Technology
Discover facts about technology. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Technology
A data lake is a swamp of raw files
It stores raw, unprocessed files—such as text and media—without the structure of a data warehouse. Data scientists can later analyze and organize them.
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Why some styluses don't need batteries
The tablet sends out a weak electromagnetic field that powers the stylus wirelessly. The pen then sends a signal back so the tablet can register its position…
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Beryllium windows allow x-rays to escape tubes
Ordinary glass blocks many X-rays, but beryllium's low atomic number lets the beam pass through the window in an X-ray tube. Beryllium is toxic, so it must be…
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Redundancy means buying duplicate hardware just in case
Critical systems can use duplicate power supplies and storage arrays so a backup takes over if one fails, often without users noticing.
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Some inkjet printers boil ink to print a dot
In a thermal inkjet, a tiny heater creates a bubble inside a nozzle. The bubble pushes out a droplet, then collapses so the nozzle can refill. Repeat that…
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Why pencil graphite is mixed with clay
Pure graphite crumbles under pressure, so pencil makers mix it with kaolin clay and bake it into rods. Changing the clay-to-graphite ratio produces leads of…
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Bungee cords stop mouse cables from snagging on desks
A spring-loaded anchor lifts the cable just above the desk, reducing the drag that can make a wired mouse feel less free to move.
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Pendulum clocks lose time when moved toward the equator
Earth’s bulge makes gravity slightly weaker near the equator. A pendulum clock calibrated in London can therefore lose time when moved to Brazil.
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Thermocouples measure extreme heat by detecting voltage
Heating the junction of two different metals creates a small voltage through the Seebeck effect. Measuring that voltage lets a thermocouple gauge temperatures…
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Auto-brightness forces the light sensor to work constantly
The ambient-light sensor near the camera samples brightness several times a second and sends readings to the processor, which adjusts the screen.
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YAML specifically states it is never a markup language
The name is a recursive acronym for “YAML Ain’t Markup Language,” a wry nod to the format’s role in structuring text.
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Single-page web apps load all their content upfront
They download the app's logic up front, so later page changes feel nearly instant—but that first load can leave you waiting on a spinner.
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Elon Musk joined Tesla after it was founded
Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning founded Tesla Motors in 2003; Musk joined in 2004 with investor funding and later secured the legal right to call himself…
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Touchscreens rely on the electrical capacitance of skin
A fingertip changes the electrical grid over the glass, so the screen registers a touch without needing pressure. That's why winter gloves can leave you…
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Electron microscopes shoot beams through a harsh vacuum
Air molecules can interfere with the electron beam, so the sample chamber is evacuated before imaging.
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A closed programming question can be a signpost
On Stack Overflow, duplicate questions link readers toward an existing question and its answers. The aim is to keep useful solutions together instead of…
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Red Star OS could leave a computer's fingerprint inside shared files
Researchers examining North Korea's operating system found watermarking that attached identifying information to certain files. Copies could therefore carry…
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Rockstar code can hide numbers in song lyrics
The Rockstar programming language supports poetic number literals: word lengths can represent digits. A line that looks like a dramatic lyric can therefore…
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Old bumper cars plugged into the entire room
A pole reached the electrified overhead mesh while contacts underneath completed the circuit through the floor. That let each car draw power without dragging…
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An early coin-operated video game lived in a Stanford coffeehouse
In 1971, Galaxy Game brought a version of Spacewar to Stanford's Tresidder Union, charging players for turns. It was a custom installation rather than a…
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Ironing boards use a ratcheting slot to lock their legs
A handle pulls a metal rod from a toothed track so the crossed legs can open; releasing it into another slot locks the board in place.
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Why untouched software stops working
Operating systems, libraries, and compilers change, so code that once worked can break when those dependencies evolve. Returning to an untouched project years…
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The Raspberry Pi is a tiny full-fledged computer
A Raspberry Pi puts a processor, memory, and output ports on a tiny board, yet can run a desktop operating system.
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The original iPod hid a playable game
On the 2001 model, holding the center button on the About screen launched Breakout, which you played with the scroll wheel.
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