Science

Discoveries made sideways, units picked at random, experiments nobody would dare repeat: science as it was actually done.

445 anecdotes, most recent first.
Highlights

The extreme rigor of particle physics

In particle physics, the detection of new events is measured in number of standard deviations, called sigmas, relative to the expected mean. A result is only validated as scientifically significant starting from the threshold of 5 sigmas. This mathematical requirement limits the risk of error to less than 0.00006 percent.

2026-04-23

The period when science rejected natural selection

The eclipse of Darwinism is a historical phase of biology extending approximately from 1880 to 1930. During this interval, the general principle of evolution was accepted, but natural selection was set aside in favor of other mechanisms such as neo-Lamarckism or orthogenesis. This skepticism of biologists towards the theses of Charles Darwin only ended with the development of modern genetics in the 20th century.

2026-04-28

An explorer missed a major discovery by two days

In February 1823, the explorer James Weddell pushed his ship south of the sea that now bears his name into waters completely free of ice. Convinced that the sea extended continuously to the South Pole, he decided to turn back north. If he had continued his journey for two more days, he would have come across Coats Land, discovered only in 1904.

2026-01-26

An extraterrestrial civilization can live inside a black hole

A type III civilization could theoretically reside inside a supermassive black hole by following a stable periodic orbit. This hypothesis formulated by V. I. Dokuchaev would allow such a society to completely escape any external detection. Such cosmic habitat structures defy our current understanding of physics and interstellar travel.

2026-10-16

The unexpected origin of helium white dwarfs

A helium white dwarf is a miniature star resulting from a formation process too long for the current age of the Universe. Small main-sequence stars indeed take more than thirteen billion years to consume their hydrogen to produce this type of star. These white dwarfs actually result from a mass transfer within a binary system, a hypothesis confirmed in 2021 thanks to observations from the Lick Observatory.

2026-10-16

Moving a star with a giant device

Viorel Badescu and Richard B. Cathcart studied the use of a 450 million kilometer device by a type II civilization. This system allows for the orientation of solar radiation to give the star kinetic motion. The star can thus be deflected from its trajectory by approximately 35 to 40 parsecs in order to navigate the Galaxy.

2026-10-15

Humanity is in the age of technological adolescence

Current humanity belongs to stage 0.7 H on the refined scale of Carl Sagan. This level of societal development corresponds to a consumption of approximately ten terawatts, or 0.16% of the power available on Earth. This stage is characterized by the capacity of humanity to destroy itself, a concept that Sagan names technological adolescence.

2026-10-14

The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera gains ten horsepower

The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera is a sports version equipped with advanced mechanical modifications. The V10 engine receives a new programming of the electronic control unit managing fuel injection. This reprogramming allows it to reach a power of 530 horsepower, which is an output of more than 106 horsepower per liter of displacement.

2026-10-14

The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera loses 100 kilograms

The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera is a lightweight version of the vehicle that manages to lose 100 kg compared to the original model. This reduction in mass is obtained by replacing numerous elements with lighter materials, such as carbon fiber for the bodywork or Alcantara for the interior. The Italian brand specifies that nearly half of this weight loss, or 47 %, is concentrated inside the cabin.

2026-10-13

An unexplained temperature gap exists for white dwarfs

The DB gap is an enigmatic temperature range observed in certain stars at the end of their life. Between 30 000 K and 45 000 K, no white dwarf presents an atmosphere dominated by helium. This phenomenon remains unexplained, although it is attributed to evolutionary processes such as convective mixing and gravitational settling.

2026-10-12

Thierry Lhermitte popularized the patator on television

The patator is a homemade cannon that propels projectiles using an inflammable spray. Thierry Lhermitte performed a successful demonstration of this instrument on November 5, 1998, in front of Alain Chabat. This appearance on La Grosse Émission on the channel Comédie! popularized the object in France.

2026-10-12

The Green Mice gang and its money laundering technique

The Green Mice gang is a team of criminals specialized in the theft of funds. The criminals neutralized the indelible ink cartridges of the briefcases by injecting oil into them before opening them. They then cleaned the banknotes with water, which inspired this name in direct reference to the nursery rhyme.

2026-10-12

Indonesia is threatened by the submersion of two thousand islands

Indonesia will be the country most affected in the world by flooding linked to global warming. Before the year 2050, this large-scale phenomenon will submerge 2,000 islands and invade 42 million homes according to the forecasts of the Asian Development Bank. This catastrophe is already underway and is pushing many inhabitants to leave their land.

2026-10-11

The green iguana sees ultraviolet light with its eyes

The green iguana is an arboreal reptile equipped with specific ocular cells called double cones. This specificity provides it with excellent color perception and helps it distinguish the ultraviolet range. This visual ability allows it to expose itself effectively to sunlight in order to absorb the UVA and UVB rays essential for synthesizing its vitamin D.

