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A publication from A Wandering Mind
Essays, guides, reviews, and practical context across technology, money, science, culture, creative work, travel, and the ideas shaping everyday life.
A Tree Is Made From Air: Where Plants Actually Get Their Mass
A tree can gain hundreds of pounds while barely reducing the soil beneath it. The reason is one of biology's strangest facts: much of a plant's solid body began as carbon dioxide floating through the air.
Fort Benning Is Getting a Nuclear Microreactor. Here’s What That Actually Means
Fort Benning has been selected for one of the Army’s first nuclear microreactors. Here is what the project actually is, how safe living near nuclear power is, what questions remain, and why nuclear energy may become an increasingly important part of America’s power supply.
Could Shiny Pokémon Survive Natural Selection?
Shiny Pokémon are famous because they are rare. But rarity is not the same thing as adaptation. Using Red Gyarados, Caterpie, Spinda and other Gen 1–3 examples, this interactive guide separates Pokémon evolution from biological evolution.
How to Make a Solar System Model That’s Actually to Scale
Most solar system models distort either planet sizes or distances. Use this interactive calculator to build a model for your desk, classroom, hallway or field—and understand exactly what your project is simplifying.