2026-10-03 -- control

#1 · news-in-context Aug 18, 2026

College football generates over $13B annually—but many programs run at a loss.

Despite total revenues surpassing $13B in 2025, college football’s high operating costs mean only a handful of top programs turn large profits, while most run at a loss.

`The largest expenses for programs included facilities, debt service, and equipment ($2.8B), coaches' compensation ($2.47B), and non-coaching athletics staff compensation ($2.14B).
The largest revenue generators were conference distributions and media rights ($3.55B), donor contributions ($2.7B), and ticket sales ($1.94B).

lead Athletics Spending Spree own · sim 0.53 · keep 0.29 · score -1

#2 · explainers Oct 7, 2025

NFL stadiums are designed to maximize profit, not number of seats

Most stadiums are actually getting smaller as the cost of land rises. Owners have sought to increase returns by designing prestige suits and clubs (rather than just more general admission) and laying out the stadium to maximize customer purchases.

lead Athletics Spending Spree own · sim 0.46 · keep 0.77 · score -2

#3 · explainers Aug 18, 2026

New rules introduced in 2021 let college athletes profit from their name, image, and likeness.

The NCAA’s 2021 policy shift allowed athletes to earn money through endorsements, sponsorships, and personal branding.

In 2024, the NCAA agreed to pay nearly $2.8B to athletes who had previously lost out on financial gain due to NCAA rules.
The NIL industry is expected to be $4.5B in 2026.

lead Athletics Spending Spree any_band · sim 0.46 · keep 0.13 · score -3

#4 · explainers Apr 23, 2026

View the 45 gallons of refined products created from each 42-gallon barrel of crude oil

More than 85% is refined into fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, while about 10% is converted into raw materials for plastics, synthetic rubbers, and other essential products, such as lubricants. Because the majority of these products are less dense than the starting crude oil and additional inputs are introduced during the refining process, there is a processing gain of three gallons.

itk G7 leaders agree to release up to 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil. own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.62 · score -2

#5 · curiosity Jun 2, 2026

Ebola species have historically been named after where they were discovered, stigmatizing residents who live there, including Bundibugyo, in Uganda.

This occurred with Ebola Zaire (now the DRC), Sudan, and Bundibugyo, a region in western Uganda composed largely of cocoa farmers.

Uganda's link to the Bundibugyo virus is that the species was discovered there almost 20 years ago, in a November 2007 outbreak.

itk Congo's Ebola outbreak death toll surpasses 4,000 as unrest mounts. sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.14 · score -6

#6 · curiosity May 29, 2026

Marburg virus, related to Ebola, is also extremely deadly, and has no available vaccine.

Discovered nine years before Ebola, Marburg is part of the same filovirus family.

While this virus is less contagious, it can still be deadly. Currently, no vaccines exist to combat this disease.

itk Congo's Ebola outbreak death toll surpasses 4,000 as unrest mounts. own · sim 0.41 · keep 0.14 · score -11

#7 · experiences Oct 1, 2026

View a gallery of 3D printed clothing

Many 3D printed garments represent wearable art where technology meets couture. Despite their appearances on runways since Iris van Herpen's pioneering top at Amsterdam Fashion Week in 2010, mainstream adoption has been limited due to high costs and reduced comfort when compared to fabric-based apparel.

etc See some of the best looks from Paris Fashion Week. sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.45 · score -2

#8 · curiosity Feb 16, 2026

19th-century Americans discovered tipping in Europe

Tipping waiters was a custom in medieval Europe, where masters gave their serfs money for exceptional work. Wealthy Americans vacationing in Europe in the mid-1800s discovered the behavior and brought it back to the US.

etc Which state has the most generous tippers? own · sim 0.47 · keep 0.51 · score -4

#9 · curiosity Jun 17, 2026

The namesake of the Ponzi Scheme, Charles Ponzi made an estimated $15M from running a fake international arbitrage scheme in the 1920s.

Similar to pyramid schemes, Ponzi schemes use money from new investors to pay old investors, without any value creation or profit in between.

