Technology
Discover facts about technology. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Technology
Google answers more than 8 billion questions a day
People use Google for everything from checking how many ounces are in a cup to searching symptoms of a mild cough. Those billions of queries also power its…
Discover more
USB-C repeats connections so you can stop flipping the plug
The connector's symmetric arrangement lets it work in either orientation, while the devices detect how it is connected and route signals accordingly. That…
Discover more
Why one extra comma can break JSON
JSON’s strict syntax means a trailing comma can make a file invalid and cause a parser to reject it.
Discover more
The glass that survives red-hot to ice-cold
Fused quartz expands so little when heated that it can withstand extreme temperature changes. A red-hot quartz crucible can go straight into ice water without…
Discover more
When Cyberpunk 2077 spawned police behind you
At launch, police vehicles couldn't reliably navigate to crime scenes, so the game sometimes spawned armed officers about two feet behind the player instead.
Discover more
Aluminum heatsinks are cheap but less conductive than copper
Aluminum is cheaper and lighter, while copper transfers heat better. That's why budget electronics often use aluminum fins, while premium hardware may use…
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.
Cherry physical switches were patented in the seventies
They were built for heavy data-entry terminals, where durability mattered more than the loud-click appeal that later made them popular with gamers.
Discover moreCERN let people build the Web without paying it royalties
In April 1993, CERN released the World Wide Web software into the public domain. Developers could use the system without negotiating a license fee for that…
Discover more
Microfiber cloths are the only safe way to clean a screen
A clean microfiber cloth can lift oily smudges without the abrasion that paper towels may cause on delicate screen coatings.
Discover more
A Korean metal-type book predates Gutenberg's Bible
Jikji, printed in 1377, is the oldest surviving book printed with movable metal type. Individual cast characters could be arranged into a page and then…
Discover more
Some trial software trusted a clock the user could change
A simple time check compares the current date with the recorded start of a trial. If that clock moves backward, a poorly protected check can misread how much…
Discover more
Subterranean pipes exploit stable earth temperatures for heat
In winter, fluid circulating through buried pipes absorbs heat from the ground; in summer, the system carries building heat back underground.
Discover more
Combining two utensils to fail at both
Its shallow bowl can spill soup, while its short tines struggle to spear salad—an awkward compromise between spoon and fork.
Discover more
A controller cord could topple the PS2 Slim
The PS2 Slim was so light that a tug on a wired controller cord could pull the console off the TV stand.
Discover more
The typewriter was invented to help a blind writer
Pellegrino Turri built an early working typewriter in 1808 so his blind friend could write legible letters. Decades later, businesses adapted the idea for…
Discover more
Web browsers enforce maximum character limits on URLs
URL standards set no maximum length, but major browsers may reject addresses longer than a few thousand characters.
Discover more
A Wing Commander programmer temporarily turned an error into a thank-you
Ken Demarest recalled changing a memory-manager error message to thank the player when the game exited. He later confirmed that the team found the cause and…
Discover more
Apple explored a multitouch tablet before making the iPhone
Apple began developing the iPad's multi-touch technology before 2007, but turned to a phone-sized device first. The iPad came to market after the iPhone.
Discover more
Ancient Egyptians made wooden prosthetic toes
Archaeologists found a carefully crafted wooden-and-leather prosthetic toe on an Egyptian mummy—a striking example of artificial limbs from thousands of years…
Discover more
How landfills seal garbage away
A landfill is lined with compacted clay and welded sheets of high-density plastic to keep leachate from reaching groundwater. Trash is crushed flat and…
Discover more
Slot cars draw their driving power directly from the track
Metal brushes under each car touch energized rails in the track, sending electricity straight to the motor—no onboard battery needed.
Discover more
Quick time events demand button mashing to open heavy doors
These timed button prompts turn a simple action, like opening a door, into a high-pressure test of your thumb.
Discover more
Simon electronic game clones the classic Simon Says format
Players watch and repeat sequences of four colors paired with four tones, turning a playground-style game into a test of short-term memory.
Discover more
The digital black hole called /dev/null
On Unix-like systems, anything written to `/dev/null` is discarded, making it a handy destination for output you don't want to keep.
Discover more