Damn Interesting
@damninteresting.bsky.social
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Fascinating true stories from science, history, and psychology since 2005
What Makes Humans Stupid: It takes intelligence to get things spectacularly wrong
nautil.us/what-makes-h...
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What Makes Humans Stupid
What Makes Humans Stupid: It takes intelligence to get things spectacularly wrong. An essay on our undoing.
https://nautil.us/what-makes-humans-stupid-1282459?utm_source=DamnInteresting
30 minutes ago
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Why the tech industry can't keep up with the AI backlash
www.platformer.news/ai-backlash-...
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Why the tech industry can't keep up with the AI backlash
AI's externalities are growing faster than the industry can address them
https://www.platformer.news/ai-backlash-data-centers-jobs-inflation/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 3 hours ago
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The World's Best Aerial Photos Honored in International Competition
petapixel.com/2026/07/07/i...
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The World's Best Aerial Photos Honored in International Competition
Shooting from the skies.
https://petapixel.com/2026/07/07/international-aerial-photographer-of-the-year-2026/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 4 hours ago
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When Germany Built a Flying Train 125 Years Ago, a City Coalesced Beneath It. It Has Moved Royalty, Commuters and Touristsâand One ElephantâEver Since
www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/when-...
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When Germany Built a Flying Train 125 Years Ago, a City Coalesced Beneath It. It Has Moved Royalty, Commuters and Touristsâand One ElephantâEver Since
When there was no room on the ground, towns in the Wupper Valley looked to the skies and built a suspension railway that became a source of pride and connection
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/when-germany-built-a-flying-train-125-years-ago-a-city-coalesced-beneath-it-it-has-moved-royalty-commuters-and-touristsand-one-elephantever-since-180989072/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 4 hours ago
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127 Years Ago, a Coffin Fell From the Sky. Scientists Just Solved a Major Piece of Its Mystery.
www.popularmechanics.com/science/arch...
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127 Years Ago, a Coffin Fell From the Sky. Scientists Just Solved a Major Piece of Its Mystery.
Fish, foreign food, and coastal erosion may explain a century-old archaeological puzzle.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/archaeology/a71851731/coffin-major-mystery-solved/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 6 hours ago
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Our Bacteria Are Talking. Weâve Just Begun to Understand What Theyâre Saying.
www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/m...
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Our Bacteria Are Talking. Weâve Just Begun to Understand What Theyâre Saying.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/magazine/microbiome-gut-health.html?unlocked_article_code=1.wFA.oGLJ.lxQIt8edMXqe&smid=url-share
about 6 hours ago
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'What Happens if China Hacks the US Water Supply? I Went to a Secret War Game to Find Out'
www.wired.com/story/what-h...
Mirror:
archive.is/2026.07.08/h...
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What Happens if China Hacks the US Water Supply? I Went to a Secret War Game to Find Out
Burst water mains. Evacuated hospitals. In a closed-door simulation, insurers played out their response to a mass disruption by Chinaâs Volt Typhoon hackersâand found a nightmare scenario.
https://www.wired.com/story/what-happens-if-china-hacks-the-us-water-supply-war-game-volt-typhoon/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 7 hours ago
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The crust expands at mid-ocean rifts. But how?
arstechnica.com/science/2026...
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Ocean rift zone saw spreading happen in a sudden burst
The crust expands at mid-ocean rifts. But how?
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/07/newly-installed-monitoring-system-watched-the-seafloor-spread/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 7 hours ago
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From glamour model to nightclub manager - who was pardoned killer Ruth Ellis?
www.bbc.com/news/article...
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Who was pardoned killer Ruth Ellis from Denbighshire?
Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in the UK, has been granted a conditional posthumous pardon.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdr4v775vx1o?utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 7 hours ago
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Detecting hidden nuclear weapons in space may be possible using cosmic rays
www.scientificamerican.com/article/dete...
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Detecting hidden nuclear weapons in space may be possible using cosmic rays
For almost 60 years, a global ban on nuclear weapons in space has held up. But the growing number of satellites and increasing geopolitical tension has scientists worried the moratorium could fail
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/detecting-hidden-nuclear-weapons-in-space-may-be-possible-using-cosmic-rays/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 8 hours ago
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A Possible Future
www.damninteresting.com/a-possible-f...
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Damn Interesting: A Possible Future
An attempt to secure the future of the site, with an unfortunate quantity of moist metaphors.
https://www.damninteresting.com/a-possible-future/
about 9 hours ago
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Video: Why Did the Chocolate Bar Ration of WW2 Taste Terrible? [23:11]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVrT...
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Why Did the Chocolate Bar Ration of WW2 Taste Terrible?