International reply coupons allowed people sending mail to prepay for a response and helped bypass currency exchange challenges.
Because Europe’s economy was still recovering from WWI, these stamps were significantly cheaper in Europe than the US. Ponzi’s idea was to make money by exploiting price differences across countries, or arbitrage.
Ponzi never made money on the coupons and paid early investors with money from new investors, not profits. The scheme only lasted for less than a year before it was shut down.

etc How NFL players got caught up in an alleged Ponzi scheme. own · sim 0.47 · keep 0.42 · score -5

#10 · news-in-context Jun 1, 2024

The average cost of college has doubled in the 21st century

Even for students attending in-state, public universities, the cost of attending college has risen dramatically, exceeding $27K with fees and living expenses per year.

lead Athletics Spending Spree own · sim 0.44 · keep 0.31 · score -6

#11 · explainers Aug 18, 2026

See some of college football's most iconic gameday traditions.

College football is deeply rooted in regional and local traditions on and off the field.

This video is a compilation of footage from college football stadiums across the country.

lead Athletics Spending Spree own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.75 · score -7

#12 · curiosity Oct 8, 2024

Inside one credit union’s big NFL bet

Herndon, Virginia-based Northwest Federal Credit Union is working to bring credit unions into the spotlight. The relatively small institution just made a big splash when it struck an $8M-per-year naming rights deal with the Washington Commanders. Northwest is now the official credit union partner for the team and has turned FedEx Field into Northwest Stadium. Banking nerds and sports fans alike are paying close attention. Read this article to learn more.

lead Athletics Spending Spree any_band · sim 0.45 · keep 0.12 · score -4

#13 · explainers Jul 23, 2026

In 2025, Gen Z-led protests swept across Indonesia, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Peru, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste.

This youth protest movement follows a broader trend of social media-driven political mobilization, dating back to the 2011 Arab Spring.

Protests have been driven by corruption allegations, economic inequality, stagnation, youth unemployment, and a growing disconnect from traditional political parties.
In Bangladesh, Nepal, and Madagascar, protests have led to the dissolution of governments, though it remains unclear whether lasting reform will follow.

itk Student protests in France close over 400 schools, lead to around 2,000 arrests. own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.07 · score -2

#14 · curiosity Feb 6, 2026

The ancestors of ostriches and emus could fly

The discovery of a 56 million-year-old fossil bone helps explain how this (mostly) flightless family of birds spread to so many different continents.

itk Feathered dinosaur fossil sheds light on the evolution of flight. sibling · sim 0.61 · keep 0.60 · score -1

#15 · curiosity Aug 30, 2023

Uncovering the evolution of history's largest dinosaurs

This article details how sauropods—the dinosaurs that Little Foot would call longnecks—repeatedly evolved to attain such colossal sizes, towering over other land critters, including tyrannosaurs and mammoths.

Sauropods were giant, long-necked...

itk Feathered dinosaur fossil sheds light on the evolution of flight. own · sim 0.52 · keep 0.53 · score -3

#16 · experiences Mar 10, 2026

Your brain can't reliably recall colors—test your skills here

Humans aren't the best at remembering specific colors. In this game, players get to look at a color for a few seconds before it disappears. Then, they must pick out the exact color they saw. After submitting a pick, the results will show how close the guess was to the original color.

etc Can you draw country borders from memory? (w/game) sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.81 · score -1

#17 · curiosity Feb 19, 2026

In 1914, the Financial Times asked readers to redraw Europe for cash prizes

Two months in World War I, the newspaper invited readers to sketch postwar borders and submit peace terms for cash prizes. The contest captured public attempts to predict a new world order and foreshadowed modern crowdsourced forecasting. It's a wild look at how uncertain Europe's future was at the time.

etc Can you draw country borders from memory? (w/game) sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.77 · score -3

#18 · curiosity Oct 5, 2023

The agricultural history of the pumpkin

Pumpkin pie holds a special place in Thanksgiving traditions, but its journey from everyday produce to a seasonal treat spans over 10,000 years. Trace the history of this oversized fruit with this fascinating dive.

