Technology
Discover facts about technology. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Technology
Audio bit depth dictates available dynamic volume ranges
More bit depth gives each audio sample more possible amplitude values, expanding the range between quiet and loud sounds. That helps preserve subtle sounds…
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A Canadian radar system used a bowling ball as its trackball
The early-1950s DATAR project mounted a five-pin bowling ball in a control device for radar plotting. Rolling it moved information on a display without…
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Typewriters used an actual loud bell to signal the line end
As the carriage neared the right margin, the bell warned the typist to return it before continuing on the next line.
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Why hovercrafts were designed to carry bombs
Hovercrafts were conceived to carry explosive payloads over water, but their giant fans made stealth impossible.
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Tarballs are just tape archives from the seventies
The .tar extension stands for “Tape Archive,” a name dating to when files were stored on magnetic tape reels.
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A wireless phone call usually leaves the air at the tower
The antenna handles the radio link to the phone, but the tower still needs a connection to the wider network. That backhaul may use fiber or a point-to-point…
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Why Git is named after an insult
Git’s creator named it after a slang term for an unpleasant or foolish person, joking that he named projects after his own flaws.
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Why Python makes threads wait in line
In standard Python, the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) allows only one thread to execute Python code at a time, so threads can't run CPU-bound work in…
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Pokémon Go beat radio to 50 million users
Pokémon Go reached 50 million users in under three weeks, while radio took decades to reach the same scale. The contrast shows how quickly a mobile app can…
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An early robot vacuum listened for the furniture
Electrolux's Trilobite, launched in 2001, navigated using ultrasound and could return to recharge. Sound helped it detect its surroundings without a human…
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Spinning rotors react to applied forces at right angles
A force on a rapidly spinning rotor produces motion at right angles to the force, a response called gyroscopic precession. Helicopters need mechanical…
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When tests exist only to turn the chart green
Some developers write tests that satisfy code-coverage quotas without checking meaningful behavior, turning a green chart into a goal of its own.
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Duct tape sticks using a highly aggressive rubber adhesive
A thick layer of unvulcanized rubber adhesive flows into microscopic surface pores to grip them. As it degrades, it can leave a sticky residue.
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The flash drive was born to replace fragile floppy disks
In 1999, Israeli company M-Systems patented the DiskOnKey, which paired flash memory with USB. With no moving parts or external power, it was less vulnerable…
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Smartwatches demand to be charged completely every day
A traditional timepiece may run five years on one battery, while some smartwatches need a charge every 24 hours—more digital pet than set-and-forget watch.
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Samsung's name promised stars before it sold electronics
Lee Byung-chul founded Samsung in 1938; its Korean name means three stars and expresses an ambition for enduring strength. The business began in trading…
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Nyan Cat was based on a real cat
The creator modeled the pixelated cat on his own Russian Blue, Marty.
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Supersonic wind tunnels test aerodynamics of moving vehicles
Engineers test vehicle models in wind tunnels by blasting them with air and using smoke or dye to trace airflow over their shapes.
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Electrical ground wires physically connect to the earth
The wire can run to a metal stake driven into the soil outside the building.
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Game Boy Advance completely lacked a screen light
The 2001 handheld had no built-in screen light, so playing in the dark meant buying a battery-powered worm light; sunlight was the other option.
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Domain names are essentially rented real estate
A domain is registered for a set period, so you have to renew it. If you let it expire, someone else may register the address, and even a major company can…
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IPv6 gives the internet a vastly bigger address book
IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses; IPv6 uses 128 bits. Each extra bit doubles the possible combinations, so this is not merely four times as much room. The expanded…
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A wetsuit's warmth comes from tiny trapped gas pockets
Foamed neoprene contains closed cells that slow heat transfer. The rubber holds the structure together, while the gas is a poor heat conductor. Squeeze the…
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Why speaking is faster than typing
Most people can speak faster than they can type, and speech-to-text can capture spoken words quickly. Yet many still peck out emails at a keyboard to avoid…
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