Dec 31, 2023
A collection of weird and wonderful facts unearthed this year by Science, Technology, and Health reporters at The Atlantic.
Mars has seasons, and in the winter, it snows.
When you look at a tattoo, you’re seeing ink shining in the “belly” of an immune cell that has gobbled up the ink and failed to digest it.
The overwhelming majority of sweaters available on the American mass market are made at least partly of plastic.
Fifteen percent of daily Google searches have never been searched before, according to the company.
Mice and rats can’t vomit.
The same molecule that makes cat urine smell like cat urine is, in lower concentrations, commonly used in air fresheners and household cleaners.
It’s possible to lactate without ever having been pregnant. But if you are pregnant, your feet might grow roughly half a shoe size and lengthen by about 0.4 inches.
The technology behind the first rice cookers, sold in 1955, is still widely used today - because it’s perfect. Meanwhile, the corrugated pizza box used by basically every pizzeria has not changed since its invention in 1966, and it does a bad job of maintaining a take-out pizza.
You have two noses, and you can control them separately via your armpits.
Animals at watering holes in South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park were twice as likely to flee when they heard a human voice as when they heard lions.
The Italian government provides gluten-free-food vouchers for people with celiac disease.
Gender-neutral baby names are more popular in conservative states than in liberal ones.
UPS handles so many packages every year that its workers put their hands on roughly 6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
Today's Articles
What Went Right Last Week: Synopsis of the important good news from around the world.
International Photography Awards: Stunning collection of images from professional and amateur photographers around the world, for IPA 2023.
Breakthrough Battery: Gives a longer range than any other electric or, remarkably, any fuel-powered car currently on the market.
Global Health Summary: 2023 has been a year of significant progress for medicines and global health.
Top 5: Greatest opening lines of all time in a novel - with one rather surprising result.
Top Trio: Three of last week's most read features, and the most watched mood boosting video.