Pumpkins belong to the species...

etc Ranking the nation's top pumpkin-producing states. sibling · sim 0.48 · keep 0.40 · score -1

#19 · news-in-context Sep 2, 2025

The most expensive private schools in the US

Private schools can offer students specialized education and one-of-a-kind opportunities, but those often come with a price, with some schools charging close to six figures. Check out this list of the four most expensive American private schools, which charge more than most four-year colleges.

lead Athletics Spending Spree own · sim 0.41 · keep 0.63 · score -10

#20 · explainers Aug 27, 2025

College football weekends deliver major economic boosts to local communities

Home games draw tens of thousands of fans who spend on hotels, restaurants, and entertainment—injecting millions into local economies and making football Saturdays vital for many college towns’ businesses and seasonal revenue.

lead Athletics Spending Spree own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.25 · score -8

#21 · curiosity Sep 10, 2026

Selling beer during college football games was once taboo, but it's now commonplace for the country's biggest teams.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) was the first college to sell beer at games, a practice it began in 1971.

Nearly 40 college programs sold beer at their stadiums in 2016.
The Southeastern Conference, one of college football's premier conferences, began allowing its member schools to sell beer and wine at games in 2019, nearly doubling the number of programs selling alcohol.
By 2023, 117 of the 133 NCAA Football Subdivision (FBS) programs sold beer at their stadiums.
Most stadiums have restrictions on their alcohol sales, with no more than two beers able to be purchased at once, and sales usually conclude at the end of the third quarter.

lead Athletics Spending Spree any_band · sim 0.44 · keep 0.36 · score -5

#22 · explainers Oct 1, 2026

See how a novel neurological procedure that employs artificial intelligence restored a woman's speech almost 20 years after a stroke.

Scientists implanted electrodes in a woman's brain that convert her thoughts into speech via a digital avatar, allowing her to express herself verbally.

The digital avatar, created via AI, has a synthesized version of the patient's voice, generated by an algorithm for speech synthesis.
The algorithm was trained on a voice recording of the patient speaking at her wedding.
The avatar simulates and animates facial muscle movements.
The breakthrough work at the time of its announcement (in 2023) still aimed to progress to a wireless version that wouldn't require users to be physically connected to the brain-computer interface.

itk Entrepreneur who lost his voice to cancer creates noninvasive device to help others like h sibling · sim 0.49 · keep 0.35 · score -3

#23 · curiosity Oct 1, 2026

How Stephen Hawking's voice became iconic

Stephen Hawking relied on a voice synthesizer after losing the ability to speak due to complications with ALS. Despite technological advances, he refused to change the "Perfect Paul" voice, making it a cornerstone of his public identity.

itk Entrepreneur who lost his voice to cancer creates noninvasive device to help others like h own · sim 0.50 · keep 0.60 · score -1

#24 · curiosity Apr 10, 2023

Veteran pilot guides 21-year-old pilot through emergency landing

Soothing words from Chris Yates helped guide Taylor Hash, 21, through an emergency landing after he learned she shared the same first name as his daughter.

itk Two helicopter pilots loop around and fly low to wave to an infatuated 3-year-old. own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.19 · score -1

#25 · experiences Apr 15, 2026

Test your knowledge of major historical events with an interactive map game

Pick a country and try to answer 10 questions about the region's history across different periods. Continue your quest by taking the quiz for every country.

Be careful, as wrong answers cost you years.

etc Can you draw country borders from memory? (w/game) own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.69 · score -2

#26 · curiosity Dec 5, 2022

Woman sues Kraft over mac and cheese instructions

A woman in Florida has sued Kraft Heinz over its Velveeta Macaroni and Cheese microwaveable products, saying the marketed cooking time is incorrect.

etc Blind taste test reveals the best boxed mac and cheese. (w/video) sibling · sim 0.40 · keep 0.10 · score -1

#27 · curiosity Aug 28, 2023

See photos of rare spotless giraffe born at zoo

A spotless giraffe was born at a zoo in Tennessee in the summer of 2023, with experts claiming the specimen is the only solid-colored animal of the species with genes for "reticulation," or the normal patchwork look. The phenomenon is so rare many...

etc Bronx Zoo debuts a rare snow leopard cub. sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.13 · score -1

