2026-10-09 -- control

#1 · explainers May 16, 2025

Hurricanes are classified according to their maximum sustained wind speed

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a rating system that organizes hurricanes into one of five categories. Categories three and higher are classified as major hurricanes, but all categories can produce deadly storm surges and rain-induced floods.

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#2 · explainers May 28, 2025

Environment and genetics explain why animals have widely different lifespans

Both environmental conditions and genetic factors shape how long various animals live. For some creatures, colder conditions allow for less energy use and slower aging. Larger animals have fewer predators. While humans don't live the longest, we are a rare species that successfully lengthened its average lifespan over time.

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#3 · longform Jun 23, 2026

Watch the trailer for journalist Dan Buettner's popular Netflix documentary series 'Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones,' which focuses on longevity insights from populations around the world.

The 2023 four-part series focuses on five communities purported to have high numbers of healthy, centenarian populations, in Greece, Italy, Japan, Costa Rica, and Loma Linda, California.

The work spotlights the diets, traditions, and lifestyles of the long-lived populations in these locations—some of which have documented science behind their disproportionately larger centenarian populations, though some demographers, including the ones that originally came up with the concept of blue zones, don't recognize Loma Linda, California, as a true blue zone.
Buettner has said in media interviews that he only included Loma Linda, California, in his 2005 National Geographic article that popularized the idea of "blue zones" because his editor said he needed a US location.
The suburban California community of Loma Linda attributes the longevity of its community members primarily to the lifestyle choices of its concentration of Seventh-day Adventists.

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#4 · explainers Feb 12, 2026

In 1936, Eugene O'Neill became the only American playwright to win the Nobel Prize in literature.

When discussing his work, the Nobel committee noted "the power, honesty, and deep-felt emotions of his dramatic works, which embody an original concept of tragedy."

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#5 · curiosity May 8, 2026

Camus won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1957 for his philosophical essays and fiction

The philosopher and novelist was one of the youngest writers to win the award, at just 44. In his acceptance speech, he spoke on the role of an artist in a world that seemed increasingly bleak. "Each generation doubtless feels called upon to reform the world," he said. "Mine knows that it will not reform it, but its task is perhaps even greater. It consists in preventing the world from destroying itself."

itk Canadian author Anne Carson wins Nobel Prize in literature for her work blending ancient G own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.28 · score -1

#6 · curiosity Sep 17, 2026

Spotify's success turned Swedish entrepreneur Daniel Ek into a billionaire in his mid-30s.

Ek and his cofounder Martin Lorentzon envisioned Spotify as a legal version of Napster.

Securing licensing deals with major labels like Universal Music, Sony, and Warner Music gave Spotify access to a broad music catalog.
Its freemium model, offering both a free tier supported by ads and a paid ad-free tier, helped attract early adopters.
Customers loved the convenience of streaming songs rather than paying per download from services like iTunes.
At first exclusive to desktops, Spotify launched mobile apps for iOS and Android devices in 2009.
Rapid growth followed Spotify’s mobile expansion; the service had around 1 million users at the start of 2009, which grew to around 7 million by the end of that year.
Spotify entered the US in 2011, which helped its global user base expand to 20 million by 2012.

itk Podcaster Joe Rogan renews multiyear partnership with Spotify that carries a reported earn sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.32 · score -4

#7 · experiences Dec 31, 2025

'Scorigami' attempts to chart every NFL game score

The rules of the sport set bounds on possible final outcomes, so this adept statistician mined some fascinating takeaways. Some scores are impossible (like 5 to 1) and some are more common (like 20-17, occurring over 300 times since 1944). Watch for a deluge of numbers.

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#8 · curiosity Apr 23, 2023

How the number 15 solved a longstanding math challenge

The “packing coloring” problem asks how many numbers are needed to fill an infinite grid so that identical numbers never get too close to one another. A new computer-assisted proof finds a surprisingly straightforward answer—only 15. While...

etc Former NFL player solves nearly 30-year-old math problem. sibling · sim 0.48 · keep 0.40 · score -2

#9 · curiosity Jun 20, 2022

How a brain injury created a mathematical mind

In 2002, two men savagely attacked Jason Padgett outside a karaoke bar, leaving him with a severe concussion--and turning Padgett into a mathematical genius.

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#10 · explainers May 21, 2026

Super agers do not possess the health and cognitive skills of people decades younger because they possess genes for longevity.