YouTube video by Tasting History with Max Miller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVrT8mrll-0&utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 10 hours ago
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Astronomers witness the birth of a magnetar for the first time
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
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Astronomers witness the birth of a magnetar for the first time
A strange "chirping" signal from a distant supernova has revealed the birth of a magnetar, confirming that these incredibly magnetic neutron stars can power the universe's brightest ste...
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260626030450.htm?utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 10 hours ago
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A Trap for AI Use in Peer Reviews Sparks Controversy
www.the-scientist.com/a-trap-for-a...
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A Trap for AI Use in Peer Reviews Sparks Controversy | The Scientist
Conference organizers secretly inserted hidden prompts into papers to catch peer reviewers using artificial intelligence tools, stirring up criticism on social media.
https://www.the-scientist.com/a-trap-for-ai-use-in-peer-reviews-sparks-controversy-74702?utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 11 hours ago
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Pickles glow when you plug them in. Science explains why
www.sciencenews.org/article/pick...
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Pickles glow when you plug them in. Science explains why
A scientist, a jar of pickles and a power strip walk into a room. The punchline involves physics, glowing condiments and a scientific party trick.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/pickle-glow-electricity-experiment?utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 11 hours ago
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The Same Unknown Chemical Signature Has Been Detected on Pluto And Titan
www.sciencealert.com/an-unknown-c...
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The Same Unknown Chemical Signature Has Been Detected on Pluto And Titan
Two worlds at almost opposite ends of the Solar System have just given us a mystery we didn't even know existed.
https://www.sciencealert.com/an-unknown-chemical-signature-has-been-detected-on-pluto-and-titan?utm_source=DamnInteresting
about 11 hours ago
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Midtown tower 'remains unstable' after beams buckle, authorities shut down area
gothamist.com/news/fdny-ev...
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Midtown tower 'remains unstable' after beams buckle, authorities shut down area
Emergency responders arrived at the scene Tuesday morning after a call reported that bricks were falling from the 38-story former Pfizer headquarters on East 42nd Street between Second and Third avenu...
https://gothamist.com/news/fdny-evacuates-midtown-tower-undergoing-residential-conversion?utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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Researchers Reveal the Power of âQuantum Proofsâ
www.quantamagazine.org/researchers-...
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Researchers Reveal the Power of âQuantum Proofsâ | Quanta Magazine
When checking that solutions to certain problems are correct, it turns out, you canât get around the inherent complexity of the quantum world.
https://www.quantamagazine.org/researchers-reveal-the-power-of-quantum-proofs-20260706/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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Catnip lotion as effective as Deet at repelling mosquitoes, study finds
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
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Catnip lotion as effective as Deet at repelling mosquitoes, study finds
Researchers testing a cheap, homegrown oil in Uganda found what cats knew all along â it worked as well as the artificial chemical used globally
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/07/catnip-lotion-as-effective-as-deet-at-repelling-mosquitoes-study-finds?utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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Video: What would a rainbow be like on Tatooine? [2:45]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO8r...
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What would a rainbow be like on Tatooine?
YouTube video by xkcd's What If?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO8rOs05v48&utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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Researchers found a Wordle strategy that wins 99% of the time
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
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Researchers found a Wordle strategy that wins 99% of the time
Researchers developed a Wordle-solving strategy that succeeds 99% of the time by focusing on information gain rather than likely answers. The method uses Shannon entropy to identify guesses that revea...
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260619020508.htm?utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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Thousands of forgotten Punjabi WW1 soldiers recognised for first time
www.bbc.com/news/article...
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Forgotten Punjabi WW1 soldiers recognised for first time
Nearly 10,000 soldiers' names are being added to the official database of war dead, a cherished step for many of their descendants.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgqjpqjgxzgo?utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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Video: The Mind-Blowing Flaw That Flooded New Orleans [24:33]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku_o...
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The Bizarre Flaw in the New Orleans Levees
YouTube video by Practical Engineering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku_ockR2t44&utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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Bomb the Arctic, dam the Mediterranean and build a second moon: five outlandish plans to remodel our climate
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
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Bomb the Arctic, dam the Mediterranean and build a second moon: five outlandish plans to remodel our climate
Humans have long sought to geoengineer the Earthâs environment. Tim Flannery outlines a few of the wildest ideas from the 20th century
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/06/five-outlandish-plans-to-remodel-earth-climate?utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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NASA tests advanced new Mars rover prototype in the California desert (video)
www.space.com/space-explor...
