15 of the Smartest Animals in the World
Source: Reader's Digest
The animal kingdom is full of surprises. Wait until you meet the lock-picking raccoon, the clever dolphin, and the mirror-savvy pig.
Culture & Society
How Shops Deceive You – The Decoy Effect Explained
Source: Psychology Exposed (on YouTube)
Do you sometimes feel like you made a choice you didn’t really want to make? Marketers use a lot of tricks to get you to spend more money than you meant to. One of the most popular is “the decoy effect.” When faced with two choices—like a small or large drink—most people can pick pretty easily. Watch this video to learn how adding a third choice, or a “decoy” (like a medium size), can actually manipulate you into buying the more expensive option—even if you didn’t really want to.
Artist M.C. Escher Spent a Lifetime Distorting Perspective
Source: PBS NewsHour
M.C. Escher was a Dutch graphic designer known for his innovative optical illusions, impossible drawings, and transforming tessellations, or interlocking tiles that slowly morphed from images like squares to fish to birds and back again. This video is from an exhibition of Escher’s art, which is no longer on display, but it nicely summarizes both his distinctive style and his continuing impact on popular culture.
The Joy and Misery of Hunting for Video Game Trophies
Source: Wired
Many modern video games include a list of achievements that players can earn as they play. These trophies often reward the player for taking actions beyond the normal plot or path of the basic story. For some, achievements reward creative gameplay, add replayability, and encourage exploration. For others, they are annoying, repetitive distractions that artificially make a game seem bigger or more complex than it is. What do you think? Do achievements make games feel more or less enjoyable?
A lock of hair may have just changed what we know about life in the Incan Empire
Source: npr
Khipu, a system of record-keeping invented by the Inca Empire, uses a series of knots tied into fiber to record information. Learn more about khipus and what they can tell us about Incan society.
150 years of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, overlooked icon of Black classical music
Source: npr
Though countless music fans around the world celebrate the work of composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, there are still many who have never heard of him. Learn about his impressive music career and the movement to keep his legacy alive.
Dude, the history behind the word dude is wild
Source: npr
| You’ve probably heard the word “dude” hundreds of times, but have you ever wondered about its origin? |
Self-taught pianist makes mark at graduation
Source: ksat.com
| Lights, camera, action! Imagine turning your bedroom into a concert stage and teaching yourself to play piano. Meet Ana Castillo, a senior from San Antonio who did just that. |
WNBA Players Make a Statement with “Pay Us What You Owe Us” Shirts
Source: Teen Vogue
With three words across their shirts, players called out a big issue in sports: fair pay. WNBA players chose not to be silenced, and made their message loud and clear on the courts.
‘Voices of Women’ exhibit honors local suffrage movement
Source: The Owensboro Times
| Deciding what to do with your future wasn’t so easy for women over 100 years ago. Learn about the women who refused to accept that, choosing to organize, march, and change history instead. |