A study of about 1,400 super agers found little evidence that genetics alone can explain why some individuals over 80 years old possess cognitive and physical capabilities of middle-aged individuals.

Research instead emphasized that sustainable habits involving positive social connections, sleep, mood, diet, exercise, and personal fulfillment help reduce long-term risks, though there is no one-size-fits-all formula.
Experts emphasize that adopting sustainable lifestyle changes, rather than relying on unproven anti-aging supplements and treatments, can promote longevity.

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#11 · explainers Feb 7, 2024

Can humans delay or reverse old age?

We're not sure yet. Researchers at the University of California San Francisco are studying why some conditions and behaviors, such as low-oxygen environments and exercise, benefit the aging process, hoping to reveal potential health applications. Some of this research focuses on klotho, a naturally occurring age-regulating hormone named after the Greek Fate Clotho. Animal studies on klotho brain injections found subjects had improved memory recall and age-related degeneration resistance.

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#12 · explainers Oct 6, 2026

Stand-up comedy podcasts have realigned political campaigns

Some of the world's most popular podcasts, like "The Joe Rogan Experience" and "This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von," are hosted by stand-up comedians. They also now play a role in American politics, with representatives, senators, and even presidents taking part in their freewheeling conversations

itk Podcaster Joe Rogan renews multiyear partnership with Spotify that carries a reported earn own · sim 0.49 · keep 0.18 · score -1

#13 · curiosity Oct 9, 2026

The Apollo 11 mission was saved minutes before the moon landing by software developed by Margaret Hamilton—NASA's first software engineer.

Hamilton interacted with a computer for the first time in graduate school in 1959, where she helped develop software to support research in chaos theory.

Hamilton began writing software at MIT for the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment project—the US's first computerized air defense system—in 1961.
In 1965, Hamilton joined NASA, where she led the teams that built onboard flight software for both the command and lunar modules and coined the term "software engineering."
To minimize risks to Apollo astronauts, Hamilton's team engineered priority-driven software for the Apollo Guidance Computer, allowing high-priority tasks to interrupt low-priority ones and to notify astronauts of critical issues.
During the Apollo 11 moon landing, the Apollo Guidance Computer's fail-safe software enabled a successful mission after an issue with a hardware switch overloaded the system's resources.
Hamilton was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, 47 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, for "writing the code that helped America set foot on the moon."

itk Computer scientist Margaret Hamilton, who led the development of the flight software for N own · sim 0.71 · keep 0.80 · score -1

#14 · curiosity May 29, 2026

The Polaris Dawn was a privately crewed spaceflight

SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule Resilience spent five days in low Earth orbit as part of the first of three planned missions under the name Polaris Dawn. The historic journey took participants farther away from our planet than anyone has been since the Apollo missions.

itk SpaceX's Crew-12 astronauts return to Earth after nearly eight months in space own · sim 0.47 · keep 0.50 · score -1

#15 · experiences Jul 26, 2024

'Instagram traps' are changing art museums

In the creator economy era, it feels like anyone has the potential to become an influencer—if they can just capture the right content. Naturally, some places are better suited for an Instagram photo than others. Museums-turned-photo-backdrops (think: the Museum of Ice Cream) are the best of the best.

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#16 · curiosity Jun 5, 2026

The first robot in literature may have been a 'mechanical man' in 1907's 'Ozma of Oz,' a book in L Frank Baum's 'Wizard of Oz' series.

The character, named Tik-Tok, appeared a decade before Czech playwright Karel Čapek introduced the word "robot" in "Rossum's Universal Robots."

Unlike the well-known Tin Man, another character from the "Oz" series, Tik-Tok was never a human; he was created by men, speaks in a monotone, and says he is incapable of human emotion.

etc A robotic version of the Addams Family's "Thing." (via YouTube) own · sim 0.41 · keep 0.66 · score -1

#17 · curiosity Jan 23, 2025

The 1980s neo-pop movement put pop art back in the zeitgeist

Pop art’s legacy is perhaps best exemplified in its longevity. Long after the end of pop art’s classical phase, a neo-pop revival ushered in a new cohort of artists like Murakami, Hirst, and Koons who brought pop once again to the top. To this day, contemporary pop artists—young and seasoned—command high prices on the open market.

