-
‘Doop Doop’ and the other theories that explain pop hits (pretty well) Computers may soon write our hits from scratch. One algorithm can predict with 60% accuracy whether a song will be a Top 5 hit.
We have all heard the line: “Pop music is so formulaic.” But what does that mean? What is that formula? What makes a pop hit a hit? And how can we write one so we can get the royalties from that next Katy Perry chart topper? It turns out that a lot of researchers have been asking the same question. The Hit Potential Equation In 2011, a team of researchers at the University of Bristol came up with a Hit Potential Equation, for the purpose of predicting the next UK hit. The Equation is based on musical features, such as tempo, beat-variation, loudness, time signature, “danceability,” and simplicity. The formula…
You May Also Like
10 movie villains who were actually the good guys Villains from throughout cinematic history who, on further examination, were definitely actually the good guys.
Those VHS tapes in your basement could be worth thousands of dollars You were right to keep them. Here's a list of the most valuable VHS tapes, and some tips for identifying antech treasures generally.
20 vintage ads that will make you squirm, possibly cry Advertising is a Mad Men world minus anything that can conceivably offend someone. It wasn't always that boring.
-
From super glue to the Slinky: the odd stories behind 15 accidental inventions Necessity is the mother of invention, but this list proves that sometimes the best inventions are created by accident …or maybe fate?
Looking for something often results in nothing, but stumbling on to something while looking for nothing can change the world forever. Consider the following products and how your life might have been different without them coming about by sheer coincidence. Post-It Notes Dr. Spencer Silver, a chemist working for 3M, was trying to develop a super adhesive when, in 1968, he instead ended up developing an adhesive that would barely hold paper onto another paper. Silver considered the super weak glue a useless failure and abandoned it. In 1974, Arthur Fry, another 3M scientist, heard about Silver’s weak adhesive and thought it might be useful for a new type of…
You May Also Like
Gates of Hell: The real places said to be entrances to the underworld Hell, Hades, Guinee—the names are different but they all describe an underworld that many believe can be accessed through real gateways.
The rise and fall of the Vanderbilts—America’s wealthiest family The Vanderbilts were arguably the most prominent family of the Gilded Age, but time has slowly eroded their fortune and legacy.
63 things you didn’t know about Arnold Schwarzenegger Did you know his Nazi father favored his older son because he believed his wife had cuckolded him?
-
10 celebrated scientific breakthroughs that turned out to be hoaxes Come with us on a journey into scientific iniquity as we spotlight bogus science in near and far history.
It’s an exciting time to be alive, as the march of human progress is moving at seemingly impossible speeds. We’re curing diseases, connecting minds and reshaping the world we live in, and seemingly every day we hear about a new breakthrough that promises to change everything all over again. The thing is, though, not all of those breakthroughs are actually… well, real. For a number of reasons, scientists often over-promise and underdeliver and at the end of the day these massive discoveries turn out to be hoaxes or worse. Come with us on a journey into scientific iniquity as we spotlight ten bogus breakthroughs. The Tasaday Tribe Watch this video…
You May Also Like
10 spectacular Darwin Awards of the medieval age The Darwin Awards are annual and don't concern themselves with historical (ig)noble sacrifices. Let's correct that injustice.
This is what it’s like selling drugs on the deepweb A story about an Excel spreadsheet and how I don't deserve to live.
52 Hertz: the mystery of the loneliest whale in the world Hydrophones are tracking a whale that doesn't sound or act like any other whale in the world.
-
The incredible technologies and inventions now lost to history Some may be nothing more than legends, while others are well documented or even surviving as unexplained curios to this day.
We tend to look back at ancient technologies with an air of superiority, but there are more than a few historical inventions and artifacts that reach beyond our understanding. Some may be nothing more than legends, while others are well documented or even surviving as unexplained curios to this day. Stradivarius violins Antonio Stradivari lived from 1644 to 1737. He was an Italian luthier and craftsman who we know as the most significant and greatest artisan in instrument-making history. Somewhere around 500 of his violins survive to this day and sell for tens of millions of dollars for their acoustic properties. The exact techniques and materials used to make his…
You May Also Like
10 types of weirdos you’ll find in an adult bookstore There's something in an adult bookstore for everyone, right? Unfortunately.
The most badass Latin phrases Latin's utility has long since faded, but there's still something inherently awesome about it.
Black teeth and dilated pupils: 15 extreme beauty trends of the past Hold off on fluffing those brushes — these are beauty trends you may not want to blend with.
-
How to get the most out of online dating It's the new normal, so here's some advice from the top experts in the world of online dating.
We all live in a digital world and finding your romantic partner through the internet has long since become the new normal. The many platforms and gamified ways of searching for your perfect match can be fun and exciting, but there are many pitfalls you’ll want to avoid. There are also some universal rules of successful online dating that are worth taking note of if you want to succeed. We have gathered advice from some of the top experts writing on the world of online dating. Before anything else: know what you’re looking for According to a Freelocaldates review, a good many online daters don’t actually know what partner they…
You May Also Like
The 12 most infamous chef feuds Celebrity chefdom is rife with conflict: Here's our definitive roundup of the 12 biggest, baddest, craziest celebrity chef feuds.
10 ridiculously creepy child preachers Ten of the creepiest child preachers currently being groomed to lead congregations in years to come. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
The gentleman’s guide to hacking Tinder We put the best experts in a room and distilled the essence into this thing.
