Interesting

What's the logic behind parking lots? Why are some arranged diagonally, and others laid out straight? It turns out that there’s a lot more to parking lot design than simply painting lines on a sheet of asphalt. Complex decisions regarding spacing, number of spots, efficiency, and flow of traffic all go into creating the perfect place to <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/bad-parking-cards/vicky-choy">leave cars</a>. The science of how parking lots are arranged is fascinating.Take a <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/things-you-hate-most-when-driving/analise.dubner">drive</a> through any city, and you'll likely notice lots with diagonal versus straight parking spots. Why parking lots look different has a lot to do with how the lot is used. Different angles change the amount of spots available in any given lot, and can impact how quickly drivers can get in and out of spaces.But what angle of entry is best? Should traffic be one-way or two-way? How many shopping cart corrals does one truly need? All of these choices, and more, are made by the great mathematical minds behind parking lots.

Why Are Some Parking Lots Arranged Diagonally And Others Are Straight?

General

11 Reasons Why Parking Lots Are Arranged Diagonally or Straight

Stephan Roget

Lists about the infinite expanses of space and time. Read up to open your mind so wide, it explodes.

Theories of the Universe

Time&nbsp;impacts every aspect of our lives. Yet, despite our seemingly intimate relationship with time, many would be hard-pressed to define it. So, exactly what is time?For millennia, philosophers and scientists have proposed and argued theories about time, but very few have resulted in any kind of consensus. And while there still remains no complete definition, in its strictest sense, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time">time is a unit of measure</a>. We use it to describe an event, or the duration of or between them. This is true both in everyday matters, as well as in&nbsp;mathematics. Colloquially, we might say something like “time marches on” when speaking about life’s forward movement, while physicists&nbsp;would characterize this perceived experience as the “arrow of time.”Beyond time’s symptomatic effects, however, the true essence of the phenomenon remains controversial and mysterious. While physicists can use units of time within their equations, questions such as &quot;How does time work?&quot;&nbsp;continue to confound the scientific community. Indeed, as the superficial layers of time get pulled back, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/most-widely-misunderstood-scientific-concepts/bruce-maisy">common sense and intuitive ideas are challenged</a>, making it difficult to talk about the existential without flirting with something more metaphysical. As a result, the riddle of time has actually led some philosophers and scientists to rethink the entire model of our universe.In that spirit, let’s explore some scientific theories about time that challenge our own views about reality.

Scientific Theories And Facts That Prove Time Is Way Weirder Than You Think

14 Scientific Theories That Prove Time Is Way Weirder Than You Think

Bruce Maisy

Interesting tidbits and things you should know about everything from the US Constitution to the modern banana industry.

Wow! That's Fascinating

All birds, great and small, from the freaking enormous ostrich to the itty bitty hummingbird and every feathered flapper in between.

Avian Aficionados

Animals

You probably think of pigeons as a nuisance. The&nbsp;city-dwelling birds are typically considered everything but useful. But study up on the science of carrier pigeons, and you might just find a newfound appreciation for these secretly <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/interesting-birds/katherine-ripley" target="_blank">interesting birds</a>.What are carrier pigeons? These birds&nbsp;are trained&nbsp;to consistently find their way home, and thanks to some handy directional abilities, they can be used&nbsp;to deliver messages. Many people, from civilians to military officials to <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/historical-intelligence-agencies/kellen-perry" target="_blank">spies</a>, have used carrier pigeons throughout history.But how do carrier pigeons work? How could they manage to lift messages, and how do pigeons navigate? Thanks to new research, people can fully appreciate how these oft-maligned birds&nbsp;have contributed to communication through the ages.

Wait, How Exactly Do Carrier Pigeons Work?

How Do Carrier Pigeons Work?

