid over a torch, where the droplets ignite in midair. The fuel can be highly toxic.
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Headbanging causes literal neck whiplash
The rapid back-and-forth motion can strain neck muscles, leaving fans with soreness they call a “bangover.”
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Double bass belongs to the viol family
Its sloped shoulders and flat back distinguish it from the cello and viola, reflecting the double bass’s descent from the viol family rather than the violin…
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Singing bowls just need a rubbed rim to wail
Rubbing a wooden mallet around the metal rim creates friction that sustains the bowl's ringing vibrations.
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Tap dancing involves metal plates on your feet
The metal taps are screwed onto the heel and toe, turning each step into a sharp percussive sound.
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Stylophone is played with a literal stylus
Its wired stylus completes an electrical circuit when touched to the metal keyboard, producing a buzzing, almost mosquito-like sound.
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Contortionists possess hypermobile spines
Their unusually flexible spines and loose ligaments let some performers bend until their heads rest against their buttocks.
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Alphorns are fourteen feet of pure wood
With no keys, buttons, or valves, players change notes using precise breath pressure and lip tension.
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Hula dancing tells complex stories with hands
The hands carry the narrative: gestures can represent the ocean, rain, or emotions, translating a vocal chant into movement.
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How aerialists stop a fall with fabric
Wrapping the silk around their waist and ankles creates enough friction to slow and hold the performer.
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The singer who rolls over crowds in a giant bubble
Instead of simply walking onstage, the lead singer climbs into a transparent ball and rolls over the audience while singing.
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Banjo features a weirdly short fifth string
The fifth string starts partway up the neck, letting it provide a constant high-pitched drone while the other strings play changing notes.
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Hang drum is basically an inverted steel pan
Light strikes on its metal shell produce a mellow, resonant tone; the instrument is played acoustically with bare hands.
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Houdini escaped a chained crate in the East River
In 1912, spectators watched him lowered into New York's river inside a crate wrapped in chains. He emerged in less than a minute. Taking an escape outside the…
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Harpsichord plucks strings instead of hitting
Pressing a key makes a small plectrum pluck a string. Unlike a piano, a harpsichord plays at nearly the same volume no matter how hard you press.
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A jaw harp turns your mouth into a sound filter
Plucking the reed creates a buzzing vibration. Changing the shape of your mouth alters which overtones resonate most strongly, so one vibrating reed can…
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Silent discos feature utterly quiet dance floors
Dancers hear a DJ through wireless headphones, so the room sounds silent to anyone without a pair.
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An octobass is so tall that levers do the fingering
At over 11 feet tall, it produces notes so low they can make the instrument’s immense size feel audible.
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Taiko drumming is a full body workout
Players use explosive, choreographed movements and strong stances to strike the massive Japanese drums.
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Glockenspiel uses tiny metal bars for music
Hard mallets bring out its bright, high-pitched chime, which can cut through a full orchestral arrangement.
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A horror movie's eerie wail can come from a bowl of water
The waterphone combines metal rods with a resonating chamber containing water. A player bows or strikes the rods and tilts the instrument; the moving water…
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Why Irish dancers keep their arms still
Keeping the arms still draws attention to the dancers’ frantic footwork.
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Keytar straps a keyboard onto your shoulders
A shoulder strap lets players move around while playing, and the neck provides pitch-bending controls.
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