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NASA tests advanced new Mars rover prototype in the California desert (video)
This little rover went a long way.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/nasa-tests-advanced-new-mars-rover-prototype-in-the-california-desert-video?utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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Modern Humans May Have Shared Culture With Neanderthals for 20,000 Years
gizmodo.com/modern-human...
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Modern Humans May Have Shared Culture With Neanderthals for 20,000 Years
The excavation of a cave in southern TĂŒrkiye revealed evidence of shared technologies, survival strategies, and even symbolic objects.
https://gizmodo.com/modern-humans-may-have-shared-culture-with-neanderthals-for-20000-years-2000782300?utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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Video: Whatâs It Like to Be Killed by Natureâs Most Brutal Predator [12:21]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf-u...
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Whatâs It Like to Be Killed by Natureâs Most Brutal Predator
YouTube video by Kurzgesagt â In a Nutshell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf-uUy5pdUI&utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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Dragonflies maneuver like fighter pilots
arstechnica.com/science/2026...
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Dragonflies maneuver like fighter pilots
Male dragonflies' dramatic aerial combat maneuvers emerge from relatively simple vision-based rules.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/07/dragonflies-maneuver-like-fighter-pilots/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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These 567-Million-Year-Old Fossils Are Rewriting the Story of Life on Earth
scitechdaily.com/these-567-mi...
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These 567-Million-Year-Old Fossils Are Rewriting the Story of Life on Earth
Ancient deep-sea organisms suggest movement, sexual reproduction, and complex animal life began earlier than previously thought.
https://scitechdaily.com/these-567-million-year-old-fossils-are-rewriting-the-story-of-life-on-earth/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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At 100, Dick Van Dyke Credits One Habit For His Long Life [positive mindset]. Studies Link It to 15% More Years
www.sciencealert.com/one-habit-ma...
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At 100, Dick Van Dyke Credits One Habit For His Long Life. Studies Link It to 15% More Years
At the close of 2025, the beloved actor Dick Van Dyke â famous for tap dancing with a 'twinkle in his eye' â turned 100 years old.
https://www.sciencealert.com/one-habit-may-explain-dick-van-dykes-extreme-longevity-science-suggests?utm_source=DamnInteresting
1 day ago
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Video: This Gorgeous Rock Was Made by a Supercontinent [9:19]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZDB...
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This Gorgeous Rock Was Made by a Supercontinent
YouTube video by SciShow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZDByvhf3Ik&utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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When Albert Einstein & Charlie Chaplin Met and Became Fast Famous Friends (1930)
www.openculture.com/2026/07/when...
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When Albert Einstein & Charlie Chaplin Met and Became Fast Famous Friends (1930)
Photo via Wikimedia Commons âYou do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother,â goes a well-known quote attributed variously to Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, an...
https://www.openculture.com/2026/07/when-albert-einstein-charlie-chaplin-met.html?utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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The radical reasons why you dream of making things by hand
aeon.co/essays/the-r...
2 days ago
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Before He Was 007, Sean Connery Got Tangled Up in a Real Hollywood Mob Scandal
www.vice.com/en/article/b...
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Before He Was 007, Sean Connery Got Tangled Up in a Real Hollywood Mob Scandal
Connery said he punched Johnny Stompanato while filming with Lana Turner, then later went into hiding after he was killed.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/before-he-was-007-sean-connery-got-tangled-up-in-a-real-hollywood-mob-scandal/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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This engineer literally lit up the world â and now wants to power it
www.cnn.com/science/shuj...
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Meet the engineer who literally lit up the world â and now wants to power it | CNN
Shuji Nakamura already transformed the world once. His invention of blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) changed everything about our daily lives.
https://www.cnn.com/science/shuji-nakamura-lit-up-the-world-and-now-wants-to-power-it-spc?utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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'We spent 17 years fighting for the truth about our mother's murder'
www.bbc.com/news/article...
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We spent 17 years fighting for the truth about our mother's murder
A Greek man stands convicted of killing Jean Hanlon because her three sons refused to accept her death was an accident.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg7zxjdy05o?utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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Archaeologists uncover ancient Byzantine city in Egyptâs western desert
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
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Archaeologists uncover ancient Byzantine city in Egyptâs western desert
Well-preserved fourth-century quarters reveal details of daily life, urban development and economic activities
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/04/archaeologists-uncover-ancient-byzantine-city-in-egypts-western-desert?utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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NASA Webb Uncovers Unusual Galaxy Shaped by Cosmic Collision
science.nasa.gov/missions/web...
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NASA Webb Uncovers Unusual Galaxy Shaped by Cosmic Collision - NASA Science
Webb uncovers unusual galaxy shaped by cosmic collision: Webb's unprecedented sensitivity across near- and mid-infrared wavelengths cuts through the thick lanes of dust that obscure Centaurus Aâs cent...