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#18 · explainers Jun 30, 2026

The Dog Aging Project uses information from over 50,000 dogs to explore longevity

The study gathers health, lifestyle, and genetic data to understand what helps dogs live longer, healthier lives. Findings could also provide human health insights due to our shared surroundings and biology.

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#19 · explainers Sep 18, 2026

Multiple research avenues aim to slow (or even reverse) aging, including fasting, epigenetic reprogramming, and parabiosis.

Parabiosis, first described in 1864, is a surgical technique that joins two living animals so they share a single, integrated circulatory system.

Epigenetic reprogramming allows scientists to erase and remodel chemical markings that control gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence.
Research on calorie restriction has shown that this approach can benefit longevity in a variety of animals and also improves biological aging in humans, but the exact mechanisms of action remain unclear.
By studying centenarians, memory, and even the humble roundworm, scientists are looking for the genetic basis to live not just a long life, but a healthy one.

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#20 · explainers Apr 1, 2026

Deep water corals—located throughout the world's ocean basins at depths beyond 200 meters (660 feet)—slowly build small coral gardens in the dark with the help of underwater worms.

These corals do not rely on photosynthetic organisms for nutrients and feed instead on food that falls from the ocean surface.

Deep water corals form larger reefs over the course of thousands of years.

itk Underwater acoustics from healthy coral reefs help restore degraded reefs and rebuild thei own · sim 0.47 · keep 0.51 · score -11

#21 · curiosity Oct 6, 2026

The first appearance of bioluminescence was at least 540 million years ago

After analyzing fossils, genetic data, and statistical methods, scientists believe octocorals were the first organisms to evolve light-producing abilities. As a result of independent evolution across at least 94 species, this phenomenon is connected to a diverse range of behaviors.

itk Collagen-eating enzymes that emerged roughly 550 million years ago may explain why later s own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.44 · score -8

#22 · curiosity Apr 15, 2025

Nvidia founder Jensen Huang would not do it again

Huang was asked in 2023 whether he would do it all over again if he was transported back 30 years before. Huang said no, arguing he would not have knowingly put himself through the suffering and difficulties it took to build Nvidia, calling this ignorance to future pain one of his superpowers.

itk Nvidia and Oracle shares fall 3% and 5.5%, respectively, on reports that OpenAI's annualiz sibling · sim 0.40 · keep 0.66 · score -28

#23 · experiences Sep 12, 2023

Visit these offbeat attractions in each US state

Skip the lines, avoid the crowds, go against the grain: That's the spirit of this list of the 50 coolest offbeat attractions in every US state. From Alaska's museum of hammers to Wyoming's thermal pools, you can find somewhere a little different to...

etc Each state's favorite Halloween costume. (scroll for map) own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.81 · score -4

#24 · curiosity Aug 4, 2026

Keystone species with average lifespans exceeding a century, oak trees support more organisms than any other North American tree genus by providing ecosystems with pollen, shelter, and nutrient-rich acorns.

Alongside providing pollen for bee species, oak trees support 90% of caterpillar species that serve as a source of food for terrestrial birds in North America.

Oak trees' acorns are a fat- and protein-rich source of food for dozens of mammal and bird species that store and consume them in fall and winter.
Oak trees' branches and leaves provide shelter and nesting places for birds and small mammals, and fallen leaves serve as habitats for various insects, amphibians, and microorganisms.
In urban landscapes, oak trees provide significant shade with their size, and each can store more than one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.

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#25 · curiosity Jul 9, 2026

While robots tend to become more appealing the more humanlike they appear, beyond a certain point, humans have exhibited uneasiness and fear—a phenomenon known as the uncanny valley.

Hypothesized by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970, the negative reaction may result from sensory conflicts in the brain, such as a mismatch between a robot's lifelike appearance and its mechanical movements.

These conflicts can be intentionally used by creators to instill a sense of discomfort, as in a horror film, or to help inform animators and roboticists on how to best create characters that will be embraced by audiences.

etc A robotic version of the Addams Family's "Thing." (via YouTube) sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.52 · score -2

#26 · explainers Jun 30, 2026

Super-agers: seniors 80 and above with the memory ability of people in their 50s

Studies show the number one indicator of whether someone is a "super-ager" is not diet or genetics, but the extent of their social relationships. Moreover, scans reveal noticeable physical differences in certain parts of the brain in patients with extensive social networks.

