Bright Side

Whether you’re into useful tips for self-improvement, psychology, recent discoveries, mysterious stories, or just your day-to-day routine, there’s something for everyone! You can expect all that and more coming at you in five new episodes every day. If you’ve got a thirst for knowledge that never quits, then join our community! We have a good time, so take your shoes off, kick back, and make yourself at home here on the Bright Side of life!

Education
Self-Improvement
Science
4826
10 Intriguing Finds from Frozen Places
On an ordinary summer day in 2016, a gold miner was traveling in search of gold in Canada. He spotted something in the melting ice, and when he got closer, he realized it was a real treasure... for science. The miner found the oldest and most complete wolf mummy ever discovered in the world. Some other people discovered a box full of jewelry worth $340,000; Yuka the Woolly Mammoth; and other things you'd never expect to meet on a hike. Which of them sounds like the craziest to you?
8 min
4827
Where the Waterfall to Nowhere Really Goes
Have you ever wondered what makes waterfalls so magical and enchanting? If you want to see the most beautiful ones, here's your chance! The world's largest waterfall is tucked away underwater: the Denmark Strait cataract is located between Iceland and Greenland. In Kimberly, Western Australia, you can check out one of the only two horizontal waterfalls in the world. One mystery of nature that has been puzzling geologists for many years is the Devil's Kettle Waterfall on Minnesota's North Shore.
8 min
4828
Weird Life May Be Hiding in Cosmic 'Computation...
In our universe, there are special places called "habitable zones". They hold the key to life as we know it. But now, scientists are no longer looking just for those. Get ready for the “computational zones.” These enchanting realms could house life forms we've never even dreamed of encountering before! How far are they, and shall we see them soon?
8 min
4829
There Are More States of Matter Than You Think
Most of us know that matter can be solid, liquid, and gas. Some of us even know about a fourth special state called plasma. But what about the extraordinary states that behave in crazy ways, like dancing and color-changing? Forget what you thought you knew about solids, liquids, and gasses because we're diving into the wild side of physics. Prepare to be amazed because those new states of matter are something out of this world.
8 min
4830
The World's Oldest Forest Is NOT What You'd Expect
Scientists found a 385-million-year-old root network. It's like a fossilized web of roots that's got them all excited. They're reimagining what the world's first forests might have looked like, and let me tell you, it's not what you'd expect.
2 min
4831
What If You Had No Fingerprints
What role do fingerprints play in our lives? Yes, detective movies give a clear answer to this question. Also, scientists have only recently found out that fingerprints serve a person as the main mechanism of touch. Without them, it'd be difficult for you to read information and interact with whatever you're touching or holding in your hands. Patterns on the fingers play a very important role in the fine motor skills of the hands. Thanks to them, we can easily separate thin pages of paper from each other, type on a keyboard, get cards and money from our wallets, play the piano, guitar, etc. But besides that, could fingerprints determine your character?
9 min
4832
Picking Up One of 11 Things Might Get You in Tr...
What can you find with a metal detector? Coins, jewelry, ancient coins artifacts... Finding some money on the ground a hundred years ago, you could think yourself lucky. If you pick up something valuable today, though, it most likely means trouble. Picking one up and setting it into your phone you might find a huge debt on yourself. If you find a diamond ring or gold bracelet, somebody may appear on the street and accuse you of stealing their jewelry. The same applies to wallets, money, and credit cards. Or check your surroundings before picking up such items. If you feel somebody’s watching or following you, leave it be. What about electronic devices? Well, if you see a radio transmitter, mobile phone, or tablet lying on the road, never touch it: it might be unsafe and put there on purpose so that you — or any curious person —picks it up. So, here’s a list of things you should never pick up.What can you find with a metal detector? Coins, jewelry, ancient coins artifacts... Finding some money on the ground a hundred years ago, you could think yourself lucky. If you pick up something valuable today, though, it most likely means trouble. Picking one up and setting it into your phone you might find a huge debt on yourself. If you find a diamond ring or gold bracelet, somebody may appear on the street and accuse you of stealing their jewelry. The same applies to wallets, money, and credit cards. Or check your surroundings before picking up such items. If you feel somebody’s watching or following you, leave it be. What about electronic devices? Well, if you see a radio transmitter, mobile phone, or tablet lying on the road, never touch it: it might be unsafe and put there on purpose so that you — or any curious person —picks it up. So, here’s a list of things you should never pick up.
