The truth behind what you think you know

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The truth behind what you think you know

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One Doctor Cracked His Knuckles on Only One Hand for 60 Years to Prove a Point — and He Was Right
Tech & Culture

One Doctor Cracked His Knuckles on Only One Hand for 60 Years to Prove a Point — and He Was Right

Parents have been warning kids about knuckle cracking for generations, insisting it leads to arthritis. But decades of research — including one of the most dedicated self-experiments in medical history — have found no connection whatsoever. So what's the popping sound, and why does the warning keep getting passed down anyway?

Why You Get Sleepy After a Big Meal — and Turkey Has Almost Nothing to Do With It
Tech & Culture

Why You Get Sleepy After a Big Meal — and Turkey Has Almost Nothing to Do With It

Every November, the same explanation makes the rounds: turkey makes you sleepy because of tryptophan. It's a tidy story, and it's mostly wrong. The real reason you crash after a big meal is a lot more ordinary — and it happens year-round, no turkey required.

The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Digg: How the Internet's First Social News Giant Lost the Crown to Reddit
Tech & Culture

The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Digg: How the Internet's First Social News Giant Lost the Crown to Reddit

Before Reddit became the self-proclaimed front page of the internet, there was Digg — a scrappy, user-powered news aggregator that defined how millions of Americans consumed content online. This is the story of its meteoric rise, its spectacular collapse, and the multiple attempts to bring it back from the dead.