2026-10-11

Ganymede is larger than Titan

Ganymede is a moon of Jupiter whose size was specified by the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes during their passage in 1979. They thus revealed that this moon exceeds the dimensions of Titan. Titan is a moon of Saturn that scientists previously believed to be bigger than Ganymede.

2026-10-11

Kepler-22b is possibly an ocean planet

Kepler-22b is an exoplanet whose situation is comparable to that of Kamino. The American space agency indicates that it has chances of being covered by an ocean, if however it is not a gas giant. The presence of liquid water on this celestial body has not yet been confirmed by observations.

2026-10-11

La planète mystérieuse de la Guerre des clones

La planète Kamino est un monde aquatique fictif dont l'existence fut effacée des bases de données de la galaxie avant 32 av. BY. Cette disparition permit de maintenir le secret lorsqu'une vaste armée de clones y fut commandée par le Jedi Sifo-Dyas. Dix ans plus tard, ce site isolé abritait la production de 200 000 soldats opérationnels ainsi qu'un million d'autres en préparation.

2026-10-11

Shells weighing over one ton without any explosive charge

The Gamma-Gerät is a piece of heavy artillery whose first 1 160 kg shells contained no explosive material. These projectiles named Panzergranate were simple steel masses with reinforced tips intended to crush fortifications by the force of impact alone. This tactic proving ineffective against reinforced concrete, they were replaced as early as 1912 by lighter explosive shells.

2026-10-11

Fines for outlaw tattoo artists

Tattooing has been subject to strict health regulations in France since decree number 2008-149 of February 19, 2008. Professionals must notably declare their activity to the prefecture, follow hygiene training, and use sterile or single-use equipment. Failure to comply with these required measures exposes offenders to fifth-class tickets, meaning fines of up to 1,500 euros.

2026-10-11

Mathematical formulas remained without proof for decades

The Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan published revolutionary formulas in England in 1910 allowing to calculate pi with formidable efficiency. These propositions were put forward without any proof or clear explanation, plunging specialists into incomprehension. It was necessary to wait until the year 1987 for the brothers Jonathan and Peter Borwein to finally manage to prove them.

2026-10-11

A star opens the Chicago World's Fair

On May 27, 1933, the astronomical observatory annex of the University of Illinois captured the rays of the star Alpha Bootis. This light signal was then transmitted remotely to officially inaugurate the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, also called A Century of Progress. This technological feat preceded a period of severe budget cuts for the structure due to the Great Depression.

2026-10-11

Each carriage of this ride costs 180,000 pounds

Oblivion is a roller coaster featuring seven individual carriages. These large rectangular black and orange vehicles weigh several tons. Each of them cost the sum of 180,000 pounds to accommodate sixteen passengers spread over two rows.

2026-10-11

The speed of gravity was calculated in 1898

Paul Gerber is a physicist who developed a theory of gravitation based on the planet Mercury in 1898. He constructed a formula allowing to obtain an exact value for the perihelion precession of Mercury. This allowed him to determine that the propagation speed of gravity was close to 300 000 km/s.

2026-10-11

A mobile currency compensates for the lack of banks

Somaliland has used the ZAAD service as a virtual currency on mobile phones since 2009. This initiative by the operator Telesom makes it possible to bypass the limitations of a failing banking sector. The system is now anchored in the daily life of the inhabitants of this unrecognized territory.

2026-10-11

More than five thousand prototypes for a vacuum cleaner

The G-Force vacuum cleaner is a household appliance using the cyclonic separation technology developed by James Dyson. This product required the manufacturing of more than five thousand prototypes before being marketed in 1993 under the name Dual Cyclone. This device became so iconic that it entered the permanent collections of the MoMA as well as the Centre Georges-Pompidou.

2026-10-11

Temple doors were automatic two thousand years ago

The automatic opening of temple doors is a mechanism described by Hero of Alexandria in his work Pneumatica. The fire lit on the altar heated the air in a hollow base, causing the expansion of this air which pushed water into a container connected to a system of ropes and pulleys. This weight of water triggered the opening of the doors, while the extinguishing of the fire allowed the counterweight to close the whole system.

2026-10-11

Cosmic rays were used to probe the Pyramid of Khafre

Between 1967 and 1968, the physicist Luis Walter Alvarez searched for secret rooms in the Pyramid of Khafre using a completely novel method. This mission called Giza Project 1968 consisted of measuring the energy of cosmic ray particles called muons to map the interior of the monument. The experiment was a failure, because the Nobel Prize winner was unaware at the time that the pyramid contained granite denser than the limestone.

2026-10-10