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#27 · curiosity Feb 6, 2026

The last Pinta Island tortoise died in 2012 at over 100 years old

Unfortunately, different animal species continue to go extinct. See a list of these recent extinctions, and learn the story of Lonesome George, who died without finding a mate in the Galapagos Islands.

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#28 · explainers Mar 2, 2026

H-1B visas let US employers hire skilled foreign professionals in specialty occupations

The H-1B is the main US program for temporary high-skilled workers, covering roles in technology, engineering, medicine, and finance. Issued for up to six years, it often serves as a pathway to permanent residency.

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#29 · curiosity Apr 17, 2026

Listen to a 2026 interview where Bumble's CEO said its stock is down 96% since its IPO 'for no reason'

CEO and Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd said the company is still performing very well. She added that the business makes $1B per year and referred to it as profitable. She went on to say "who knows what people trade stock on?" and that she believes the stock market has written Bumble off as if it were debt

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#30 · curiosity Jun 30, 2026

Hundreds of individuals are nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize each year, and nominees have included controversial figures like Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler.

An exclusive list of individuals, including certain academics and heads of state, can submit nominations for the award, but the honoree is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

The five members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee are appointed by the Norwegian legislature for a six-year term, though they can be reappointed.
Once nominations are submitted by January, months of research are conducted to evaluate each candidate and provide reports to the committee before an honoree is selected.
Unlike the other Nobel Prizes, which can each be awarded to no more than three people, the Nobel Peace Prize can be awarded to up to three organizations—each comprised of many individuals.

itk Nobel Peace Prize winner is due to be announced this morning at 5 am ET; watch live broadc own · sim 0.52 · keep 0.54 · score -1

#31 · explainers Oct 30, 2025

The science behind ghosts, explored

Every culture has them—restless spirits, haunted houses, things that go bump in the night. But why do we believe in ghosts? Psychologist and skeptic Dr. Chris French joins host Sony Kassam to explore the science behind the supernatural, from sleep paralysis and hallucinations to the brain’s pattern-making instincts.

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#32 · curiosity Jul 31, 2026

In 2026, a pilot program introduced two AI-powered humanoid robots to a San Diego charter school to increase engagement and academic gains, though some criticized the $500k purchase.

Prior to interacting with it, students most commonly used the word "creepy" to describe the robot, which can imitate some famous individuals to help students learn about them.

During one classroom observation, the robot was reported to have repeatedly interrupted students and spoken too quickly, prompting it to be asked to repeat itself three times.
One of the robots, Ameca, can assume the role of a teacher, wellness coach, college and career planner, and translator, but school officials have stated there is no plan to replace staff and that all information provided should be fact-checked.
Altus Schools, which serves students who need to recover credits after falling behind and claims the program is the world's first to examine physical AI for education, has stated that the robot does not store any data, with its memory erased after each interaction.

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#33 · curiosity Apr 29, 2026

A unique art piece became the most expensive NFT when it sold for $92M

Non-fungible tokens sold for millions of dollars during their popularity peak from 2021 to 2022, with the top ten most expensive NFTs all costing upwards of $7M.

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#34 · explainers Jun 16, 2026

Aging is a complex biological process affecting our cells, tissues, and organs.

With each passing decade, researchers uncover additional causes and effects of this seemingly unstoppable process.

This visually stimulating video dives into our current understanding of aging, complete with the biological hallmarks researchers use to study aging at the cellular level (biological age).

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#35 · curiosity Jun 23, 2026

Most self-reported claims of exceptional longevity are exaggerated, but read how demographers verify age claims and why some of the original blue zone demographers say blue zone regions are real and worth studying.

Verifying ages include searching for official birth records, examining if there are other individuals with the same name, corroborating records wherever possible, and quizzing still-alive individuals about cross-checkable events.

The process also involves examining civil records, including death certificates, marriage records, military records, and electoral registers, as well as church archives.
People may exaggerate their age for various reasons, including pension fraud, personal gain, eluding the military draft, seeking attention, and personal amusement.
Public interest in longevity dates back to media articles including a 1966 feature in Life magazine about purported villagers in Azerbaijan living more than 150 years and a 60 Minutes segment on that same village in the 1970s.
In the early 1970s, decades before National Geographic published on blue zones, the publication sent Harvard physician Alexander Leaf to three purported longevity hotspots in Ecuador, Pakistan, and Abkhazia, in today's Georgia.
Leaf's acceptance of residents' ages in the resulting 1973 story was later invalidated by researchers who concluded he had been misled, which also threw cold water on related age research for years.

