Culture & entertainment
Discover facts about culture & entertainment. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Culture & entertainment
A Pokémon broadcast exposed the danger of rapid flashing images
Hundreds of children were taken to hospitals after a red-and-blue flashing sequence aired in Japan in 1997; some were admitted with seizures. The incident led…
Discover more
TV sweeps gave networks a reason to save their biggest episodes
U.S. audience measurement traditionally concentrated on periods in February, May, July, and November. Those ratings helped determine local advertising prices,…
Discover more
The Walking Dead had a school for zombie walkers
Extras attended a “Zombie School” run by executive producer Greg Nicotero, where they learned to limp, twitch, and stagger so the undead horde moved…
Discover more
Guess Who features exactly twenty four distinct characters
Players narrow the roster by judging visible features, such as whether a character wears a hat.
Discover more
Why movies always seem to have a full moon
A full moon offers bright, dramatic night lighting on screen, so films often show one regardless of the moon’s actual phase.
Discover more
When Roman theater used real executions
Some accounts describe productions substituting a condemned prisoner for an actor during a scripted death scene, turning the performance into a real execution.
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.
Theme park maps deliberately distort distances
They make major attractions look closer together, encouraging visitors to keep walking—even when the churro stand is really a mile away.
Discover more
Tom Cruise held his breath underwater for six minutes
For an underwater heist scene, Cruise used specialized freediving techniques to lower his heart rate and hold his breath for six minutes, allowing the camera…
Discover more
Rhetorical optimism guarantees immediate narrative disaster
In stories, saying “what could possibly go wrong?” often foreshadows disaster—sometimes almost immediately.
Discover more
Fake bruises are painted on using stipple sponges
Makeup artists dab purple and yellow pigment with porous stipple sponges to create the mottled look of broken capillaries, a texture ordinary brushes can’t…
Discover more
Why TV finales once made water pressure plunge
During famous TV finales in the 1980s, millions of viewers waited until the credits to use the toilet. The resulting wave of simultaneous flushing caused…
Discover more
Tarantino answered the foot-shot question with other directors
Asked about his recurring images of feet, he pointed to filmmakers including Luis Buñuel, Alfred Hitchcock, and Sofia Coppola. His defense was that such shots…
Discover more
The tragic face that inspired the Joker's grin
Artists borrowed the Joker’s stretched grin from the tragic protagonist of the 1928 film adaptation of *The Man Who Laughs*.
Discover more
Accidentally shattering a priceless winning crown
In an emotional moment, a pageant winner dropped her gem-encrusted crown onstage, and it shattered into several pieces.
Discover moreWhy stormtroopers are so bad at aiming
The films play the contrast for comedy: even stationary targets escape while blaster bolts scorch the walls around them.
Discover more
The Friends cast got one last trip before fame
Before the pilot aired in 1994, Burrows took the six actors to Caesar's Palace, gave them chips, and told them it might be their last chance to be anonymous…
Discover more
Tom Hanks helped pay to keep Forrest Gump running
Hanks said he and director Robert Zemeckis covered the cost of the cross-country running sequence when the studio would not fund it. The scene became one of…
Discover more
Outside food bans exist for health code liabilities
One reason venues may ban outside food is to reduce food-safety risks: if a guest gets sick from a contaminated meal, the venue could face scrutiny from…
Discover more
Why sleep terrors can make people sit bolt upright
Sleep terrors can trigger a sudden physical reaction: someone may sit bolt upright, gasp for air, and break into a cold sweat.
Discover more
Assassin's Creed began as a Prince of Persia spin-off
The first pitch cast you as the Prince’s companion, but executives thought the Prince himself needed more focus. The concept became a separate franchise.
Discover more
Fictional vehicles possess magical anti-theft properties
In fiction, cars are often left unlocked with the keys in the visor—and stolen only when the plot needs a chase.
Discover more
At Renaissance fairs, even staff stay in character
Some Renaissance fair staff stay in character even during breaks, speaking in an archaic dialect in case a visitor walks by.
Discover more
Wheel of Fortune's wheel weighs more than a ton
The show's familiar spinning centerpiece has been reported at about 2,400 pounds. Its size helps explain why location shoots require a crew to transport it…
Discover more
A triangle player's one note can come after 300 measures
A triangle player may wait 300 measures before striking a single note; landing it on time after that long silence takes intense concentration.
Discover more