Amber Fua

Everything was going so well today. Your hair was doing that thing you like, there was no line at the coffee place, and you got to work on a little early.&nbsp;You even found out you're getting that promotion over Karen. Not bad!&nbsp;Now&nbsp;you're driving home, and you suddenly feel a sharp&nbsp;pain in your lower abdomen. Was it something you ate? Before you can think about it too much, the sharp pain hits again. By the time you get home, you're sweating. You check your temperature.&nbsp;A&nbsp;fever is setting in.Finally, you think,&nbsp;&quot;better safe than sorry.&quot; Time to put that health insurance to use.And that's how you got here. Lying back&nbsp;in a hospital bed,&nbsp;a&nbsp;heart monitor beep-beep-beeping by your side, and a doctor explaining your imminent surgery. They're going to take&nbsp;your appendix out. You might be scared about what happens if you <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/anesthesia-awareness-horror-stories/jacob-shelton">wake up during surgery</a>, but lucky you, there's a drug to keep that from happening. You're going to go under <a href="http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/tc/anesthesia-topic-overview?page=2">general anesthesia</a>, and by the time you wake up, you'll be right as rain. But exactly what happens when you go&nbsp;under?&nbsp;And, aside from that appendix getting taken out - or whatever your particular surgery may be&nbsp;-&nbsp;what happens to your body in anesthesia?&nbsp;

What Happens To Your Body When You Go Under Anesthesia

Laura Allan

Lists about all types of good boys and girls for the people who want to pet every single one of them.

Must Love Dogs

Pets

We may think of dogs as <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/friendly-dog-breeds-that-are-good-with-kids/reference">man's best friend</a> (or our <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-pet-strollers/ranker-shopping">little fur babies</a>), but what do dogs think about&nbsp;us? Humanity may never fully know,&nbsp;but we are&nbsp;closer to an answer thanks to dog brain scan studies. In examining dogs' brains, scientists are discovering&nbsp;how&nbsp;our canine companions' brains work and how dogs think. In fact, some of the facts we've learned about dog brains show us they're more like people than once thought.Scientists have specially trained canines to enter and stay&nbsp;in a&nbsp;fMRI machine - complete with headphones to protect their sensitive ears - to study what happens inside a dog's brain. The results of the brain scans are intriguing, providing evidence that dogs are complex and emotional creatures, something <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/joys-of-dog-ownership/ashley-reign">most dog owners probably knew</a> all along. A dog’s happy or guilty-looking expression may not mean exactly what you think, but humans are finally closer to resolving the question, &quot;How do dog brains work?&quot;&nbsp;

16 Things We've Learned From Scanning Dog Brains

Things We've Learned From Scanning Dog Brains

Erin McCann

Lists about the squishy ball of noodles inside your skull, how it works, things we think it does, and ways it affects your life all day, every day.

What's on Your Mind

Psychology

What is synesthesia? How does it affect&nbsp;the brain? What causes it? Synesthesia&nbsp;is a&nbsp;fascinating neurological condition, but researchers still don't know much about it. People with synesthesia experience cross&nbsp;stimulation when one sensory or cognitive pathway&nbsp;leads to an involuntary sensation to another. To put it simply, people with synesthesia can&nbsp;taste sounds or hear colors.A person might listen to their favorite&nbsp;band and automatically taste popcorn, or always see a certain letter in a particular color. It's both incredibly wonderful and completely baffling. Everyone with synesthesia (known as synesthetes)&nbsp;experience things differently. Some will swear that the number two is blue, while others insist that the number two is obviously green. Scientists have documented many&nbsp;different examples of fascinating connections people with different kinds of synesthesia will make. But as&nbsp;interesting facts about synesthesia&nbsp;prove, part of its allure lies in its mystery.

Colorful Facts You Should Know About Synesthesia

16 Colorful Facts You Should Know About Synesthesia

Jacoby Bancroft

Abracadabra

Magic

Unbeknownst to most citizens,&nbsp;a&nbsp;secret society of magicians exists all around the world. Instead of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/royal-henchmen-in-history/peterdugre">plotting coups or world domination</a>, they simply&nbsp;wish&nbsp;to entertain an audience and maybe saw a woman in half. Magicians, mentalists, and sleight of hand artists all live by a code of secret magic rules governing the way they perform and go about their daily lives. And while it&rsquo;s against the bylaws of their society to discuss their lifestyle, the magician rules are a must-know for anyone who wants to break into the highly secretive <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-famous-magicians/polkadotking">world of magic</a>. Whether&nbsp;a newcomer to the world of magic or&nbsp;simply an interested party, you&#39;ll find&nbsp;something to learn on this collection of the secret rules that govern the Magic Castle.

