Technology
Discover facts about technology. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Technology
Code obfuscation scrambles logic to confuse humans
An obfuscator renames variables and rearranges code to make it harder for people to understand, while leaving it executable by computers.
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The salty desert pools behind lithium batteries
Some lithium is extracted from salty underground brine pumped into broad desert ponds. Sunlight evaporates the water over months, concentrating the lithium…
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Why your phone screen gets smudgier
A thin coating helps new screens repel greasy fingerprints, but repeated swiping wears it down, making smudges stick more readily.
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The first web browser had the same name as the web
Tim Berners-Lee first called his browser WorldWideWeb, the same name as the information space it opened. He later renamed it Nexus.
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Folding screens crease right down the middle
Repeated folding can leave a lasting crease down the center of the display, despite its flexible layers.
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Expensive electronic deadbolts fail on misaligned doors
A small motor may not have enough force to turn a bolt against a swollen door frame; if the bolt and strike plate are misaligned, the lock can jam.
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The stranger who briefly bought Google.com
In 2015, Sanmay Ved spotted Google.com listed for $12 on Google Domains and managed to buy it. Google canceled the transaction about a minute later and paid…
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Why blast furnaces run for decades
The firebrick lining can crack as the furnace cools and contracts, so shutting one down risks costly damage. Some blast furnaces run continuously for more…
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Why your smart thermostat changes the temperature back
Learning thermostats can follow an energy-saving schedule based on your habits, so a manual adjustment may be temporary and the temperature can return to its…
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The USB logo is a trident in disguise
The USB Implementers Forum modeled the logo on Neptune’s trident, replacing its points with a square, circle, and triangle to represent different peripherals.
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Your smart fridge may need an update to make ice
Some connected fridges rely on software for ice-making, so a stalled firmware update can keep the machine from dispensing ice cubes.
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The glass that washes itself in sunlight
Sunlight activates the titanium dioxide coating, which breaks down organic grime; rain then sheets across the glass and carries the dirt away.
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Why .aq websites must be tied to Antarctica
To register a .aq website, you must prove that you operate an expedition or science station in Antarctica.
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C was created to play a space game
In the early 1970s, Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson tried to run the text-based game Space Travel on a PDP-7, but found the existing tools cumbersome. Their…
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Point of sale registers are horribly disguised computers
Under the bulky shell and tangle of receipt cables, a register may run a standard, often outdated operating system.
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The Vatican controls the .va web domain
The .va domain is restricted to organizations affiliated with the Holy See, so it isn't available for just any website.
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Serious Sam 3 sent an invincible scorpion after pirates
The anti-piracy measure turned a pirated run into a chase: an unkillable pink scorpion pursued players across the map until they quit.
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Wikipedia has an apocalypse plan—with its tongue in its cheek
Its community-written “Terminal Event Management Policy” treats civilization-ending disaster as another administrative problem for editors. The humor comes…
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Stents are tiny expandable wire mesh tubes for arteries
A catheter carries the collapsed stent to the narrowed artery. A balloon expands it, pressing the vessel open and leaving the mesh scaffold in place.
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Trampolines absorb bounces through a ring of metal springs
Most of the bounce comes from the springs around the mat: they stretch as you land and recoil to send you back up.
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Audio equalizers selectively boost targeted frequencies
For a muddy vocal, lowering low-frequency rumble and raising crisp highs can make the voice sound clearer.
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South Korea built an internet advantage out of dense fiber networks
Short distances between many urban users make high-capacity connections easier to extend, and fiber carries large amounts of data efficiently. Low gaming…
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Bitrate directly throttles data transmission speed
A lower bitrate means less data is available each second, so a video or audio file may lose detail, showing blocky artifacts or sounding garbled.
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A shopping cart can carry its own parking brake
Some anti-theft systems lock a wheel when the cart crosses an electronic boundary around the store. Staff can release the lock with a dedicated device.…
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