-
The many surprising ways education is changing in the 21st century Technology gets all the glory, but what's currently happening in education goes way beyond gadgets.
Education is constantly changing to meet the needs of students and the work opportunities that are available to individuals when they leave school or college. The most recent changes that have altered the face of education in the 21st century are mostly focused on the development of technology and the types of jobs that teachers are preparing students for. This article covers some of the main trends that education is currently following. Increased importance of graduate schemes Although in previous years simply gaining a bachelor’s degree was enough to secure a successful career for many students, more and more people are now deciding to take up graduate schemes at different…
You May Also Like
From Bach to 50s weirdness: Everything you need to know about classical music An 8-step cheat sheet to classical music that will make you cultured in one reading.
The human wonders of America’s long lost sideshows The freak show lives on as reality shows, but the fantasy world dreamed up by PT Barnum lies as a relic in the depths of the American imagination.
Silicon Valley douches are drinking untreated pond water for “health benefits” And paying a fortune for it.
-
What is a smart home hub (and do you need one)? One hub to rule all the devices.
Remember the inscription that was engraved on Sauron’s ring in The Lord of the Rings? It went something like this: “one ring to rule them all, One ring to find them… and bind them.” What does this quote signify? Singular control and unlimited power for the bearer, right? Coincidentally, a smart home hub works like this as well. It detects the presence of multiple smart devices in a house, forms a connection with them, and acts as a central point of command for you to easily manage everything at once. Whether it is the automated lighting in the other room, the smart sprinklers in the garden, the AI-enabled audio system…
You May Also Like
The first documented vampire stalked his widow and was impervious to crosses In 1672 Jure Grando became the first real person to ever be described in history as a true vampire.
10 of the most useless superpowers ever created Canonical, and downright silly.
6 baffling phenomena that have surprisingly simple medical explanations "Supernatural" mysteries can pass down generations after they’ve actually been solved, as is the case with the following six “unsolvable” mysteries.
-
6 ways social media is turning us into monsters All I'm offering is the truth. Nothing more.
According to Statista, social media platforms now have 3.81 billion active users. There is no denying that social media has long since moved beyond novelty and become an essential part of normal everyday lives. With this in mind, here are some of the many ways that social media is turning us all into monsters. Disclaimer: we know it isn’t all bad Line goes up and that’s good for stonks Social media allows businesses to effectively communicate with customers, increase brand visibility and sales, and humanize their cold corporate machinations with novel takes on memes from half a generation ago. In fact, social media is key to almost any successful business…
You May Also Like
10 serial killers caught for the stupidest reasons If you're thinking of asking the task force trying to catch you if it's safe to send them the floppy disk you used to keep personal files on, read this first.
How one man lied about a cartoon to prove history is meaningless on the internet Everyone just believed. People started fondly remembering, and reviewing, episodes that don't exist.
The greatest bank heists in history The greatest bank robberies in history often involve complex plans and organization, and sometimes a good dose of sheer dumb luck.
-
These ancient technologies were way ahead of their time Incredible artifact discoveries reveal many ancient cultures were capable of far more than previously thought.
People tend to think of ancient civilizations and their technologies as primitive, but while certainly not as impressive as our 2020 technology trends, it’s still incredible what they were able to do with the limited tools and resources available to them. Incredible artifact discoveries have shown that some of these cultures were way ahead of their time and capable of far more than previously thought. From ancient alarm clocks to an industrial revolution that almost happened thousands of years ago with the invention of steam power, here are 10 fascinating ancient technologies. The Lycurgus Cup, a 4th century Roman technicolor cup The beautiful Lycurgus Cup is a Roman glass cup…
You May Also Like
Man brings ancient Greek music to life and the result is amazingly avant garde Discoveries and breakthroughs de-mystify the actual sound of ancient Greek music.
Gates of Hell: The real places said to be entrances to the underworld Hell, Hades, Guinee—the names are different but they all describe an underworld that many believe can be accessed through real gateways.
20 vintage ads that will make you squirm, possibly cry Advertising is a Mad Men world minus anything that can conceivably offend someone. It wasn't always that boring.
-
Russian cows are living in virtual reality to produce more milk The Matrix is preferable to Russia, according to the cows' measured stress levels.
Farmers in the Moscow region have fitted their cows with virtual reality headsets to see if it helps them produce more milk, The Moscow Times reports. “Experts noted reduced anxiety and improved overall emotional mood in the herd” during the VR experiment, said the agriculture administration for the region. Citing Dutch and Scottish research suggesting that a calming atmosphere increases dairy production, it said that milk production is what is now being studied during the second phase of the experiment. It also said that some Russian farmers are already playing classical music to their cows to achieve a similar “positive effect on milk flow.” The virtual reality the cows are…
You May Also Like
15 damn near impossible to beat video games Challenge is what makes video games fun, but everybody has a different barometer for what's hard and what's complete bullshit. Let's explore the BS part of the spectrum.
Are you being followed? How can you tell if you're being followed? Don't bother looking for men peering around corners. The secret to identifying a tail is all in the shoes...
How I survived a year of SHTF in 90s Bosnia No electricity, no food, no running water, no law. In a now legendary forum thread, a user named Selco tells preppers about his experiences and what he and his family did to stay alive.