6 min
4833
55 Quick Body Facts That Will Make Your Jaw Drop
Do you think you know everything about your own body? How about the fact that 25% of an adult's bones are in their feet? Or that taste buds aren't actually those bumps on your tongue? By the way, your eyes are an amazing instrument! They can distinguish between 10 million different colors! And the muscles that help your eyes focus make around 100,000 movements a day. If you want to make your leg muscles move as much, you need to walk 50 miles!
10 min
4834
Eerie Village That Has Been Burning for 60 Years
Are you ready to visit some of the spookiest villages in the world? People no longer live here, and some are even afraid to get anywhere close. It is so with Kuldhara village in India. A borough called Centralia in the US has been burning for more than 50 years. The English village of Gainsthorpe in Lincolnshire was once flourishing but then disappeared all of a sudden. Let's try to solve the mysteries of these and other eerie villages together!
9 min
4835
The Sun Will Eventually Swallow Earth – But When
There are all kinds of scary scenarios for the future of our planet, but how real are they? Will the Sun ever swallow us whole? When a star runs out of its fuel, it grows to a million times its original size. As the star grows, it engulfs any matter – even its own planets! – in its wake. Astronomers have watched stars right before or straight after swallowing entire planets. So, will the Sun eventually swallow our Earth?
8 min
4836
If Your Car Has Bumper Stickers, Remove Them Im...
Do you have a bumper sticker on your car? Well, you're putting yourself at risk without even knowing! That custom sticker you made with your dog might show robbers that you’re pretty outdoorsy – and like to spend a lot of time away from your house or your car, leaving them exposed. The fact that you have a sticker saying you have a kid on board could translate to: “I’m easily distracted, and I always have my hands full. It’s really easy to steal my car”. Learn some vital tips on how to protect yourself and your car from being stolen!
7 min
4837
The Secret of Egypt's Pyramids Is Probably Foun...
Archeologists are buzzing with excitement because they believe they have found one of Egypt's oldest complete mummies. The last year has been a good year for Egyptology, with many new discoveries being made about life in Ancient Egypt. One of them was the discovery of the first-ever pregnant mummy. Even if we know quite a lot about mummification processes, we keep making discoveries that open new doors into the lives of Ancient Egyptians. And it looks like we might finally know the biggest secret of the pyramids.
8 min
4838
If You See This Spiky Tree, Get Away Immediately
Have you ever seen square trees? They grow in a mysterious region called El Valle de Anton - near one of the largest inhabited dormant volcanoes in the world. The interior of their trunks are the same shape, with sharp edges, sometimes even at a perfect 90-degree angle. Located in Namibia is a tree that’s also weird in shape and pretty dangerous: the Bottle tree. Should you avoid visiting these places, or is it safe to approach these and other unique trees?
8 min
4839
Rare Meteorite Crashed into a House in America
Imagine sitting at home, drinking coffee and watching a new episode of your favorite series. And suddenly a meteorite crashes into your kitchen after breaking the roof. That's what actually happened in New Jersey during the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, which is active from April 19 to May 28 and peaking on May 5 through 6. The space rock itself was the size of a pork roll sandwich. It was also pitch black and weighed almost 4 pounds.
8 min
4840
One Misconception About Each Planet in the Sola...
We all know some "facts" about the planets in our Solar System which turn out to be not facts but misconceptions. Mercury gets a bad rap for always being hot, but that's not entirely true. The planet's got no atmosphere, so its temperature swings are wild. Venus is often referred to as the "sister planet" of Earth. But it's not true, just like many other popular myths about space.
8 min
4841
How to Trick Your Brain into Experiencing the F...
We all feel alive and actively perceive the present, in this very moment. But here's the catch, my friends - this feeling of "right now" is, in fact, a little delayed. Our different senses pick up information each at their own pace, which means our brains have to drag some of them to give us a seamless sense of the present. Anything we do in less than half a second - like hitting a ball or catching someone's glance - is done automatically. But is it possible to re-train your brain to experience the future?
