Technology
Discover facts about technology. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Technology
That foam packaging is almost all gas
Expanded polystyrene is about 98% gas by volume: blowing agents expand the beads, leaving air trapped in a rigid plastic matrix. Those bubbles make it…
Discover more
Gadget screws come in invisible variations
Some devices use screws that differ in length by fractions of a millimeter. Put a long screw in the wrong hole, and it can pierce the outer shell.
Discover more
Why essay-grading AI rewards polished nonsense
Some automated graders prioritize surface features like sentence length, complex vocabulary, and transitions over coherence, so polished-sounding writing can…
Discover more
USB-C connectors are tested for thousands of plug-ins
The specification calls for a minimum durability rating of 10,000 mating cycles. That turns an everyday gesture into a repeatable mechanical test. It is a…
Discover more
How game audio gives you time to dodge
A metallic ring or grunt can warn you that an attack is coming, giving you a cue to dodge before it lands.
Discover more
Monitor arms free up desk space by clamping to the edge
A monitor arm clamps to the desk instead of relying on a bulky stand, freeing surface space and letting you adjust the screen's height.
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.
CSS style rules endlessly override and contradict
Because CSS rules cascade, a style meant for one button can unexpectedly affect other elements—potentially making an entire navigation bar disappear.
Discover more
XML requires explicit closing tags for every element
Each opening element needs a matching closing tag that repeats its name, so the parser can tell where the element ends.
Discover more
High-speed display cables carry both power and raw signals
A separate 5-volt line can let a monitor signal the graphics card and negotiate connection speeds, even when the display is idle.
Discover more
Shazam started as a phone call
When the service launched in Britain in 2002, users dialed 2580 and held their phone toward the music. The song identification arrived by text message. The…
Discover more
Why octal goes from seven straight to ten
Octal is base eight, so its digits run from 0 to 7; the next number is written 10, just as decimal rolls from 9 to 10.
Discover more
Apple bought the company Steve Jobs built after leaving it
Apple announced a $400 million deal for NeXT in December 1996, bringing both its software technology and Jobs back into the business. What had been a separate…
Discover more
Mousetraps snap shut via an incredibly sensitive catch lever
A slight press on the bait pedal shifts the tiny metal catch, releasing the torsion spring and slamming the bar down.
Discover more
Thermal cameras detect heat radiating as infrared light
Warm objects emit infrared radiation, which the camera detects and translates into an image.
Discover more
One long word lives on the keyboard's left side
On a standard QWERTY keyboard, 'stewardesses' uses only keys assigned to the left hand in touch typing. Twelve letters, and the right hand can sit out the…
Discover more
Ring lights create very specific circular catchlights
The white ring reflected in a video creator’s eyes is a catchlight from the circular light source positioned in front of the camera.
Discover more
Failing at an endless wheel and starting a casino
An inventor’s failed attempt to build a wheel that would spin forever instead produced a staple of modern gambling: the roulette wheel.
Discover more
Why cell towers have a range limit
A tower’s timing limits can prevent it from communicating with a handset beyond a set radius: the signal may take too long to arrive, even with a clear line…
Discover more
Why game controllers steer better than digital keys
An analog potentiometer reads subtle voltage changes, allowing a controller to register a gradual turn; a keyboard key is simply on or off.
Discover more
Case power buttons get physically jammed
Repeated presses can warp the retaining clips behind the button, leaving it stuck and causing unwanted restarts.
Discover more
Electronic testers must physically join the active circuit
To measure current, a technician breaks the circuit and inserts a multimeter into the gap, so the current flows through the meter.
Discover more
Wireless wall plugs are digital bouncers for electricity
A smart plug uses a mechanical relay to open or close the circuit, switching power to whatever is plugged in when it receives a command.
Discover more
Pliers multiply human grip strength via mechanical leverage
Long handles and short jaws concentrate a hand squeeze into much greater pressure at the tips, enough to snap wires or strip bolt heads.
Discover more
Where does the digital 'cloud' actually live while consuming massive amounts of natural resources?
Where does the digital 'cloud' actually live while consuming massive amounts of natural resources?
Discover more