When you imagine a chameleon, you picture a creature who eludes discovery by changing colors and blending into its surroundings. There is a newly-discovered member of the chameleon clan who employs an […]
New York City is a place where everything is big. It is the Big Apple. It has enormous skyscrapers. It is the largest city in the United States. Its rental prices are […]
As summer ends and students return to school, it is appropriate to take a moment and reflect on one of the things that is as indispensable to studies as notebooks and backpacks: […]
If you accidentally purchase the wrong size of pants, it’s no big deal; as long as you have the receipt, you can exchange them for something that will fit. If only it […]
They say some people are like Slinky’s — they’re not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs. If […]
If we at Commonplace ever find ourselves at a loss for something to write about, the Ig Nobel prizes are sure to be a goldmine of inspiration. One of the 2005 laureates […]
If you aren’t particularly interested in dams, you might think that the day passes more slowly if you have to spend much time contemplating them. There is, however, a direct correlation between […]
There have been situations where politicians have thought themselves capable of legislating against nature itself, such as the time Indiana considered changing the value of pi, or the Norwegian town where it […]
Do you remember when you first learned of the concept of π? Have mathematics always been at least a little bit difficult for you? Haven’t you wished you could just pass a […]
Every four years we get to experience the phenomenon known as Leap Year. One additional day is added to the calendar to account for the fact that it takes about 365.25 days […]
Drop a piece of buttered toast on the kitchen floor, and we all know what is going to happen. It will land buttered-side down, of course. At least, that’s what we expect, […]
George Eastman (1854-1932) was a man of great accomplishments who was ahead of his time. The visionary founder of the photography company Eastman-Kodak did so much in the fields of photography and […]
If you want to lose weight without changes in diet or increase in exercise, there is an easy way. If you like warm weather, this approach will definitely appeal to you. If […]
The next time you hear someone refer to a “buttload,” don’t be too quick to assume he or she is speaking about a huge-but-undefined amount.
Your age is one thing that is cross-cultural, or so you would think. If you are 25 years old in the United States, you are 25 years old in South Africa. This […]
