#119 What is dark matter?
I learned this today. Dark matter is a hypothetical matter in space that doesn’t absorb, emit or reflect light, yet has gravity […]
#118 What exactly is pykrete?
I learned this today. Pykrete is a frozen material made of 14% sawdust and 86% water. It is as strong as concrete. […]
#117 Could a society without money work?
I learned this today. A society without money is not only possible, it is probably the best way that society will survive […]
#116 Why did people storm the Bastille on July 14, 1789?
I learned this today. People stormed the Bastille during the French Revolution not to free political prisoners but to get at its […]
#115 What is nuclear pasta?
I learned this today. Nuclear pasta is a theoretical matter that might exist in the crust of a neutron star. It would […]
#114 What happened to smallpox?
I learned this today. Smallpox was responsible for as many as 500 million deaths in the 20th century, but it was completely […]
#113 Why did Thomas Edison use bamboo in his light bulb?
I learned this today. Thomas Edison used thin strips of bamboo in his early light bulbs because carbonized bamboo has a very […]
#112 When did people first start getting married?
I learned this today. The first evidence for a wedding ceremony between a man and a woman is from Mesopotamia in 2350 […]
#111 Why don’t evergreen trees lose their leaves in the winter?
I learned this today. Evergreen trees keep their leaves for longer because they have evolved to survive in colder areas with less […]
#110 Why doesn’t the Malthusian theory of population apply today?
I learned this today. The Malthusian theory of population doesn’t apply today because we can basically produce more food than was previously […]