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History

Pineapple as a Status Symbol

In 18th century England, pineapples became a luxury item and a status symbol. The fruit was so rare and expensive that wealthy individuals would rent them for events or display them as decorative pieces.

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Science

One Part of How do things Fly?

Thrust is simply what happens when an engine throws mass one way so the vehicle moves the other way—a direct consequence of Newton’s third law and conservation of momentum. In its simplest form, thrust scales with how much mass you move per second and how much you speed it up:

Thrust ≈ mass flow × change in velocity

That “mass” depends on the machine: a rocket accelerates hot exhaust gases it carries onboard (so it works in space), while a jet or propeller accelerates the surrounding air. The interesting trade-off is efficiency: propellers tend to be efficient because they accelerate a large amount of air by a small amount, whereas rockets and high-speed jets accelerate a smaller amount of mass by a lot—great for high performance, but with more energy left behind in the fast-moving wake.

Did you know: A rocket doesn’t need air to “push against”—it pushes against its own exhaust momentum, which is why it can accelerate in a vacuum (space).

Tech & Engineering

Lead Pipe and Shot Factory

In 1788, at Bristol’s Lead Pipe and Shot Factory, inventor William Watts discovered that molten lead dropped from a tall tower naturally forms perfect spheres as it falls.

By pouring lead through a sieve at the top of a shot tower, gravity and surface tension did the rest—creating uniform lead shot for firearms far more efficiently. The idea spread worldwide and dominated ammunition production for over a century. Find out more here.

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Sport

Zero Gravity Sport

The only sport ever played on the moon is golf, as astronaut Alan Shepard hit a golf ball there on February 6, 1971.

Nature & Geography

Guess the Country

Clue 1: This country is home to the ancient Thracians and the oldest known gold treasure in the world, dating back over 6,000 years.

Clue 2: Its capital city is Sofia.

Clue 3: This country is renowned for its rose oil and yogurt.

* This topic has been previously featured. Spaced repetition improves your learning by helping you retain information for longer.

Business & Politics

The Most Profitable Company Ever

When people talk about “the most profitable company ever,” the cleanest, defensible metric is the largest annual net profit. By that measure, Saudi Aramco set the standout record: it reported US$161.1 billion in net income for 2022, a figure widely described as the highest-ever recorded annual profit by a publicly listed company, driven by stronger crude prices, higher volumes sold, and improved refining margins. (For context, Aramco’s net income fell to US$121.3 billion in 2023 as oil prices and margins eased—still enormous, but below the 2022 peak.)

Did you know: US$161.1 billion over a year works out to roughly US$441 million in profit per day.

Arts & Literature

Oldest Known Cave Painting

The world's oldest known cave painting, dating back over 45,500+ years, was discovered in Leang Tedongnge Cave, in Indonesia. This ancient artwork depicts a wild pig painted with red ochre.

* This topic has been previously featured. Spaced repetition improves your learning by helping you retain information for longer.

Entertainment

Whys is Mario called… well Mario?

Mario was named after Mario Segale, a real-estate developer who rented a warehouse to Nintendo of America in the early 1980’s

Test your knowledge

If you have been following us for longer then a week, then it is time to find out how much you remember 😄 Answer these multi choice questions below! (Answers below)

For more questions made from our newsletters be sure to follow us on Instagram 

1. The International Space Station (ISS) orbits earth roughly once every

   A - 60 minutes

   B - 90 minutes

   C - 180 minutes

2. What does PIN stand for?

   A - Personal Identification Number

   B - Private Identity Node

   C - Protected Information Notation

3. When was Be@rbrick launched

   A - 2000

   B - 2001

   C - 1998

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