#28 · news-in-context Jan 30, 2026

The face value of a Super Bowl ticket rose 136% from 2016-26

At Levi's Stadium, which first hosted the Super Bowl in 2016, face-value lower-bowl end zone seats increased from $1,800 to $4,250 by 2026, while price tiers expanded and the overall cost of attendance skyrocketed.

lead Athletics Spending Spree own · sim 0.40 · keep 0.17 · score -13

#29 · explainers Apr 3, 2025

'NIL' in college sports refers to 'name, image, and likeness'

In 2021, the NCAA began allowing its student-athletes to profit from using their name, image, and likeness, now often called NIL. While this is now permitted by the NCAA, state law (and school policies) largely dictate what is permitted.

lead Athletics Spending Spree own · sim 0.41 · keep 0.18 · score -9

#30 · explainers Sep 17, 2026

University endowments are primarily funded through charitable donations from alumni, philanthropists, or foundations.

The wealthy like to donate to universities in part due to their huge budgets and ability to handle large sums.

Colleges also oversee a broad range of initiatives tailored to an individual’s goals, and are particularly credible institutions with long track records and strong brands.
The income generated from endowments plays a crucial role in student financial aid (48%), supporting faculty positions (11%) and research (18%), and building maintenance (7%).

lead Athletics Spending Spree any_band · sim 0.41 · keep 0.39 · score -11

#31 · explainers May 15, 2026

Charter schools are publicly funded schools that are not run by public school districts.

Charter schools are tuition-free, publicly funded institutions operating under a contract ("charter") that grants autonomy in curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for accountability to performance metrics.

The charter model began in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the late 1990s as a way for educators to experiment outside the tightly controlled standards of a public school district.
Charter schools serve millions of students nationwide and operate in almost every state, though they are sometimes criticized for what opponents perceive as siphoning money away from traditional public schools.

itk Detroit educator purchases vacant, deteriorating school building with plans to transform i own · sim 0.41 · keep 0.25 · score -3

#32 · curiosity May 29, 2026

How the most famous Ebola book, The Hot Zone, which sold 3.5 million copies and was translated into 30 languages, got aspects of the disease so wrong.

Richard Preston's 1994 book The Hot Zone brought knowledge of Ebola to the masses. But, beyond the poor portrayals of the science and the scientists, the book fostered fearmongering about Ebola, with portrayals of "liquefying," "dissolving," and "bleeding out."

These falsehoods about Ebola have persisted for decades and appear to be reinvigorated with every new emergence of the disease.

itk Congo's Ebola outbreak death toll surpasses 4,000 as unrest mounts. sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.50 · score -14

#33 · curiosity Jun 30, 2026

Pterosaurs were dinosaur cousins that ruled the skies

Giant flying lizards or massive leathery birds? Pterosaurs were neither. What they were were the first vertebrates to fly through the skies. This National Geographic video discusses the anatomical features that made their flight possible, how big these awesome creatures could get, and which species was named after a legendary vampire.

itk Feathered dinosaur fossil sheds light on the evolution of flight. sibling · sim 0.51 · keep 0.85 · score -4

#34 · experiences Feb 3, 2026

Test your gerrymandering skills with this interactive game.

This simulation demonstrates how packing and cracking alter election outcomes. See how shifting district lines can change representation—regardless of the overall makeup of the electorate.

etc Can you draw country borders from memory? (w/game) sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.70 · score -4

#35 · curiosity Jun 18, 2026

Leaves have orange and yellow pigments year-round, but they are masked until the fall, when shorter days reduce the production of chlorophyll, a green pigment.

Without the natural production of chlorophyll to compensate for those that break down, previously masked orange and yellow pigments become more visible.

Unlike yellow and orange, red pigments called anthocyanins are not present during the growing season and result from chemical reactions involving sugars that are trapped in leaves.

etc Why do only certain leaves turn red? (w/audio) sibling · sim 0.55 · keep 0.46 · score -1

#36 · curiosity May 24, 2022

The best restaurant tasting experiences in every state

Looking for the best tasting experiences that are a must-try in your home state or anywhere you may be traveling? Here are your options.

etc Which state has the most generous tippers? sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.66 · score -11

#37 · news-in-context Jun 23, 2026

College sticker prices can be misleading, as most students don't actually pay the advertised price due to financial aid.

