Stuff You Should Know

How Occam's Razor Works

Can Nuclear Fusion Reactors Save The World?

Elastics: Where God and Science Smooch

How X-Rays Work

Legs! Legs! Legs! (The Periodic Table)

M*A*S*H: The Story of the 4077th

M.A.S.H. redefined television by blending the grim realities of the Korean War with sharp, character-driven comedy. Originally based on a loosely structured novel and a Robert Altman film, the series evolved over 11 seasons from a workplace sitcom into a poignant anti-war statement. Producers and writers navigated this...

Short Stuff: Does singing make you happy?

Singing in a choir serves as a powerful tool for enhancing physical, mental, and social well-being. As the most popular participatory arts activity in the United States, choral singing engages nearly 29 million people, offering benefits that extend far beyond simple enjoyment. The practice functions as a form of aerobi...

Did 24-Hour Cable News Kill America?

Twenty-four-hour cable news has fundamentally altered the American political landscape by replacing a shared national reality with profit-driven, opinion-based "angertainment." Following the 1987 repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, networks shifted from objective reporting to strategies that prioritize negative, polarizin...

Selects: How the Fairness Doctrine Worked

The Fairness Doctrine, established by the FCC in 1949, mandated that broadcasters present balanced coverage of controversial public interest issues. This policy relied on the concept of spectrum scarcity, arguing that because radio frequencies were limited, broadcasters held a public privilege that necessitated fair re...

The NY Subway Vigilante

The 1984 New York City subway shooting by Bernhard Goetz serves as a pivotal case study in urban crime, vigilantism, and public sentiment. Goetz, an electrical engineer, shot four unarmed teenagers on a subway train, sparking a national debate regarding self-defense and the perceived lawlessness of 1980s New York. Whil...

Short Stuff: Rain Barrels!

Rain barrels serve as effective tools for harvesting rainwater, which provides soft, chlorine-free water ideal for gardening and car washing. While rainwater collection benefits local ecology by reducing runoff—thereby limiting the transport of pollutants like oil and fertilizer into waterways—it is not suitable for hu...

Smile

Smiling functions as a complex social signal rooted in specific muscle movements, primarily the zygomaticus major, while genuine joy—the Duchenne smile—additionally engages the orbicularis oculi muscles around the eyes. Beyond expressing happiness, smiling serves as an evolutionary mechanism for signaling submission or...

Selects: 911 Is Not a Joke

The 9-1-1 emergency response system in the United States functions as a decentralized network of local public safety answering points rather than a unified national service. While the system revolutionized emergency access after its 1968 inception, it remains hampered by outdated infrastructure that struggles to integr...

Three Mile Island

The 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear accident remains the most significant nuclear disaster in American history, triggered by a combination of mechanical failure, confusing instrumentation, and human error. Although the reactor core reached temperatures near meltdown, a total catastrophe was averted. The event, which occ...

Short Stuff: 1955 Le Mans Disaster

The 1955 Le Mans disaster remains one of the darkest moments in motorsports history, claiming 84 lives and injuring nearly 200 spectators. The catastrophe originated from a combination of hazardous track design—specifically a pit road situated too close to the main circuit—and a dangerous driving maneuver by Mike Hawth...

The Tragic Life of Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh’s artistic legacy stems from a decade of intense productivity, during which he created nearly 900 paintings despite achieving minimal recognition while alive. His work evolved from somber, peasant-focused studies to vibrant, color-rich landscapes, heavily influenced by his surroundings and Japanese woo...

Selects: Did Shakespeare really write all that stuff?

The debate over whether William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon was the true author of his plays persists due to a perceived lack of biographical documentation, such as the absence of personal manuscripts or literary references in his will. Skeptics often cite class-based arguments, questioning how a man with limite...

Howard Hughes in Las Vegas

Howard Hughes’ four-year residency at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, beginning in 1966, fundamentally altered the city’s trajectory. By purchasing multiple casinos, Hughes helped transition Las Vegas from a mob-dominated gambling hub into a legitimate corporate tourist destination. His time there was marked by profound i...

Short Stuff: Knuckle Cracking

Knuckle cracking results from the cavitation of synovial fluid within joint capsules rather than bones grinding together. As joints stretch, the volume inside the capsule increases, causing a drop in pressure that forces dissolved gases to form bubbles; the audible pop occurs when these bubbles collapse. While a 60-yea...

The Story of Starvation Heights

Linda Burfield Perry Hazzard, a notorious early 20th-century quack, operated a "fasting sanitarium" in Washington state, claiming that starvation, enemas, and violent massage could cure all diseases by eliminating undigested food. Her practice gained infamy when wealthy sisters Claire and Dora Williamson sought her car...