If you don&rsquo;t know, the Magic Castle is <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-ghost-stories-from-the-magic-castle/cristina-sanza">a Los Angeles clubhouse for members of the magic community</a>, and they take their lifestyle very seriously. Not only is&nbsp;a strict dress code enforced,&nbsp;Magic Castle performers adhere to rules that go unsaid to anyone in attendance. Most magicians know, or should know, these rules, as they form the basis for their entire lifestyle. Some of the rules are simple common sense, but the rest are impossible to know unless you&rsquo;re actually in the magic community. Or they were impossible to know until now.&nbsp;

7 Secret Rules That Govern The Magic Castle

Secret Rules For Magicians And The Magic Castle 

Jacob Shelton

Lists about the gazillions of things spinning around the whole infinite universe.

Space: The Final Frontier

The Space Page

Saturn’s&nbsp;moon Titan has been the subject of innumerable science fiction works, including Kurt Vonnegut’s classic The Sirens of Titan and Philip K. Dick's The Game-Players of Titan. References to it show up in movies, on TV shows, and on rock albums. Titan might just be the most famous moon in the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/planets-in-the-solar-system/jtdesaulnier">solar system</a>. But why is Titan so cool? The short answer: because it's more like Earth than you might expect.Titan has fascinated star-gazers since it was <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/firsts-in-space/ranker-science">first discovered</a> by Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens in 1655. Huygens called the moon Saturni Luna, but it was later renamed by John Herschel for the Titans of Greek mythology.Despite its relatively early discovery, Titan stumped the scientific community over the next few hundred years.&nbsp;The moon’s hazy atmosphere&nbsp;made it difficult&nbsp;to discern many facts about Titan or unravel its enticing mysteries. More recently, however, thanks to visits by spacecraft like Cassini-Huygens,&nbsp;researchers are learning the exciting truth: Titan has many <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/pictures-of-earth-from-space/ashley-reign">Earth</a>-like qualities, including flowing liquids, organic compounds and, possibly even&nbsp;a prebiotic environment.There are plenty of extraordinary things you didn't know about Titan. The fact that it might one day be able to support life is just one of them.

16 Facts About Saturn's Moon Titan, The Closest Thing We Have To A Second Earth

Everything You Should Know About Titan: Our Best Bet for a New Home in the Stars

Weird

Located in rural Kentucky is a most interesting and controversial museum&nbsp;called the Creation Museum. It was founded by Young Earth supporter and Evangelical minister&nbsp;Ken Hamm. If you&#39;ve ever visited a natural history museum, you&#39;ll find the Creation Museum quite different from that experience &ndash;&nbsp;in fact, you&#39;ll&nbsp;see the some of the most unbelievable attractions at the Creation Museum. The museum is designed to encourage the Evangelical faithful&nbsp;to accept the Bible in the most literal sense without involving science, as&nbsp;a&nbsp;majority of Christian institutions do not support the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/notable-things-that-creationists-believe/mike-rothschild" target="_blank">notable creationist beliefs</a>.

As with the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/cabazon-dinosaurs-creationist-museum/crystal-brackett" target="_blank">Cabazon Dinosaurs in California</a>, creationists&nbsp;use the Creation Museum both explicitly and implicitly to attempt to convert those who believe in the theory of evolution. It is one of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-museums-in-the-world" target="_blank">best museums in the world</a>&nbsp;to visit, as it is guaranteed to shock you, make you laugh, or even upset you. Take a look below and vote up the craziest things the museum displays as truth, from how the Earth was formed to how dinosaurs were man&#39;s best friend.&nbsp;

The Most Unbelievable Attractions At The Creation Museum

The Most  Unbelievable Attractions at the Creation Museum

Cheryl Adams Richkoff

Lists about your head, shoulders, knees, toes, ligaments, veins, muscles, bones, and all the other visible features and hidden viscera that make up your very own unique body.

