Travel
Discover facts about travel. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Travel
Why feeding stray animals can bring a huge fine in the UAE
Throwing a scrap of meat to a hungry street cat is heavily penalized by local municipalities. Authorities argue that feeding strays encourages massive…
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In Cyprus, even sipping water while driving is illegal
Attempting to eat a simple sandwich while sitting in traffic will turn you into an instant criminal. Authorities heavily enforce a zero-tolerance policy…
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How a backyard invention became Tilt-A-Whirl
Mathematical chaos theory made its debut in a Minnesota backyard. Herbert Sellner built the first spinning ride in 1926 without any modern engineering tools,…
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The unexpected ingredient behind Crayola’s familiar smell
That nostalgic waxy aroma that floods your brain with childhood memories relies on a rather disgusting secret ingredient. The distinct smell is a proprietary…
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Why Swedes hide their keys at the table
Emptying your pockets before eating will summon completely unnecessary panic. Rooted in completely outdated lore, placing keys directly on any flat dining…
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The rocket scientist who invented the Super Soaker
Leave it to an actual rocket scientist to perfect the art of annoying your siblings. Lonnie Johnson, an aerospace genius working on the Galileo Jupiter…
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Theme parks patented the paths you take in line
Waiting in line is such a miserable science that corporations actually legally protect their methods. Theme parks have filed numerous patents for multi-tiered…
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The CN Tower has a time capsule sealed inside
High above the clouds, buried inside the walls of the observation deck, sits a bizarre collection of items meant to confuse future generations. Placed during…
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Chia Pets sprout seeds on grooved terracotta figurines
The ultimate late-night infomercial staple relies on incredibly basic ancient agricultural tricks. The famous figurines are just porous clay sculpted with…
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Why toasting with water can be a bad idea in Germany
Clinking glasses with a refreshing cup of tap water is surprisingly morbid. Rooted in ancient lore, toasting with anything non-alcoholic is believed to…
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Buckingham Palace has its own cash machine
Running out of physical currency is apparently a problem even for monarchs. Tucked away in the basement of the lavish residence is a highly exclusive…
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Ant farms became a massive craze using harvester ants
Nothing screams mid-century entertainment like putting stinging insects inside a plastic box on your desk. The iconic Uncle Milton's Ant Farm sold millions of…
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When hula hoops threatened the bamboo supply
Hip-swiveling mania nearly wiped out a vital natural resource. When the fad exploded, manufacturers desperately imported immense quantities of raw bamboo to…
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Virginia has a giant pencil no one can sharpen
They constructed a colossal writing implement that serves absolutely zero functional purpose. You cannot sharpen it, you cannot write with it, and it just…
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Ohio has a vacant office shaped like a giant basket
Someone actually approved the blueprints to construct an enormous, multi-story wicker basket. Unsurprisingly, it eventually ended up completely vacant,…
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Why Baker, California, built a giant thermometer
Because stepping outside and feeling like your skin is melting wasn't enough, they erected a colossal structure just to explicitly inform you how miserable…
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One surveying error gave Maryland a town of Accidentals
Subjecting your entire population to a lifetime of being called 'Accidentals' is a masterclass in municipal cruelty. The founders made a surveying error and…
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The New York town where everyone talks to spirits
If you enjoy an entire neighborhood claiming they can speak to your dead relatives, you will love this highly localized echo chamber. The whole area operates…
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Kill Devil Hills sounds scarier than it is
With a label that sounds like a satanic doom metal album, you would expect fire and brimstone. Instead, you get a completely standard coastal strip dotted…
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Why Flippin, Arkansas sounds like a complaint
Every single person who lives here is forced to sound completely exasperated every time they state their address. It is impossible to say you are from this…
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A town was named after a blank application
When the post office demanded a designation, the residents were apparently so uninspired that they just left the application blank. The federal government,…
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Okay, Oklahoma, Celebrates Being Just Barely Passable
Rather than pretending to be great, this location settled for being just barely passable. It is the geographic equivalent of a shrug, offering absolutely…
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Truth or Consequences changed its name for a game show
Selling out is an art form, and this New Mexico settlement mastered it by permanently changing its entirely normal name to match a 1950s radio program just to…
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Greasy Corner Arkansas sounds thoroughly unappealing
Choosing a name that actively triggers a visceral reaction of disgust is a spectacular way to ensure nobody ever visits. It evokes the smell of an unwashed…
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