At private colleges, the average student pays about half of the advertised price per year. At public universities, it's closer to a quarter.

While a college or university might advertise a price of $90K per year, college tuition works more like a flight where every passenger pays a different fare.
The financial aid options that help bring the cost of college down for most students include Pell Grants, state-level tuition support programs, and institutional aid from the colleges themselves.
Over 80% of undergrads at private, nonprofit colleges receive some form of institutional aid.
Less than a quarter of students at private colleges pay the full sticker price.

lead Athletics Spending Spree own · sim 0.40 · keep 0.83 · score -14

#38 · explainers May 29, 2025

How universities manage their endowments

The CNBC video report explores how elite universities like Harvard handle their massive endowments, the ethical debates around their investments, and the tension between growing wealth and rising college costs. If you’re curious about where billions of dollars in higher education go, why tuition remains high despite huge endowments, or how student activism is pushing for ethical investing, this video offers a revealing, accessible look at the financial engines behind America’s top colleges.

lead Athletics Spending Spree own · sim 0.40 · keep 0.60 · score -15

#39 · curiosity Feb 2, 2026

The most expensive Super Bowl ad cost $26M

Amazon's 2022 "Mind Reader" ad with Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost is the most expensive Super Bowl ad to date. The ad is a minute and a half long, which drastically drove up the price of the commercial.

lead Athletics Spending Spree any_band · sim 0.40 · keep 0.26 · score -12

#40 · explainers Jun 18, 2026

Ebola virus, with an average fatality rate above 50%, has been responsible for at least 250 confirmed deaths during the 2026 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

Symptoms of Ebola infection begin with fever and fatigue, but quickly develop into severe vomiting, diarrhea, and internal and external bleeding.

The virus hijacks the human immune system to make replicas of itself and evade its defenses.
As the Ebola virus uses a host's cellular machinery to spread, the immune system may eventually trigger a cytokine storm, a defense mechanism in which the body rapidly releases too many cytokines—specialized proteins—into the bloodstream, causing massive inflammation and further damage.

itk Congo's Ebola outbreak death toll surpasses 4,000 as unrest mounts. own · sim 0.62 · keep 0.11 · score -1

#41 · curiosity Aug 9, 2022

Huge tyrannosaur wore a fuzzy coat

It’s not your dad’s tyrannosaur: Yutyrannus huali, a newly discovered ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex, was covered from head to tail in downy feathers.

itk Feathered dinosaur fossil sheds light on the evolution of flight. sibling · sim 0.51 · keep 0.61 · score -5

#42 · curiosity Aug 9, 2022

Mammals thrived under the feet of dinosaurs

An explosion of fossil finds reveals that ancient mammals evolved a wide variety of adaptations allowing them to exploit the skies, rivers and underground lairs.

itk Feathered dinosaur fossil sheds light on the evolution of flight. sibling · sim 0.51 · keep 0.55 · score -6

#43 · experiences Jun 30, 2026

Watch a time-lapse of the 120-day journey of a pumpkin seed growing into an adult fruit.

Pumpkins are atypically enormous winter squashes, meaning they are harvested in the fall and then remain edible throughout winter.

etc Ranking the nation's top pumpkin-producing states. sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.84 · score -3

#44 · curiosity Nov 5, 2024

Fantasy football is now a $10B industry

Curious about how fantasy football grew into a global empire? This video breaks down how a losing Oakland Raiders team led to the first form of fantasy football, long before the internet and smartphones made it a worldwide phenomenon.

etc How NFL players got caught up in an alleged Ponzi scheme. sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.75 · score -12

#45 · curiosity Sep 8, 2026

A part-owner of the Oakland Raiders spearheaded the first fantasy football league.

In the mid-1950s, Wilfred “Bill” Winkenbach, a part-owner of the Oakland Raiders, concocted two fantasy games: one for the MLB and one for the Professional Golfers’ Association.

