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‘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…
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8 incredibly bizarre postage stamp controversies You wouldn’t think that the little strips of paper your grandmother used to send you your birthday check could cause riots, but you would be wrong.
The case against over-involved fatherhood Replace helicopter parenting with a healthy amount of fear and respect.
The world’s oldest jokes reveal we’ve always laughed at the same things The world's oldest known joke is from 1900 BC Sumeria and it's a fart joke.
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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…
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Enter the dominion of The Beast: the mysterious allure of Aleister Crowley Described by some as "the wickedest man in the world," this satanist led quite the colorful life.
The baffling phenomena with 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.
10 of the dumbest million dollar ideas of all time Completely useless ideas and inventions that still made a ton of money thanks to a gullible public and great marketing.
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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…
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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...
The 10 most evil fictional organizations Agglomerations of wretched villainy poised to completely destroy the civilization we hold dear.
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.
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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…
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How to get girls (that are out of your league) on Twitter Ellis Cooper explains how to be a @reply hero and date out of your league on social networks.
How to get secretly drunk at children’s birthday parties (and other events) I like my children, but I LOVE them even more after a few beers. This is the true secret to raising children.
15 embarrassing “before they were famous” commercials From phone sex to bathroom products: vintage TV commercials featuring some of today’s biggest A-list celebrities.
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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…
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10 reasons you should never date a pornstar The pros just don't outweight the cons.
From rites of passage to hipsters: The evolution of tattoos Whether it's a classic “MOM” on your arm or distinctions of class and social hierarchy, tattoos have always been around—and probably always will be.
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...
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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…
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The origins of common (and not-so-common) superstitions Make sure all containers in the room you are reading this are tightly sealed, or you'll be cursed with nightmares for the next three years.
Adorable facts about history’s greatest dictators Finally an excuse for those kawaii dictator memes.
Bits to bullets: the dramatic story behind the 3D printed gun It's got it all—The story behind the world's first 3D printed gun reads like a movie script.
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YouTube’s most demented science projects (top 15) The age of the lone inventor tinkering away in his own backyard is far from over—but this stuff is barely legal.
Most innovation these days is conducted by large teams of scientists and engineers in well-funded labs, but it pays to remember that many of the inventions that make modern life possible started out in much humbler circumstances – from the Wright brothers’ bicycle workshop to the kitchen stovetop where Charles Goodyear first made vulcanized rubber. But don’t think the age of the lone inventor working away in his own backyard is over completely. To find proof of this, you need look no further than YouTube. There are all sorts of creations on there that are imaginative, ingenious, and complex. And very, very dangerous. While you might stare open mouthed in…
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10 heartbreaking stories about dementia that make you appreciate our old people Fairy tales, confusion, and living hell.
15 terrible students who became wildly successful The report card doesn't matter much in the real world.
The world’s oldest jokes reveal we’ve always laughed at the same things The world's oldest known joke is from 1900 BC Sumeria and it's a fart joke.
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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…
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The best of the worst public access TV shows Production values may be limited, but that's a small price to pay for complete artistic freedom.
Hollywood blockbusters with glaring historical inaccuracies Hollywood has a knack for embellishing the truth, especially when the movie comes with the label "based on a true story."
Everything you never wanted to know about the vore fetish Into the belly of the beast.
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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…
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8 rumors about the Founding Fathers that refuse to die off The dead bodies in Ben Franklin's basement were actually sacrificed by the Hellfire Club.
The 11 most traumatizing TV episodes of all time The episodes and scenes that both shocked and scarred us with the misery they portrayed.
20 sex truths every guy needs to know, according to Stifler’s mom We sat down with Jennifer Coolidge to bash out a definitive list of things we wish all guys knew about sex.
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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…
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TSA’s Instagram account is truly terrifying 29 scary/weird/wtf items intercepted by the TSA, including eels, taser lipstick, and too many loaded guns.
10 of the most useless superpowers ever created Canonical, and downright silly.
The missing person stories that still haunt us (top 10) Millions of people have gone missing without a trace, but some missing persons cases are so alluring that they still attract attention decades on.