Body Parts

Human Body

The basics of making babies seem simple. You need sperm, an egg, and a womb to incubate in. Combine those, and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/actresses-whose-pregnancies-became-storylines/celebrity-lists">a&nbsp;baby starts to grow</a>. However, most people don't know&nbsp;what develops first in the womb as far as the baby's growth. Does it start with a brain? A heart? What organs come first during pregnancy, and what organs develop last?The order of organ development in fetuses isn't always exactly the same. Humans all start from the same general blueprint, but some organs start to form around the same time, and some grow faster than others. But here's what science says: babies start as an anus (really), and end by developing lungs. When - and how - body parts grow in between is a long and fascinating process.

In What Order Do Your Body Parts Develop In The Womb?

People share their eyewitness and firsthand accounts of true creepy and wild stories that really happened to them.

WTF Stories You've Gotta Read

Exploring those otherworldly, metaphysical phenomena inexplicable by the laws of nature.

Soul and Spirit

To be honest, most people aren&#39;t &quot;gifted&quot; in the sense that they have extraordinary powers, so it&#39;s difficult to believe some people are born with a psychic &quot;gift&quot; <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/false-nostradamus-prophecies/mike-rothschild">that usually has little return</a>. Because of this, it&#39;s actually a rather notable occurrence when your clairvoyant pulls through. Given the rarity of the &quot;gift,&quot; it stands to reason that <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/13-simpsons-jokes-that-actually-came-true/robert-wabash">the most unexpected mediums can surprise you&nbsp;with some quality predictions</a>.

If you went to an accurate psychic, what would you want to know? Is it when you&#39;ll pass? The winning lottery numbers? If <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/love-tarot-cards/samantha-dillinger" target="_blank">your spouse is cheating</a> on you? Who wins the game of thrones? The people here, all from <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/yohnx/were_all_sceptics_here_but_tell_us_have_you_ever/">Reddit</a>, disclose&nbsp;predictions from psychics who truly knew their future.&nbsp;

People Reveal Times Psychics Actually Predicted Their Future

Amanda Sedlak-Hevener

Space

People love to drop <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-albert-einstein/stephanroget">Albert Einstein</a>'s theory of relativity into conversation, whether they're discussing the latest Hollywood blockbuster or just <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/hipsters-trying-too-hard/amylindorff?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">trying to look</a> smart. But what is the theory of relativity? You may know that it involves gravity pulling objects and some possible time dilation, but probably don't know that it is a whole new way of describing reality itself. You may take for granted that you have to meet a friend for breakfast at your favorite place at ten in the morning, but without the forces outlined in the general theory of relativity you would meet at a completely different place at a different time.First published in 1915, Einstein's theory of relativity managed to solve problems physicists and astronomers had been grappling with for centuries. It's revealed&nbsp;secrets about <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/what-happens-to-your-body-in-a-black-hole/bruce-maisy">black holes</a>, planetary orbits, and space travel. And as you learn more facts about the theory of relativity and spacetime, you'll discover just how mind-blowing it is.

12 Beyond Fascinating Facts About The Theory Of Relativity

12 Things Everyone Should Know About the Theory Of Relativity?

Aaron Edwards

To sleep--perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub, For what if someone (or something) terrible is waiting inside your closet, or lying under your bed, or kneeling on your chest?

While You Were Sleeping

When we sleep, some of us curl up and some of us sprawl out. These&nbsp;different sleeping positions may not seem like a big deal, but some people believe&nbsp;the way you sleep reveals your character traits and personality.&nbsp;Professor <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3112170.stm">Chris Idzikowski</a>, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service of the&nbsp;Edinburgh Sleep Centre,&nbsp;believes&nbsp;he&nbsp;discovered the&nbsp;personality traits of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-is-the-best-mattress-for-side-sleepers/bradsmith" target="_blank">sleeping positions</a> after analyzing six different sleep positions among 1,000 survey participants.&nbsp;With regards to his research, he stated,&nbsp;&quot;We are all aware of our body language when we are awake but this is the first time we have been able to see what our subconscious posture says about us.&quot;&nbsp;

Because it&#39;s such an important function, maybe the position you snooze in actually matters. From postures like &quot;The Soldier&quot; to &quot;The Yearner,&quot; what does your sleeping position reveal about you?&nbsp;

What Your Sleeping Positions Say About Who You Really Are

Hacks, facts, insider secrets, and horror stories from your favorite retail stores, product lines, and places to shop.