8 min
4842
Here's Gaming of Tomorrow, and It's Holographic
Is holographic gaming possible? And if it is, how close are we to it? From Ping-pong and 84’s Tetris to Nintendo’s classics; from Wolfenstein and Doom to modern-day VR technology. It seems like games aren’t just here for fun, but to push our technology beyond the limits. So what’s next? Will we play games in holographic augmented reality rooms? While the concept of holographic gaming isn’t at the top of the list of gamers’ expectations, we’re still about to take a new evolutionary step in the gaming world in general. With the new generation of consoles on the horizon, it’s only natural to expect a rise in processing power, better graphics, and smooth gameplay without stutters and slowdowns. But why not bring some new, exciting, and revolutionary ways to play games?
8 min
4843
Why There Is Light on Earth But Not in Space
If you’re not a morning person, then you’d probably love living on the moon or out in space! The whole “lack of oxygen” thing aside, a ‘round-the-clock night sky sounds pretty tempting! But why is there so much light on Earth, but almost none once you leave our planet? You might think that it’s light during the day and dark at night because the Earth spins on its axis, and the Sun illuminates either hemisphere. That’s part of the reason, but it’s more complicated than that. Our star shines on the Moon too, but the sky above it is always black!
8 min
4844
Why Is This Black-Sand Beach So Dangerous?
In Iceland, you’ll find some of the most breathtaking sceneries on our planet, from geysers to black-sand beaches. Most of the sand on beaches generally formed from rocks that have broken down because of weather changes and erosion through thousands or even millions of years. This beach is so magically stunning, but also very dangerous because of its sneaker waves. Our planet is full of wonderful and mysterious things. Some trees talk to each other, and bamboo grows extremely fast for a special reason.
8 min
4845
8 Things Sharks Do for You Without You Knowing
You scared of sharks? In reality, you have more chances of being struck by lightning than being bitten by a shark. Still, sharks do have a bad rap, even though they’re not as horrible as people think. They’ve even been known to save people! No, really, sharks are amazing! Did you know, for example, that they can hear as far as 800 ft away? They’re even able to catch the sound of their prey tensing its muscles. They’re also older than dinosaurs. Scientists believe sharks have been around for about 450 million years. For comparison, the first dinosaurs appeared more than 200 million years later!
9 min
4846
How to Become a Treasure Hunter in Modern World
Are you dreaming about finding a treasure chest full of gold and gems? The good news is that it's theoretically possible. The bad news is it's not as exciting as you might think, and the competition is huge. You can start by checking out the Crater of Diamonds, State Park, Arkansas. At the beginning of the 20th century, people first discovered diamonds here. There are more locations like this, so let our treasure hunt begin.
8 min
4847
Phenomenon That Makes Objects Lose Their Shadows
Our planet is full of places that are so beautiful they don't even seem real! There is a river in Colombia where you can see red, yellow, green, and purple waters flow down it, and the color depends on the water or light conditions. Earthquake Lights can appear before, during, or immediately after an earthquake and last up to 10 minutes. People can see a clear reflection of the sky in the waters of Sasaran Beach, Kuala Lumpur, twice a month. The mountainside of Zhangye National Geopark, in China, is known for its splashes of rainbow in thick straight lines.
8 min
4848
How Scientists Calculated the Mass of the Milky...
Have you ever wondered how heavy all objects in our Milky Way are together? Weight and mass outside of Earth are tricky. You can’t just put planets, stars, or other space objects on the scale. Generally, when you’re on a scale, it measures how hard the gravity of our planet is pulling on you. On Earth, you weigh a certain amount, but if you could teleport to Jupiter now, it would be different. So, how did the scientists manage to weigh the Milky Way?
8 min
4849
The Top 5 Most Destructive Asteroid Strikes in ...
Asteroids aren’t as rare on our planet as we may think. About 17,000 of them visit us every year. You've probably even seen at least one in your life — for example, if you've seen a shooting star. They leave these bright tails behind them as they pass through the Earth’s atmosphere. Luckily for us, most asteroids explode 30-50 miles above the surface, but what if one large asteroid actually hit the Earth?
8 min
4850
Freeze Your Bed Sheets + 30 Tips for a Happy Su...
Summer is here, and you can make it the most enjoyable and unforgettable if you know some tips and secrets. To keep cool at night, try freezing your sheets before you go to bed. Just fold them up and put them in a plastic bag in the freezer for a few hours before bedtime. To keep the sun out, cut a pool noodle in half lengthwise and place it over the top of your car windows. This will create a barrier that will help keep your car cool.
8 min