The Coriolis Force
Taking an urban legend for a spin
You know the old myth that water drains clockwise in one hemisphere and counterclockwise in the other? Surprisingly, there's something to the story, but it's not quite as simple as one might imagine.
Tachyons
Tracking the elusive faster-than-light particle
The Theory of Relativity says that nothing can accelerate to a speed faster than light. But a hypothetical particle called a tachyon gets around this rule because it started out going faster than light.
Push Hands
The paradoxical secret weapon of t’ai chi
A two-person exercise performed by t'ai chi practitioners aims to help the participants identify areas of tension in their bodies. But it's more like dancing than sparring.
Paris Sewers
Exploring the dark underbelly of the City of Light
Where once Paris's waste disposal system was the Seine, now it's a massive network of tunnels that almost exactly mirrors the streets above. And more goes on there than meets the nose.
Perpetual Motion Machines
The endless quest for free energy
Over the centuries, countless people have tried to create perpetual motion (or over-unity) machines, in defiance of the Laws of Thermodynamics. So far, physics is holding its own.
Pilgrimage to Santiago
Spiritual walk across Europe
If you want to clear your head, go for a walk. For a really clear head, try walking anywhere from 60 to 1,200+ miles and ending up at a church in the town of Santiago, Spain. You'll be in good company: hundreds of thousands make this pilgrimage every year.
Modern Mummies
Resurrecting the art of arrested decay
Mummification may have gone out with the pharaohs, but a new, modern mummification process aims to restore its popularity. You can even have your pet mummified for eternity.
Polyphasic Sleep
Hacking your internal clock
If you just can't seem to find enough hours to get everything done, there's a technique that some claim will let you sleep a total of just two hours per day, in the form of six 20-minute naps, without sacrificing your health or alertness.
Kopi Luwak
The world’s strangest and most expensive coffee
If manually harvesting coffee beans is too much work, get a small animal to do it for you. But be prepared to pay a premium for the unique method of processing the coffee gets.
Lucid Dreams
Waking up to the reality of dreaming
Dreams in which you realize that you're dreaming, without waking up, provide exciting opportunities for recreation and personal growth.