In 1952, a nuclear reactor in Canada was undergoing a meltdown, and Jimmy Carter was tasked with leading a team of nuclear scientists to disassemble it. To complete the dangerous task, Carter and other American military personnel had to lower themselves into the reactor and disassemble it manually. It is worth noting that Jimmy Carter […]
The Gruen Transfer: How Shopping Malls Disorient Visitors
Shopping malls, much like casinos, are purposely designed to create a disorienting experience for visitors, leading them to lose track of time and location within the complex. This sensation is known as the Gruen Transfer, named after Victor Gruen, an Austrian architect who disapproved of such manipulative tactics. The Gruen Transfer is achieved through various […]
Lottery Winner’s $40 Million Donation to Cancer Research
Tom Crist, a lottery winner from Canada, made one of the most generous charitable donations by a lottery winner in history. After losing his wife to cancer, Crist won a lottery and pledged to donate all of his winnings to organizations fighting the disease. As Canada does not tax lottery winnings, Crist was able to […]
North Dakota’s Law Promotes Local Ownership of Pharmacies
North Dakota has effectively eliminated corporate chain pharmacies by implementing a law that mandates pharmacies to be owned by licensed pharmacists. This means that corporations owning pharmacies must be majority-owned by licensed pharmacists. It is worth noting that this law was enacted in 1963 as a response to concerns about the unethical practices of chain […]
The Self-Healing Power of Roman Concrete
Roman engineers created structures that have withstood the test of time thanks to the use of lime clasts in their concrete. Unlike modern concrete, which often deteriorates within a few decades, Roman concrete exhibits remarkable durability due to its self-healing properties from lime clasts. As a result, ancient wonders like the Pantheon and aqueducts still […]
Raccoon Invasion: The Unintended Consequences of Pet Imports in Japan
In 1977, the airing of an anime based on the book Rascal in Japan led to the importation of thousands of North American raccoons as pets, which were eventually released into the wild and have since become an invasive species in the country. As a result of the raccoon population explosion in Japan, government officials […]
Mississippian World Tree: A Cosmological Concept Similar to Norse Mythology
Similar to Norse mythology, the Mississippian Native Americans held a cosmological belief system that involved a World Tree. Their World Tree was a central element of their belief system, and it was believed to be a conduit between the upper and lower worlds. The tree was considered to be the axis of the world, and […]
Castaway Huts: Essential Survival Aid on Isolated Islands
Governments deliberately place castaway huts or depots on isolated islands to provide stranded people with essential supplies and tools. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the New Zealand government constructed the majority of these huts. Interestingly, the huts were designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, and they were built with materials that could withstand strong […]
DARPA’s Study on Coffee Spillage and Human Biomechanics
The US Department of Defense invested $170,000 in a study to investigate the causes of coffee spillage while walking. The findings revealed that any low-viscosity liquid could spill when exposed to human biomechanics, not just coffee. The study was part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) quest to understand human movement and to […]
Heinrich Hertz’s Discovery of Radio Waves and Legacy
Heinrich Hertz, the German physicist, is known for discovering electromagnetic waves, which we now know as radio waves, in 1887. However, when asked about the practical applications of his discovery, he replied, “Nothing, I guess.” He was more interested in studying the fundamental properties of electricity and magnetism. Hertz died at the young age of […]