fun facts

Decibels are ridiculous.

“What’s a decibel? Well, the most common answer is “uhh”. The second most common answer is that it’s “a way to measure loudness”. But it isn’t! A decibel is not a unit in any conventional sense: it’s more akin to […]

fun facts

Harvard kicks out Francesca Gino.

It only took two years. “In 2023, Harvard launched an internal investigation into Gino’s work after concerns were raised on a blog called Data Colada, run by a group of behavioral scientists who scrutinize academic research. The Harvard investigation concluded […]

fun facts

Music producer Steve Albini’s letter to Nirvana.

This got him the job on their next album. “If, instead, you might find yourselves in the position of being temporarily indulged by the record company, only to have them yank the chain at some point (hassling you to rework […]

fun facts

Why do we have half-moons on our fingernails?

“Embedded in your nails are other tiny mysteries, including the light-colored half-moon shape at the bottom of the nail plate. Though few of us stop to think about the purpose of this mark, its existence is a vital part of […]

fun facts

The Wisconsin governor has wild veto powers.

The state’s supreme court has upheld the governor’s right to veto individual words of bills, even if it changes or reverses the meaning of the sentence, paragraph, or bill overall. “[O]ur constitution does not limit the governor’s partial veto power […]

fun facts

Why human hair is limited to a handful of colors.

“Why, with such a vast array of colors all around us, are our hair colors so limited? Well, the pigments in our hair are predetermined by a genetic blueprint that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Let’s untangle the mystery […]