Last week's Curios covered how to game Spotify, where the world's centenarians live, and why racehorse names are so weird.
Curio No. 1025 | Musicians making money in their sleep
Music streaming services haven't been very good for independent musicians. Which makes this story especially sweet. In March 2014, the American funk band Vulfpeck released an album called Sleepify. According to the band's leader Jack Stratton, it was the "most silent album ever recorded." All 10 tracks on Sleepify were 30 seconds long and contained complete silence. As in, the album didn't contain any music--according to most people's definition anyway. The track names ranged from "Z" to "Zzzzzzzzzz." One reviewer wrote: "Opening track 'Z' certainly sets the tone, a subtle, intriguing work... followed by 'Zz' and 'Zzz' which continue along similar lyrical themes while staying true to Sleepify's overriding minimalist aesthetic."... keep reading.
Curio No. 1024 | NASA sends art to Asteroid that could destroy Earth
Yesterday, we learned about astronaut Tim Peake completing the London marathon from space. It was a big hit for space-based social media. This apparently got NASA's social marketing team fired up because now NASA is planning to launch the first ever "space museum." As part of NASA's September voyage to the asteroid Bennu--the mission is officially called OSIRIS-REx--the spacecraft will carry a chip filled with never-before-seen crowdsourced artwork. Submissions must "take the form of a sketch, photograph, graphic, poem, song, short video or other creative or artistic expression that reflects what it means to be an explorer."... keep reading.
Curio No. 1023 | Space marathon man
Talk about defying gravity. Last month, British astronaut Tim Peake completed the London Marathon in 3 hours and 35 minutes, or just under 10 minutes a mile. Not bad, considering Peake was running aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Running in the microgravity of space is not easy. For starters, space runners have to be strapped into a custom-built treadmill via chains and bungee cables. The bungee system creates enough stress to simulate the feeling of running in gravity. More importantly, it alleviates the effects of spaceflight osteopenia. That's a condition where astronauts' bones lose density as the stress on them decreases in zero gravity... keep reading.
Curio No. 1022 | How words make the dictionary
If my kids are any indication, people often use words in ways that aren't in the dictionary. Which begs the question, how do dictionary editors choose "dictionary-approved" words and their proper meanings? In short, they read. Lots. From books, newspapers, magazines, websites, blogs, social networks and even restaurant menus. Then the editors log citations in a database of potential new words or meanings. Merriam-Webster's database now has over 17 million citations. Dictionary.com and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) use a similar process. This is especially impressive considering dictionaries only add around 500 words per year... keep reading.
Curio No. 1021 | So you want to live to 100?
If you want to live longer, move to the Italian town of Acciaroli. About 1/3 of the entire town--300 of its residents--are over 100 years old. Researchers aren't sure what explains the longevity of Acciarolians, but they believe it is lifestyle-related. The town is located on the southwestern coast of Italy, and it's a major tourist destination. As with most Italians, the town's centenarian residents do a lot of socializing, relaxing, espresso and wine drinking, and smoking. And like most Italians, they eat a "Mediterranean" diet, which includes lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and herbs. But the Acciarolians have two specific foods they eat more than others: anchovies and rosemary... keep reading.
Curio No. 1020 | The benefits of rat licking
Let's talk about rat licking! Mother rats spend virtually all day licking their pups -- of which they typically have 8 to 12 at any time. But some rat moms lick their pups more than others. And as the pups turn into fully-grown adults, it affects their personalities. Plus, for females, it influences their own licking tendencies as a mother. Pups that were licked more were more confident and easy-going. Underlicked pups tended to be more anxious. Biologists have discovered that when the mom licks the pup, the pup releases adrenaline and noradrenaline. These two hormones set off a chain of events, ending with the release of serotonin, better known as the "happiness chemical," into their blood streams... keep reading.
Curio No. 1019 | Weirdracehorsename has the lead, but here comes ARRRR
At 4 PM ET today, "Suddenbreakingnews" will face off against "Oscar Nominated," "Brody's Cause," "Tom's Ready," and a dozen other strangely-named horses in the equestrian world's top race: the Kentucky Derby. Here at Curious World HQ, this made us wonder why racehorse names seem to be getting weirder every year. We found 17 reasons why -- all courtesy of the Jockey Club, the organization that approves racehorse names: (1) Names cannot be longer than 18 characters with spaces; (2) No names with initials--sorry Mr. T; (3) No horse-related terms in names; (4) No duplicate names; (5) No numbers under thirty... keep reading.
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