Business & Industrial

The average delay of a Japanese bullet train is just 54 seconds, despite factors such as natural disasters. If the train is more than five minutes late, passengers are issued with a certificate that they can show their boss to show that they are late.

Reality Check: When is a train on time? A Japanese railway company made headlines after it apologised for sending a train off 20 seconds early. The idea of “deeply apologising” for the “severe inconvenience” of a lost 20 seconds seemed almost alien to commuters who have to put up with much greater disruption in other […]

The average delay of a Japanese bullet train is just 54 seconds, despite factors such as natural disasters. If the train is more than five minutes late, passengers are issued with a certificate that they can show their boss to show that they are late. Read More »

Light bulbs in the New York City subway system screw in “backwards” (i.e. with left-handed threads) so people won’t steal them to use at home.

Edison screw Three-way E26d light socket E26 Edison screw to NEMA 1-15 adapter Specifications for all lamp mount types are defined in the following American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) publications: Lamp Caps—ANSI C81.61 and IEC 60061-1 Lamp Holders—NSI C81.62 and IEC 60061-2 Gauges (to ensure interchangeability)—ANSI C81.63 and IEC 60061-3

Light bulbs in the New York City subway system screw in “backwards” (i.e. with left-handed threads) so people won’t steal them to use at home. Read More »

The likely record for fastest manmade object is a manhole cover launched by a nuclear bomb. A high-speed camera recording the lid only caught one frame of it moving meaning it was traveling over 125,000 miles per hour

The fastest object ever launched was a manhole cover — here’s the story from the guy who shot it into space Two angles facing left, which often indicate, “return to the beginning.” Two angles facing right, which often indicate, “advance to the end.” When I first heard this story, I didn’t believe it. How could

The likely record for fastest manmade object is a manhole cover launched by a nuclear bomb. A high-speed camera recording the lid only caught one frame of it moving meaning it was traveling over 125,000 miles per hour Read More »

Japanese vending machines are operated to dispense drinking water free of charge when the water supply gets cut off during a disaster.

3 Things You Might Not Know Japanese Vending Machines Can Do! Everywhere you look in Japan, no doubt it’s hard to miss the widespread varieties of vending machines or 自動販売機/自販機 (Jidouhanbaiki/ Jihanki) in the country. From the most common products like warm and cold drinks to the most unusual selection of fruits, clothing and even

Japanese vending machines are operated to dispense drinking water free of charge when the water supply gets cut off during a disaster. Read More »

MIT has genetically modified trees to glow in the dark in the hopes of creating a literally green source of light for the future.

Engineers create plants that glow Imagine that instead of switching on a lamp when it gets dark, you could read by the light of a glowing plant on your desk. MIT engineers have taken a critical first step toward making that vision a reality. By embedding specialized nanoparticles into the leaves of a watercress plant,

MIT has genetically modified trees to glow in the dark in the hopes of creating a literally green source of light for the future. Read More »

A UK man found a way to earn money off telemarketers who were constantly calling him. In 2011 he set up his own personal 0871 line – so to call him now costs money to the caller. Every time a bank, gas or electricity supplier asked him for his details, he submits it as his contact number.

How one man turns annoying cold calls into cash A man targeted by marketing companies is making money from cold calls with his own higher-rate phone number. In November 2011 Lee Beaumont paid £10 plus VAT to set up his personal 0871 line – so to call him now costs 10p, from which he receives

A UK man found a way to earn money off telemarketers who were constantly calling him. In 2011 he set up his own personal 0871 line – so to call him now costs money to the caller. Every time a bank, gas or electricity supplier asked him for his details, he submits it as his contact number. Read More »

Warren Buffett plans on giving only a small fraction of his weath to his children when he dies, stating “you should leave your children enough so they can do anything, but not enough so they can do nothing.” He instead will donate nearly all of his wealth to charitable foundations.

Warren Buffett Warren Edward Buffett (/ˈbʌfɪt/; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, speaker and philanthropist who serves as the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is considered one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net worth of US$82.5 billion as of March 9, 2019, making

Warren Buffett plans on giving only a small fraction of his weath to his children when he dies, stating “you should leave your children enough so they can do anything, but not enough so they can do nothing.” He instead will donate nearly all of his wealth to charitable foundations. Read More »

The Japanese bullet train system is equipped with a network of sensitive seismometers. On March 11, 2011, one of the seismometers detected an 8.9 magnitude earthquake 12 seconds before it hit and sent a stop signal to 33 trains. As a result, only one bullet train derailed that day.

How Japan’s Rail Network Survived the Earthquake The Tohuko Shinkansen bullet trains re-started operations only 49 days after the earthquake had caused this damage. The Tohuko Shinkansen bullet trains re-started operations only 49 days after the earthquake had caused this damage. The number of the people who could not go home on that day in

The Japanese bullet train system is equipped with a network of sensitive seismometers. On March 11, 2011, one of the seismometers detected an 8.9 magnitude earthquake 12 seconds before it hit and sent a stop signal to 33 trains. As a result, only one bullet train derailed that day. Read More »

There is an FAA regulation called the ‘Sterile Cockpit Rule’, requiring flight crews to only discuss topics pertinent to the safety and operation of the flight below 10,000 feet.

The Sterile Cockpit Rule is an informal name for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulation stating that all operators certificate holders shall not require, nor may any flight crewmember perform, any duties during a critical phase of flight except those duties required for the safe operation of the aircraft[1]. The FAA imposed the rule in

There is an FAA regulation called the ‘Sterile Cockpit Rule’, requiring flight crews to only discuss topics pertinent to the safety and operation of the flight below 10,000 feet. Read More »