In 1962, he discussed his idea for a fantasy football game with two writers for the Oakland Tribune, and by the next August, they’d dialed in the rules and launched the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League, the first fantasy football league.
The game allowed team owners to draft players from both the NFL and the AFL, then separate leagues, and create an impossibly epic roster.

etc How NFL players got caught up in an alleged Ponzi scheme. sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.60 · score -15

#46 · explainers Oct 6, 2025

Air sacs and lightweight bones helped some dinosaurs grow to enormous sizes

After the Triassic extinctions, new species with birdlike anatomy evolved from smaller, early dinosaurs. This anatomy allowed for more efficient breathing and lighter skeletons, favoring the evolution of larger organisms.

itk Feathered dinosaur fossil sheds light on the evolution of flight. own · sim 0.57 · keep 0.78 · score -2

#47 · curiosity Jun 6, 2023

An expert recreates the voice of a 3,000-year-old mummy

Ear, nose, and throat expert David Howard discusses how his research team extracts vocal folds from preserved human tissue, which allows them to model the deceased person's larynx. From there, they can create a synthetic voice based on the organ's geometry.

itk Entrepreneur who lost his voice to cancer creates noninvasive device to help others like h sibling · sim 0.46 · keep 0.85 · score -5

#48 · curiosity May 14, 2025

The speech software's origins at MIT led to Hawking's trademark voice being American

Stephen Hawking's trademark voice is called "Perfect Paul," but it mimics Dennis Klatt, an American researcher at MIT who developed the speech synthesis technology. Klatt used his voice during this development, which was immortalized through Hawking.

itk Entrepreneur who lost his voice to cancer creates noninvasive device to help others like h own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.63 · score -7

#49 · explainers Aug 18, 2026

After Bernie Madoff's nearly $65B Ponzi scheme was exposed, the Securities and Exchange Commission was widely criticized for being inattentive and overly lax for not having caught the fraud earlier.

Whistleblowers from Madoff’s investment advising firm had written to the SEC as early as 1999 to say that Madoff’s money management was illegal.

A follow-up investigation into the SEC’s handling of the case found that the agency had substantive enough information to issue a warrant and complete an investigation well before Madoff admitted to running the scheme.
A Ponzi scheme runs on investments from new clients to pay out previous clients, without any additional outside capital being added to the fund through profits.

etc How NFL players got caught up in an alleged Ponzi scheme. any_band · sim 0.54 · keep 0.15 · score -1

#50 · curiosity Feb 6, 2026

See the world's first-known photo of a wild white Iberian lynx

Described by the photographer as the "white ghost of the Mediterranean forest," the lynx is a vulnerable species. Catching the genetic anomaly on camera is a testament to conservation efforts that began in 2011.

etc Bronx Zoo debuts a rare snow leopard cub. sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.53 · score -2

#51 · explainers Jul 24, 2026

Experts recommend preparing your finances accordingly if you're expecting to be laid off soon, taking actions such as looking into the cost of replacing employer-sponsored benefits like healthcare.

Experts also recommend making sure your emergency fund is built out when anticipating a layoff, advising saving enough to cover at least three to six months of expenses.

Many experts also suggest making time to reconnect with past professional contacts if you think a layoff is coming in order to get the ball rolling on new job opportunities sooner rather than later.
Economic downturns are the primary cause of unemployment in the US, with a slowdown in economic activity leading to a decreased demand for goods and services, resulting in layoffs and business closures.

itk US hiring slows and unemployment rises ahead of November midterms. sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.27 · score -5

#52 · curiosity Jun 25, 2025

One filmmaker turned an abandoned high school into a film studio

In 2017, Jeremy Garelick purchased a vacant school in Liverpool, New York, and turned it into a comedy production studio aimed at social media. The gambit has been successful, with the studio's two TikTok accounts earning over 1M combined followers.

itk Detroit educator purchases vacant, deteriorating school building with plans to transform i own · sim 0.45 · keep 0.52 · score -1

#53 · curiosity Mar 5, 2026

T. rex didn't stomp, it walked on tiptoes like a bird

A new biomechanical study analyzing four T. rex specimens, including the famous "Sue" at Chicago's Field Museum, found the dinosaur used a "distal-first" foot strike, described as landing on its toes before its heel, similar to a modern ostrich. The technique improved stride efficiency and shock absorption, letting adults reach speeds up to 14 mph, while younger, lighter T. rexes could sprint closer to 25 mph.