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#36 · explainers Mar 4, 2026

Congress has unsuccessfully voted on war powers resolutions over Trump's military operations in Venezuela and Iran

After Trump ordered unilateral military operations in both Venezuela and Iran without congressional authorization, lawmakers from both parties introduced war powers resolutions to block further action. Each effort failed, with Republican majorities largely supporting the president.

itk President Donald Trump says the US will not attack Iran before next month's midterm electi own · sim 0.41 · keep 0.06 · score -1

#37 · curiosity Jun 3, 2026

Watch writer John Steinbeck's Nobel Prize acceptance speech.

Rather than focusing on the writing craft, he used his speech to discuss the social responsibility of artists.

He referenced both William Faulkner, who received the same prize in 1949, and the prize's namesake, Alfred Nobel, highlighting both of their commitments to moral decision-making.

itk Canadian author Anne Carson wins Nobel Prize in literature for her work blending ancient G sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.48 · score -3

#38 · curiosity Oct 9, 2026

Over 107,000 mirrors reflected moonlight into a 1.4-square-mile portrait of Margaret Hamilton on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.

The portrait of NASA's first software engineer, who led the development of the Apollo program's onboard flight software, was created at the Ivanpah Solar Facility in the Mojave Desert.

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#39 · curiosity Jan 23, 2025

Pop art brought 'low culture' to the fine art world

Pop art’s embrace of kitsch American pop culture furthered a centuries-long tradition of the visual arts during the second half of the 20th century. Its most famous exemplars, including Andy Warhol, were heirs to a vast tradition they sought to transcend and upend.

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#40 · curiosity Jan 20, 2026

Banksy once sold his highly valued artwork on the street for $60

The notorious (and anonymous) street artist has a history of sending up the art world's pretensions. In 2013, he sold his artwork, valued at approximately $20K per piece, for $60 on a New York street. Some unassuming, but apparently aesthetically discerning, patrons took home world-renowned work that day at a steep discount.

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#41 · explainers Nov 14, 2024

Why do humans have such long childhoods?

Humans have over twice as long childhoods than other animals with similar lifespans like whales and elephants. A human child can grow for nearly 20 years before they become a reproducing adult. Researchers believe there's a connection between long childhoods and human's unusually large brain size, though the science is not totally clear. Dive into what scientists know here.

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#42 · curiosity Jun 23, 2026

In the original 2004 blue zones study, which sought to verify the ages of long-lived, healthy populations in Sardinia, Italy, researchers hypothesized that inbreeding in these isolated communities may have helped promote their longevity.

Written by Belgian demographer Michel Poulain, Italian physician Giovanni Pes, and colleagues, the paper noted that males in the area were particularly long-lived and healthy—a surprising phenomenon since, on average, males live shorter lives than females globally.

Among their surprising findings was that in this area of Sardinia, there were 16.6 centenarians per 100,000 inhabitants—compared with 10 per 100,000 in other European countries.
One hypothesis they pointed to for the older ages in Sardinia: inbreeding. In this isolated, mountainous region there are high rates of inbreeding due to frequent marriages between related individuals and low immigration rates. Decreased genetic diversity, they wrote, could have favored genetic characteristics that protect individuals from certain diseases of aging.

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#43 · explainers Oct 6, 2026

MLB pitchers were charged with benefiting from sports betting

In November 2025, two pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians were charged with coordinating with sports bettors to enrich themselves and others. In many instances, they shared the kinds of pitches they would throw at specific points in the game. Bettors then placed money on those actions.

itk Cleveland Guardians force Game 5 against Chicago White Sox in American League Division Ser sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.07 · score -1

#44 · curiosity Mar 31, 2026

The story of two female programmers running the simulations behind chaos theory's discovery

Margaret Hamilton and Ellen Fetter worked on MIT's 800-pound Royal McBee LGP-30 computer, which was fed binary code on paper tape to perform computations. Among the computations performed were those involving equations describing the motion of gas in a circulating fluid for Edward Lorenz, widely considered the father of chaos theory.

itk Computer scientist Margaret Hamilton, who led the development of the flight software for N sibling · sim 0.51 · keep 0.52 · score -3

#45 · curiosity Aug 17, 2026

Lego's Women of NASA set honors four NASA pioneers: computer scientist Margaret Hamilton, astronaut Sally Ride, astronaut Mae Jemison, and astronomer Nancy Grace Roman.

