Today I

Found Out

Today I found out the first known robot was created around 400-350 BC by the mathematician Archytas and was a steam powered pigeon. Archytas, who coincidently is known as the “father of mechanical engineering”, constructed his bird out of wood and used steam to power the movements of the robot.  This bird was then suspended from a pivot [...]

Today I found out how an LED works.  An LED or “Light Emitting Diode” is basically as the name describes; it is a special type of diode that is specifically optimized to give off light, usually in the visual or infrared spectrum, as electricity is passed through it. A diode is a special type of semiconductor that has [...]

Today I found out the human gut contains about 100 trillion bacterial cells, about 10 times as many cells as make up the human body.  In other news, today I found out that the human body is made up of about 1 trillion cells. The human gut is basically sterile until you are born.  [...]

Today I found out what happens when you stick your head into a particle accelerator. Exhibit A: Anatoli Petrovich Bugorski, a Russian scientist who has the distinction of being the only person to ever stick their head in a running particle accelerator.  Shockingly, he also managed to survive the ordeal and all things considered, come out [...]

Today I found out that one Calorie (note the capital “C”) is equivalent to one gram of TNT in terms of the energy.  It is important to note the capital “C” in calorie because this traditional implies a kilo-calorie, also known as a “food calorie” because the value listed on food labels are typically in [...]

Today I found out the Sun is white, not yellow.  For you graphics people or web developers out there, the exact color of the sun is #fff5f2.  The reason the Sun looks yellow to us on Earth is that our atmosphere scatters light from the Sun; so the apparent color of the sun changes.  This [...]

Today I found out that baking soda makes a good teeth whitener.   Specifically it works by breaking down stains in your teeth caused by such things as dark sodas, wine, smoking, coffee, etc. Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, when dissolved in water gives off free radicals which penetrate the surface of your enamel, combining [...]

Today I found out that the “Pull and Pray” method statistically is just about as effective as condoms for preventing pregnancy, contrary to popular belief.  Indeed, according to Dr. John Guillebaud in his book Contraception: Your Questions Answered, some of the lowest birth rates in history pop up around cultures whose primary method of contraception [...]

Today I found out that poinsettias are not poisonous, contrary to popular belief.   The belief that they are poisonous originally seems to have started around 1919 when a two year old child of a U.S. Army officer died after supposedly eating poinsettia leaves.  The poinsettia leaves were blamed for the death, even though there was [...]

Today I found out that sugar does not make kids hyper.  In fact, it has been proven in numerous studies that it doesn’t affect their behavior at all.  In one such study, it was found that mothers who think their kids have been given sugar (even though their kids haven’t been given any), will almost [...]