What is fill power?
I bought a new coat for the upcoming Chicago winter. Salespeople threw around stats for fill power but couldn’t explain what fill power was. Wikipedia to the rescue! | learn more
Category: fun facts
Silicon Valley hierarchy of needs.
Someone updated Maslow’s hierarchy, and it’s pretty great. I seem to have accidentally skipped the base of the pyramid. | learn more
The perfect prediction scam.
I investigated this after it was used as an example in an article I read. It’s a clever concept for a scam. | learn more
The IRS can’t handle cannabis industry all-cash tax payments.
The government is collecting so much tax revenue from them that they’re paying a 3rd party company to deal with the cash. | learn more
Red Bull stuntmen jump into a plane.
This video is incredible. Humans are amazing. Wingsuit flyers Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet fly into a plane’s open door while it’s in the air. | learn more
The history of RFID and electronic tolling.
Tedium highlights the history of the invention of RFID (in the context of espionage) and its role in electronic tolling transponders (like your I-Pass). | learn more
The Fresh Prince is back (just for a few minutes).
I’ve locked my phone to only allow social media apps for 30 min per day. Thankfully, this made the cut. Will Smith, his long-time friend Jazzy Jeff, and his son Jaden Smith brought back the…
The time bandits of Southern California.
“The true story of a ring of thieves who stole millions of dollars’ worth of luxury watches—and the special agent who brought them down.” | learn more
The difference between a camel and a dromedary.
This came up recently in a conversation and I had to google to refresh my memory. | learn more
How spies use disguises.
The former chief of disguises for the CIA talks about her craft. Really interesting! | learn more
What is the scrolling code in The Matrix?
Click to find out! | learn more
Fold n’ fly.
A database of paper airplane folding designs and instructions. |learn more
A visual history of every Air Jordan.
Every shoe since 1985. | learn more
The guy who traded a paperclip for a house made a TED talk.
You may have heard of this story before, and now you can hear it right from the source (with photos included). “Kyle MacDonald details just exactly how he traded up from one red paperclip to…
The origin of the expression from soup to nuts.
I used this recently and the person I was talking to looked at me funny. Then I became curious about where this expression comes from. | learn more
Male gorillas who play with infants are most likely to reproduce.
“Research published … in the journal Nature found that male mountain gorillas who spent the most time affectionately tending to infants, even if those children were not their own, went on to sire 5.5 times…
Three patent myths.
Your fellow P.S. subscriber (and patent lawyer) Zach Smolinski cleared up some common misconceptions about patents. I arrogantly clicked the link thinking “hah, of course I’ll know all of this”. Then, I quickly tucked my…
Soyuz rocket launch failure forces emergency landing for crew.
“A Russian Soyuz rocket carrying a new U.S.-Russian crew to the International Space Station failed during its ascent Thursday (Oct. 11), sending its crew capsule falling back toward Earth in a ballistic re-entry, NASA officials…
Snoop Dogg’s going to be a lifestyle guru.
“When Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from tha Dogg’s Kitchen comes out on Oct. 23, Snoop Dogg will officially join the pantheon of experts who are here to tell us all how to live well.” | learn more
What makes a dad joke?
Like Neo in the Matrix woke up and realized he suddenly knew Kung Fu, on the day of my daughter’s birth I suddenly learned I had mastered punny dad jokes. This article digs into why…
Minnesota town’s local birds are getting too drunk.
“It’s avian anarchy in Gilbert, Minnesota.” | learn more
Banksy art shreds itself after being auctioned for $1.2MM.
The artist had secretly hidden a shredder in the frame long before it arrived at the auction house. Then, once the winning bid was announced, the surprise shredding began. Later, Banksy published a video on…
What does ‘run the traps’ mean?
I recently googled it to find out! The phrase originally comes from hunting. | learn more
Are pop lyrics getting more repetitive?
A website called The Pudding has put together a thorough analysis with all sorts of colorful and animated charts. You are guaranteed to learn something. | learn more
A seal slapped a kayaker with an octopus tentacle.
You should drop everything and watch this video clip. | learn more