The Lego Women of NASA set was submitted to the Lego Ideas Competition by science writer Maia Weinstock and was selected over 11 other projects, each of which received over 10,000 votes from supporters.

Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman in space, and Nancy Grace Roman played a foundational role in developing the Hubble Space Telescope as NASA's chief of astronomy.
Margaret Hamilton led the development of the flight software for the Apollo program and Sally Ride was the first US woman in space.
The original design of Lego's Women of NASA set included Katherine Johnson, who performed calculations for the orbits of NASA spaceflights, but the rights to her likeness could not be secured.

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#46 · news-in-context Apr 17, 2026

Where to celebrate Halloween in the US

Whether you are seeking extravagant celebrations, historic tours, frightening experiences, or family-friendly fun, this list provides a number of thrilling options for Halloween enthusiasts. Discover how different places across the U.S. observe the holiday, and choose the spooky opportunity that speaks to your tastes.

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#47 · curiosity Oct 1, 2026

Georgia O'Keeffe was the most expensive female artist of all time from 2014 to 2025

She earned the title posthumously with the $44.4M sale of 1932's "Jimson Weed/White Flower No.1." Frida Kahlo took the title back in November 2025 for the sale of "El sueño (La cama)" for $54.6M.

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#48 · curiosity Oct 24, 2024

The coolest ghost towns in every US state

Trying to avoid crowds? This list from Thrillist compiles various ghost towns across the United States, highlighting their unique characteristics and explaining why they were abandoned. Peruse this comprehensive list to learn more about why people left these areas and what's still there. If you're looking for additional creepiness, explore and find out which of these spots are particularly haunted!

etc Each state's favorite Halloween costume. (scroll for map) sibling · sim 0.48 · keep 0.76 · score -2

#49 · explainers Jul 3, 2024

Chronological versus biological age

Science has come to understand different types of aging. What we call age is simply the number of years since birth, or chronological age. At the cellular level, biological aging happens at different rates for different people, and explains why some seem to age more quickly (or slowly).

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#50 · explainers Oct 7, 2026

The world's longest-running evolution experiment has tracked genetic changes in E. coli across more than 74,000 generations since 1988.

The E. coli long-term evolution experiment involves 12 identical bacterial populations that grow 100-fold every day before 1% of each is extracted into a new flask to restart the process.

Each bacterium divides six or seven times daily, with about one out of every hundred or thousand experiencing at least one genetic mutation.
Because each flask contains billions of E. coli cells, about a million new mutations are seen every day, which scientists can use to explore natural selection.
Every 500 generations, researchers freeze bacterial samples, which are later used to pit generations against one another and verify that later generations have evolved to be stronger competitors for resources.
Throughout the experiment, E. coli have been observed to grow larger and faster, with one population in 2003 having evolved a means of consuming citrate in the presence of oxygen.

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#51 · explainers Aug 5, 2026

Spotify took 18 years to reach profitability—and roughly 70% of its revenue goes to rights holders.

The music streaming company lost revenue for years as it sought to grow.

However, once Spotify went public, investors pushed the company to expand into podcasts, cut costs, and prefer passive mood listening via algorithmic curation to increase value.
Some users have recently noticed the changes and have mixed feelings about using the app.

itk Podcaster Joe Rogan renews multiyear partnership with Spotify that carries a reported earn own · sim 0.47 · keep 0.52 · score -2

#52 · curiosity Feb 24, 2026

Grace Hopper was named the 1959 Time magazine 'Woman of the Year'

The honor was part of the 2019 series "100 Women of the Year," which spotlighted an influential woman for each of the years the publication had previously awarded a "Man of the Year." In its write-up, Hopper was described as having "paved the way for women everywhere to thrive in math, computer science, and service to their countries."

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#53 · curiosity Jul 13, 2026

View a timeline of NASA's Space Shuttle program, which saw five reusable orbiters take a total of 355 astronauts across a combined distance of almost six trips to the sun.