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasa-webb-uncovers-unusual-galaxy-shaped-by-cosmic-collision/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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How America Engineered Its Independence
spectrum.ieee.org/us-engineere...
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How the U.S. Engineered Its Sovereignty
Self-reliance is an ongoing task
https://spectrum.ieee.org/us-engineered-sovereignty?utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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Video: The nature of war: Ukraine birds weave nests of fiber optic cable [2:06]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCa2...
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The nature of war: Ukraine birds weave nests of fiber optic cable
YouTube video by Reuters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCa2d9amRlw&utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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Both Japan and China had intriguing asteroid encounters this weekend
arstechnica.com/space/2026/0...
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There were not one, but two asteroid encounters this weekend
The Torifune asteroid turns out to be shaped like a peanut.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/07/there-were-not-one-but-two-asteroid-encounters-this-weekend/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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Astronomers discover radio signals coming from rare 'Blue Eye Pulsar' after decades of silence
www.space.com/astronomy/st...
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Astronomers discover radio signals coming from rare 'Blue Eye Pulsar' after decades of silence
The hushed pulsar, nicknamed Blue Eye, was a previously radio-silent neutron star.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/astronomers-discover-radio-signals-coming-from-rare-blue-eye-pulsar-after-decades-of-silence?utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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Daddy longlegs seen catching and eating frogs in astonishing first
refractor.io/biology/dadd...
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Daddy longlegs seen catching and eating frogs in astonishing first
Daddy longlegs, also called harvestmen, have been documented catching and consuming living frogs larger than themselves in South American rainforests. All without the use of venom.
https://refractor.io/biology/daddy-longlegs-catch-and-eat-frogs/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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On this day in 2012, Unesco added Bali's Subak System to the World Heritage List
www.damninteresting.com/the-ancient-...
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The Ancient Order of Bali
In 1970s Bali, a sudden rice crisis prompted an unexpectedly far-reaching scientific discovery
https://www.damninteresting.com/the-ancient-order-of-bali/
2 days ago
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Does leisure make us happy? Often the answer is no.
www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/20...
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Does leisure make us happy? Often the answer is no.
Psychologist Laurie Santos said we often pursue low-effort activities while looking for happiness. Hereâs what actually works, according to the research.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2026/07/06/does-leisure-make-us-happy-often-answer-is-no/?utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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A Birdâs Brain Holds Clues to the Sounds of Music
www.nytimes.com/2026/07/05/s...
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A Birdâs Brain Holds Clues to the Sounds of Music
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/05/science/bird-brain-music-communication.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vlA.XK4A.o21NgR16h_4V&smid=url-share
2 days ago
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'I never had the feeling that I was flush in cash': How J Paul Getty became the world's richest man
www.bbc.com/culture/arti...
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'I never had the feeling that I was flush in cash': How J Paul Getty became the world's richest man
The US oil billionaire's 16th-Century English mansion was home to a stunning art collection and a lion named Nero. In 1963, the BBC visited him there to discuss his "great success".
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260703-how-j-paul-getty-became-the-worlds-richest-man?utm_source=DamnInteresting
2 days ago
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Mysterious debris found on Queensland beaches could be âspace ballsâ â and may contain toxic rocket fuel
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
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Mysterious debris found on Queensland beaches could be âspace ballsâ â and may contain toxic rocket fuel
Australian Space Agency working to confirm origin of objects as space archaeologist says they may be connected to a rocket launch
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/05/mysterious-debris-found-on-queensland-beaches-could-be-space-balls-and-may-contain-toxic-rocket-fuel?utm_source=DamnInteresting
3 days ago
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Cosmic dust could play key role in cracking long-standing mystery of solar corona heating
phys.org/news/2026-07...
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Cosmic dust could play key role in cracking long-standing mystery of solar corona heating
A researcher at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, has published a new study in The Astrophysical Journal suggesting that tiny charged dust grai...
https://phys.org/news/2026-07-cosmic-play-key-role-mystery.html?utm_source=DamnInteresting
3 days ago
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Hobbit-like humans may have scavenged Komodo dragonsâ leftovers to survive
www.cnn.com/2026/07/03/s...
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Hobbit-like human relatives may have been on a less advanced evolutionary path | CNN
Instead of hunting big game or wielding fire, the hobbit-like hominin Homo floresiensis likely scavenged leftovers of prey taken down by Komodo dragons.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/03/science/homo-floresiensis-scavenged-food?utm_source=DamnInteresting
3 days ago
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