itk Feathered dinosaur fossil sheds light on the evolution of flight. sibling · sim 0.50 · keep 0.62 · score -7

#54 · explainers Sep 10, 2024

Met Gala fashion over the decades

Check out the wildest, most impressive Met Gala looks of past decades. This video covers notable outfits from every year of the event. From themes like “The Eighteenth-Century Woman” to First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis to the many looks of Rihanna, the video walks viewers through every stitch and sequin. An inside look into just what makes the Met Gala one of the most important fashion events of the year.

etc See some of the best looks from Paris Fashion Week. any_band · sim 0.43 · keep 0.74 · score -1

#55 · news-in-context Aug 26, 2026

See every US state's top import partner as of 2024, with Mexico, Canada, and China being the top trade partners for 42 states.

As of 2024, Canada was the top import partner for 23 US states, often supplying significant amounts of grain, livestock, meat, and poultry.

Mexico was the top import partner for 10 states, and was the country's largest supplier of fruits and vegetables.
China was the top import partner for nine states, including California, one of the largest state economies in the US.

etc Ranking the nation's top pumpkin-producing states. any_band · sim 0.45 · keep 0.48 · score -2

#56 · explainers May 29, 2026

Three Ebola species are responsible for most large outbreaks of the disease, yet the only approved Ebola vaccine is known to work against just one of them.

The Ebola Zaire, Sudan, and Bundibugyo species are the three ebolaviruses responsible for most large outbreaks in Africa. Among these, Ebola Zaire is the deadliest, with as many as 90% of cases resulting in death.

Ebola Sudan has about a 50% fatality rate and has caused several outbreaks in Uganda. More recently discovered in 2007, Bundibugyo causes death in about 30% of people and has caused two large outbreaks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Taï Forest virus is the rarest and is known to have infected a single person in the Côte d'Ivoire in 1994.

itk Congo's Ebola outbreak death toll surpasses 4,000 as unrest mounts. sibling · sim 0.55 · keep 0.22 · score -2

#57 · curiosity Jun 30, 2026

Spinosaurus had the weirdest dinosaur tail of all time

A new fossil of one of the most unusual dinosaurs, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, suggests it was a swimming predator powered by a fin-like tail.

itk Feathered dinosaur fossil sheds light on the evolution of flight. sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.85 · score -8

#58 · curiosity Sep 25, 2026

Fossils from the Carboniferous period show that insects reached their largest size about 300 million years ago, long thought possible due to higher atmospheric oxygen concentrations.

These ancient insects included carnivorous, dragonfly-like insects with wingspans about 70 centimeters (28 inches) wide and millipede-like organisms more than 2 meters (6.56 feet) long.

Instead of vacuuming air into lungs, as humans do, insects primarily absorb oxygen via tiny breathing tubes and passive diffusion—the natural movement of molecules from higher concentrations to lower concentrations.
Decreasing sizes of insect fossils after the Carboniferous period may have been driven by the evolution of birds, in which smaller bodies that could more easily flee would have been favored.

itk Feathered dinosaur fossil sheds light on the evolution of flight. sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.57 · score -9

#59 · explainers Jun 20, 2022

What sleep is for and why you can’t live without it

Sleep is one of the most important needs that humans have. The body uses sleep as a time of restoration and rejuvenation, as body tissues repair themselves, growth hormones are released, and the process continues. Brain plasticity theorists believe that sleep is also used for the processing and consolidating of new memories.

etc Would you quit sleeping if a drug eliminated the need? any_band · sim 0.43 · keep 0.70 · score -1

#60 · explainers Apr 26, 2023

Dinosaurs suffered from cancer, arthritis, and infections seen in modern animals

Using CT scans and advanced pathology techniques, paleopathologists have identified respiratory illnesses, malignant osteosarcoma, and other diseases in dinosaurs. The research has helped show how many of these ailments are not exclusively modern phenomena.

itk Feathered dinosaur fossil sheds light on the evolution of flight. sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.29 · score -14

College Sports Cash, Feathered Dinosaurs, and Pumpkin States