Culture & entertainment
Discover facts about culture & entertainment. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Culture & entertainment
Mark Hamill started filming as Luke Starkiller
Hamill has recalled that the character's surname changed during production of the original Star Wars. He was so accustomed to Starkiller that Skywalker…
Discover morePenn and Teller perform cups and balls with clear cups
They perform the classic cups-and-balls trick with clear plastic cups, yet misdirection can still fool audiences—even when the balls are visible being put…
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Golden age of Mexican cinema defied boundaries
From the 1930s through the 1950s, Mexican films—from noir to tragic romance—found audiences across the Spanish-speaking world.
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Reality cast members are classified as contractors
Networks often classify reality stars as independent contractors, which can mean they aren't entitled to employee benefits such as health insurance, overtime,…
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Weather radio broadcasts on isolated VHF frequencies
A dedicated receiver tunes to 162 MHz, where broadcasts run around the clock and can trigger an alarm during severe weather.
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Comic relief characters exist just to break tension
A comic sidekick can give audiences a brief emotional breather between bleak scenes, making the heavier parts easier to sit through.
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An infomercial demonstration is a performance with an edit button
A filmed pitch can select the cleanest attempt, the best camera angle, and the most favorable conditions. Viewers see the result without necessarily seeing…
Discover moreLiam Neeson expected Taken to end up on video
Neeson later said he had imagined the film as a small European thriller rather than the start of a major action career. Its success changed the scripts…
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Why fictional bartenders always spot the main character
The scene gives a brooding hero a confidant in a public place: even in a packed club, the bartender brings over a bottle and unsolicited advice.
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Why movies make heartbreak come with rain
Rain gives filmmakers a way to make the weather mirror a character’s grief: a breakup can be followed by a sudden downpour, leaving the characters looking as…
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Content farms mass-produce highly saturated imagery
Some networks produce thousands of nearly identical craft videos, adapting them for local audiences and using bright colors to grab attention. Hot-glue…
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Why the final mini-golf hole takes your ball away
The steep inward slope channels the ball into an unreachable collection tube, where the course retrieves it after your final putt.
Discover moreJustin Bieber's hair clippings were highly coveted
He put his swooping bangs in a signed box, which fans eagerly sought to own.
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A gap on British radio became a station of birdsong
After Oneword closed in 2008, its digital slot carried a repeating birdsong recording. What filled the gap was neither a presenter nor a playlist of hits:…
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Why Arthur's glasses disappear into his head
Arthur's ears sit on top of his head, leaving nowhere for the arms of his glasses to rest; they simply disappear into the sides of his skull.
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Publishing fabricated alien interviews
Some tabloids presented entirely fabricated conversations with alleged alien abductees as real interviews, publishing them as breaking news.
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Dating apps turn romance into left-or-right decisions
Users make quick left-or-right choices about people’s profiles, turning potential matches into a rapid stream of yes-or-no decisions.
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Why haunted-house actors target the middle
Actors often target the middle of a group because people at the front and back are more likely to see them coming, leaving those in between less prepared.
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Why theme-park paths aren't flat
A slight cross-slope helps rain and cleaning water reach drains instead of collecting where visitors walk. The surface can look level while quietly moving…
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Vaudeville had an act whose job was to make people leave
In continuous-performance theaters, a closing act known as a chaser helped clear spectators out so fresh customers could take seats. The business needed…
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Candy Land is decided before you make a move
Players simply draw cards, so there are no choices or tactics—the deck determines the winner.
Discover moreThe Flaming Lips made a song that lasts 24 hours
The 24-hour track first appeared on a flash drive encased in a human skull.
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Why movie characters never count their change
Movie characters often toss an uncounted handful of bills onto a restaurant table and leave without checking the change. The script skips the basic math,…
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Batman Begins turns a floppy cape into wings with electricity
The film's fictional memory cloth stiffens when Bruce applies an electrical charge through his glove. That lets the same garment hang behind him while he…
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