Technology
Discover facts about technology. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Technology
The Linux kernel contains tens of millions of lines of code powering servers and smart devices
The invisible foundation powering most of the internet is a monolithic beast of code. Consisting of tens of millions of lines, it supports everything from…
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Seiko made a smartwatch in 1998
You didn't need an Apple logo to awkwardly glance at your wrist during a meeting in the 90s. The Seiko Ruputer (later marketed as the OnHand PC) launched in…
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How sudden internet fame can crash a website
Becoming incredibly famous on the internet is basically a localized disaster for your hosting provider. The moment a massive aggregator links to a tiny,…
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An external hard drive is often just an internal one in a case
You aren't buying specialized portable technology. If you crack open a thick external drive enclosure, you will immediately find a standard, cheap desktop…
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How Magellan's crew lost a day
Circumnavigating the planet historically resulted in absolute existential confusion. When the survivors of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition finally returned to…
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Alternators generate alternating current before rectifying
Your vehicle demands perfectly smooth direct current to function, but spinning magnets physically insist on creating wavy, back-and-forth power that must be…
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Superabsorbent hydrogels drink vastly more than their weight
Cross-linked polymers are chemically desperate for water. Superabsorbent hydrogels are composed of sprawling molecular chains lined with sodium molecules.…
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Windshield wipers use graphite-treated rubber to glide quietly across wet glass
Raw rubber would screech terribly against wet glass. To keep the wiping motion smooth and silent, manufacturers bake a thin layer of slippery graphite powder…
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The abandoned online cities where avatars still linger
Decades-old experimental chat spaces designed to look like crude three-dimensional towns still inexplicably operate on forgotten servers. Occasional curious…
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Tidal power plants completely rely on the moon
It sounds incredibly futuristic until you realize it's just outsourcing our power grid to celestial mechanics. Tidal power generators are essentially giant…
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Why the original Apple mouse had one button
While PC users enjoyed the functional luxury of right-clicking, Mac users were restricted by pure stubborn aestheticism. Apple engineers found that early test…
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How electric cars recharge when you brake
Hitting the brakes in a battery-powered ride does not just scrape pads against a disc. Instead, it flips the drive system in reverse, turning the motor into a…
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A cheap projector can need a replacement bulb that costs as much as the projector
Buying a cheap projector for backyard movie nights seems like a brilliant financial loophole for a massive screen. The catch is that the incredibly bright…
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Why the ground pin is longer than the others
That third prong on your heavy-duty cable is intentionally built longer than the other two for a terrifying reason. It physically guarantees the safety ground…
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Why video games call digital characters avatars
Long before big blue aliens took over the box office, a legendary game designer borrowed a sacred Hindu concept to describe your digital character. He wanted…
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Virtual reality avatars glitch wildly during normal movement
Stepping into the digital realm usually makes you look less like a majestic hero and more like a contortionist having a seizure. Because consumer headsets…
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A pocket-sized spinning toy was marketed as a tool for stress relief and focus
Sometimes a completely simple spinning chunk of plastic is given an incredibly intense purpose. What was essentially a pocket-sized rotating bearing was…
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Your phone’s sleek edges hide a maze of antennas
That smooth metallic band wrapping around your premium device is secretly chopped into pieces. The exterior frame serves as a multitude of different antennas,…
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Old computer monitors weighed a ton due to massive glass
Trying to move a vintage tube television by yourself is an absolutely fantastic way to instantly regret your entire life. The massive funnel-shaped component…
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Why video game bosses came from tabletop games
The concept of ending a level by fighting a single, disproportionately massive enemy didn't actually originate on a screen. Early developers blatantly stole…
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The computers that can do anything painfully slowly
A Turing tarpit is a programming environment that is technically capable of computing absolutely anything, but is deliberately designed to make every single…
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The Web was created to share physics documents
The entire digital ecosystem of memes, arguments, and shopping only exists because nerds hate walking. Tim Berners-Lee created the Web at CERN in 1989 purely…
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Your smart devices may route messages without your router
Your fancy light bulbs are secretly whispering behind your router's back. Many modern automated devices form low-power, direct-communication webs among…
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How Big O reveals when code will collapse
Instead of measuring how fast a program is, computer scientists use Big O notation to describe how spectacularly it will collapse under pressure. It…
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