From the first launch of space shuttle Columbia in 1981 to the final launch of space shuttle Atlantis in 2011, the shuttles orbited Earth about 21,000 times across 135 missions.

Crew members hailed from sixteen nations—293 from the US—and supported the deployment, repair, and maintenance of satellites, telescopes, and the International Space Station, whose assembly began with mission 88.
Space shuttle Discovery was involved in the most missions (39), followed by Atlantis (33), Columbia (28), Endeavour (25), and Challenger (10).

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#54 · longform Jan 8, 2026

Many ghostly encounters have ordinary explanations rooted in how the brain works, from sleep paralysis to the instinct to see faces in shadows.

Survival instincts can make people sense a presence that isn’t there, see faces in shadows, and hear ordinary sounds as supernatural.

Sleep paralysis happens when the mind wakes during REM sleep while the body stays paralyzed, which can bring on shadowy figures and voices that feel real.
In experiments, people holding séances have reported contact with spirits that were invented for the study.
Fascination with the supernatural has grown into big business, including a market for modern ghost-hunting gadgets.

etc Why is it that we picture ghosts wearing white sheets? any_band · sim 0.42 · keep 0.75 · score -2

#55 · curiosity May 7, 2026

Browse a list of the most important invention from each state

From Alabama's electric hearing aid and Idaho's television to Washington's artificial heart and Wisconsin's space suit, this map highlights technological breakthroughs with outsized impacts from each US commonwealth. The District of Columbia is also featured as the state of origin for the telegraph and Morse code.

etc Each state's favorite Halloween costume. (scroll for map) sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.71 · score -7

#56 · explainers Jan 29, 2026

How math whizzes exploit sportsbooks

Chris Dirkus is a professional sports bettor who approaches the hobby as a math problem, not from a fan's perspective. He focuses on mispriced odds in popular games where many fans are betting for high liquidity. He's one of a rare segment of sports bettors exploiting slow models and human mistakes.

etc Former NFL player solves nearly 30-year-old math problem. any_band · sim 0.49 · keep 0.71 · score -1

#57 · explainers Mar 9, 2026

Each part of the human body experiences aging differently

With global average life expectancy cresting at 73 years, understanding how the body ages is imperative to effective medical treatment and maintaining a desired quality of life. This 13-minute video dives into how the body and its organs age "from head to toe."

lead Slow and Steady Aging sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.77 · score -15

#58 · curiosity Jun 23, 2026

One biologist is leading the blue zone criticisms—both questioning the original recordkeeping for these purported longevity-prone locations and pointing to recent research showing declining numbers of healthy seniors in several official blue zone regions.

Blue zones originally described 14 isolated communities on the Italian island of Sardinia, where researchers identified disproportionately high numbers of older, healthy people. Scientists sought to verify their ages and what factors contributed to their exceptional health.

Though the researchers originally attributed their old-age health to various factors including active lifestyles, healthy, nonprocessed foods, social connections, and genetics, later criticisms questioned if faulty recordkeeping may mean that people were not as old as originally believed.
Recent peer-reviewed studies, including some by the demographers who helped declare areas blue zones decades ago, note that people aren't experiencing the same longevity in those locales anymore.

lead Slow and Steady Aging any_band · sim 0.46 · keep 0.22 · score -14

#59 · explainers Apr 1, 2026

When diving and snorkeling in environments containing reefs, avoid touching reefs, anchoring on them, or using sunscreen with active ingredients harmful to marine life.

Properly recycling and disposing of trash in bins helps reduce microplastics and chemicals that can run off into ocean-bound wastewater and onto reefs.

itk Underwater acoustics from healthy coral reefs help restore degraded reefs and rebuild thei own · sim 0.46 · keep 0.38 · score -12

#60 · curiosity Jun 30, 2026

The Paranthropus genus, our mysterious extinct cousins

In the last century, skull and jaw fragments have been discovered in East Africa suggesting an ancient hominin species lived, evolved, and died alongside humanity's ancestors. With large, broad skulls and strong jaws, the Paranthropus genus—which includes several related species—is an absorbing case of the effects of niche partitioning, where species coexist by adapting differently to the environment. Paranthropus died out and human ancestors endured. Find out why here.

itk Collagen-eating enzymes that emerged roughly 550 million years ago may explain why later s own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.72 · score -9

Hurricane Isaias, Oldest Tortoise, and the End of Dining Out