1
A retired teacher from Michigan last year uncovered a rare nitrate copy of the 1897 film Gugusse and the Automaton stored away in his great-grandfather’s old trunk. Thought to be lost to time, the 45-second film features the first on-screen appearance of a robot.
2
On average, an American family of four throws away an amount of trash every year that weighs as much as a large sport utility vehicle.
3
Spider web silk may seem delicate, but for its weight, it’s actually stronger than steel.
4
Maritime archaeologists uncovered a 4,500-year-old wooden canoe—the oldest recorded in the Great Lakes region—at the bottom of Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin. Its construction and use dates back to the same time as Egypt was constructing the Great Pyramids.
5
The first recorded automobile race focused on reliability and safety, not speed. With an average speed of 11.6 miles an hour, 21 contestants raced through France in the 1894 Concours Paris-Rouen.