SSHHH! Company Secrets

Shopping

How many times have you walked into a grocery store for&nbsp;eggs, only to come out with $250 worth of stuff you don't really need? Since the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/photos-of-grocery-stores-then-and-now/kellen-perry" target="_blank">earliest grocery stores</a> opened, people have fallen prey to simple tactics designed to fill their carts and empty their wallets. How grocery stores trick you largely depends on time; the more minutes you spend near the shelves, the more money you're likely to spend. Retailers will do anything to suck you in,&nbsp;from placing the most commonly purchased items all the way at the back of the store to playing slow music that makes you linger.But don't worry - grocery stores aren't actually out to get you. Overall, they have a lower profit margin than other retail outlets like clothing stores and electronic retailers. But they've got to stay in business somehow. The average person heads to the supermarket one and a half times a week, completely blind to grocery store secrets that suck them in and have them leaving with 10 bags of potato chips and bottles of soda - not to mention that cake.Read up on the ways grocery chains get you to spend money, and consider trying a few <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/grocery-store-secrets-tricks/ashley-reign" target="_blank">grocery shopping hacks</a> the next time you head out to stock up the&nbsp;fridge.

17 Brilliantly Evil Ways Grocery Stores Trick You Into Buying Stuff

17 Ways Grocery Stores Trick You Into Buying More Stuff

Mariel Loveland

Fascinating conditions, devastating disorders, and nightmarish syndromes that affect human bodies. 

Uncommon Afflictions

Weirdly Interesting

Sticks and stones may break your bones - but what if you couldn't even feel them? While it may sound like the stuff of science fiction, some people are born with a <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/weird-mental-disorders/mike-rothschild">condition</a>&nbsp;that makes them unable to experience pain. Congenital insensitivity to pain is very rare, and incredibly dangerous. After all, pain is the body's signal to stop that risky activity you're currently engaged in. Without that trigger, what's to keep you from doing serious damage to yourself?People who can't be hurt have to cope with the world in a different way. Even a hot cup of coffee presents a potential hazard when you have an inability to process the sensation of a burnt tongue. From physical problems to other emotional or behavioral <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/weird-sleep-disorders/laura-allan">disorders</a>, individuals with this condition can experience them all. Sometimes the condition also includes anhidrosis, or the inability to sweat. Facts about people who can't feel pain are as fascinating as their condition is mysterious.

11 Things You Didn't Know About People Who Can't Feel Physical Pain

Chase Christy

Lists about ways people around the world and throughout history have altered their own appearances in the quest for physical beauty.

Hey, Good Lookin'

Explainer

Why would you undergo neck elongation? This procedure, which works to stretch out the neck, causes pain&nbsp;and takes a lot of dedication. It's natural to wonder why anyone would go through the process. But look closer, and you'll realize that how neck elongation is perceived varies widely from person to person. Some cultures have a rich&nbsp;history of neck elongation practices. In many cases, the reasons why people elongate their necks are related to&nbsp;tradition.But then again, other people opt to elongate their necks for purely cosmetic purposes. Although it may seem strange, is neck elongation any odder than piercing one's ears or inking one's skin with a needle?&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/extreme-body-modifications/jacob-shelton">Body modification</a> is first and foremost a personal choice, but, in some areas of the world, the practice of neck elongation comes with&nbsp;huge&nbsp;significance.

The Ancient Tradition of Neck Elongation, Explained

What Is Neck Elongation And Why Would Anyone Do That?

Lea Rose Emery

Weirdly Interesting lists at Ranker - the ultimate source for lists and rankings in all categories