It’s funny how things that seem so ordinary to us can be extraordinary for others. For most of us, having a car ride end with being stuck in the snow would register […]
The Christmas When Charlie Got Stuck in the Snow
How a Seat Cushion Caused the U.S. to Lose a Nuclear Weapon
Who hasn’t misplaced something? We waste so much time looking for car keys, reading glasses, and the television remote. We turn over every seat cushion and look under the sofa, only to […]
How A Fast-Food Phenomenon Was Started As a Service to Servicemen
The soldiers at Fort Huachuca had a problem. Their duties frequently had them traveling off base at meal times, and it was hard to get a good meal.
Beware the Unintended Consequences of the Cobra Effect
Incentives. We love them. Without our parents’ offer of a cash bonus for good grades, we probably would have totally blown off Mrs. Smethels’ Home Economics class in 8th grade. The incentive […]
The International Organization That Makes The Pieces Fit Together
The most amazing coincidence happened to us the other day. Our mechanical pencil ran out of lead. Fortunately, our interns are always grateful for a chance to emerge from the basement and […]
A Warning for Women About the Dangers of Bicycle Face
Nineteenth-century life had more than its share of challenges for women. Disenfranchisement, substandard medical care, and the need to wear corsets are just a few of the downsides they had to face. […]
A High-Flying Prediction, Off By a Million Years
Humans have tried to emulate birds’ ability to fly since before recorded history. Despite centuries of effort, heavier-than-air flight remained out of reach. No one knows how many people lost their lives […]
Luxembourg Cars Must Have Windshield Wipers But Windshields Are Optional
Governments can be famous for making regulations that put more emphasis on form than substance. No better example can be found than the highly-bureaucratic Vogons in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: […]
What Could Go Wrong With Putting Wings on a Ford Pinto?
As much as we enjoy the comforts provided by the 21st century, our biggest disappointment is the lack of flying cars. Every traffic jam brings daydreams of being able to push the […]
The First Driver to Exceed 100 km/h and His Freaky Prediction About His Death
It seems that every week brings reports of new advancements with electric vehicles. It’s easy to think electric cars are a new phenomenon, but they are nearly as old as the automobile, […]
The Bridge That Wouldn’t Work Because of a Misplaced Remote Control
Admit it. We’re all guilty of setting the remote control somewhere and losing track of it. Even though the television is less than 10 feet away, we’ll hunt around for 15 minutes, […]
The High-Flying Conspiracy Theories of Denver International Airport
Frequent travels will tell you that it doesn’t matter whether you are going to Heaven or Hell, you have to go through Atlanta to get there. If, however, your destination is the […]
Elvis, Marx, and Others Direct Traffic in Germany
Traffic lights are one of the last places you would expect to find artistic expression. The stick figure of a walking man and an upheld hand tell pedestrians all they need to […]
Did an Indian King Use Rolls Royces to Collect Garbage?
Have you heard about the fabulously wealthy Indian ruler who was snubbed at a Rolls Royce showroom? When the salesman did not recognize the distinguished visitor and dismissed him as someone who […]
Why A Boat in the Detroit River Has Its Own ZIP Code
If you send many Christmas cards, this is the time of year when several are returned to you because of an out-of-date address. In the United States, the average person moves 11.7 […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 