The bright orange color astronauts wear to go out for launch is called International Orange, and it’s the same shade as the paint that coats Tokyo Tower in Japan, and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. However, once astronauts are in space, they swap orange for snow-white wear. So what gives with the different colors?

Well, there are actually two main types of spacesuits. The first one is the Advanced Crew Escape Suit, aka the "orange suit," aka the "pumpkin suit." Astronauts wear this full-pressure suit during "lift-off". These spacesuits are crucial for those who are heading for super high altitudes. But still, why this color? And what about the white, bulky spacesuits? What's their purpose?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you’re getting around by car, train, or plane, traveling can be uncomfortable and inconvenient, even if you love it. Your flight can get delayed by a lot. Sitting in close quarters for a long flight can slow blood circulation and cause the muscles to cramp. Your ears can pop during take-off and landing. So pay attention to some tips that will make your next trip a breeze!

For example, make sure you have an empty water bottle in your carry-on. That way, you can get past security with no problem and then just fill the bottle up at the airport. Most have drinking fountains, so you’ll save some cash!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fastening your seatbelt while in a car is something you learn even without knowing the rest of the road traffic regulations. But have you ever wondered why buses don’t have seatbelts at all? It seems only natural that a vehicle that carries so much more people than a car should have seatbelts, but buses have none — not even school buses. And how can they be safer than cars then?

Speaking about safety, have you ever thought why buses stop and open their doors at railroad tracks? It’s actually a must for any vehicle to stop at a designated point before railroad tracks and check if there’s a train coming. For a bus driver, it’s also important to open the doors. But why? Well, let’s find out the answers to these questions and more!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wouldn't it be amazing to see the tallest mountain on the planet from an airplane window? Just imagine yourself nestled in your seat, sipping on a coffee and admiring that snow covered mountain peak! The only problem is that planes don’t fly over Mount Everest, or the Himalayan range, for that matter. But why?

Let's imagine a scheduled commercial flight that decides to fly over the Himalayas. At first, the flight is going smoothly: the plane reaches its usual cruising altitude of 35,000 feet and is traveling at a speed of about 550 miles per hour. Soon, the pilots see a range of tall mountains straight ahead, with one peak standing out among the rest. It's the world-famous Everest - the highest mountain above sea level on the whole planet! The pilots realize they shouldn't have been so careless! Because that's when everything goes awry!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever thought why trains blow their horns so often and so loudly? The truth is that they have to. And the main reason for that is safety. Locomotive engineers are required to honk every now and then, which is written down in the regulations called the "Final Rule on the Use of Locomotive Horns."

So, as you can see from the name, all this honking business is pretty strict and obliges trains to make four blasts approximately 20 seconds before they reach a crossing. But that's not all! Trains whistles and horns are an effective method of communication! There is a whole system of locomotive horn signals, where different sound combinations mean totally different things!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In August 2018, a UK woman was sailing on the Adriatic Sea. Seems like nothing out of the ordinary, just the perfect summer vacation out on the open water! The Norwegian Star cruise liner was heading to Venice, Italy after departing from Vargarola, Croatia. The woman was on the 7th deck, when, right before midnight, she fell off the back of the ship! It happened about 60 miles off the coast of a city called Pula. Too far away to call for help…

As soon as the crew found out about the incident, they launched a major search-and-rescue. They checked onboard CCTV cameras to find out exactly when the fall happened. That way, they could pinpoint the ship’s precise location at that time. The liner also contacted the authorities, and they dispatched a patrol ship, a plane, and 2 rescue boats to look for the woman. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feeling tired and weak? Perhaps you were buried in your workload and didn’t notice the time. You look at the clock and what?!? It’s 4 hours passed your lunchtime! And you remember that you haven’t eaten anything since last night because you were too tired to make anything and just went to bed. You make the excuse to yourself that you’re on a diet anyway, and this is a good way to accelerate it. Stop right there. The reality is, it’s a big NO!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What comes to your mind when you see the color yellow? One of your top 5 answers is “Taxi”, right? And even though not all taxis are yellow around the world, this color is strongly associated with the industry. But why is that?

 

The first taxis in the U.S. weren’t yellow. In 1907, businessman Harry Allen bought red and green vehicles in France and transported them to New York. However, he had to face some competition, since a lot of other cab-companies popped up. And their owners painted the vehicles in different colors – black, brown, white, checkered – so that each company had a signature color.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The glorious day has finally come when you can take your new baby home! But you haven’t given the hospital a name for your new bundle of joy yet. How about Barnaby? Or Dumbledore? Or not. Or perhaps you want to understand your baby’s personality better before choosing a name. What’s the worst that could happen? 

Well, our name is one of the biggest parts of who we are. In some parts of the world, parents don’t choose a name for their baby: children are allowed to choose one for themselves when they’re old enough. Without a name, a child may have an undeveloped sense of self. Not having a name doesn’t just create practical issues; it could create emotional ones too.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Graphology is the science of analyzing signatures. Yeah, people actually study this stuff! Your signature and handwriting are completely unique to you! Have you ever wondered what they reveal about your personality?

For example, if you can clearly read the first and last name, that means that person is straightforward, sincere, and honest, and they likely have nothing to hide. If you can’t read the signature, that individual may have problems with authority and isn’t very confident in themselves. They may have some secrets, too…

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices